With his first review, we welcome Jose Solis to Talkin' Broadway's staff.
Jose Solís takes a look at Momix:
The question of why shows are revived doesn't always seem to be at the center of the conversation when companies bring back productions that were once praised. When Moses Pendleton's Momix premiered Cactus Opus in the early aughts, the world was a different place, and its celebration of the American Southwest was acknowledged for its beauty and bravura. The current revival at The Joyce Theater (through July 16) however, arrives at a time when cultural appropriation and the mainstream obliteration of people of color has rightfully taken a bigger role in the collective conversation, and the production despite retaining its aesthetic value and showcasing an impressive technical display, leaves a bitter aftertaste because it features a predominantly white cast using elements of non-white cultures —Aboriginal Australian, Middle Eastern and Native American people—to create vapid entertainment. . . . |
