Theater Review: The Shed’s Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise
Music by Sia! King Fu Fighting! Aerial Acrobatics! Playing at The Shed, Dragon Spiring Phoenix Rise has it all, but yet it felt like something was missing. It was promised to be spectacularly different and it delivered in that sense. When in action, there were some gorgeously magical, but, at times, its story felt rushed and flattened.
Story-wise Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise feels mythic but not as urgent, in part, because of pacing. Within two hours, a couple fall in love, have twins, fight to death, reincarnate, have a 10 minute intermission, then have their twins grow up to fight to the death, and then fulfill a ancestral prophecy. It is a lot that happens in slow instances broken by fighting, of which you could not help but want more Kung Fu and smoother transitioning.
The Kung Fu was exceptionally cool, and certain effects like fire, water, and stunning lighting made every move feel heightened. The set by Mikiko MacAdams, lighting by Tobias Rylander, and special effects by Jeremy Chernick are like lifelines throughout the musical; breathing vivacity into scenes by amplifying their weight. Choreographed by Chen She Zheng, the kung-fu flowed like a dance rather than a defense tactic. Every kick, fist, and chop pulses like a move that could be added to any club choreography, which might explain why Sia’s discography was an obvious choice. Her music matched the feeling of vibrancy and legendary the storyline, by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, wished to achieve. Still, her music is not always plugged into a scene with smoothness, but when it works it works.
Dragon Spiring Phoenix Rise feels caught between moments of prosperity and its own potential for more of it. You cannot help but want it to be bigger, bolder, and flashier with the wealth of Chinese and Kung Fu history that backs it. Still, I was so happy to see its diverse casting; adding people of color, from every ethnicity, to embody this phenomenal martial arts form. Peiju Chien Pott (Little Lotus), Dickson Mbi (Lee),Jasmine Chiu (Little Phoenix), Ji Tuo (Little Dragon), and David Torok (Doug Pince) are all martial arts experts that thrive during action sequences and give their all to elevate as actors. While, by far, a unique, theater experience, you never shake the feeling that Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise could have been more. Click Here To Buy Tickets. The Last Show on July 27.
