Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The seductive Maria Caruso dances double duty in METAMORPHOSIS & REARVIEW MIRROR

• By drediman
• July 17, 2021
• No Comments

This summer, dancer Maria Caruso has come to New York to help usher in the return of in-performances in, not one, but two new productions Off-Broadway. That’s right, you’ll be able to escape this summer’s oppressive heat and torrential downpours by catching the seductive, Pittsburgh-based dancer in a pair of dance theater pieces – Metamorphosis at the Actor’s Temple Theatre, as well as RearView Mirror at the Theater Center just a few blocks away (on Fridays, she actually performs in both shows back-to-back in a single evening).

The more serious and substantive of the two works is the one-woman show Metamorphosis, which chronicles, through dance, the often painful transitions that accompany one’s journey through life. These transitions are symbolized by five color-coded dresses, which are successively worn by Ms. Caruso as she progresses through the performance (i.e., life). The work also features a long, flowing flesh-colored fabric to which she occasionally returns (perhaps representing spirituality or her authentic self?) to re-calibrate herself. For these restorative interludes, Ms. Caruso’s long history with Martha Graham’s iconic Lamentation becomes evident as she skillfully manipulates the striking prop, effortless tangling and de-tangling herself into and out if the its silky embrace. Although the hourlong show is based on Ms. Caruso’s own experiences, there’s also a certain universality to the choreography – one of the benefits of wordless productions – and each episode features a distinctive mood as befits the respective stages of self-realization.

The work over at the intimate Jerry Orbach Theater at the Theater Center is a completely different beast altogether. Indeed, RearView Mirror sheds the somber emotionalism of Metamorphosis and rekindles the nostalgia of binging on early MTV programming, when music videos ruled. Together with her Bodiography dancers, Ms. Caruso conjures a parade of dances set to some of the 1980s’ most recognizable pop hits (e.g., “Lady in Red”, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “Simply Irresistible”, etc.). It’s an unabashedly feel-good show that’s danced with enthusiasm by a company of young dancers. And, of course, the segments featuring the sinuous, statuesque Ms. Caruso are definite highlights. Those of you who can’t get to the show’s current run will have a second chance when RearView Mirror returns Off-Broadway in the fall in an expanded, more fully-realized form.

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METAMORPHOSIS / REARVIEW MIRROR
Dance theater / In-person
Actors Temple Theatre / The Theater Center
Each production runs approximately 1 hour (without an intermission)
Currently on sale through July 31