Articles & Reviews
Kara and John Curtis Prepare a Christmas Gift for Roosevelt Island
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
DAVID STONELast December, John and Kara Curtis charmed audiences at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance’s Howe Theatre, performing an original musical, On the Eve, with their Call Me Crazy Dancers troupe. This year, they’re at it again. Rehearsals have already begun.
“Our new show is Christmas Dreams.” John Curtis told The Daily, this week.
“Kara and I are choreographing again, and I wrote the script. The music is mostly our own original music that we wrote and recorded in our group, the Call Me Crazy Dancers.
“We pride ourselves on seeing our material through from the early writing process, to recording in the studio, to performing it on stage. To write, record, and perform our work is what the creative process is all about.
“That is art.”
Kara, John and the Call Me Crazy Dancers have been at it, putting together original musicals in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York since 2012.
But both careers extend farther back.
An Actors Equity Association member, Kara first performed professionally at 13. Her bio says her favorite roles have been as “Ermengarde in Hello Dolly at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre under the direction of Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Shelly in Hairspray at the John Engeman Theatre in Long Island, and Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music at Syracuse Stage.”
For two decades, John has practiced his craft “in regional theaters, with choirs, bands, and dance ensembles. His choreography enlivened the stage at both the Philadelphia and Capital Fringe Festivals.”
Both John and Kara teach dance at MST&DA.
And somehow, they find time to raise a special up and coming, tiny dancer, ready to pick up the tradition, their daughter Leah.
Christmas Dreams is scheduled for December 16th and 17th.
“It follows the story of a group of performers putting on their annual Christmas show,” John says.
“As in all of our shows, it's a story about people. The show is built around four dream ballet sequences, combining ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary dance.
“At the heart of the story is the dancers and their internal struggles to make Christmas special.
“One of the dancers in the story is a single mom trying to make it with her daughter who is also a dancer in the group. Another performer in the story lost a child in a tragic incident. She is trying to find faith at Christmastime when everyone is experiencing the joy of the season, but she is lost. There is a section of the show that we dedicate to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT. We will be coming up on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy this year.”
The tragedy at Sandy Hook had “a profound impact on so many of us in the area here, including Kara and me,” John adds.
“Can the performers overcome their own struggles in time to pull the show off? We will find out.
“Christmas Dreams is in the spirit of the classic MGM musicals, but also with a modern sense of gravitas.”
In this year's cast are 8 adults and 13 children, some from Roosevelt Island and trained at MST&DA.
“The children,” John says. “continue to inspire Kara and I each year.”
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
DAVID STONELast December, John and Kara Curtis charmed audiences at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance’s Howe Theatre, performing an original musical, On the Eve, with their Call Me Crazy Dancers troupe. This year, they’re at it again. Rehearsals have already begun.
“Our new show is Christmas Dreams.” John Curtis told The Daily, this week.
“Kara and I are choreographing again, and I wrote the script. The music is mostly our own original music that we wrote and recorded in our group, the Call Me Crazy Dancers.
“We pride ourselves on seeing our material through from the early writing process, to recording in the studio, to performing it on stage. To write, record, and perform our work is what the creative process is all about.
“That is art.”
Kara, John and the Call Me Crazy Dancers have been at it, putting together original musicals in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York since 2012.
But both careers extend farther back.
An Actors Equity Association member, Kara first performed professionally at 13. Her bio says her favorite roles have been as “Ermengarde in Hello Dolly at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre under the direction of Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Shelly in Hairspray at the John Engeman Theatre in Long Island, and Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music at Syracuse Stage.”
For two decades, John has practiced his craft “in regional theaters, with choirs, bands, and dance ensembles. His choreography enlivened the stage at both the Philadelphia and Capital Fringe Festivals.”
Both John and Kara teach dance at MST&DA.
And somehow, they find time to raise a special up and coming, tiny dancer, ready to pick up the tradition, their daughter Leah.
Christmas Dreams is scheduled for December 16th and 17th.
“It follows the story of a group of performers putting on their annual Christmas show,” John says.
“As in all of our shows, it's a story about people. The show is built around four dream ballet sequences, combining ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary dance.
“At the heart of the story is the dancers and their internal struggles to make Christmas special.
