Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Company XIV’s PARIS! is one of its most riotously entertaining outings yet

• By drediman
• October 21, 2016
• No Comments

The cast of “Paris!” at the Irondale Center

I think of Company XIV shows in the same way I do of those Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas. Once you’ve seen one of them, viewings of subsequent shows start to blur together. Although this is also the case with their Paris!, I’m happy to report that Company XIV’s latest outing is also one of its most riotously entertaining shows to date.

Why is that? First, I absolutely adore their current digs (the troupe has been nomadic over the last few seasons and has been fundraising to find a permanent home), the Irondale Center in Fort Greene in Brooklyn. It’s expansive and atmospheric enough to accommodate artistic director Austin McCormick’s subversive and immersive vision – a hybrid of baroque dance, burlesque, and circus arts. But really, that description fails to capture the shows unique essence. Second, the show’s story – essentially a talent contest in the guise of the Greek legend of Paris which culminates with his first encounter with Helen – lends itself to Mr. McCormick’s flirtatious but episodic format.

As with other Company XIV shows, Paris! is seductive from the outset. The bodies are gorgeous, and luckily for us audience members, the cast is usually scantily clad (the fantastical costumes are by Zane Pihlstrom). The classically trained performers uncannily overlay their talents onto the company’s unmistakable naughty baroque sensibility.

RECOMMENDED

PARIS!
Off-Broadway, Dance/Circus Arts/Burlesque/Theater
Company XIV at the Irondale Center
2 hours, 5 minuets (with two intermissions)
Through November 12