O! Balletto (Theatre 80)

BOTTOM LINE: beautiful, regal, humorous
If you are a lover of ballet, you will find this piece particularly delightful.

O! Balletto begins slow but then seduces you into its entrancing world. This piece is unusually well-acted for dancers! I found the dancers’ acting to be surprisingly superb. Also, the fully extended movements in all of the dancers are consistent and beautiful, there are some particularly sexy moments that I found absolutely breathtaking.

Tobias Wildman Burns is perfectly cast as commanding narrator, Balleto Master Signor Fabritio Caruso. Burns glides in between the dancers with ease and when he is tempted to break the rules he has previously declared; it is quite amusing. John Knowles’ video art design is intriguing and mysterious. I must admit I enjoyed the piece more when it moved away from traditional music and became more contemporary so I congratulate Neil Alexander for his wonderful musical additions. Lane Gifford’s choreography is beautiful, creative, and humorous. She is a particularly gifted director. I also appreciated the diversity in her cast. Also, there is some nudity so if that helps get you there, I thought I should mention it.

O! Balleto plays at Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place. Remaining show times: Thursday, August 21 at 9:30pm. Visit lanecoarts.com or fringenyc.org for more info and to purchase tickets.