Theater review: The Aluminum Show
Knight Theater
Jan. 12, 2010
The Deal: The Israeli-created, The Aluminum Show, takes on Knight Theater for an illuminating and surprising performance.
The Good: Something different. This avant-garde type of show featured performers primarily in and with slinky-like pieces of aluminum doing a variety of acrobatics and puppetry, while electronic beats and special lighting followed to complete the sparkling extravaganza.
The show kicked off with aluminum-looking pipes dangling from above, while others laid spread out on the floor of the stage, only to take on a life-like quality as they began wiggling like worms in a frenzy.
But, that’s not all. Things got interactive a few times during the performance, as metal sheets, tubes, and blown up objects were thrown into the audience. It was participate … or get clobbered in the head. Different things kept happening on stage throughout the entirety of the event, from a “baby” aluminum puppet sing-off to futuristic factory follies with aluminum gear in full swing.
It all ended with a bang of aluminum being shot out into the crowd from cannons. Some folks in the crowd seemed to have a newfound love for the material, as they collected or wrapped up in the scraps around them.
The Bad: Though the show was unpredictable and bizarre, it was also a bit goofy. The whole passing things around and getting bopped in the head, isn’t really my idea of a relaxing evening.
The Verdict: An interesting, family-friendly (unless your kids scare easily) event that’s been compared to other popular shows like Mummenschanz, Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. The Aluminum Show certainly makes you take another look at everyday, inanimate objects, – like aluminum foil – as it brings them to life in this hypnotic performance.
Performances for The Aluminum Show continue through Jan. 31 at Knight Theater. Dates/times are followed: Jan. 13-14, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 15, 8 p.m.; Jan. 16, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Jan. 17, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 19-21, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 22, 8 p.m.; Jan. 23, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Jan. 24, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 26-28, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, 8 p.m.; Jan. 30, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Jan. 31, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. For more information or tickets, call 704-372-1000 or click here.
Wanna go see the show for free? All you have to do is donate five cans of food to benefit Second Harvest Food Bankat Wachovia Atrium, between 11 a.m.-2 p.m., this Friday (Jan. 15), and you’ll receive a voucher good for one free ticket to The Aluminum Show. Offer limits one voucher per person and it’s only valid on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday evening performances through Sunday, Jan. 24.
This article appears in Jan 12-18, 2010.
Saw this last night in Charlotte… it was very disappointing overall. It started out with a great tone and pace, but quickly went down hill. Besides being quite monotonous and repetitive, none of it was very impressive to begin with. I saw dancers run into each other on stage, malfunctioning props… and my favorite bit- when the tubes dropped from the cieling and were supposed to land over the dancers & most of them missed completely, leaving them scrambling to get inside to start yet another mediocre number. I keep an open mind with these things and love alternative arts, but this was just bad overall and badly done at that. Don’t waste your money!
I saw Aluminum 2/02/10 at the Van Wezel Playhouse.Sarasota, Fl. It was wonderful and it was enjoyed by all. I saw nothing of the turmoil described above.
I saw Aluminum in Sarasota Fl. at the Van Wezel Playhouse on 2/02/10. It was enjoyed by all and everyone did a great job.
I saw the show on March 19st in Dayton, Ohio. It was AMAZING! The show is energetic, the dancers are wonderful, it is creative and surprising and I really enjoyed it!
Mike, I’m calling BS. Yours is one of several posts to various blogs and websites — ALL on June 2nd, 2 1/2 months after the Dayton run ended, purporting to have loved it. Instead of spending time spamming blogs with bogus positive feedback, how about you and the rest of the cast figure out how to make the show worth people’s money? This is awful theatre. Don’t waste your time on it.