(There’s Gonna Be) No Kitsching When They Get Ho-o-o-ome

The last time Twyla Tharp combined her unique choreographic talents with the music of a genius rock ´n’ roller, the results were… well, “shameful” is probably too strong a word, but “regrettable” is far too weak. That was The Times They Are A-Changin’, an unfortunate contribution to the even-more-unfortunate “jukebox musical” genre that turned Bob Dylan’s oeuvre into an outsized kitsch circus. Nightspot, a ballet created in collaboration with erstwhile rocker Elvis Costello, will be very different. Though the music may riff on some of Costello’s old songs, the piece promises to be its own thing: composed specifically for the occasion, for a nine piece dance band and a 32-piece orchestra. Costello’s got some experience in this arena — Costello’s Il Sogno, a ballet based on A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, was released in 2004 — and ought to give Twyla a better turn than she gave Bobby. Nightspot's world premiere is a commission from The Miami City Ballet; it will be performed at The Arsht Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Visit www.miamicityballet.org.
Sun., March 30, 2008