September 25 and 26
David Dorfman Dance
underground
Acclaimed for his exuberant and “delightfully oddball” style, Washington University alumnus David Dorfman is among the most celebrated choreographers of his generation. In September his company, David Dorfman Dance, will return to the Edison stage with underground, a provocative evening-length work loosely based on the activities of the Weather Underground. Taking the 1960’s as starting point, this exploration of political activism and contemporary apathy is not afraid to ask controversial questions: “When can activism become terrorism, or vice versa?” “Would you overthrow your government? If not, why not?”
October 2 and 3
GrooveLily
Sleeping Beauty Wakes
Theatrical power-pop trio GrooveLily returns to Edison Theatre with Sleeping Beauty Wakes, their latest collaboration with Tony Award-winning librettist Rachel Sheinkin. The story — a witty musical theatre twist on the classic Grimm’s fairy tale — begins with Beauty awakening after a 900-year sleep, only to find herself ensconced in a 21st-century sleep-disorder clinic, far from princes and the land far, far away.
November 14 and 15
Parsons Dance Company
With the East Village Opera Company
Remember Me
Two veterans of the Edison stage join forces for this evening-length rock opera dance piece. Choreographer David Parson, drawing on 15 of EVOC’s signature arias, crafts a thoroughly modern re-telling the classic tragic love triangle, in which two brothers vie for the love of the enchanting Maria. The performance — which combines contemporary ballet, live and recorded music, video projection, aerial dance and special effects — will feature the talents of EVOC lead vocalists Tyley Ross and AnnMarie Milazzo along with the full Parsons Dance Company.
November 20
Roger Rees
What You Will
Rees, a 22-year veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, won Olivier and Tony awards for The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby but is perhaps best known to television audiences as the dashing English tycoon Robin Colcord on Cheers, British Ambassador Lord John Marbury on The West Wing and Dr. Colin Marlow on Grey’s Anatomy. In What You Will Rees takes an hysterical gallop through all things Shakespeare, combining some of the Bard’s greatest soliloquies with side-splitting accounts of the funniest disasters ever perpetrated on stage.
January 23
ScrapArtsMusic
ScrapArtsMusic fuses world and pop sensibilities with 21st century sounds and 20th century salvage. Using kinetic, one-of-a-kind instruments built from recycled and salvaged materials — such as sewage pipe and artillery shells — this Vancouver-based ensemble creates high-energy “action percussion” with tightly choreographed precision, highly evolved sticking techniques, and boundless energy.
February 12
Aquila Theatre Company
As You like It
February 13
Enemy of the People
The foremost producer of touring classical theatre in the United States, Aquila Theatre Company believes that “the greatest works should be seen by the greatest number.” In February this acclaimed troupe will return to Edison Theatre with two new productions. On Feb. 12 Aquila takes to the Forest of Arden for Shakespeare’s As You Like It, the beloved comedy in which love comes in all shapes, sizes and disguises. Then, on Feb. 13, the company presents Henrik Ibsen’s thrilling drama Enemy of the People, which explores issues of conscience and ecology in a small town.
February 19 and 20
PHILADANCO
Philadelphia Dance Company
Founded by Joan Myers Brown in 1970, this trailblazing modern dance company hails from the city of brotherly love but is rooted in African-American cultural traditions. Mixing ballet, modern, jazz and ethnic dance, PHILADANCO performs works by many of today’s most celebrated African-American choreographers, including Rennie Harris, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Ron K. Brown and other luminaries.
March 26
Tiempo Libre
Two-time Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre is among the hottest young Latin bands working today. Known for their incendiary, joyful performances of tibma — an irresistible mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and seductive rhythms — these Miami-based heirs to traditional Cuban music are as much a physical experience as a musical one, pulsing with contagious energy. Named “Best Latin Band 2008” by the Miami New Times.
ovations for young people
January 16
Jamie Adkins
Circus INcognitus
An eclectic clown, juggler, balancing artist and 100% poet, Jamie Adkins brings to life the story of a man who has something to say, but can’t quite get it out. Circus INcognitus turns everyday objects into circus routines as Adkins — a featured soloist with Cirque du Soleil — musters the courage to try new ideas and pushes himself to find solutions to his problems. Because you never know what you can do until you try.
January 23
Scrap Arts Music
February 20
PHILADANCO
Rosa
Choreographed by Billy Wilson, this work for six dancers is a vivid tribute to Rosa Parks, whose refusal to sit in the segregated back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement. Presented in conjunction with Black History Month.
May 8
CORBIAN Visual Arts and Dance
Darwin
CORBIAN is a unique and innovative theater group that employs electroluminescent wire against a blackout setting to create glowing, crayon-like creatures that light up the stage. Darwin tells the heart-warming story of a dinosaur who discovers the true meaning of love while learning lessons about the value of good and bad, love and hate, friends and enemies.