Hot Feet Reviews

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:36pm

Talkin Broadway is mostly Negative:

"If you could harness the energy of the nearly two dozen dancers in Hot Feet, which just opened at the Hilton, you could light a small city for a year. In a season where too many musical offerings, both new and in revival, are deadening affairs, a new source of power isn't such a bad thing.

That's what they said before the Chernobyl disaster, too. As for this nuclear meltdown of a jukebox musical, which has been conceived, directed, and choreographed by Maurice Hines and is based on the songs of Earth, Wind & Fire, you at least get the sense from watching the fantastically frenzied dancers that they're loving every minute of what they're doing, which helps you - temporarily - forgive all the misapplied energy.

Unfortunately, there's only so much that all Hines's hundreds of steps - which alternate between ballet, jazz, modern, and street dancing - can do to buoy the floundering story at Hot Feet's center. And it doesn't take long to realize that the company is dancing its feet off to prevent you from paying too much attention to the show's book.

For unlike Movin' Out, Twyla Tharp's amazingly successful jukebox-musical ballet, this show actually has one. But librettist Heru Ptah should have learned from Tharp's example that it's sometimes best to let the dancing speak for itself. The singing is handled by three pit singers, who belt out pounding funk tunes like "September," "Shining Star," and some two dozen others (most by Maurice White, but some by new collaborators) with appealing ethereality. But when the actors open their mouths, there's no longer anything worth hearing."

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/HotFeet.html

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:37pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=895653&dt=0

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:40pm

Meh...let's keep this one, I like Margo's selections of the reviews.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:42pm

Well...after seeing it last night, I actually kind of agree with MM for the first time in awhile. The ensemble does give it there all, and the choreography is certainly exciting...but that doesn't even begin to make up for the downright awful book.

***SPOILER***...

When the mother character yell's out "you can't be in love with her because she's your daughter too!" I died in laughter. What was supposed to be a dramatic moment was so poorly writen all the way around it was downright laughable.

But BIG KUDOS to those dancers...the choreography was fun and they gave it there all. I say get rid of the story and acting all together, transfer the show to vegas and dance the night away and something like this would do quite well.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 6:51pm

LaCageAuxFollesFan, I could not agree more!!! And what made that moment even worse was their choice to dramatize NONE of what had just had happened. As ridiculous and unfounded as that discovery was, that point would have been a logical time for a revelatory moment of either Kalimba or her newfounded FATHER (hahahaha)... a song from one of them at that point could've actually served some dramatic purpose, as they had both had life- changing moments. (Stupid ones, but okay.) Instead, they give the mother a song- dramatizing nothing, because nothing had really changed for her character.
Of course this gripe is the least of what's wrong with this disgusting display of commercial theatre. The book and overall story and sensibility are trite, recycled, uninventive, and boring.
I have to give it to them though- the cast really did have amazing energy and was giving their all. I also thought most of the principals did well with the material given to them. The choreography was obviously, incredible. But overall, I thought the show was abysmal.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 7:02pm

The AP is mostly Negative:

"Cold plot. There's a story connected to this exhausting new dance musical created by director and choreographer Maurice Hines to the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, but it's best not to think too much about it.

In fact, the lame tale, loosely adapted by Heru Ptah from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Red Shoes," trips up this hyper-kinetic show, which opened Sunday at Broadway's Hilton Theatre.

That's too bad, because Hines has assembled a large and talented cast of dancers, led by young Vivian Nixon, daughter of Debbie Allen. They operate on a different, more accomplished plane than the musical's crude, cautionary yarn. It's a well-worn backstage romance where ambition trumps true love - with fatal results, once those magical red shoes are put on.
_____________________________________________________________

The music always was fun to dance to and this cast makes the moves look exhilarating even if they have little to do with the story.

Hines' choreography, which draws on ballet, hip-hop and that athletic form of urban dancing called krumping, gives his dancers a full, sensuous aerobic workout.

