holiday show | The Hanslick Girls

December 23, 2019

Airplane Mode: Macha Theatre Works’ “The Flight Before Xmas”

“But how did the cat get into her bag?” asked Eleanor,

“I don’t know,” said Dania, standing to put her coat back on. “Does it matter?”

“Not really,” Eleanor shrugged. The logic behind the reappearance of the cat didn’t particularly matter –– Maggie Lee’s play wore its heart proudly on its sleeve, to the point that the moral destinations were more satisfying than the narrative journeys that preceded them. “How the cat got there isn’t as important as the fact that it was found,” Eleanor summed up.

December 9, 2019

Child’s Eye View: Milwaukee Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”

“Is this her first Nutcracker?” asked Dania, as the applause built.

“No, she’s been before,” Gwen answered, watching her sister dance. As soon as the curtain call had begun, Hazel was on her feet, leading the adults to stand as well. She leapt off the ground, attempting to replicate the virtuosic jetés of the dancers. Gwen, bending down, put a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait until we’re outside,” she whispered, among the applause. “You could kick someone.”

December 11, 2017

Cracking A Tradition: Mark Morris Dance Group’s “The Hard Nut”

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. Recently, the Girls discussed a vibrant and off-the-wall re-imagining of a classic piece of holiday entertainment. Let’s listen in on the conversation…

“Well, it’s certainly not The Nutcracker.”

Dania figured this was still fine to say within 100 yards of the theater. Rather than a subjective opinion, it seemed like a provable fact.

Eleanor pushed her program into her bag. “I mean, it’s pretty close.”

“How is this close to The Nutcracker?”

Tag / holiday show