Returning to the Auditorium Theatre after a long 20-year absence is Hubbard Street Dance Chicago with its 40th Anniversary Spring Series. This edition spotlights Spanish born Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, who joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, and was named Choreographic Fellow in 2008 and became the company’s first Resident Choreographer in 2009. He’s a recipient of multiple awards, including prestigious Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance.
The show is a progression of Cerrudo’s works, from old to new. It has a pleasant start with his earliest piece, Lickety Split, originally performed in 2006 at the Harris Theater as part of the Inside/Out Choreographic workshop. Celebrating athletic femininity and confident masculinity and set to music by renowned songwriter Devendra Banhart, Lickety Split is about modern love and romantic relationships. It’s very beautiful and has well balanced energies.
But then something completely unexpected happens. The spotlight is on a balcony where a captivating, extravagantly dressed and coiffed female (Rena Butler) is seated, casually talking to the audience about the nature of reality. She is smoking a pipe, while blowing our minds with [Alan Watts’] philosophical concepts. Amazing.
And so the drama begins. More new age philosophy is injected into the show when David Schultz walks out on stage, wearing a cane and delivering another serving of food for thought. The following piece, Off Screen, though highly theatrical, doesn’t take itself too seriously. Inspired entirely by film, it makes lighthearted mockery of Italian musicals and romantic European movies. The music is comprised of 16 passages from various movie scores. Off Screen features seven dancers layering gorgeous fluid movements as if in a dream, their dancing defying gravity and somehow helping to get across the spiritual points introduced earlier. Off Screen was Cerrudo’s third work created for Hubbard Street back in 2009.
After the intermission, it’s the energetic Silent Ghost that originally premiered in 2015 at the Aspen Santa Fe ballet. It feels tribal yet romantic, despite the monochromatic costumes.
The grand finale of the evening is the world premiere of Out of Your Mind. This piece brings everything together: the mysterious monologues earlier in the show, the flow and progression of the pieces, the dreamy dancing. What makes it futuristic is the pulsating energy, and the shapes and configurations of the dancers. At some point, orderly chaos ensues on stage, dancers moving in waves [and somehow particles]. Set to the soundtrack of the soothing voice of the contemporary philosopher Alan Watts, it’s a breathtakingly beautiful and uplifting experience. The piece was inspired by Alan Watts’ lectures called “Out of Your Mind”; Cerrudo borrowed the music that was used in the audio of the lectures and used it in this piece. I’d say contemplating God possibly never looked more spectacular.
Growing up our radio dial was tuned to one channel, K-Earth 101. In Southern California that station was the oldies,…
Crowds will flock to see “Judgment Day,” having its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. While many…
In "Panther in the Sky," playwright Lani T. Montreal masterfully weaves a tapestry of grief, resilience, and redemption through the…
A collaboration of Chicago dance and Germany lighting sculpture live on stage About the Program: This program, set within an…
Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce the pre-Broadway World Premiere of DEATH BECOMES HER is now playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre…
Blue in the Right Way audaciously chose for their inaugural production a 400-year-old play, WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN, written in 1621…
I think my favorite thing – well, one of my favorite things – about Wyatt Kent’s take on HAMLET is…
Frolicking season is upon us once again and Joffrey Ballet welcomes summer with the return of Alexander Ekman’s “Midsummer Night’s…
As the audience takes its seats we are greeted by an atmosphere of foreboding, a trestle bridge girder to the…
Director Chuck Smith returns to Goodman with another major August Wilson revival–“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”. This is the second…
The Gift Theatre is pleased to announce its 2024-25 season featuring Suzan-Lori Parks' masterpiece Topdog/Underdog directed by Shanésia Davis and the world premiere of Cygnus by Susan Soon He…
Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce that individual tickets for the world premiere of the first ever touring production…
Full cast and crew have been announced for BrightSide Theatre's upcoming production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the rock opera that…
Chicago Opera Theater (COT), Chicago’s foremost producer of new and reimagined opera, closes its 50th Anniversary season presenting the final performances of…
Tim Rhoze, Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, has announced the company's 2024 season of four productions. The season will open with…
David Williamson, regarded as one of the top magicians in the world today, makes his Rhapsody Theater debut with Ridiculous! Known for his tours…
Curious Theatre Branch is pleased to announce the 35th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, May 25 - June 30 at six venues across Chicago. The…
It’s often said that in the workplace you should refrain from talking about politics and religion; too personal, too easy…
BALLET 5:8 is a female - and minority-led ballet company resident at Harris Theatre in Millenium Park. Under the leadership…
When life’s chaos is full of impossible choices, how are we possibly meant to move forward? Brooklyn Laundry is about…
I would absolutely bomb out of jury selection cos I have a very definite bias: I’ve been a fan(atic) of…
You got trouble, my friends, if you’re going to put on Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. If you’re going to…
This year's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 65th-anniversary engagement at Chicago's historic Auditorium Theatre held particular importance as it marked…
For the final show of its 30th anniversary season, Trap Door Theatre—the little company that could—has selected a sure-fire hit…
Chicago’s National Landmark Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) proudly announces its 2024-25 performance season presenting a vibrant mix of…
Chicago Writers' Bloc has announced the lineup of plays and musicals for its biennial festival of new plays, to be…
If you appreciate classical music and captivating stories about brilliant artists from the past, Hershey Felder’s one-man show, Monsieur Chopin:…
Jackalope Theatre Company continues its 16th season at Edgewater’s Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd., with the announcement of the cast…
Born and raised in Mexico City, Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz, MD, Chicago’s own Physician Magician, will celebrate the festive Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend by…
The Player (Lorenze Rush Jr) has just run into Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with his troupe of players. As he explains…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.