BWW Reviews: Savion Glover Steals the Spotlight at ELLINGTON AT CHRISTMAS

Christmas was in the air at the Apollo Theater on Saturday during the performance of Ellington at Christmas, which was dedicated to the late Nelson Mandela, with a small candle and flower memorial set up outside of the theater. In a wonderful showcase of local talent, the David Berger Jazz Orchestra took the stage, front and center, and cheerfully rung in the holiday season, with the help from a number of talented guest performers.

The first half of the show was Ellington's jazz interpretation of the Nutcracker Suite, performed smoothly by the David Berger Jazz Orchestra. This lively band took control of the stage and, along with the warm red and green lights on the stage, set a relaxing and happy mood. It was a joy to hear my favorite Christmas classics arranged by Duke Ellington played to these jazz instruments, which gave the songs a soft, smooth feel that certainly got the audience in the spirit of Christmas.

The conductor was a joy to watch, energetic and bouncing in time to the music all while snapping his fingers along to the beat. The pianist, as well, clapped and tapped his piano during rests from playing, smiling at his fellow musicians as they skillfully played the saxophone, trumpet, and trombones.

Keith David, the first of three vocal performers, had a strong voice, marvelously performing Come Sunday in Act 2. Lizz Wright was stunning in a shimmering white ball gown, and her alto Gospel voice was magnificent, making her an audience favorite as she dazzled us all. Priscilla Baskerville's beautiful high notes gave her the voice of an angel and completely wowed the audience. The Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir unfortunately underwhelmed. With a strong, operatic sound, all of the singers seemed to be trying to out-sing one another. They provided good support as back-up singers to the amazing soloists, but, on their own, were hard to understand due to lack of enunciation.

The young men and women from the Dance Theatre of Harlem School were also allowed their five minutes of fame in a great showcase of local talent as they danced along to Peanut Brittle Brigade (March) and Waltz of the Flowers. These young girls were cute, sassy and fun, and the slightly older ladies stunned on pointe as they took the stage. Talented young men also showed how much fun they were having with upbeat swing dancing and gave strong support to their partners in a series of lifts that I did not expect from dancers so small.

It was Savion Glover, however, who stole the show. Glover has been a personal idol of mine as a tap dancer since I was a young girl and fast picking up the art. This, however, was my first opportunity to see him live, and he did not disappoint. Glover tapped along to the band, his feet became a musical instrument of their own- the best musical instrument in the band, in my opinion. His feet created music with a perfectly timed flap, stomp, toe dig, or cramp roll. His infamous speed held true and created a fun, high-energy performance that took the show to the next level.

What's truly amazing about Glover is that he never missed a step, beat, or accent in the music. He never tired. And his sound was always perfect, no scuffs or slurs- just sharp, clean sounds despite his speed, which is a difficult feat. When Glover came back on stage in Act 2, the audience was ready this time as he started off the song with a tap solo, setting the tempo and the beat for the band. Audience members murmured "how did he do that?" and "that's amazing!" during his performance, which gave me joy that Glover was introducing an appreciation for tap as an complex and difficult art, and educating audience members on how beautiful and mesmerizing this dance form truly is.