| MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE manages to be more affecting musical theatre than the mostly dreary glut of new shows on Broadway. There’s a simple story here, clearly told through a blend of hip hop, funk, and contemporary dance styles and against a sumptuous wash of Sting’s music (arranged by Alex Lacamoire). Sounds like maybe a bad idea, but the show makes a certain case for what these dance forms can convey emotionally if not strictly narratively; it theatricalizes popular dance forms in surprising and compelling ways. And the dancers are just galvanizing. The emotional and physical rush of their youthful power is not only invigorating but reassuring. Like ILLINOISE, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE expands the concept of musical theatre and, in the process, tilts it slightly toward new relevance. |
