Akropolis sings, I shiver

I got invited to a sneak preview of Akropolis Performance Labs' Dream of a Ridiculous Man. Because the audience was just a few trusted friends, we were allowed to stay for the warm-up period as well -- which is when Akropolis stands in a circle and sings through every song in the show. It's a Song Call, like traditional theatres have a pre-show Fight Call or Dance Call. It takes about 20 minutes.

Well, I have to tell you -- Song Call was my favorite part of the evening. The show itself was great. As always, there were parts that chilled and delighted. Parts that thrilled. Parts that enticed. Parts that surprised. Parts that were so violent I had to check out and look at the wall and count for a while. Parts that brought me back. The whole big satisfying ride.

But for me, since their singing is what grips me, Song Call was fantastic. They should have three tickets -- $15 to see the show; $15 to see Song Call, and $25 to see both. I bet there's a whole potential audience who would develop for Song Call.

When they sing, they are not like a choir. They don't consider it singing, for that matter. They call it vocal training -- a precise exercise of the actor's instrument. And they don't think like singers; they think like actors. Hitting a note is a physical action, as precise as a backbend. When they sing in a circle, they look like Olympic athletes singing -- physically engaged, constantly in motion, abdominal muscles engaged, absolutely vibrant in their bodies. It's like cedars singing, or wild horses -- something absolutely alive and visible, spirit made temporarily flesh.

When they sing in the show, it is unearthly. They can -- and do -- run at full speed while singing in clear unhurried harmonies.

However, because singing is a physical action for them, I'm not sure it could exist WITHOUT their theatre. It's only because they are so physically trained, and spend so much concentration on precise, filled physical action, that they are able to fill a song with that same kind of action. Without the body, the voice would not exist.

They have two long weeks to work on the show. This is the alchemical time when the ingredients cook into soup. I can't wait to see what it becomes.

Anyway. More news when there is news. They open October 29th. 206-934-7905 for tix or info.