“One of the dancers in the story is a single mom trying to make it with her daughter who is also a dancer in the group. Another performer in the story lost a child in a tragic incident. She is trying to find faith at Christmastime when everyone is experiencing the joy of the season, but she is lost. There is a section of the show that we dedicate to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT. We will be coming up on the fifth anniversary of the tragedy this year.”
The tragedy at Sandy Hook had “a profound impact on so many of us in the area here, including Kara and me,” John adds.
“Can the performers overcome their own struggles in time to pull the show off? We will find out.
“Christmas Dreams is in the spirit of the classic MGM musicals, but also with a modern sense of gravitas.”
In this year's cast are 8 adults and 13 children, some from Roosevelt Island and trained at MST&DA.
“The children,” John says. “continue to inspire Kara and I each year.”
The Dance Journal on Philadelphiadance.org
by Kat Richter for The Dance Journal September 7, 2012
Combine fifteen student dancers, a dizzying array of costume changes, original music by Christopher Tolomeo and choreography by veteran musical theater dancers Amy Smith and John Curtis and you’ve got one heck of a show.
Day for a Dream, performed by The Call Me Crazy Dancers at Temple’s Conwell Theater on Thursday night was an ambitious homage to all things Broadway and Broad Street, serving as a love letter to the Big Apple, the golden age of
Hollywood and Philadelphia.
The show, which included and overwhelming nineteen dances, got off to a slow start with dancers posing as both passengers and panhandlers on the
New York City subway. But then Curtis hit the floor with a crisp shuffle ball heel, and the dancers came to life. Smith picked up the beat and they volleyed back and forth until dancer Brittany Dunn joined in, at which point the trio tapped their way through paddle rolls and clean double pullbacks.
Ray Cook delivered the first of the evening’s monologues, each of which described the artists’ experience of love, be it the love of dance, music,
another individual or simply the 1952 classic Singin’ in the Rain. Students from Stagelights Dance Studio and Paul Klocke School of Dance took the
stage in bright red fringe and heels for Call Me Crazy, a fun and upbeat musical theater number choreographed by Curtis that evoked the 1920s,
then in black for Paint the Town Red. The girls’ ability to dance in heels was impressive—it’s not often that you see students who can pull of
classic jazz these days— but I wish choreographer Vicky Todd Saunders had left the turn sequences to the competition circuit where they (for better or worse) have come to belong.
I Know You’ve Heard It Before, choreographed by Curtis, was a sweet nod to musical theater tap. Curtis and partner shuffled happily across a
backdrop suggestive of Rittenhouse Square until Smith and Dunn sauntered onstage in their high heeled tap shoes and threatened to steal him away. Although the footwork wasn’t demanding, it was crisp and well executed with a number of unexpected changes in rhythm that kept the audience rapt. The quartet is to be commended for keeping tap in the Fringe.
Highlights of the evening included Cook’s duet with Amina Uqdah, which revealed Cook’s talent for combining lyricism with athleticism, and the solo
performed by the sinuous Jeff Gorti. Also worth noting was just every number in which the leggy Dunn performed. Although Smith was clearly the best hoofer of the group, Dunn transitioned seamlessly from tap to jazz to tap again, smiling through flawless layouts and extensions.
Curtis’s dedicated his original song and dance solo, aptly named And a Dance, to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Although the evening was meandering at times, the many transitions and costumes changes were tight and both Smith and Curtis should be proud of their efforts to introduce the next generation to musical theater dance.
Kat Richter is a freelance writer and teaching artist. Her work can be
found at www.katrichter.com.
Combine fifteen student dancers, a dizzying array of costume changes, original music by Christopher Tolomeo and choreography by veteran musical theater dancers Amy Smith and John Curtis and you’ve got one heck of a show.
Day for a Dream, performed by The Call Me Crazy Dancers at Temple’s Conwell Theater on Thursday night was an ambitious homage to all things Broadway and Broad Street, serving as a love letter to the Big Apple, the golden age of
Hollywood and Philadelphia.
The show, which included and overwhelming nineteen dances, got off to a slow start with dancers posing as both passengers and panhandlers on the
New York City subway. But then Curtis hit the floor with a crisp shuffle ball heel, and the dancers came to life. Smith picked up the beat and they volleyed back and forth until dancer Brittany Dunn joined in, at which point the trio tapped their way through paddle rolls and clean double pullbacks.
