Immersive theater experiences are my favorite type of theater. I love the interaction between the performers and the audience, and there's always so much infectious energy in these types of shows! Queen of the Night at the Paramount Hotel in NYC and The Donkey Show at The American Repertory Theater in Boston (will review in the future) are fantastic examples of this engaging style.
Fuerza Bruta has been on my list for a very long time, and I finally got the chance to see the latest iteration of the show (Fuerza Bruta Wayra) for my recent birthday (thanks sis!)
Fuerza Bruta has been on my list for a very long time, and I finally got the chance to see the latest iteration of the show (Fuerza Bruta Wayra) for my recent birthday (thanks sis!)
We arrived at the Daryl Roth Theatre right before 9:00 pm and were ushered inside. I've always seen the building when I hang around Union Square- it's really beautiful, with 4 sculpted columns supporting the roof. Once inside, we wandered around the bar area where you can take photos of yourself in front of a pink Fuerza Bruta Wayra background before entering the stage area. The performance room was a good-sized, dark room glowing pinkish red from the lights; smokey mist imbued it with a sense of mystery. We moved around in the crowd towards the center, but ended up in an area with the most comfortable space- not too tight, but still people nearby.
The show started off with a crazy amount of energy that really hyped up the crowd. The first performers showed up on stage with huge drums, pounding away while wildly singing a really catchy song. It had a kind of tribal feel, and the rhythm of the drums pulsed through the crowd. My favorite part of the whole show was actually the music- it was really good! The composer of Fuerza Bruta shows is Gaby Kerpel, who was born and raised in Argentina. Wall Street Journal called his music a "unique blend of Latin music and electronic sounds". That;s probably why I liked the music so much - two genres I enjoy combined into one! You can hear the song on Youtube, but it's really a lot better live (sounds a little whiny online).
The show started off with a crazy amount of energy that really hyped up the crowd. The first performers showed up on stage with huge drums, pounding away while wildly singing a really catchy song. It had a kind of tribal feel, and the rhythm of the drums pulsed through the crowd. My favorite part of the whole show was actually the music- it was really good! The composer of Fuerza Bruta shows is Gaby Kerpel, who was born and raised in Argentina. Wall Street Journal called his music a "unique blend of Latin music and electronic sounds". That;s probably why I liked the music so much - two genres I enjoy combined into one! You can hear the song on Youtube, but it's really a lot better live (sounds a little whiny online).
We continued grooving to the beat while the singers and drummers played. Then there was a burst of white confetti and other performers came flying through the air, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. They came so close to the crowd that we could touch them, and they giggled and laughed with outstretched arms, brushing their fingertips against ours. Skirts flew up in the air, and panty-covered bottoms were just out and about.
The next scene was of an African-American man walking on a treadmill that started going faster and faster until he was all out sprinting. He was clothed all in white with a dark tie, and appeared multiple times in the show. First alone, then with other performers getting on the moving walkway and pushing and shoving into him; he always went on no matter what. He exploded through flying doors that seemed to come out of nowhere and smashed through walls of boxes in a spray of wild confetti. Multiple times when he was running, a BANG would stun the crowd and he would seize up and grab his stomach...the blood seeped through his clothes and he would fall on his face, ending the scene. It seemed to be a striking political statement and I was interested in finding out if this was truly the case. I found out that this running man was a recurring theme in Fuerza Bruta; I am not sure if it was political activism (this character is not always African American), but I do think it was supposed to represent perseverance in the face of extreme adversity.
The next scene was of an African-American man walking on a treadmill that started going faster and faster until he was all out sprinting. He was clothed all in white with a dark tie, and appeared multiple times in the show. First alone, then with other performers getting on the moving walkway and pushing and shoving into him; he always went on no matter what. He exploded through flying doors that seemed to come out of nowhere and smashed through walls of boxes in a spray of wild confetti. Multiple times when he was running, a BANG would stun the crowd and he would seize up and grab his stomach...the blood seeped through his clothes and he would fall on his face, ending the scene. It seemed to be a striking political statement and I was interested in finding out if this was truly the case. I found out that this running man was a recurring theme in Fuerza Bruta; I am not sure if it was political activism (this character is not always African American), but I do think it was supposed to represent perseverance in the face of extreme adversity.
We found ourselves in the man's dreams when a shiny silver foil material unfurled itself, wrapping around the exterior of the crowd. Two curled up shapes hung from the ceiling and they both fell open at the same time and began running across the holographic, shimmering backdrop. At first they were having fun, dancing and prancing while the lights shifted from pink to purple to orange behind them. They leaped and rolled in the air, back and forth, carefree and excited. Then came a point where they seemed to become frightened; their movements became erratic, and their frantic running seemed more like they were being chased. Was this magical dream turning into a nightmare? Instead of moving consistently in one direction around the room, suddenly one performer would go one way, and the other would go the other; they would reach out to each other and cry out, again with the outstretched hands and fingers straining towards each other but never fully reaching the point where they could be together. Their curls flew in the wind as they tumbled about. The scene ended in sudden darkness with the women motionlessly hanging in curled up balls, while the man in the white suit woke up and sat up in bed.
