The Show Must NOT Go On....

The Push festival’s “The Show Must Go On” was a show unlike any other I have ever been to. I have a weird quark about me that I do not like to hear show reviews, or have any sort of preview before experiencing any performances. Therefore, the performance I was about to see Friday night would be one that would turn out to shock and awe me. Being involved in the dance and acting scene growing up, I have been to multiple plays and ballets. None of this would prepare me for what I was about to witness. The lights go down. Immediately I’m expecting them to go back up again and the show to start. Instead, the music begins to play. Okay, the show will start after an introduction song. (man its dark in here). After about another four minutes in the dark it dawned on me.... This IS the show! It was not for a couple of songs that actors on the stage actually began to make any sort of movement. Later would I find out from an inside source that, in fact, many of these people were more or less inexperienced members of the performing community. Their skills included things such as: ability to shake leg fat at amazing speed, boob jiggling skills, belly fat jiggling skills, terrible ballet skills, incredible tongue movement skills, staring contest skills, and rapping skills. This show was definitely a love it or hate it piece. I counted a total of five people that actually left mid-performance (never to return), and a standing ovation from approximately half of the remaining crowd. In the crowd, we laughed, we cried, we sang, and we waved lighters. The performance captivated the audience and challenged the conventions of art. Although I started out as a bit of a skeptic, the show ended up winning me over with its intriguing work of blending the lines between the audience and the performers. Keeping an open mind is a necessity, but all in all, I think this was a very powerful piece with very intense moments. It is a must see for all members involved in the performance community. However, there were times where songs could have been shortened to ensure the audience wouldn’t accidentally lull off to sleep in the pitch darkness and soothing sounds of John Lennon.