Are you in the Halloween spirit yet?
“Thriller” generates excitement for the holiday with its nonstop choreography and engaging music. The show loses steam with a distracting clown and an exceptionally long running time, however.
Moving through a series of artistic, unique vignettes, “Thriller” tells Halloween stories from a kaleidoscope of perspectives. Beginning with the classic “Thriller” theme song sung by Michael Jackson, the stage is set with gripping movement and incredible talent and excitement. The production then launches into a seemingly random assortment of popular Halloween stories.
The cast dons new personas, costumes, make-up and staging with each number. It is impressive to view the stark contrasts between each piece and the array of talent among the performers. Some exceptional pieces included Frankenstein & Frankenstein, Lost Boys and Dem Bones—a glow-in-the-dark, dancing skeleton special.
“Although we do new pieces in the show every year, it is amazing how many of the original pieces we put together still remain staples of the production,” said director Derryl Yeager.
Regrettably, there was a surprising amount of intensely violent themes throughout the various pieces. While Halloween is known for its shadowy undertones and dark depictions, portrayals of shootings and jokes about suicide are never appropriate or funny. The show is restricted to children older than age eight, as well as those who are not of “the faint of heart,” as the website explains, but these themes still seemed too intense.
Comedy-wise, the show often hit the mark with timely jokes and interplay between the performers. Unfortunately, a distracting and reoccurring feature of the show was the obnoxious Bubbles the Clown, who appeared intermittently between performances. Lacking originality, his performance was disappointing and befuddling compared with the caliber of the dancers and other comedic exchanges. His omission from the show would be welcome.
Despite the unnecessary clown presence and the arduous length of the show (thirty-plus minutes could have easily been cut, with a running time of over two and a half hours), “Thriller” did manage to entertain and impress, continuing a consistent theme among its faithful fans.
“We come every year. It has become a great tradition to get into the holiday and celebrate,” said graduate student Nicole Bunting.
“I initially started coming with my family, but I come each year with a group of friends now. We love the Jason act and the Skeleton dance,” said U alumni Molly Goodrich.
The show also resonated with first-time viewers. “There was impressive choreography throughout the performance… And I think this is a good way to bring dance to a different audience,” said Laura Skold, a U dance alumni and current graduate student.
Yeager has yet again accomplished an incredible feat, organizing a multitude of seemingly insignificant and random parts into an entertaining production via fast-paced choreography, skilled dancers and an entertainment factor that anyone can enjoy.