Ray Cook delivered the first of the evening’s monologues, each of which described the artists’ experience of love, be it the love of dance, music,
another individual or simply the 1952 classic Singin’ in the Rain. Students from Stagelights Dance Studio and Paul Klocke School of Dance took the
stage in bright red fringe and heels for Call Me Crazy, a fun and upbeat musical theater number choreographed by Curtis that evoked the 1920s,
then in black for Paint the Town Red. The girls’ ability to dance in heels was impressive—it’s not often that you see students who can pull of
classic jazz these days— but I wish choreographer Vicky Todd Saunders had left the turn sequences to the competition circuit where they (for better or worse) have come to belong.
I Know You’ve Heard It Before, choreographed by Curtis, was a sweet nod to musical theater tap. Curtis and partner shuffled happily across a
backdrop suggestive of Rittenhouse Square until Smith and Dunn sauntered onstage in their high heeled tap shoes and threatened to steal him away. Although the footwork wasn’t demanding, it was crisp and well executed with a number of unexpected changes in rhythm that kept the audience rapt. The quartet is to be commended for keeping tap in the Fringe.
Highlights of the evening included Cook’s duet with Amina Uqdah, which revealed Cook’s talent for combining lyricism with athleticism, and the solo
performed by the sinuous Jeff Gorti. Also worth noting was just every number in which the leggy Dunn performed. Although Smith was clearly the best hoofer of the group, Dunn transitioned seamlessly from tap to jazz to tap again, smiling through flawless layouts and extensions.
Curtis’s dedicated his original song and dance solo, aptly named And a Dance, to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Although the evening was meandering at times, the many transitions and costumes changes were tight and both Smith and Curtis should be proud of their efforts to introduce the next generation to musical theater dance.
Kat Richter is a freelance writer and teaching artist. Her work can be
found at www.katrichter.com.
DC Metro Theater Arts
http://www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2012/07/22/capital-fringe-review-daydreams-by-veronique-maccrae/
As the lights rose, the familiar scene of a bustling New York subway slowly emerged upon the stage. A ‘Chatty Cathy’ filled the air with the latest gossip as a woman applied makeup to her face. The metro area continued to increase with people as the homeless man, the traveler, the pregnant woman and the
drunkard all waited for the arrival of the next train. Then the magic began as the drunkard perked up with a tap dance in his feet by which the pregnant woman and “Chatty Cathy” followed suit. Finally, the train arrived and this is how we entered into ‘The Call Me Crazy Dancers’’ production of Daydreams.
The opening number laid the foundation for an imaginative and soulful exposé of the mind’s encounter with fear, faith, happiness… and of course day dreams. Diary excerpts connected each dance number to a common theme which stated that people must hold onto and continue to believe in dreams. The lighting design by Jonathan Alexander enhanced the atmosphere for dreaming to occur.
Around the eighth or ninth number, company member John Curtis greeted the audience and introduced ‘The Call Me Crazy Dancers’. This is the moment of transition into original music nostalgic of great jazz and rock sounds. While both the dancing and music were wonderful, I believe that the show would benefit from the continuation of the ‘Daydream Diary’ excerpts in the second half for purposes of continuity. The premise of the journal was intriguing and could solidly connect the dance and music for an inspiring piece.
Daydreams offers a blend of dance, theatre, song and imagination that advocates for dreams to become a reality and encourages us all to let faith
override fear.
The ‘Call Me Crazy Dancers’ include Laura Boyer, Amy Smith, Taylor Kim, Michelle Conroy, Julie DeGregorio, Carissa McCool, Brittany Sweatman, Ray Cook, Brittany Dunn, Jenelle Myrkalo, Amina Ugdah, John Curtis, Melissa Ikeda and Gina Rollar.
As the lights rose, the familiar scene of a bustling New York subway slowly emerged upon the stage. A ‘Chatty Cathy’ filled the air with the latest gossip as a woman applied makeup to her face. The metro area continued to increase with people as the homeless man, the traveler, the pregnant woman and the
drunkard all waited for the arrival of the next train. Then the magic began as the drunkard perked up with a tap dance in his feet by which the pregnant woman and “Chatty Cathy” followed suit. Finally, the train arrived and this is how we entered into ‘The Call Me Crazy Dancers’’ production of Daydreams.
