Each and every one of the cast members needs a stronger guiding hand, both in word and movement, to find that secret of mortality outside of the kung fu-mode, that could turn all those silly erratic moments of real life into something that might resemble magic.
The other featured performers, Dickson Mbi (Lee), David Torok (Doug Pince), and Jasmine Chiu (Young Little Lotus/Little Phoenix) and Ji Tuo (Little Dragon) as the destined twins, do the task in front of them when in battle, but also seem awkward in the clumsy modern day settings of a nightclub, where an ensemble of twelve highly trained contemporary, modern, hip hop, and street dancers flail around like annoying club kids. PeiJu Chien-Pott (Lotus), a principal dancer for Martha Graham Dance Company, and David Patrick Kelly (Lone Peak), a veteran actor of stage and screen who is best known for his role as Luther in “ The Warriors“, get lost in the wasteland of poor writing.
The principal performers do their strident best to bring intensity to the battle, but most line readings feel too much like canned sound, rather than authentic interactions. Left: David Torok (Doug Pince), center: Jasmine Chiu (Little Phoenix), right: Ji Tuo (Little Dragon). If these song moments could have embraced a Cirque du Soleil feel and balletic sense of wonder, the vocals and lyrics might have brought our heart into play, but as it stands, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise grinds to a halt far too often.
You get the sense that the creators had such a strong belief in the power of these songs that nothing else was needed, but they are sadly misguided. This is especially true during the musical numbers which lacked any visual appeal and connectability. I just wish the creators had taken this element, a dynamic that fits so well in The Shed‘s towering space, and expanded the aerial gymnastics with more creative fluidity and graceful motion. Some of the visual aerial creations are beautiful and thrilling to register, giving us moments of ocular joy as warriors float like fallen angels in a majestic aquarium. Ultimately, the saving moments of grace come from the martial arts choreography by Zhang Jun which is co-currently well orchestrated but never fully rises up to the same level as the video promos suggest. As directed by Chen Shi-Zheng, Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise stumbles forward aerobically, stalling the momentum with arrangements of songs by Sia (with additional remixes by composer, musician, and producer Arca), messy and inarticulate movement choreography by Akram Khan, and campy wooden vocal and line reading performances by its tenacious cast. Courtesy The Shed.Īs the rock and scaffolding landscape is unveiled, the overly simplistic mythology unfolds with a determination for grandness. PeiJu Chien-Pott (Little Lotus) with members of the chorus (guardians of the House of Dragon). Co-conceived by “ Kung Fu Panda” screenwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the story is almost Shakespearean in texture and construction, and although you can feel their steadfast belief in its wildly spectacular importance, the entertainment piece falters in its dialogue and its presentation, reducing what could have been awe-inspiring to chuckles of uncomfortable laughter for its juvenile clumsiness. Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise, the kung fu musical conceived and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and commissioned for The Shed’s opening season, tackles the air space with determination. The height and depth invigorates unbelievably, giving almost endless panoramas and a broad canvas to paint an experience that is only restricted by ones imagination and expertise. The Shed’s McCourt Theater is as perfect a space for this kind of theatrical endeavor as one could image. Expansive, just like the Park Avenue Armory, but with the added technology and contraptions that will elevate any creative mind into something magically undiscovered and inspiring.
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