Beyond Babel Announces Off-Broadway Return in September
(© Aidan Gibney)
The critically acclaimed dance theater show Beyond Babel will return to the Gym at Judson on September 30 to complete the final eight weeks of its originally scheduled off-Broadway run. Choreographers Keone and Mari Madrid will appear in select performances.
Told through the burgeoning form of "narrative urban dance," this riff on Shakespeare finds Romeo and Juliet on opposite sides of a wall. Can love overcome the physical and ideological barriers authorities erect to control us?
In her review of the initial off-Broadway run, TheaterMania's Hayley Levitt said, "Once you see the level of execution in this extraordinary ensemble of dancers, you'll understand why the dictatorial powers in this contemporary Babel shudder at the sight of such power."
In a joint statement, the Madrids said, "Coming back to a story full of themes that feel even more relevant today than they already did pre-pandemic is an immense honor."
Keone & Mari Madrid recently collaborated on Disney's first animated short film in five years, Us Again, now out in theaters and set to debut on Disney in June. Their work has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance, World of Dance and Dancing with the Stars. They have worked with BTS, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Flying Lotus & Kendrick Lamar, among many others, and also choreographed and starred in Justin Bieber's Love Yourself video, which has amassed over 1.6 billion views on YouTube.
Beyond Babel is a collaboration with Brooklyn's Hideaway Circus, and is co-directed by company founders Josh Aviner and Lyndsay Magid Aviner.
The cast of the 2020 production will reprise their roles: Olivia Battista, Melissa De Jesus, Noelle Franco, Selene Haro, Shannon Kelly, Samuel Moore, Mikey Ruiz, Julian "Juju" Sena, and Fabian Tucker. Also returning are ensemble members Julia Alaimo, Eric Delgado, Rosalind Hsu, Maya Kell-Abrams, James Kho, Jen Margono, Brianna Mercado, Esosa Oviasu, Kaylar Preite, Aaron Quini, and Darien Van Rensalier.
Featured In This Story