Some of the numbers are sillier than others. Designer Paul Tazewell's silver, skintight, vaguely extraterrestrial outfits look as if they were left over from the last "Star Wars" movie.

But the dancers give it their all. Nixon, sporting a sweet, wide smile and looking surprisingly like her mother, has a genuine stage presence. She is lithe, graceful and works well with Balderrama, a strong dance partner.



http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-theater-hot-feet,0,5391679.story?coll=sns-ap-entertainment-headlines

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:05pm

Broadway.com is Mixed-to-Negative:

"With the ashes of the just-extinguished Ring of Fire still smoldering, Broadway now has yet another new jukebox musical: Hot Feet, a dance-driven show that sets The Red Shoes to Earth, Wind & Fire songs. The idea of fashioning a musical from the '70s R&B group's hits isn't a bad one, and director-choreographer Maurice Hines' ensemble dance numbers often match the energy of Maurice White's songs. The trouble comes when the cast stops strutting and starts speaking.

Conceived by Earth Wind & Fire founder Hines and featuring a book by Heru Ptah (who famously sold thousands of copies of his novel A Hip Hop Story on subways), Hot Feet doesn't borrow only from The Red Shoes (both the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Michael Powell film). Ptah also throws in characters from Faust and Showgirls. The result is a hackneyed, utterly predictable story that drags down the show.
________________________________________________________________

On the plus side, Hot Feet boasts about two-dozen vintage Earth, Wind & Fire songs by White, and many are infectious R&B hits that lend themselves to spirited choreography. Among the best are "September," "Boogie Wonderland," Thinking of You," "Serpentine Fire" and "Getaway." Hines, who starred in Eubie! and choreographed and directed Uptown…It's Hot!, gives his energetic dancers a workout in the upbeat group numbers. His choreography isn't as distinctive as Twyla Tharp's in Movin' Out, but it suits the music and has the cast constantly on the move.
_______________________________________________________________

Given the clunky dialogue, David's acting is pretty convincing and his voice remains strong. As for Duquesnay, a Tony winner for Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, she does some serious scenery chewing and sings up a storm-more loudly than prettily. In "Kali," which we have to endure twice in the second act, she wails again and again "Why?" The same goes for this ill-conceived musical. Why did Hines & Co. decide to wedge The Red Shoes onto Earth, Wind & Fire songs? Why couldn't they have instead staged a 90-minute pure-dance show set to the group's up-tempo hits? That would have made for a shorter, more enjoyable evening. As is, whenever the dancing stops, Hot Feet is leaden."


http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=528440

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 09:05 PM

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:30pm

Where are all the reviews? Did they have a night show today, or was it at 2PM?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:31pm

Curtain was at 6:30.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:32pm

Sunday night reviews ALWAYS are very late and take forever.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:42pm

Earth, Wind and Fire was there i believe, the dancers in the show were amazing. I was at the opening! I can't wait to read the reviews.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 9:59pm

omg, lacage, the same thing happened to me! i couldn't stop laughing for about 5 mins, and i was the only person giggling.
and i agree with infinite, i didn't know if i was supposed to get quiet, but the song her mom sings was hilarious to me, but it was meant to be sad.

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 09:59 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:27pm

NY Times (from Isherwood -- Brantley obviously couldn't be bothered) is Negative:

"It has not been a vintage season for the jukebox musical.

Which I realize it is a bit like lamenting that this year's acid rain just hasn't been up to snuff. But still. Even this little-loved genre has been around long enough for standards to be set, for beloved highs — the nitwit glory that is "Mamma Mia!" — and notorious lows (take your pick).

Future historians of musical theater may point to April 30, 2006, as a tell-tale turning point, a harbinger of fatal decline. Or so one can hope. That date — also known as yesterday — saw both the closing of the ill-received Johnny Cash show "Ring of Fire" at the Barrymore Theater and the opening of "Hot Feet," a dire dance musical set to a soundtrack of songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, at the Hilton Theater.

