Review: LUKAS MCFARLANE'S ASTORIA ENVISIONS A FANTASTICAL JOURNEY THRU THE HERE AND THE HEREAFTER at The Montalban Theatre

Lukas McFarlane is a very diversely talented dancer and choreographer. On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2019 at The Montalban Theatre, McFarlane and Company presented a dazzling display of artistry and expression, as part of MOVES, a three-day Dance Festival held at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. https://www.themontalban.com.

The MOVES performances included FUZE, Presented by Nick Young and Rhythmatic, March 15, which unfortunately I did not get to see. I am hoping to catch them sometime soon, as tap is my first love in dance; Entity Contemporary Dance, on March 16, who's Review I have already posted on Broadway World: /article/BWW-Review-The-Entity-Dance-Company-Weaves-TransparentSee-Making-A-Statement-About-Our-Commodity-Driven-Culture-Through-Movement-At-The-Montalban-Theatre-20190322?utm_source=alertcolumn&utm_medium=email; and the piece de resistance, Lukas McFarlane's Epic Astoria.

This closing evening brought together diverse concepts in dance. The three groups who started the evening off were entertaining and fun to watch. All three were unique in presentation and dance content. The 1st piece, choreographed by Sabrina Phillip, was clever in that it was all about a Door. A moveable and special Door. Entering. Exiting. Swinging over it and tumbling around it. Dancing quite athletically and merrily throughout. It pulled you right in from the beginning and kept you entertained through their agile and acrobatic lighthearted movements. It was a fun opening number, and kicked off the evening just right.

The next piece was set to an African rhythm, a duet choreographed by Matt Cady, which contained very expressive movements, sometimes gyrating and twitching, then switching to more controlled combinations, pausing to shape an image and move through it, then move quickly again. The beautiful backbend near the end of the number was a perfect button!

The third number, choreo'd by Marina Davis was a delightful romp through somewhere outside... we hear an ocean, with stormy weather, lightning and thunder breaking way soon after. A girl enters and sees newspapers scattered all about on the ground, and picks up a section starting to read it. More dancers enter as the wind picks up, the papers start taking flight, and the dancers get swept away with energy and creativity, flinging papers wildly into the air with almost every step they do, which, with the excellent lighting at work, there were all kinds of images created by their body positions amongst the wildly careening papers onto the backdrop. Following a beautiful solo by the lead dancer, the music, the tempo, the volume and passion in their dancing escalates to a rousing conclusion, with pirouettes and spins abounding.

Lukas McFarlane's Astoria is a brilliant restoration of the foreboding question "What would be worth selling your soul for?" It takes us on a journey with a man who is a father, husband, and grandson, who is mourning the loss of his grandmother, as well as looking inside himself, searching to find out who he really is. In this dreamlike vision, he is tempted by his dark subconscious to sacrifice his daughter so that his grandmother may come back to life.

The entire piece is creatively and effectively produced by combining the talents of lighting, scenic design, wardrobe, music and dance working as a team with the same vision in mind. The accompanying music selections were quite varied and interesting choices that enhanced the storyline and added more substance.

Lukas plays the main character in this intricate tale that is so well choreographed that the plot is clear and understood by just gestures and body language, not to mention gorgeous dancing, lines, expression and precision that are part of the package.

His body dancing his own style along with his excellent corps of dancers is a visual treat. He has a way of moving very in tune with the rhythm, music, and lyrics, which immediately holds your attention and captivates your senses. He emotes and reflects the musical sounds, words, lighting and surroundings that he is moving to.

His style is unique in that it is both crisp and quick-moving, yet blended nicely with fluid movements. Even with bent or angular elbow positions, flexed feet and wrists, the movements still flowed together smoothly.

His dancers are all wonderfully in sync, with great, strong technique and able to do the choreography in character, which makes them each distinctive to watch perform. They are: Cat Cogliandro, as the grandmother figure, Kieran MacDonald as the Man's younger Self, Fabio Fiorillo as the Gypsy Character, Jenn Stafford as His Wife, Gina Menichino as The Daughter, and Becca Wass as The Daughter's partner.

Each of the characters had several solos or duets they performed marvelously, each one strong, limber and lithe. The men were particularly masculine, athletic and controlled in their movements. Lukas's solo after both his grandmother and daughter have now both met the same fate, is a raw, impassioned technical sonnet to his despair, beautifully executed and choreographed. I felt the pain he felt, watching his body move.

Really nice variety to the program of this Dance Festival, and I am looking forward to seeing the next one!

Photos courtesy of Break the Floor Productions