Arts Club Theatre Company, Vancouver, British Columbia
November Theatre's production is playing as part of the PUSH festival until Feb 9. Has anyone been? If you like theatre, go!
I went on Saturday and again last night for the talk-back with cast and crew. FUCKING PHENOMENAL. Probably the best stage production I have seen in years.
Take an old German folk-tale, spike it with macabre dance routines, drug and Ernest Hemningway references, circus freaks, bluesy ragtime rock music, feed it a bunch of acid and lock it in a cuckoo clock, and this is what you end up with.
Created by opera director Robert Wilson, musician Tom Waits and writer William S Burroughs, you can imagine the talent that has gone into this. I think it would appeal to Rocky Horror fans.
It's the only production of The Black Rider since the original German version that has the official blessing of Tom Waits. For anyone familiar with how strict he is about how his work is used, you would realize what a compliment that is.
review:
vancouverplays: Vancouver's arts and culture website providing theatre reviews and commentary. Review of Black Rider by Jerry Wasserman