Dancer Music
  • About
  • Contact
  • About
  • Contact
Choreography and Concert DanceMusic for Choreography

Chicago Dance Crash and The Bricklayers of Oz

July 27, 2017 July 27, 2017 Johnny Nevin
(left to right) Kristi Licera, KC Bevis, David Ingram, Zak McMahon, Porscha Spells in Chicago Dance Crash's The Bricklayers of Oz (Photo by Ashley Deran)Photo by Ashley Deran

If you’ve never seen Chicago Dance Crash, now is a good time to find out that you always wanted to. “Now” means this weekend and next, when they perform their new evening length “big pop culture production” of Jessica Deahr’s The Bricklayers of Oz. They’re at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago with shows at 7:30 Friday and Saturday (July 28-29 and August 4-5, with a 3PM Matinee on Sunday, July 30), for what looks to be a big, fun step forward in their relentlessly original journey.

If you’ve never seen Chicago Dance Crash, now is a good time to find out that you always wanted to.

 

The Bricklayers of Oz is the flagship production of Crash’s 15th Anniversary Season, and Crash describes it as “an action-packed, lighthearted street tale of the lesser known laborers that toil within The Land of Oz.” Bricklayers promises to be another rowdy and riveting product of the rich imagination of Crash Artistic Director Jessica Deahr, who directed and choreographed the work with an inspired team of co-conspirators — original rap lyrics by Al Tamper, costumes by Jeff Hancock, and original lighting design by Erik S. Barry. Along with Crash’s cast of genre-fusing performers, they tell the story of the Wicked Witch of the East and her power-hungry plan to coax others into building her a magical road, followed quickly by the realization and uprising of an otherwise ignored group of people.

Jessica Deahr in Chicago Dance Crash's The Bricklayers of Oz (Photo by Ashley Deran)
Photo by Ashley Deran

 

DancerMusic asked Chicago Dance Crash Producing Director Mark Hackman to give us a little more of the inside story. Here’s what he told us:

DancerMusic: The Bricklayers of Oz sounds like it’s in the tradition of Crash’s imaginative full evening productions like “Gotham City”, “The Cotton Mouth Club”, and “Tron: End of Line”, but in a way it sounds like you’re taking everything to the next level in this, with the production and original music score. How has this show been to put together compared to those other successful runs?

Mark Hackman: You’re totally right! Jess went all in on this one. Knowing this was our 15th anniversary year and that this would be a show we want to tour internationally we devoted quite a bit of extra time and resources into it. One of those main points is definitely the original score. We actually knew Tamper first as a dancer through Culture Shock Chicago and after I heard his debut album we always had a want to work with him. The process works real well since Jess and Crash like to work with linear stories so to have Tamper be both the literal narrator but also recording original rap lyrics that tell the actual story of the show was great.

From what I saw, Al and Jess were a well-oiled machine … both the rhymes and the concepts/movement ideas seemed to be created simultaneously while just holding true to the overall messages. Was a lot of fun to watch them work!

From what I saw, Al and Jess were a well-oiled machine. Tamper was briefed on the story and plot points, characters and the themes and purposes of the whole show, then would sometimes bring us original beats or we’d bring him some…and literally the two of them would real-time write, rewrite and record lyrics together so both the rhymes and the concepts/movement ideas seemed to be created simultaneously while just holding true to the overall messages. Was a lot of fun to watch them work!
KC Bevis in Chicago Dance Crash's The Bricklayers of Oz (Photo by Ashley Deran)
Photo by Ashley Deran

 

DancerMusic: What’s your favorite part about the show?
Mark Hackman: My favorite part is actually the Munchkins! Jess somehow found a way to make them both super unlikeable and super funny at the same time. They’re just the WORST with how superficial they are and these poor Bricklayers at first are just one big victim of the Munchkins’ ignorance. While the Wicked Witch of the East is obviously the big bad guy in the show, I think it’s interesting how the Bricklayers are being sort of accidental victims of the Munchkins way of life…they dance they party and they don’t really think about much else beyond that. You root against them for messing with the Bricklayers lives, but then again it’s hard to root against people that dance and party.
Chicago Dance Crash's (left to right) Kristi Licera, Monternez Rezell, David Ingram, KC Bevis, Zak McMahon, Porscha Spells in The Bricklayers of Oz (Photo by Ashley Deran)
Photo by Ashley Deran

