Mark Morris and composer Ethan Iverson team up once again for an innovative collaboration, this time featuring over a dozen legendary hits by composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach.The evening-length production features original choreography by Morris and new musical arrangements by Iverson performed by a unique ensemble of vocals, piano, trumpet, bass, and percussion. Want the top daily stories delivered to your inbox? Mark would teach class, and he wouldn't edit himself just because there was a 14-year-old there. Morris details, with deft power, these shifts of anguish and yearning. Last week I spoke via Zoom with the never self-censored Morris about this music, the work (and he was still working on it a week before its premiere) and if any of his work or his career has turned out the way he expected. Mark Morris Dance Group returns to Berkeley with The Look of Love, a fresh and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach. The songs are intricate but also catchywhich might be the hardest thing to do in music. Mark Morris Dance Group rehearsing The Look of Love. The Choreographer Introduces His New Work Set to the Music of Burt Bacharach. Ive found an ideal collaborator in Mark Morris, whose brilliant choreography and deep musicality give songs new meaning and dimension through movement. Advocate 70 / Standard 35 / SC 30 / STU 15 / UI & YTH 10, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble, 2022 University of Illinois Board of Trustees |, Krannert Center For the Performing Arts At Illinois | Being Matters, Learn more about the arts in Champaign County at 40 North. Do you have to also do them? This evening was visually illuminated by Isaac Mizrahi's brilliantly colored, gender-bending costumes and Nicole Pearce's radiant lighting, casting joyful couplings in shades of blue, rage and sexual energy in startling red, and black evoking calm and reflection. "The Look of Love"is a production of the Mark Morris Dance Group;BAM; BroadStage, Santa Monica;Cal Performances, UC Berkeley;The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University; Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaignin association with Pictured from left to right:lead singerMarcy Harriell, choreographer Mark Morris, and musical director, Ethan Iverson. As someone who has known this material for a long time were there new discoveries that you made? Its also presented directly in its own language, in this case, of music many people will recognize. As for the music, Ethan and I dont think at all alike, which is why we complement each other so well. It wasnt written to please Burt; it was written to please Mark Morris and myself. The Mark Morris Dance Group will performs The Look of Love this Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19, in Zellerbach Hall. Musco Center for the Arts Overall, Morriss virtuoso choreography and dancers adept skills and focused demeanor matched perfectly Bacharachs precise, syncopated rhythmic patterns, and changing modulations, chord progressions, and jazz harmonies. The Look of Love: Mark Morris and Ethan Iverson in Conversation Sign up for our newsletter and stay up to date on cultural events in and around Los Angeles. I just have to do a little bit of what do you call that plaster? Thats still true. The Look of Love Following the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, Mark Morris teams up again with musical collaborator Ethan Iverson for The Look of Love, a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach. The Look of Loveis an evening-length production featuring original choreography by Morris and new musical arrangements by Iverson, performed by an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and drums,with singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals. Hal Davids lyrics to Bacharach are phenomenal. Occasionally I like them and if I dont like them, we wont do them. Its what a great song, lets listen to this and have some music and dancing. Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love at the Sandler Center! Show your commitment to learning through the arts and provide support for BroadStages Activations, which create and develop opportunities for arts education and for engaging a variety of communities. All of the choreography is made up in a room with the dancers. "After high school, Black completed his B.F.A. 2023 Mark Morris Dance Group - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Brian Siebert interviews Mark Morris about the inspiration behind, Musical Arranger and jazz composer Ethan Iverson discusses joining creative forces with Mark Morris for the world premiere of, Victoria Looseleaf talks with Mark Morris about the creative team, challenges, and choices involved in the creation of. The main thing is a drum set. The Look of Love will have its world premiere this week at the BroadStage in Santa Monica (October 20th - 23rd). Choreographer Mark Morris and Musical Arranger Ethan Iverson discuss the creative process in this exclusive Q&A. We started working on this a year-and-change ago and, at the time, Ethan was touring. The dancers, whose individually