Monsters haunt Kingsbury Hall in ‘thrilling’ Halloween show
October 31st, 2010 Posted in OpinionReviewed by Caresa Alexander
SALT LAKE CITY—Terrified screams were heard as the Odyssey Dance Theatre presented “Thriller” at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. And that was before the show even started.
Zombies roamed the audience and frightened unsuspecting patrons who were there to see the performance. One zombie dressed in a tattered emerald-green prom dress and shredded black nylons climbed over chairs to get to her victim.
A young woman screamed, covered her face with her jacket and backed away through a row of people as the zombie chased her. With matted hair and a bloodied face, the zombie kept in pursuit as audience members laughed.
While “Thriller” may not be for young children, or even those not so young, it is easy to see why the program has become a favorite. The Halloween extravaganza featured song and dance, Frankenstein, mummies and other monstrous favorites.
Michael Jackson’s famous song “Thriller” started the evening as the stage became a graveyard. A mist swept across the field of tombstones and zombies arose from their graves. Audience members cheered on the dancers and erupted in applause when the dance ended.
The screams turned to laughter as Ghostbuster Gev Manoukian came to the stage. Manoukian spun on his head, performed flips and twisted his body in unbelievable ways. All this was done to control his possessed hand, which tried to get away from him.
Other favorites, judging from fan reaction, included the hip-hopping “Curse of the Mummy,” the tap dancing skeletons in “Dem Bones,” and the chainsaw-wielding “Jason Jam.”
A new piece, sure to be appreciated by fans of the “Twilight” series, was the dance “Team Jacob.” Life-size cardboard cutouts of “Twilight vampires Edward and Jacob came onto the stage. Then, surrounded by adoring fans, Edward and Jacob came to life for a dance-off.
“Lorena Bobbit,” notorious for cutting off her husband penis in 1989, sang heartfelt songs that included “The Way We Were,” “Cuts Like a Knife” and “Dude (Looks like a Lady).” Performed by Mindy Lilyquist, Lorena lovingly displayed her knife, shears and a miniature guillotine.
The hauntingly beautiful “Salem’s Mass” and ballet vampires in “Lost Boys” led up to a Celtic “River of Blood Dance.” Snipers seemed to pick off the troupe as they tapped their way across the stage in perfect formation and rhythm.
The audience responded with a well-deserved standing ovation as the performers came back on stage for a finale.
“Thriller,” a fun way to celebrate the spirit of Halloween, was performed at the Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City through Oct. 30.
TP
Tags: Halloween, Odyssey Dance, Thriller, zombies
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