review: The Voca People have landed—8 harmonizing aliens creating vocal magic—at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre through Sunday, June 17, 2012
“Voca People,” a musical theatre event that combines vocal sounds, a cappella singing, comedy and the art of beat box, takes the stage at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, June 5 – 17, 2012. Photo: Voca People
Last Tuesday, eight snow-white, ruby-lipped aliens from the distant planet Voca invaded San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, with a delightful musical theatre performance, Voca People, which is the perfect family-friendly summer-in-the-City outing. Created by Israeli writer Lior Kalfo, who wrote, choreographed and directed it, and music director Shai Fishman, Voca People is a toe-tapping a capella musical review whose energetic and uplifting vibe is out of this world. Its origin lies in an Internet video with that perfect weird-crazy-cool factor that went intergalactic with hits. Voca People packs the entire history of Earth music into a 90 minute show that actively involves Earthlings, audience members, who are brought on stage throughout the performance and subjected to Voca experimentation. This is a limited run engagement that runs through Sunday, June 17, 2012.
The concept isn’t new but that doesn’t really matter. The Voca spaceship ran out of fuel and has force-landed on Planet Earth, stranding eight friendly, very bald, and cuddly aliens who happen to sing in amazing harmony. To return to Planet Voca, the Voca people need fuel—Earth music. In their search for fuel, 3 female singers (alto, mezzo, soprano), 3 male singers (bass, baritone, tenor), and 2 vocal beat box artists run through a rich medley of roughly 70 musical hits, sung in short segments that range from the opening “The History of Music” to “Music of the Movies.” There are no musical instruments, no sound effects, only vocals! The sheer diversity of the songs keeps you hopping and in awe. You’ll hear “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Lollipop,” “Mr. Sandman” and even Mozart’s “Magic Flute” and will be challenged over and over again to name that tune without cheating and glancing at the program where the titles are all listed. On opening night, audience members enthusiastically clapped, waved their arms in the air, and swayed to familiar tunes that resonated on many levels.
The great thing about Voca People is that its talent runs deep and when you least expect it, amongst all the zaniness, you can be blown away by the simple delivery of a song. All the performers are gifted but stand-outs are “Beat On,” the Voca commander in chief and “Scratcher,” his brother, who create an endlessly impressive array of human beat box sounds that serve as the sole rhythmic accompaniment to the singing. A lot of the fun is in sizing up the various audience members who are pulled up on stage spontaneously to serve as human companions to the affection-starved and ever curious Voca citizens. If you’ve got guests coming or simply want to enjoy an evening out that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, Voca People is out-of-this-world.
The creative team for Voca People includes Lior Kalfo (Director / Co-Creator), Shai Fishman (Musical Director / Co-Creator), Roy Milo (Lighting Design), Naor Ben Meir (Sound Design) and Hana Yefet (Costume Design).
Details: Voca People runs Tuesday, June 5, 2012 through Sunday, June 17, 2012. 8 PM shows Tuesday-Friday; 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM shows Saturdays; and 3 PM and 6 PM shows on Sundays. Tickets range in price from $49 to $75 and are on-sale now at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre Box Office, online at marinesmemorialtheatre.com, or by phone at (415) 771-6900. The Marines’ Memorial Theatre is located at 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco.
The Voca People are landing at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre on June 5, 2012
“Voca People,” a musical theatre event that combines vocal sounds, a cappella singing, comedy and the art of beat box, takes the stage at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, June 5 – 17, 2012. Photo: Voca People
Direct from New York, via a galaxy far, far away, comes Voca People—an out-of-this world musical theatre performance by singing aliens from the planet Voca, at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, June 5 -17, 2012. Their mission: to refuel their spaceship by performing the music of Earthlings and to then return safely to planet Voca. Created by Lior Kalfo and Shai Fishman, Voca People is performed by eight friendly snow-white, ruby-lipped aliens with perfect harmony—3 female singers (alto, mezzo, soprano), 3 male singers (bass, baritone, tenor), and 2 beat box artists that create extraordinary human beat box sounds. There are no musical instruments, no sound effects, only vocals! Performed with humor and the help of the audience, Voca People features a cappella and beat box versions of over 70 well known songs, including hits from Madonna, Queen and even Mozart.
Called “rousing and amusing” by The New Yorker and “The coolest show ever” by Jimmy Fallon, Voca People has won intergalactic success with sold-out tours throughout Europe, South America, the Middle East, Mars and, most recently, a highly successful engagement at West Side Theatre Upstairs and New World Stages in New York City. Their videos on YouTube have received over 20 million hits.
Out of town guests? This Out-of-this-World Musical Event is worth crossing the bridge for! Landing at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre on June 5, 2012
The creative team for Voca People includes Lior Kalfo (Director / Co-Creator), Shai Fishman (Musical Director / Co-Creator), Roy Milo (Lighting Design), Naor Ben Meir (Sound Design) and Hana Yefet (Costume Design).
