The Red Shoes and DUMBO

Ah, The Red Shoes with the Kneehigh Theater at St. Ann's Warehouse. 

I couldn't resist reading the original story by Hans Christian Anderson last night after seeing this production and, of course, the old movie with Moira Shearer.  The movie rather fudged a few things, and I was surprised in tonight's performance by the character of the butcher in the play among other things, but it's all there in the original story.  There is a girl who is orphaned, an old woman who takes her in, a preacher and a preacher's wife, shoes that stick, endless dancing and, what I had not remembered, a butcher who cuts off her feet and a final reformation and penance with a trip directly to heaven.  It's the good girl part and the direct trip to heaven that many of us have trouble with today.

For it's hard not to read the story as a cautionary tale for uppity women, girls who dare to go after excitement and fun and are punished severely for their temerity.

And The Red Shoes at Saint Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn was superb, one of those marvelously theatrical evenings full of cleverness and theater magaic by the Kneehigh Theatre company from Cornwall (England).  With a cast of five playing nine roles and two musicians probably playing more than nine instruments--I didn't count, but there was a lot of musical equipment sitting around them, clever scenery and business, it is a highly recommeded evening.  A small example of the magic: the play opens with four of the performers entering dressed in men's underwear and with nearly shaved heads.  One of them is a woman.  Not only a woman but a seemingly plain one with great charm-- it takes time to work that out.

DUMBO for those who may not know, stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.  It is also pretty much under the Brooklyn bridge.  The streets roar above you when a train passes, and they twist around enormous bridge supports.  The neighborhood is partly industrial, partly artsy with lots of galleries and restaurants, the Bargmusic barge and River Cafe which is a destination restaurant--not for seven o'clock curtains but a favorite for occasions with lovely views of Manhattan and superb food.  It also has Grimaldi's Pizza which always seems to have people lined up trying to get in.

We ate at 66 Water Street--small menu, good food, two televisions tuned to the same game, but one television got everything three or four seconds after the other.  Interesting effect.  We have also eaten at Pete's Downtoen which is functional and has good food, Five Front, the best of the current lot and Miso around the corner from St. Ann's and serving Asian food and also good.