Breathtaking dance, even without that Irish guy

JOAN MARCUS/SHUBERT THEATER Little Stomp on the Prairie?

First Riverdance, then Lord of the Dance, and now Spirit: A Celebration in Dance, Drums, and Song. These productions have combined good ol' Broadway pomp and multicultural circumstance into rip-roaring celebrations of the human condition. As the newest member of this elite group of Broadway ethno-dance extravaganzas, Spirit certainly lives up to its predecessors. A mélange of Native American dance, chant, and song, as well as contemporary music, Spirit is a uniquely electrifying experience—a combination of styles never seen together in all of theater's history.

Conceived by Peter Buffett, Spirit embarks on a new wave in Broadway theater—it opens on the Great White Way after this New Haven test-run. An innovative composer and musician, Buffett is best known for his work on films such as Dances with Wolves, The Scarlet Letter, and his soundtrack for Kevin Costner's CBS miniseries 500 Nations. He began plans for Spirit in conjunction with Chief Hawk Pope, whom he met through Costner while working on 500 Nations. Pope's own credits include Disney's Pocahontas and Tecumseh: The Last Warrior, and he serves as the narrator and vocalist for Spirit. But perhaps the man most responsible for the character of Spirit is Wayne Cilento, the director and choreographer, whose gift for pure entertainment truly shines through.

Forget the brilliant costumes, vivid sets, and beautiful music. Spirit is about dance. The press release boasts, Cilento "blends his contemporary, urban dance aesthetic with traditional Native American dance." And despite my initial doubts, I found Cilento's choreography to be truly exhilarating. His dancers fly across the stage, performing such a plethora of gestures and gyrations that it's hard to overestimate the diversity and virtuosity of the ensemble. Most interesting, though, is Cilento's ability to mix contemporary funk dance with ethnic Native American movement. It is not unusual to see a modern dance routine seamlessly segue into a powerfully affecting cultural dance performed by an actor costumed in traditional ethnic garb. Also, the ensemble is filled with some of the most energetic, enthusiastic dancers that I have ever seen. Each movement seems spontaneous and full of life, not overly rehearsed like so many Broadway dances nowadays.

But dance is only as good as the music that accompanies it. Robert Mirabel leads the musicians as the soloist on flute and drums. In addition to Mirabel, Doug Lunn directs the eight players, whose specialties range from cello to guitar to ethnic drums. Finally, a local children's chorus joins the professional musicians, and the combination produces a unique musical effect.

Most of all, what sets Spirit apart from the crowd of new Broadway shows is the plot (or lack thereof). What exactly is it? To be honest, nothing at all. In the tradition of those other dance spectaculars, Spirit is more about performance fireworks than about any sort of coherent narrative. The "storyline" that guides the show is by far Spirit's weakest aspect.

In the playbill, Spirit is described as the story of how "a man numbed by the automatic gestures and deafened by the blistering cacophony of modern life suddenly comes to his senses." What?!? Exactly. In other words, Spirit is basically about nothing. In theory, the show is supposed to be man's journey beyond the constraints of the modern world. The show begins with men and women dressed in modern dress suits, cellular phones in hand, walking like robots to symbolize the mechanical world in which we live. Then, the music heats up, the suits come off, and the show comes alive, as the young man, known only as Everyman, attempts to "cross the threshold into the spirit world."

Still confused? You're not alone. As I looked around the audience, there were innumerable befuddled glances on the faces of my fellow patrons. But the confusing and, at times, trite plot was not a deadly flaw. Since one could never quite follow the story, the sudden breaks into song and dance were all the more surprising, and consequently enjoyable. Misunderstanding actually helped one to better appreciate the richness of the performances.

It seems odd to be advocating a show that lacks any clear direction or train of thought. But what unites the show is its very real—dare I say it?—spirit. It's not surprising that in the early stages of production the second word in the subtitle was changed from Journey to Celebration. That's what Spirit is truly about—rejoicing in music and dance. I have only rarely seen those two beautiful art forms touch an audience as acutely as Spirit does. So if you're looking for an uplifting experience on a rainy day in New Haven, check out Spirit at the Shubert. Come see the next Michael Flatleys before they pass you by for good.

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