Word: act
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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...Republican state senator who won his last election in the district 61 percent to 39 percent, says people care about tax relief, education that includes choices for their children, and the moral direction of the country. Not good news for Gore. On the subject of moral direction, people act as if Al had been in the room with a Polaroid while Bill turned Monica into a patriot, as if the only way for America finally to exorcise the beast and move on is to drive a stake through Gore's heart...
Complications settle into the plot during the latter part of the first act when the Rajah gives the hand of his daughter Gamzatti to Solor in reward for his success as a warrior. Although he loves Nikiya, Solor does not feel that he can refuse the wishes of the Rajah. As Gamzatti, April Ball takes the stage with exceptional presence, bringing to the performance clear, insightful mime and impressive theatrical and technical versatility. Without dancing a single step in the first act, Ball holds full command of the stage, developing the dimensions of Gamzatti's struggles as a woman...
...wide variety of dances and beautifully constructed sets and costumes by Sergiy Spevyakin dominate the second act, delivering a full offering of the company's diverse talents. The divertissements, although all delightfully and correctly danced, lack any real display of virtuosity. In the role of the Golden Idol, Christopher Budzynski's aerial jumps are imbued with a natural sense of grace but lack any dynamic in movement or musicality. Alexandra Kochis's charming performance as the whimsical Manu also seems to fall just short of true technical precision. But commendations go to the male ensembles for clean, effortless dancing...
...curtains open on the third act with low lighting and high expectations in anticipation of the famous Kingdom of Shades. As dancers in white tutus descend the ramp one by one, a hush falls over the audience. Conscientious staging is evident, and the company deserves applause for its careful attention to detail. The corps, perfectly in line, display breathtaking synchronization and attunement to the music. But like much of the ballet, the scene is tentatively danced with a hesitance that takes away from the total emotional impact. Near the climactic ending, the technical prowess of the two leading roles still...
...play-by-play man, Joe Buck, went sanctimoniously nuts, howling at Clemens as if he were the Son of Sam; and other media joined in the braying, which reached such a pitch that the commissioner felt obliged to impose a fine of $50,000 on Clemens for his murderous act. The New York Times' columnist Maureen Dowd seized the occasion; she used the incident as a metaphor of male aggression in another one of her cheeky, tedious sermonettes on testosterone and the imbecility of the male...