is showcased and who collectively and seamlessly merge together, interpret, and play out the narrative in each song using only metal folding chairs to reconfigure the action and movement on the stage. Choreography: Mark Morris I love this music and so it came about quite naturally. You collaborate with a number of incredible creators for this work, including Ethan Iverson as arranger, Isaac Mizrahi as costume designer, and Nicole Pearce as lighting designer. What influence does that have on what you create and what you ask your dancers to do? July 15, 2023, July 16, 2023, July 20, 2023, July 21, 2023, July 22, 2023, July 23, 2023 @ 03:00 pm - 09:00 pm. Review: BroadStage, Mark Morris, "The Look of Love" - LA Art Party Regarding themes, The Look of Love isnt a juke box of pieces, nor is it a sad story of someone finding themselves. you must first log-in using your Chapman account. WORDTheatre: JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION Is Making Magic, Gavin Creel: Its Really Hard to Fake Joy, Ellen Geer Celebrates Theatricum Botanicums 50th. While some might consider Bacharach a light composer, it turns out that, under the hood he is marvelously sophisticated. Its just it has to snap in the capstone has to drop in. Whats your process for creating the choreography? So its not what I thought it was going to be and it wont be what I think right now its going to be. I was sort of self-conscious about telling people I was a dancer. Bacharachs marvelous music calls out for dancing, says Morris, and youll hear hit after hit, from I Say a Little Prayer to Walk on By to Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head. Resounding with ingenuity and musicality, The Look of Love is a must-see for dance and music fans alike.Subscribe to The Kennedy Center! Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love | Oct. 26 - 29, 2022 The Kennedy Center 667K subscribers Subscribe 2.3K views 4 months ago https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-. But I was very moved when he said he approved of the music and the dance. The Look of Love Musco Center for the Arts Musco Center for the Arts 415 North Glassell, Orange, California United States November 14, 2023 Pepperland Gogue Performing Arts at Auburn University Woltosz Theatre Auburn, Alabama November 17, 2023 The Look of Love Harriman-Jewell Series Harriman-Jewell Kansas City, Missouri United States "The Look of Love" by the Mark Morris Dance Group performs Friday October 28, 2022 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566. When you were creating arrangements for this work, was there a guiding principle for the types of alterations you might make? Theres one particular sequence where I had us change the tempo to better pair with the choreography, and it really made a big difference. Tickets start at $48. Access to certain events and discounts are offered to Chapman Students, Faculty, and Staff. Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love. Editor's Pick: Mark Morris Dance - 'The Look of Love' - Metro Weekly The Look of Love, Morris's most recent work, is set to the music of Burt Bacharach arranged by Ethan Iverson.Critically acclaimed during its world premiere tour in fall of 2022, this evening-length . I believe in raw and acoustic music. This evening-length work features original choreography by Morris and new musical arrangements by Iverson, performed by an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and drums, with singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals. Instrumentation: vocals, piano, trumpet, bass, percussion. Morriss choreography exudes a sense of freedom, joy and playfulness that is reinforced by the brightly colored costumes designed by Isaac Mizrahi. The Look of Love is a production of 13 organizations that form a growing group of commissioning partners united by their esteem for Mark Morris and a desire to support the continued creation and . July 20 - July 30. Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love Trailer - YouTube Become a member now and support our independent LGBTQ journalism. This comes up a lot because five years ago I did a piece that re-looked at and listened to music from Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band for a piece of an evening called Pepperland. The Look of Love in Mark Morris's Eyes - Cultural Attach Of course my dancers are a third my age now, so that changes everything. Notably, this is Morris first evening-length work since the creation of Pepperland in 2017, and it marks a return to the world of pop music for the choreographer, celebrating the iconic songs of Burt Bacharach. "During rehearsals, we might stop and talk and giggle for an hour. The Artists: Mark Morris, Choreographer; Ethan Iverson Arranger and Piano; Isaac Mizrahi, Costume and Chair Design; Marcy Harriell, Lead Vocals; Nicole Pierce, Lighting Design; the MMDG Music Ensemble, directed by Colin Fowler with Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet). Brian Siebert interviews Mark Morris about the inspiration behindThe Look of Lovein this preview forThe New York Times. Long before we did Pepperland together, he