{"id":101305,"date":"2024-01-16T13:34:58","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T18:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=101305"},"modified":"2024-01-16T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T18:35:10","slug":"interview-choreographer-mark-morris-talks-about-dance-burt-bacharach-and-the-look-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/01\/16\/interview-choreographer-mark-morris-talks-about-dance-burt-bacharach-and-the-look-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Choreographer Mark Morris Talks About Dance, Burt Bacharach And The Look Of Love"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The Look of Love (Photo: Molly Bartels\/Courtesy of the Gogue Center at Auburn University)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At 67, American Mark Morris<\/strong> is one of the giants of contemporary dance. Known for consistently pushing the boundaries of his craft, Morris\u2019 world-wide reputation attests to the fact that he has never fallen out of favour, that he can keep up with the young turks who have followed him, and even go beyond.<\/p>\n

When his latest work, The Look Of Love, is set to the music of another lion, composer Burt Bacharach<\/strong>, (six Grammys, three Oscars), opens for one night at Meridian Hall on Jan. 19, audiences will see for themselves that being a senior citizen has not dimmed Morris\u2019 invention.<\/p>\n

Of course, there is another great man involved in the evening, and that is the brilliant lyricist, Hal David<\/strong>. Together, the songwriting team produced a string of chart-topping hits, primarily in the 1960s and 70s, mostly performed by their muse, the great songstress Dionne Warwick.<\/p>\n

I reached Morris by Zoom in New York, where the choreographer proved to be as salty and irreverent as always.<\/p>\n

\"L
L & R: The Look of Love (Photo: Molly Bartels\/Courtesy of the Gogue Center at Auburn University); Middle: Mark Morris (Photo: Beowulf Sheehan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What would you say is the ethos behind your choreography?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I<\/span> try not to bore people to death.<\/span><\/p>\n

I always associate your dance shows with live music.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s right. My inspiration for choreography is music, and I work with all kinds. I call my shows beautiful choreo-musical evenings.<\/p>\n

Where does this Bacharach show fit into the mix?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a show business evening \u2014 a parade of hit songs set to forward-looking arrangements by jazz great Ethan Iverson.<\/p>\n

Before Burt passed away, he approved of what we were doing. He didn\u2019t want a jukebox musical built around his music. He was delighted to give us the rights. He also gave us tips, like using a trumpet and different voices. He didn\u2019t want recreation.<\/p>\n

At age 94, he actually came to our last rehearsal in Santa Monica where the dance was premiering in 2022. He arrived with his entourage, and he gave us notes, and his approval. Sadly, he passed away just months later.<\/p>\n

How did the Bacharach dance come to be?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before Ethan went on to his fabulous career, he used to be my music director. Way back then we had talked about a Bacharach piece, but it never happened. In 2017, we came together for Pepperland which we created for the City of Liverpool: Sgt. Pepper at 50 Festival, which was a great success. That\u2019s what made us think it was time for Bacharach.<\/p>\n

What was it about Bacharach that appealed to you both?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We loved the music. Going through his catalogue was thrilling, because we had actually forgotten some of the songs he had written. Did you know that in the 1950s, he was writing country and western songs for the likes of Marty Robbins?<\/p>\n

What makes Burt special is that all the songs have varied rhythms, so no one is really the same. He was meticulous about rhythm. He worked hard to get the speed and syncopation right. And then there\u2019s his fascinating key signatures, and chord changes, and the influence of Brazilian bossa nova. He oversaw every aspect of production.<\/p>\n

The music and lyrics are inseparable. Hal David\u2019s text influenced the music. They made the music happen. As well, there is a lot of heartbreak in the lyrics, yet the music itself is more light-hearted than the text. When you break down the songs, there is a real edge to them on a deeply personal level. It\u2019s really fabulous music that is very hard to sing. Don\u2019t try it at karaoke.<\/p>\n

How have you and Iverson set up the piece?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through a sequence of contrasts \u2014 slow, happy. etc. There are also fast changes. It\u2019s unpredictable. I\u2019m lucky that my studio is large enough to accommodate the band so we could rehearse with them. We worked it out, by working it out, The piece begins with a piano solo of Alfie, which acts as the overture, and the way into the dance.<\/p>\n

What are the components of the piece?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are ten dancers. Ethan has produced new music arrangements for piano, trumpet, bass and drums. The talented Broadway\/TV singer\/actor, Marcy Harriell is lead vocals, and there are two back-up singers. There are also chairs and pillows.<\/p>\n

Now there\u2019s a rule of thumb that choreographers should never use chairs. That it\u2019s a crime \u2014 that the stereotype of a sad dance is going to be performed by a dancer on a chair. Audiences roll their eyes when they see chairs. I don\u2019t do stereotypes.<\/p>\n

Your designer is the great fashion guru Isaac Mizrahi.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He\u2019s really not into fashion so much anymore. He\u2019s a really good friend, and he was eager to do it, especially the colours on the chairs and pillows. The costumes have no direct period, because the songs are timeless.<\/p>\n