The opening number laid the foundation for an imaginative and soulful exposé of the mind’s encounter with fear, faith, happiness… and of course day dreams. Diary excerpts connected each dance number to a common theme which stated that people must hold onto and continue to believe in dreams. The lighting design by Jonathan Alexander enhanced the atmosphere for dreaming to occur.
Around the eighth or ninth number, company member John Curtis greeted the audience and introduced ‘The Call Me Crazy Dancers’. This is the moment of transition into original music nostalgic of great jazz and rock sounds. While both the dancing and music were wonderful, I believe that the show would benefit from the continuation of the ‘Daydream Diary’ excerpts in the second half for purposes of continuity. The premise of the journal was intriguing and could solidly connect the dance and music for an inspiring piece.
Daydreams offers a blend of dance, theatre, song and imagination that advocates for dreams to become a reality and encourages us all to let faith
override fear.
The ‘Call Me Crazy Dancers’ include Laura Boyer, Amy Smith, Taylor Kim, Michelle Conroy, Julie DeGregorio, Carissa McCool, Brittany Sweatman, Ray Cook, Brittany Dunn, Jenelle Myrkalo, Amina Ugdah, John Curtis, Melissa Ikeda and Gina Rollar.
DC Theatre Scene
http://dctheatrescene.com/2012/07/23/daydreams/
Daydreams is a tap-infused journey through time brought to stage by NYC-based company “The Call Me Crazy Dancers”. Mixing the choreographic and lyrical talents of John Curtis and Amy Smith, along with an ambitious blend of ballet, swing, modern and tap by the company’s dancers, Daydreams proves whimsical and engaging, even in its roughest moments.
The launch pad of Daydreams is a diary entry penned by a young boy, which asks us the innocent question of why the dreams we have in our childhood are so much more difficult to actualize in the grim reality of the present. While the numbers that follow don’t necessarily provide us with a thesis (some, in fact, seem completely out of the blue), the premise is abstract enough that we don’t mind.
“Waiting for the Train”, the show’s opening number, is humorous and playful. How many hours have we city-dwellers toiled away waiting for the Metro? The idea of an entire Metro station of seemingly normal patrons bursting into a lively tap number is bizarre enough to engage even those of us who aren’t fans of the dance form (though, it would also be fair to ask, what would they be doing here?)
More pop-like melodies such as “Next to You” are also easy to like. The standout piece in Daydreams is likely to be “Fear”, perhaps more due to the dark nature of its subject matter juxtaposed against the contents of such a lively show.
Ray Cook gives a real stand-out performance in Daydreams — he’s an excellent dancer whose presence has a way of filling up the entire room. Amy
Smith and Michelle Conroy both demonstrate an incredible amount of finesse. While there are more than a few numbers that are rough around the edges, along with some that bleed together, the undying ebullience of Daydreams carries us to the show’s end still in good spirits.
Daydreams has 4 performances, ending July 28, 2012, at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC
Daydreams is a tap-infused journey through time brought to stage by NYC-based company “The Call Me Crazy Dancers”. Mixing the choreographic and lyrical talents of John Curtis and Amy Smith, along with an ambitious blend of ballet, swing, modern and tap by the company’s dancers, Daydreams proves whimsical and engaging, even in its roughest moments.
The launch pad of Daydreams is a diary entry penned by a young boy, which asks us the innocent question of why the dreams we have in our childhood are so much more difficult to actualize in the grim reality of the present. While the numbers that follow don’t necessarily provide us with a thesis (some, in fact, seem completely out of the blue), the premise is abstract enough that we don’t mind.
“Waiting for the Train”, the show’s opening number, is humorous and playful. How many hours have we city-dwellers toiled away waiting for the Metro? The idea of an entire Metro station of seemingly normal patrons bursting into a lively tap number is bizarre enough to engage even those of us who aren’t fans of the dance form (though, it would also be fair to ask, what would they be doing here?)
More pop-like melodies such as “Next to You” are also easy to like. The standout piece in Daydreams is likely to be “Fear”, perhaps more due to the dark nature of its subject matter juxtaposed against the contents of such a lively show.
