THE HANGOVER REPORT – PEPPERLAND is Mark Morris danced through a colorful nostalgic lens

Mark Morris Dance Group performs "Pepperland" at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo by Matt Hayward.

Mark Morris Dance Group performs “Pepperland” at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo by Matt Hayward.

Last night, I attended a performance of Mark Morris Dance Group’s Pepperland, which concludes its brief run at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House tonight. Over the years I’ve become a big fan of Mr. Morris’s witty but imminently honest brand of choreography – particularly his masterful L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato and, more recently, the exquisite Layla and Majnun – as well as his tightly knit group of talented dancers.

Pepperland is an hourlong piece danced through the lens of colorful nostalgia, but not without a touch of depth and timelessness. Indeed, although Pepperland unabashedly celebrates The Beatles and their seminal 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (as well as the era during which it was released), the work still manages to subtly exude the soul and humanity so central to Mr. Morris’s typically Eastern and Baroque-influenced dances. Even if, at the end of the day, Pepperland registers as lesser Mark Morris, it’s never less than consistently charming.

Among the dancers I’ve seen, the Mark Morris dancers are among the most gorgeously equipped to convey humanity through movement and gesture. These qualities shined through despite the production’s cartoonish vibe, which extended to Ethan Iverson’s somewhat generic musical arrangements, played live (with occasional vocals) by a spirited six-piece band in the pit.

RECOMMENDED

 

PEPPERLAND
Dance
Mark Morris Dance Group at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
1 hour (without an intermission)
Through May 11

Categories: Dance

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