Cleveland’s jumping this weekend. Here are three good reasons to forget the back-to-school shopping and just get out and have some fun.
Friday, August 10, and Saturday, August 11
Fraulein Maria Hits the Hanna
Even as a youngster, choreographer Doug Elkins craved the spotlight — or at least a flashlight. In his kindergarten's version of “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music, Elkins was tapped to represent “re.” “I wanted to surprise my teacher, so I went home and got one of my dad’s flashlights” says the former B-boy. “When it came time for me to sing my part, I did what would be known today as a lightsaber dance.” Elkins’ critically acclaimed Fraulein Maria — both a parody and homage to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music — isn't all that far removed. Performed to the complete film score — with moves borrowed from ballet, hip-hop, and modern dance — the no-dialogue dance work is inventive and hilarious, yet finely crafted. Plus, says Elkins, it has become a “playground for the dancers” who have “rockets up their asses. They’re some of the best talents in the industry.” The touring company pulls into the Hanna Theatre this weekend for two 8 p.m. performances, presented by DanceCleveland. Tickets are $15 to $45 by phone, online, or at the Playhouse Square box office.
2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, dancecleveland.org.
