MANICPIXIEDREAMGIRLS choreographed by Alyssa Martin (Rock Bottom Movement/Next Stage). Factory Mainspace. January 11 at 6:45 pm, January 12 at 7:30 pm, January 14 at 9 pm, January 15 at 5:15 pm. See listing. Rating: NN
The most charitable thing I can say about this piece is that the performers seem to be having a good time. That’s nice, since the point of what they’re doing escaped me.
Nominally a send-up of filmdom’s “manic pixie dream girl” figure that sensitive, quirky, waif romanticized in movies like Garden State and Elizabethtown the show is essentially a series of dance sequences to a bunch of emotionally wrought numbers like Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide and Jewel’s Foolish Games.
The young, nimble, energetic performers sport colourful, ruffled and frilled costumes and occasionally repeat words that seem to have some iconic or should that be ironic? significance.
But with the exception of an amusing nose-snorting sequence, most of the show’s moments feel overly extended and empty.
Foolish games, indeed.