wanted me to consider choreographing to Burt Bacharachs music. See our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. Mark Morris Dance Group performing The Look of Love First to know, great discounts, and early access. July 15, 2023 @ 08:00 pm - 09:30 pm. Off Peak. This is going to sound so cheesy, but I really believe what the world needs now is love, and that song opens the show. In The Look of Love, Mark Morris and his dancers present a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of the late Burt Bacharach and his longtime lyricist Hal David. MMDG is a member of Dance/USA and the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance. Share Watch on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC PRESENTS THE HIGH PEAKS MUSIC FESTIVAL. I make up the dances, but they do it. Once we had the team assembled, it was all conversations and listening to the music. I admit that I have the advantage of having seen many Mark Morris masterpieces more than once. In this case, the idea came from Ethan Iverson, who years ago was music director of my company and who remains a brilliant jazz musician, writer, and friend. To see the full itinerary of Mark Morris Dance Group, please go here. For his troupe's first performances at the venerable summer festival since 2019, Morris presented his newest work, "The Look of Love," to a score of 13-plus songs from the Burt Bacharach-Hal . Commissioned by BroadStage, the Mark Morris Dance Group presented the world premiere of The Look of Love, a journey into the sweetness and sorrowful emotions of romantic love as evoked by the music of Burt Bacharach. Its all been written to be performed live. His works are universally celebrated for their wit, creativity, musicality, and emotional depth. "After I graduated and the company needed someone, they already knew me and asked me to join. But you can't be so swept up that you forget that you're there to work. It earned Bacharach and David an Academy Award nomination. Photo by Skye Schmidt. What was the inspiration for creating The Look of Love? Musco Master Classes, "The Look of Love"is a production of the Mark Morris Dance Group;BAM; BroadStage, Santa Monica;Cal Performances, UC Berkeley;The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University; Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaignin association with. What the World Needs NowThis past October, MMDG premiered Morris' latest work, "The Look of Love," set to the music of Burt Bacharach, and featuring costumes by Morris' longtime collaborator, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. THE LOOK OF LOVE Friday and Saturday, April 14-15, 2023, at 7:30pm Tryon Festival Theatre PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER DUGGAN PHOTO BY PEDRO GREIG 2 PROGRAM MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP AND MUSIC ENSEMBLE: THE LOOK OF LOVE Mark Morris, artistic director Nancy Umanoff, executive director MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP MMDG MUSIC ENSEMBLE Its like you know or you dont. Are there any stylistic elements or themes youd like audiences to watch for? "It was really serendipitous," he said. They didnt win, but just three years later they did win the Oscar for Best Song for Raindrops which was featured in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dance Review: The Mark Morris Dance Group Presents "The Look of Love Evident when you hear it, but surprising if youre trying to make it up yourself. So the sooner I can pass them on so its out of my hands, the more comfortable, meaning accurate and inhabited, the piece will be. Well thank you those were all my questions. Co-commissioned by BroadStage, the world premiere of Mark Morris Dance Groups The Look of Love, an evening of dance to the music of Burt Bacharach, will take place at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage October 20-23, 2022, with subsequent performances to follow at leading performing arts centers worldwide. Created by Pauline Adamek - All Rights Reserved. Mark Morris's tribute to Burt Bacharach is what the world needs now No choreographer alive has a higher reputation for musicality than Mark Morris; and that reputationhas been well earned over more than 30 years of marvelously eclectic creativity. The New York Times Ask Mark Morris why he chose the music of Burt Bacharach, the legendary songwriter who died on Feb. 8, for his 2022 dance work "The Look of Love," and the award-winning choreographer. Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts; Arizona Arts Live, University of Arizona; Harriman-Jewell Series;The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts;Modlin Center for the Arts at University of Richmond;Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech; Tennessee Performing Arts Center; UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures; and Virginia Arts Festival. Of course, I couldnt worry about the composer too muchthat never works. Mark Morris Dance Group opens Jacob's Pillow with buoyant 'The Look of Burt Bacharach, alongside lyricist Hal David, made hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s. , Now is the time to give so that the future impact of Krannert Center is ensured. Like all of Mark's work, it has the full range of emotions. How many modes of translation do we need: words, rhythm, music, the people, the dancers themselves, how they move, who they are. There is a rich range of emotion, point of view, and dynamics in Bacharachs (and lyricist Hal Davids) amazing compositions, both the very familiar and the relatively obscure. He can be incredibly dry, sarcastic, and witty one second, then he'll turn around and say something so beautiful and profound. Stay for opening night, then party the night away! The performance moves through 14 iconic songs, beautifully and emotionally sung by and Broadway star Marcy Harriell. I believe it is very important to strip it down to the essentials. Like a great melody, his dances evoke an atmosphere and inspire feelings, and I think thats just what the world needs now. Being in the room with an audience seeing it for the first time, you really have no idea what's going to happen. The mission of the Mark Morris Dance Group is to develop, promote, and sustain dance, music, and opera productions by Mark Morris and to serve as a cultural resource to engage . >Our vision for engaging 200,000 people worldwide. The New York Times Mark Morris Dance Group - "The Look of Love" Everything I give Mark I am certain he can choreograph, and I have an idea of how the flow of an evening-length work should go. Watch Marcy Harriell and Ethan Iverson rehearsing The Look of Love by Burt Bacharach. And I dont believe art exists to make us feel better or become better people, because theres good and bad in everything, and it takes a big variety of elements to make art. The Look of Lovewill be the tenth evening-length work of the prolific Morriss career, following 2017sPepperland,which showcased the work of musical legends, The Beatles. The only answer is to pay attention. Have you thought of doing medleys, changing some of the tempi or male or female singers or include some other changes? Institutional Giving: Institutional Partners, 202021: Fact or Fiction, Music and the Mind, Mark Morris Dance Group; The Look of Love: An Evening of Dance to the Music of Burt Bacharach 2223. The choreography and lighting for this piece was dark and shadowy as the performers moved to a rhumba beat to the gruffly spoken lyric beware of the blob, it creeps and leaps and glides and slides across the floor and ended in an intertwined pile up of bodies. BroadStage Presents The World Premiere Of Mark Morris - Broadway World So I came back to Berkeley for my senior year knowing that I wanted to be a dancer, and that I needed to catch up on ballet and modern. Mark Morris, who has employed several ethnic styles over the decades, choreographs and directs, in collaboration with the Silk Road Ensemble and the painter Howard Hodgkin. "When I was in high school, through a family friend, I knew the hair and makeup supervisor for Mark Morris. Mark Morris Dance Group | Performances In his newest work, co-commissioned by Virginia Arts Festival, Morris takes on the hits of pop icons Burt Bacharach and Hal David, partnering with . Lots of jazz, a new opera and Bobby Darrin sings Broadway (from 1966). There is truly no better storyteller than Mark," he said with a broad laugh. Blessed by Burt! If you recognize any of these song titles you know their work: Alfie, (They Long to Be) Close to You, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Ill Never Fall in Love Again, I Say a Little Prayer, Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head, This Guys In Love with You, Walk on By, What the Wold Needs Now and The Look of Love. "I loved being a ham," he said with a chuckle. Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love - YouTube Dancers, Musicians, Designers, Staff and Board, The Joyce TheaterNew York, New York United States. I love that. What would you tell people is the reason to take interest in the music of Burt Bacharach, particularly if they dont already know it? Notably, this is Morris' first evening-length work since the creation of Pepperland in 2017, and it marks a return to the world of pop music for the choreographer, celebrating the iconic songs of Burt Bacharach. I still dont know what the very beginning and the very end of my piece are. This evening-length work features original choreography by Morris, costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, and new musical arrangements by Iverson, performed by an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and percussion, with singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals. The Look of Love - Fjord Review Those moments with Mark are crucial to the job and to building community in the company. We never perform the exact same show twice. With deep gratitude, Krannert Center thanks all Patron Sponsors and Corporate and Community Sponsors. On April 25 at 7:45pm, we will livestream The Look of Love: Mark Morris and Ethan Iverson in Conversation about Mark Morris's newest work. An Evening of Dance to the Music of Burt BacharachTickets: https://broadstage.org/lookofloveFollowing the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, . The