A THEATRE REVIEW OF COMPANY XIV'S "SNOW WHITE"
Company XIV and Austin McCormick have cornered the market of naughty burlesque inspired fairy tales. Their annual holiday show The Nutcracker Rouge has played year after year to enthusiastic crowds. They followed up Nutcracker with Rococo Rouge which was even better than its predecessor. Last fall, they told their unique take on Cinderella. Each one of these held up on their own as dizzying and decadent. Sexy and unique. And I've loved them all. So it comes as no joy to say that their take on Snow White (now playing at The Minetta Lane Theatre) is a dull retread.
Once again, Austin McCormick writes, choreographs, and directs his merry band of pranksters, with some noticeably absent (Katrina Cunningham, now in rehearsals for Paramour on Broadway, is sorely missed) while newer faces mix together with some older ones. Laura Careless takes center stage here as the Evil Queen and taking on the title role is Hilly Bodin. As with Nutcracker and Cinderella, the title character is sidelined for most of the beginning of the tale, as she watches the world around her. She's more of a junior queen here, wanting to replace the wicked one herself. It's much more Grimm Brothers than Disney for sure, but the wit and originality that has made me such a fan of this company is replaced here with lazy cribbing from their own material. The set appears to have floated directly from the last Nutcracker production (save a newly added curtain) and many of the great acts from before seem to just... repeat. Remember Courtney Giannone's wonderful Cyr Wheel Hoop trick? Well she does it again here, and if you saw it and were floored by it as I was, you'll appreciate that it's still cool, but it's not new. Nor does McCormick's choreography feel alive or, dare I say it, sexy.
The first act drags terribly, and he's made the choice for much of it to be fully in German. And to be fair, the second act is far superior but this is the first Company XIV show I can recall seeing patrons leave at intermission. Although I know this story well, there was also many times that I was lost at sea trying to figure out what was exactly happening on stage. A repeating puppet show for the Seven Dwarfs never works, and a cellophane wrapped coffin for Snow in the second act much have sounded much cooler in the planning periods than it actually is. The humor is also strangely lacking. The projection design, however, is quite lovely, and does spice up the delirium happening onstage. The cast is game for the most part, and Careless is scene stealing as usual, but the evening lacks the power and sexiness that Company XIV has become known for. Leaving their smoke filled room, you might wonder how, with so much scantally clad men and women onstage, you are leaving feeling so bored.
Photo Credit: Mark Shelby Perry
MATEO'S GRADE: C-
Written, Choreographed, and Directed by: Austin McCormick Starring: Hilly Bodin, Marisol Cabrera, Laura Careless, Courtney Giannone, Lea Helle, Nicholas Katen, Malik Kitchen, Mark Osmundsen, Davon Rainey and Marcy Richardson. For Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Snow-White-Company-XIV-tickets/artist/2159455
OFFICIAL COMPANY XIV SNOW WHITE TRAILER