Forever Tango Extends Through the Fall
by Broadway Staff • Aug 25, 2004
The limited engagement of Forever Tango is extending at Broadway's Shubert Theatre. The dance show, which was scheduled to close on August 29, will shut down then temporarily, but return on September 28 and run through November 28, according to a production spokesperson.
Forever Tango features an all-Argentinean cast which traces--through music, dance and dramatic vignettes--the tango's interesting history, from its start in bordellos to its acceptance in upper-crust society. The show was created and directed by Luis Bravo.
This revival of Forever Tango the show originally bowed on Broadway in 1997 opened at the Shubert on July 24 to mostly positive reviews. In her Broadway.com Review, Celia Wren wrote: "If you're not a rabid fan of this art form, birthed in the saloons and brothels of Argentina, the two hours of Forever Tango can seem to last, well, forever. That's despite the fact that director/creator Luis Bravo has evidently thrown considerable resources at the project. The director's own melodramatic, chiaroscuro lighting drenches the 14 dancers as they prowl and pivot, wearing the elaborately varied costumes--largely black, white and silver--that earned designer Argemira Affonso a 1998 Drama Desk nomination. Rhinestone earrings glitter at the ears of the women, echoing the starlit black backdrop that looms behind the musicians' banquettes in the show's opening moments, shifting to intense, saturated colors as the production unfurls. The problem is that the unfurling tends to be monotonous, at least for a viewer not attuned to the minutiae of the choreographic vocabulary."
Forever Tango features an all-Argentinean cast which traces--through music, dance and dramatic vignettes--the tango's interesting history, from its start in bordellos to its acceptance in upper-crust society. The show was created and directed by Luis Bravo.
This revival of Forever Tango the show originally bowed on Broadway in 1997 opened at the Shubert on July 24 to mostly positive reviews. In her Broadway.com Review, Celia Wren wrote: "If you're not a rabid fan of this art form, birthed in the saloons and brothels of Argentina, the two hours of Forever Tango can seem to last, well, forever. That's despite the fact that director/creator Luis Bravo has evidently thrown considerable resources at the project. The director's own melodramatic, chiaroscuro lighting drenches the 14 dancers as they prowl and pivot, wearing the elaborately varied costumes--largely black, white and silver--that earned designer Argemira Affonso a 1998 Drama Desk nomination. Rhinestone earrings glitter at the ears of the women, echoing the starlit black backdrop that looms behind the musicians' banquettes in the show's opening moments, shifting to intense, saturated colors as the production unfurls. The problem is that the unfurling tends to be monotonous, at least for a viewer not attuned to the minutiae of the choreographic vocabulary."
Despite a mostly upbeat critical reception, Forever Tango has not been a big hit at the box office. Last week the show made $228,737 and filled the large Shubert to 38.87% capacity on average. However, because of low weekly costs, a production spokesperson said the show makes money each week.
The next tenant at the Shubert is already set--Spamalot is scheduled to begin performances there on February 7 in preparation for a March 10 opening.