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REVIEW: The Mark Morris Dance Group, presented by Global Arts Live, displayed a mostly fetching ‘Look of Love’

Posted on February 2, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

You may be familiar with far more Burt Bacharach songs than you realize.

That was certainly my experience watching The Mark Morris Dance Group’s pre-Valentine’s Day and retro- inspired music dedication to Burt Bacharach, The Look of Love.

Named after Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Academy Award-nominated song for the 1967 James Bond film, Casino Royale originally sung by Dusty Springfield, Global Arts Live presented The Mark Morris Dance Group’s The Look of Love for a limited engagement from January 23 to 25 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for more information, here for more on Global Arts Live and here for Mark Morris Dance Group’s next tour destination.

The Look of Love Jacobs Pillow 2023 Christopher Duggan

Burt Bacharach was an Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Emmy-winning composer and songwriter boasting an array of hits including songs from various movie soundtracks such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Arthur, Alfie, Promises Promises, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and interestingly enough, the strangely comical and catchy novelty tune to B horror flick, The Blob.

His songs are so memorable that they slip into contemporary culture in amazing ways as he continued releasing new songs into 2020. Who could forget the iconic, comedic and uplifting moment in My Best Friend’s Wedding when Rupert Everett started crooning I Say a Little Prayer before the whole table started singing along or when Kristen Wiig awkwardly started singing That’s What Friends are For at her best friend’s engagement party in Bridesmaids?

The Look Of Love Santa Monica 2022 Skye Schmidt

Burt Bacharach passed away in February 2023 so it was more than fitting to perform this dedication at the almost two-year anniversary of his passing. Kicking off with the Grammy award-winning and what Bacharach said was his favorite composition Alfie, The Mark Morris Dance Group embarks on a vivid journey in song and dance through an array of Bacharach’s popular hits.

Blaire Reinhard and Clinton Curtis create mellifluous harmony from the orchestra pit as dancers inhabit the stage for What the World Needs Now amid Nicole Pearce’s multicolored lighting which is at times luminous against Isaac Mizrahi’s multicolored assortment of flowing costumes and other times, overwhelming which can be a suitable description of love itself, striking a barrage of color before coming into luminous focus. The dancers are what coming into focus as brightly colored metal chairs and matching pillows complete this minimal set.

Bacharach has an array of peppy and sophisticated songs such as Do You Know the Way to San Jose, but Reinhard and Perry are at their best articulating heartache. Reinhard has an amazing belt and throws herself into Don’t Make Me Over and delivers charged vocals for Walk on By as dancers stride in rows concluding on a poignant moment of a woman looking on in the distance. Her expressive vocals for Are You There (With Another Girl) and Anyone Who Had a Heart in bold red lighting emphasize the pain of lost love, rejection and heartache while Curtis’s smooth vocals rise for The Look of Love in a dizzying display as dancers drift and sway in a green and purple backdrop punctuated by a tender embrace.

Ethan Iverson’s unique music arrangements deliver a fresh and exciting use of Bacharach’s work exemplified in the tapping and gradually athletic and urgent pace as light flashes overhead for Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.

This performance boasts mini situational love scenes depicted in Mark Morris’s storytelling choreography which includes a lip syncing karaoke singer for Message to Michael and other times dancer spin, leaping and soar at times quite literally depicting the lyrics in spreading wings or miming making a call.

The foreboding, kooky and funky vibe for The Blob reveals shadows of dancers possessed by a catchy beat. It is oddly comical in its red hued essence with the group in on the camp not to be taken too seriously.

UCSB Arts & Lectures – Mark Morris Dance Group “The Look of Love” 5/6/23 The Granada Theatre

The full company unites on a high note for I Say a Little Prayer with a joyful, fluttering, and sweet display amid a vibrant purple backdrop and a warm embrace much like the show began with a message of love, hope and support amid life’s suffering and struggles.

Though at times it can be visually overwhelming, The Mark Morris Dance Group provides an uplifting tribute to the genius that is Burt Bacharach and why his universal appeal and lasting impact will be celebrated for many generations to come.

Global Arts Live presented The Mark Morris Dance Group’s The Look of Love for a limited engagement from January 23 to 25 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for more information, here for more on Global Arts Live and here for Mark Morris Dance Group’s next tour destination.

REVIEW: Multi-talented Hugh Jackman wows at the TD Garden

Posted on July 14, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

Is multi-talented Hugh Jackman better on film or onstage?

Is it worth seeing him when he comes back to Boston? Is he the Greatest Showman?

One thing is certain – Hugh Jackman is the genuine article.

Some actors who decide to go on tour put on self-indulgent shows of their history in show business and share their general musings about life to promote their next album or film. They might even sing a song or two. However, outside the studio, they can’t really sing or dance. People cheer, even if the show isn’t what they were expecting, but they remember that guy in that film or show who was so great in those roles, and that is enough.

Hugh is one talented guy. He is a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy award-winner as well as a Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominee. He has also been on the other side of acting as host of the Academy and Tony Awards. For his 50th birthday, he wished to go on a world-wide tour.

Hugh Jackman’s ‘The Man. The Music. The Show’ will continue through October 20, 2019. Click here for show dates. He’ll also return to Boston’s TD Garden for one more performance on Tuesday, October 1.

Photo credit to Hugh Jackman The Show

The morning of Hugh’s appearance on Thursday, June 27 at the TD Garden, Hugh Jackman made a surprise appearance serving coffee from a coffee truck in Boston to promote his charity work with ‘The Laughing Man Cafe and Foundation.’ A loyal Bruins fan, he called performing in Boston one of his big dreams.

As superhero Wolverine (in which he demonstrated an onstage pose or two), he showed his dynamic range. Decked out at first in a white tux, he ran the gamut of styles from flashy costumes to more casual attire with no ringleader costume in sight. Though he reminisced about his career with a realistic look at his dogged pursuit to find success as an actor, he seemed like a humble, funny, and approachable guy.

A family friendly show, he kept the crowd moving with a broad range of music. From reaching into an old school vibe with selections such as I’ve Got Rhythm and Mac the Knife to tap dancing to AC/DC to performing a vast selection of musical theatre including lighting up the stage with selections from ‘The Greatest Showman,’ the show had a universal appeal though especially tailored for the theatre buff. He joined Kaley McKnight onstage to perform a stunning, powerful rendition of This is Me and a sweeping ‘Les Miserables‘ medley. He also joined members of the Boston Children’s Chorus for a stirring rendition of You Will Be Found from the hit musical, ‘Dear Evan Hansen.’

Hugh Jackman at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts Photo courtesy of Jeanne Denizard

The second half of the show did not outdo the first, but he demonstrated his range further in the second. It actually became a bit trippy during his ode to his Australian idol, Peter Allen in which Hugh won a Tony Award for his portrayal as Peter in ‘The Boy From Oz.’ Peter was not only known for songs such as Don’t Cry Out Loud and Arthur’s Theme, but for his over-the-top stage performances. He also welcomed the audience into his native Australia by recreating the outback, claiming it as one of his most out-of-this-world experiences he has ever had.

So, to answer those questions, I prefer Hugh in his epic films, but he is undeniably a wonderful performer. The very best is a lot to ask, but his dynamic range is truly great and worth watching on tour or when he returns to Boston in October. You will no doubt recognize the sheer talent that he has developed over decades of being a singer, a dancer, theater actor, movie star, and a hero.