Details: Voca People runs Tuesday, June 5, 2012 through Sunday, June 17, 2012. 8 PM shows Tuesday-Friday; 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM shows Saturdays; and 3 PM and 6 PM shows on Sundays. Tickets range in price from $49 to $75 and are on-sale now at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre Box Office, online at marinesmemorialtheatre.com, or by phone at (415) 771-6900. The Marines’ Memorial Theatre is located at 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco.
Luis Bravo’s “Forever Tango” is back, with Anna Trebunskaya─ 6 performances, at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre, February 14-19, 2012
Anna Trebunskaya stars in Luis Bravo’s “Forever Tango,” at Marines’ Memorial Theatre in San Francisco for six shows, February 14-19, 2012. Photo: courtesy of Luis Bravo Productions
Looking for some sizzle around Valentine’s Day? Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango is back for a limited run of just 6 shows at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theater, February 14-19, 2012. I saw this show in 2010 when it did a holiday stint at the same venue and was mesmerized by its intoxicating music and dance. This run features a world-renowned cast of Argentine dancers and musicians and stars Anna Trebunskaya, who appears frequently on Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), now in its 14th season. Trebunskaya, a petite Russian fireball with incredible rhythm, elegance, and pizzazz, has helped create some of that show’s most memorable moments. On Season Two, she was paired with football great Jerry Rice and the duo made it to the finals, and ultimately earned a second place finish. Her other DWTS partners have included model Albert Reed, funnyman Steve Guttenberg, Chuck Liddell, Olympian Evan Lysacek, NFL Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner, and Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard. For the thirteenth season of DWTS, Anna was partnered with fashion expert and TV personality, Carson Kressley (“How to Look Good Naked” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”). The two were an instant hit. It’s reasonable to be particularly curious about how a Russian, albeit a fiery one like Trebunskaya, will interpret an art form synonymous with Argentina. Luis Bravo has a habit of headlining DWTS stars with his Argentine cast and, in 2010, the Bay Area’s Cheryl Burke was featured. Once the dazzling show starts, the headliner is usually outperformed by the Argentine cast who have tango in their DNA. Nonetheless, watching this transpire is a good part of the fun.
The Argentine cast of Forever Tango features 12 world-class tango dancers, one vocalist and an on-stage eight-piece orchestra, including several bandoneóns, the accordion-like instrument that is the mainstay of tango music. If you’re intrigued with Argentine Tango, this is the show for you: it traces the tango’s colorful history from its beginnings in turn-of-the century Buenos Aires bordellos to its acceptance into high society. The dances, all performed to original and traditional music, are the result of collaboration between each couple and director/creator Bravo.
Jorge Torres and Marcela Duran, both from Argentina, dance the tango in Luis Bravo's "Forever Tango" at Marines' Memorial Theatre, February 14-19, 2012. Photo: courtesy of Luis Bravo Productions.
“The tango is a feeling that you dance,” says Bravo, “a story you tell in three minutes. It’s passionate, it’s melancholic. It’s tender, violent. You dance it with somebody – but it is so internal, you dance it by yourself. More than just a dance, the tango is music, a drama, a culture, a way of life.”
While Trebunskaya may be the headliner, it is the stunning Argentine, Marcela Durán, who frequently moves the audience to tears with her evocative dancing. Durán, who has been with the show since 1994 and has won all the world’s top tango dancing awards many times over, embodies tango like no other. When I saw her in 2010, with the sensational Gaspar Godoy, she literally melded into Godoy in a pure sensual embrace, her signature version of the “tango hold” which is one of the foundational characteristics of the dance. In a flowing dress by Brazilian costume designer “Miro” (Argemira Affonso) with a sheer lace bodice that revealed her breast, Durán was mesmerizing to behold. Connected by the upper part of their bodies, often looking into one another’s eyes, or dancing cheek to cheek to the rhythm of the music, Durán and Godoy became one. The rhythm of the music which is often said to be based on the heartbeat, created a haunting and deeply melancholic tone that produced a surge of raw emotion I can still recall.
The performance schedule is as follows: February 15, 16, 17 at 8 p.m. February 18 at 2 & 8 p.m. and February 19 at 2 p.m. A special Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2012) performance of Forever Tango will take place in the beautiful and elegant Commandants Room at the Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel, just upstairs from the Marines’ Memorial Theatre. Tickets for regular performances of Forever Tango range in price from $45 – $70. Tickets for the special Valentine’s Day Gala are $80 and include Gala performance, post-performance dancing with the Forever Tango cast and orchestra and two beverages of your choice. All tickets are on-sale now at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre Box Office, online at marinesmemorialtheatre.com or by phone at (415) 771-6900.
ARThound 