Coincidence or fate? Who is to say?

Who is to care? Those shows will probably be memories — as will the risible "Lennon" — long before the season's one respectable entry in the genre, "Jersey Boys," has closed.

For the books, then, let it be noted that "Hot Feet," conceived, directed and choreographed by Maurice Hines, is a dancing encyclopedia of clichés culled from tattered tales of dreamy-eyed youngsters seeking fame and fortune in showbiz. Awkwardly lurching between frenzied, uninspired dance sequences and listless stock scenes of turmoil backstage, it is about as gripping as a two-and-a-half-hour episode of "Soul Train."
_______________________________________________________________

These dance segments consume a fair portion of the evening's running time. A busy but mostly undistinguished amalgam of ballet, modern dance and street styles, Mr. Hines's choreography draws on two decades of trends, from head-wagging moves that were last cool when Janet Jackson performed them in music videos in the 1980's, to krumping, the jiggly hip-hop offshoot from Southern California that was all the rage 15 minutes ago.

The dancers, at least, deserve celebration. They exude excitement, focus, drive and occasionally real joy when they are cutting loose to radio hits like "September" and "Boogie Wonderland." Their robust technique and physical prowess dazzles despite the garish assortment of costumes by Paul Tazewell, some of which might be disdained by Russian ice dancers as being a little tacky.
________________________________________________________________

Speaking of dubious ends, this dreary enterprise hits a smirk-inducing note of steamy camp when the climactic "Hot Feet" ballet finally arrives. With the dancers leaping, twirling and writhing around the stage in body-hugging, flesh-baring getups to little coherent purpose, this sequence may bring to mind memorably atrocious dance spectaculars from the movies, like the "Satan's Alley" number in the "Saturday Night Fever" sequel "Staying Alive" or the candy-colored volcanic extravaganza from "Showgirls." It is that ludicrous.

It is also interminable. As poor Ms. Nixon churns through Mr. Hines's endless steps, pantomiming Kalimba's possession by the demonic powers in those infernal shoes, you may find it hard to muster the requisite compassion for her doom, even though you know it's coming. You are more likely to be preoccupied by your own."


http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/05/01/theater/reviews/01hot.html?8dpc

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 10:37pm

Wow, my review wasn't too far off as when I saw the show a month ago in DC. They even referenced, "Stayin' Alive", too!

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:01pm

Can't wait to see the show on the 6th. Anyone saw it from row AA?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:07pm

Tiny toon, that's if it's still playing.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:10pm

haha, true, but I doubt producers are going to pull the plug so early on this one. They knew the reviews are going to be horrible- isn't that why they opened the show on a Sunday? (to get reviews on the Monday papers- which not a lot of people buy)

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 11:10 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:12pm

Well, The History Boys opened last Sunday and clearly the producers of that didn't think their reviews would be horrible. And Saturday is the least read paper of the week. Monday circulation rates are comparable with the rest of the week.

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 11:12 PM

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:16pm

Yes, but I think the reviews from the DC run gave them an idea of how the show will be treated in NY. They are probably looking for good word-of-mouth.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:24pm

Unfortunately, there hasn't been any much good word of mouth for this show. It will be interesting to see how long the producers of this show are willing to let this play out (especially since the Hilton isn't the easiest house to fill).

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:25pm

I sat in Row AA 101 and it was totally fine. I felt like I was in the third or fourth row...not the first.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:27pm

I doubt they'll close it this fast. I'd give it two or three months. Look at Ring of Fire- filled a pretty tiny theater to only 30% every week and lasted around 3 months.

Updated On: 4/30/06 at 11:27 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:29pm

Ring of Fire had a smaller overhead though.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/30/06 at 11:31pm

how's the show fit the theater? I hear its a big theater, does it fill it up?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/1/06 at 12:04am

so it's HOT FEET out
THE PIRATE QUEEN in?
at the Hilton.