RE: 2017 Show Rumors
I finally have time to share my thoughts on OktoberZest. The bottom line is that I will continue to avoid Das Festhaus.
I suppose a fetish show is technically culturally German. And the 1930s are relatively modern. I'm fairly certain, however, that regardless of the validity, a BDSM-inspired scene does not belong in a theme park, especially during the main season, during the day. When those terrifying black leather lederhosen came out at the beginning, I thought, "but Cabaret was about the rise of Nazism in Germany; why are we celebrating that?"
Thankfully, they did change out of the bondage wear. Unfortunately, that was the last time the show seemed German to me.
I openly admit that I am not an expert on German culture. I am, however, a relatively well-educated park guest. So, I would argue my impressions matter. My main opinion was that the choreographer needs to do some research and/or be fired.
Three specific types of dance stood out to me as being completely inappropriate: waltzing, ballet, and Russian character.
It was emphasized over and over that we were at a beer hall in Munich. (Well, we were also apparently inside a clock, but as that had almost nothing to do with the show, I am simply trying to pretend those terrible sets don't exist.). Apparently, American country music is the most authentic thing they included in the show, because they actually explain the inclusion of "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
I'm not saying all of the choreography was inappropriate. Mixed in with the dance that had no place in a beer hall, were steps I would expect to see. There was simply too much that had no place on that stage, however.
The most obvious problem for me was the ballet. It is bad enough that they included this type of Russian/French dance, but they unaccountably used adagio choreography, as well. Ballet originally appeared as part of operas in France. Russia later developed the craft, where it flourished on their stages. It is entirely a theatrical art form, that takes years of training to execute well. The kinds of movements included in this show are generally used in slow, sustained partner work, typically on pointe. I cannot imagine a scenario, where one would see the Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty performed in a beer hall in Munich.
Similarly, the waltz was an Austrian style of dance enjoyed at formal balls. It turns out that Munich is not in Austria, and balls were generally not held in beer halls. I'm not saying it is as unlikely to see people waltzing as it would be to see ballet in the Festhaus setting, but it certainly isn't what I would choreograph for a traditional show with or without a "modern twist." I suppose from the perspective of the Third Reich, Austria was part of the German Zeitgeist and more importantly part of their empire. Additionally, Vienna waltzing is used as a symbol of the diseased and ineffective upper clases, who were supplanted by the Nazis, so maybe it is really a sophisticated, historical critique?
Finally, Russian character dancing is the cultural heritage of a country that has never been controlled by any German Empire, even our Nazi friends from the opening number. At least in Celtic Fyre, there is a narrative to explain how tap dancers ended up in a pub in Ireland. What are Cossaks doing in a beer hall in Munich?
Moving on from the incomprehensible choreography, the park seems to have decided that more audience participation is better. I know that supposedly I am the only one who loathes being asked to get on stage and look like an idiot for a roomful of strangers. And I equally understand that everyone else loves hearing other people sing off key. But there seemed to be a lot of people who looked unhappy and uncomfortable. Including several of the children. Did we really need three separate cringeworthy sections?
I managed to smile as I repeatedly refused to go on stage to "waltz." Regardless, it turns out that most people don't know how to waltz, so that part of the show turned into the performers attempting to waltz with people rigidly doing the "step-touch" maneuver popular in high schools.
I had flashbacks to my own childhood, as I watched unwilling children being pushed onto the stage to do the Chicken Dance.
I wanted to cover my ears, when we were forced to have a screaming competition with the other side of the room, during "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
One final thought: the number of things that could go wrong in the wood chopping scene boggles the mind. Sweaty performers, weilding sharp axes, with wood chips flying everywhere seem like a probable safety hazard. And who wants to dance on a stage with bits of wood everywhere? I'll be looking for the lawsuit.
Overall, I am glad that they have brought back trained dancers and live musicians. I just wish the park had given them something decent to perform.