At one point in the show, while the man was running and everyone was fixated on him, I noticed a glimmer out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look, I saw the man's reflection in a mirror-like substance hovering near the ceiling. I was entranced- what was that? Suddenly the space went dark and a deep blue light washed over the space, highlighting a black silhouette in the center of a transparent film. It was similar to an inflatable pool and was filled with water. As the music swelled, the figure slowly opened up, sweeping her arms, legs, and hair in a way that swirled the water into beautiful shapes. The pool lowered further to hang directly over our heads, and she moved a little faster. We could see that there were other performers sitting in each corner the tub, and they moved to join the first. This part was beautiful and magical, with swimmers gliding from one end to the other on their sides, slowly somersaulting and spinning as they fell. Each side of the pool was lifted to a slight incline to help the women with their acrobatics. At one point they all clasped hands and formed shapes with their body. This stunning image is on almost every promotional poster for Fuerza Bruta Wayra (see my photos below). The lighting during this section was gorgeous, with shades of orange, pink, purple, and blue backlighting the water dancers as they slid from one end to another. At another point in time, the lighting became a stark white, and the dancers became a little more aggressive. They began running from each corner and hitting the bottom of the film with loud thuds. The intensity ratcheted up a notch as we wondered if this was the part where we would get drenched- would the material break? The dancers then crouched on all fours and began hitting the bottom of the pool with clenched fists, establishing a steady rhythm- BAM!, BAM!, BAM!, BAM!- the power was thrilling and the anticipation was building! - BAM!, BAM!, BAM!, BAM!, silence...Blue lights flooded the room as the performers collapsed one by one, dissolving into black silhouettes.
This section could also be a little racy and a little sexual. The women were sliding across the pool in soaked clothing and underwear. Several times the pool was lowered to a point where it was hanging right over our heads and people could make eye contact with the ladies. I marveled at the perfection of their makeup- how did that red lip and black eyeliner stay on so perfectly when you've been face-down in water for so long? I was too short to make contact, but others could reach up and touch the figures, poking their bodies and placing hands against hands. One of the ladies dove across the bottom and her shirt came all the way up, exposing her bare breasts. When the pool began to be pulled upwards, the women would sprawl out, press their faces to the film, and smile and mouth words. The lights changed as they were lifted higher and higher, and the mysterious and magical quality of the water dancers came back as they became black silhouettes again, drifting against the current, making graceful and looping shapes with their bodies.
This section could also be a little racy and a little sexual. The women were sliding across the pool in soaked clothing and underwear. Several times the pool was lowered to a point where it was hanging right over our heads and people could make eye contact with the ladies. I marveled at the perfection of their makeup- how did that red lip and black eyeliner stay on so perfectly when you've been face-down in water for so long? I was too short to make contact, but others could reach up and touch the figures, poking their bodies and placing hands against hands. One of the ladies dove across the bottom and her shirt came all the way up, exposing her bare breasts. When the pool began to be pulled upwards, the women would sprawl out, press their faces to the film, and smile and mouth words. The lights changed as they were lifted higher and higher, and the mysterious and magical quality of the water dancers came back as they became black silhouettes again, drifting against the current, making graceful and looping shapes with their bodies.
Other fun parts of the show included a dance part, where the performers cut loose on stage and really gave it their all. They looked like they were having so much fun, kicking their legs up high and throwing chairs and boxes around! They even came into the crowd holding white squares which they would smash over some unsuspecting audience member who would then be doused in confetti and glitter. Everyone was laughing hysterically especially those who had been surprise bombed. The DJ played music, and the dancers encouraged us all to move around and shake it a little. Another section had this globe-like material being blown up with us inside of it. We were covered in this material and helped hold it up, when the technicians turned on the fans and the material blew right up to the ceiling, forming a half-sphere. As we looked up in awe, watching the colors dance across the top, the three holes in the top were ripped open and our man peers through the center one. He waves and suddenly the hole dips him, closer and closer down towards us until we could grab his hand. Then he is pulled back up again, flying away into space like some sort of backwards Alice and Wonderland movie. This happens a few times before he comes down encased in a shimmering tube. He floats in this shiny and clear material, with a wind machine blowing him up in one direction. This part was reminiscent of time travel, and it was like he was on some journey to another land. When he pulled the tube back up with him, two other performers poked their heads out of the other two holes. They eventually were lowered down, attached to cords, and they picked up some audience members to bring back up with them. These lucky ducks got to go through the hole, poke their heads out and wave to the audience, disappear, and then come back down.
The show finishes off with more wild dancing and singing and drumming, and its a high energy and high impact performance. Afterwards, you can stay and dance while the DJ plays for a little while longer. What an amazing night! What I found very intriguing was that there weren't that many performers, which meant that each one is multi-talented! The water dancers were also the trapeze artists who were also the singers and drummers and dancers; all the roles overlapped, and they were all so good at what they did. Overall, I give this experience a 10/10; really fun if you like this kind of stuff. Highly recommend!
Tips for immersive experiences:
- Show up early if it's the type of show that lets you explore the set and interact with the performers beforehand
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothes that can get wet or are easy to clean (from glitter or confetti particles that can really get stuck in fiber)
- Be okay with being touched, interacting with the performers, and becoming a part of the show. That makes it even more fun!
- Try not to stand around tall people; they will block your view (nothing personal!)
- Show up with an open mind and don't be afraid to get a little weird
- Stay after the show and chat with the performers, if they're around
~burn bright~
Jess
Jess