Here’s a quick look at what to expect from The Bricklayers of Oz — Opening Night is Friday, July 28, and the show runs through August 5. See you there …

——————————————————
Some more about those Photos — All Photos by Ashley Deran.
FIRST AT THE TOP: (left to right) Kristi Licera, KC Bevis, David Ingram, Zak McMahon, Porscha Spells in Chicago Dance Crash’s The Bricklayers of Oz,
SECOND FROM THE TOP: Jessica Deahr in Chicago Dance Crash’s The Bricklayers of Oz,
THIRD FROM THE TOP: KC Bevis in Chicago Dance Crash’s The Bricklayers of Oz
FOURTH FROM THE TOP: Chicago Dance Crash’s (left to right) Kristi Licera, Monternez Rezell, David Ingram, KC Bevis, Zak McMahon, Porscha Spells in The Bricklayers of Oz (Photo by Ashley Deran)
ON THE VIDEO: Kristi Licera in Chicago Dance Crash’s The Bricklayers of Oz

Al TamperChicago Dance CrashJessica Deahr
Johnny NevinJuly 27, 2017
Johnny Nevin

Johnny Nevin

Johnny Nevin is an independent record producer, a composer, a writer, and a photographer.

Here's more ...

INSIDE: Elijah Motley’s “Quadratic” at Links Hall’s Co-MISSION Festival of New Works

July 27, 2017 July 27, 2017
Costume design for Randy Duncan's Release for Dance for Life 2019 by Jeff Hancock. (Photo by Johnny Nevin).

5 Questions with Choreographer and Costume Designer Jeff Hancock About Dance and Design

July 27, 2017 July 27, 2017
Porscha Spells, Elijah Motley and Jessica Deahr at Heart and Soul, Chicago, during recording for the score design by Jessica Deahr and Johnny Nevin for Chicago Dance Crash's "Lil Pine Nut" (Photo by Johnny Nevin)

4PHOTOS: Score Design for Dance — Chicago Dance Crash and “Lil Pine Nut”

July 27, 2017 July 27, 2017

Featured Stories

4PHOTOS: Twenty Years of New Dances, With Jeff Hancock, Joshua Manculich and Amy Wilkinson

June 18, 2020 June 19, 2020

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

A Dancer’s Quarantine: Finding Hope and Moving Forward with Kristi Licera

May 11, 2020 October 13, 2020

More Stories About Dance and Choreography

4PHOTOS: Twenty Years of New Dances, With Jeff Hancock, Joshua Manculich and Amy Wilkinson

June 18, 2020 June 19, 2020

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

A Dancer’s Quarantine: Finding Hope and Moving Forward with Kristi Licera

May 11, 2020 October 13, 2020

The Real Story: Movement Revolution Dance Crew presents “Opposites Attract” with Artistic Director Monte Rezell

March 10, 2020 March 10, 2020

The Real Story: Hedwig Dances’ Founding Artistic Director Jan Bartoszek on “LIGHT PLAY”

March 10, 2020 March 10, 2020

More Stories About Music

5 Questions With Composer David Jennings About Music, the Art of Collaboration and L-Theory Collective

June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

The Real Story: Trinity Irish Dance Company at The Auditorium Theatre with Chelsea Hoy

February 24, 2020 February 25, 2020

INSIDE: Zachary Whittenburg on “Floor Show”—a production inspired by the sound and vision of David Bowie

February 11, 2020 February 25, 2020
The Big Muddy Dance Company (Photo Courtesy of The Big Muddy Dance Company)

The Real Story: Inside The Big Muddy Dance Company’s “Beat Ballads” With Choreographer Shannon Alvis

January 21, 2020 January 21, 2020

5 Questions With Wilfredo Rivera About America, Americans and Cerqua Rivera’s 20th

September 20, 2019 September 30, 2019

#FINDINGMUSIC

If you're looking for music from artists you might not know (but just might love), look here. If you're looking for music for your next Choreography project, that's here too.

Just click on whatever style you want to listen to, and you'll be #FindingMusic in no time.

HOUSE & TRANCE
BEATS
COOL ROCK
COUNTRY
CLASSICAL & SOUNDTRACK
JAZZ & BLUES
THROWBACKS

Copyright 2010-2019 DancerMusic