Ray Cook gives a real stand-out performance in Daydreams — he’s an excellent dancer whose presence has a way of filling up the entire room. Amy
Smith and Michelle Conroy both demonstrate an incredible amount of finesse. While there are more than a few numbers that are rough around the edges, along with some that bleed together, the undying ebullience of Daydreams carries us to the show’s end still in good spirits.
Daydreams has 4 performances, ending July 28, 2012, at GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St NW, Washington, DC
ROOSEVELT ISLAND DAILY
Call Me Crazy Dancers Bring Christmas Early: "On the Eve" at MST&DA
Sunday, November 27, 2016 - 20:42
DAVID STONE
Celebrating local talent, Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance introduces the Call Me Crazy Dancers in their New York City debut, On the Eve, a dancing, musical exploration of life's emotional and spiritual depths, emerging on a platform at the Roosevelt Island subway station.
A girl is carried away while waiting for an F Train that will take her to a Christmas show. Whiling away the time by reading a book about Bethlehem, she drifts into a dream about the nativity and... tap dancing. Yes, Mary and Joseph tap, although probably not much like Fred and Ginger.
Also in the crowd milling on the platform is a woman who, after four years, still seeks answers after her daughters death at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. And there's anticipation for another woman preparing to be reunited with friends from whom she's been separated since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan.
And just a little whimsey. A man reluctantly heads out for a Christmas Party but finds himself swept up into a 1942 era night club scene, complete with a "big band montage."
On the Eve is an original creation of the Call Me Crazy Dancers, led by Roosevelt Islanders John and Kara Curtis. Mostly original musical material warms the stage for a display of ballet, tap, jazz, modern and theater dance.
The dance ensemble is a spinoff of a jazz band John Curtis sang with and has performed at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Capital Fringe in Washington, DC, and at summer outdoor concerts in NJ.
For On the Eve, which Curtis hopes will "launch a residency show at MST&DA," he recruits three of their top students, Savannah Rodriguez, Sophia Pinzari and Thea Spoorenberg.
The premier New York City performance comes alive at the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, 548 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, on Saturday, December 10th at 8:00 p.m. and repeats twice on Sunday, December 11th at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Tickets (cash or check at the door) are a New York bargain at $20. Students and seniors pay only $10. Kids under 5 get in for free.
This premier event, heavily stocked with Roosevelt Island talent, is not to be missed as it brings the spirits of Christmas, through creative music and dance, to our community.
Call Me Crazy Dancers Bring Christmas Early: "On the Eve" at MST&DA
Sunday, November 27, 2016 - 20:42
DAVID STONE
Celebrating local talent, Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance introduces the Call Me Crazy Dancers in their New York City debut, On the Eve, a dancing, musical exploration of life's emotional and spiritual depths, emerging on a platform at the Roosevelt Island subway station.
A girl is carried away while waiting for an F Train that will take her to a Christmas show. Whiling away the time by reading a book about Bethlehem, she drifts into a dream about the nativity and... tap dancing. Yes, Mary and Joseph tap, although probably not much like Fred and Ginger.
Also in the crowd milling on the platform is a woman who, after four years, still seeks answers after her daughters death at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. And there's anticipation for another woman preparing to be reunited with friends from whom she's been separated since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan.
And just a little whimsey. A man reluctantly heads out for a Christmas Party but finds himself swept up into a 1942 era night club scene, complete with a "big band montage."
On the Eve is an original creation of the Call Me Crazy Dancers, led by Roosevelt Islanders John and Kara Curtis. Mostly original musical material warms the stage for a display of ballet, tap, jazz, modern and theater dance.
The dance ensemble is a spinoff of a jazz band John Curtis sang with and has performed at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Capital Fringe in Washington, DC, and at summer outdoor concerts in NJ.
For On the Eve, which Curtis hopes will "launch a residency show at MST&DA," he recruits three of their top students, Savannah Rodriguez, Sophia Pinzari and Thea Spoorenberg.
The premier New York City performance comes alive at the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, 548 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, on Saturday, December 10th at 8:00 p.m. and repeats twice on Sunday, December 11th at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Tickets (cash or check at the door) are a New York bargain at $20. Students and seniors pay only $10. Kids under 5 get in for free.
This premier event, heavily stocked with Roosevelt Island talent, is not to be missed as it brings the spirits of Christmas, through creative music and dance, to our community.