show will resume performances next year in multiple venues. Run time: Approximately 65 minutes, no intermission. Music Mountain weekend: BARBARA FASANO TRIO and EUCLID QUARTET. Simon Willson (bass) and Vinnie Sperrazza (percussion); Blaire Reinhard and Clinton Curtis, Background Vocals; Sam Black, Company Director and Dancers Mica Bernas, Karlie Budge, Brandon Cournay, Domingo Estrada, Jr., Lesley Garrison, Marcy Harriell, Courtney Lopes, Taina Lyons, Matthew MacLaughlin, Dallas McMurray, Brandon Randolph, Nicole Sabella, Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith, Noah Vinson, Malik Q. Williams. Mark Morris Dance Group; The Look of Love - Cal Performances Mark Morris creates a dance homage to hitmaker Burt Bacharach - The Broadway veteran Marcy Harriell (In The Heights, Rent) is the evening's guest lead vocalist. "It was a very classical and contemporary training experience, and it was also the year that the movie 'Center Stage' came out. (Okay, theres some heartbreak in there too!) Program East Coast Premiere and Kennedy Center Co-Commission Harriman-Jewell Series500 College Hill, Campus Box 1015Liberty, Missouri 64068-1896Business hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Im not trying to convert people to the church of Burt Bacharach or anything because Im not a member of that. Musco Calendar I was getting ready to ask a whole bunch of questions and then he answered them: Be sure this isnt boring. The evening-length compilation of more than a dozen Bacharach hits, will be performed by company dancers accompanied by the MMDG Music Ensemble, consisting of piano, trumpet, bass, and percussion, with lead vocals by singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell. I can live with that! I didnt want it to be, first of all, a mess, you know? August 1 - 5, 2023 Mark Morris Dance Group. Credit: Skye Schmidt 2023 Gala: Brian Stokes Mitchell. Jagged Little Pill musical at The Pantages reviewed, The Camera Is Ours silent films at Sierra Madre Playhouse. "Since his early childhood, Black has gravitated towards the spotlight. One thing that wasnt much of a surprise is that these songs are hard to sing. MMDG News: "The Look of Love" premieres tonight! - Mark Morris Dance Group But the message is ultimately really uncomplicated: Love is everything! A little bit of caulking on the seams of it. That can be tricky, especially if you're new.". Become a Friend, Partner, or Grand Duo Circle member today. Following the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, Mark Morris teams up again with musical collaborator Ethan Iverson for The Look of Love, a w. He came to the dress rehearsal on the night before the premiere in Santa Monica in late October. I dont even remember that so its not that. Im always dealing with the idea of how much text Im going to use. From there the show will travel to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (October 26th-29th) and Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University in Alabama (November 8th) before the end of the year. When the piece is done, the choreography is set, though theres always an element of improvisation built into the structure. $36-$150. It was terrifying and fabulous! In February 2023, Mark Morris Dance Group will bring the Bay Area premiere of Morris latest work, The Look of Love, to Zellerbach Hall. It's so pure, earnest and just joyous. I always loved the way Mark responds to text, meaning lyrics. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mark Morris Dance Group's "The Look of Love" - company director The Look of Love An Evening of Dance to the Music of Burt Bacharach Bay Area Premiere Mark Morris, choreographer Burt Bacharach, composer Hal David, lyricist Ethan Iverson, arranger Marcy Harriell, lead singer Nicole Pearce, lighting designer Isaac Mizrahi, costume designer "Mark Morris's tribute to Burt Bacharach is what the world needs now. Mark Morris goes back to Bacharach in 'The Look of Love' at Kennedy Your support with a gift of $60, $600, $6,000 or any amount plays a more vital role than ever before. That doesnt mean its shallow. I had some notions alreadyfor example, I knew I wanted chairs and pillows for one scene, which Isaac took over sketching out, proposing different colors and textures. Visit Broad Stage for tickets and information. I didnt want it to be a name that tune kind of thing or a grocery store. That was a great moment! Iits always live music. What was Bacharachs response when you first reached out about creating The Look of Love? Photo: Christopher Duggan Love lost and gained is a power theme in the music of Bacharach/David. Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love | Cal Performances (Too pop is unbearable!) The Look of Lovefeatures original choreography by Mark Morris and new musical arrangements by Ethan Iverson. He was super friendly and supportive; to meet him in person was wonderful. A towering figure of popular music, Bacharach is known for his soaring melodies and unique orchestrations influenced by jazz, rock, and Brazilian music his longtime lyricist Hal David providing unsentimental, poignant lyrics.