Collide Theatrical Dance Company serves up a steampunk special for its version of “Romeo & Juliet.” The dance production leans into style and plays loose with Shakespeare’s original plot. Its two romantic leads — Alison Bartels as Juliet and Patrick Jeffrey as Romeo — make a darling match, albeit a tragic one.
Review: Collide’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is beautiful, poignant and moves like clockwork
The dance company’s steampunk riff of the tragic drama is backed by a soundtrack with surprises.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 13, 2025 at 9:00PM
New York-based Bartels is a guest dancer for the production, and has a charismatic presence, especially when sharing the stage with Jeffrey. It’s like the two star-crossed lovers have energy fields bouncing off each other.
They’re also both dressed in white, strikingly different from the goth industrial aesthetic of the rest of the cast. Bartels dances much of the show on pointe, and her lines, fluidity of movement and use of breath all work together beautifully.
Directed and choreographed by Regina Peluso with assistance from Jarod Boltjes and a team of choreographers, the play features an image of a giant clock that serves as an important visual theme throughout the show. The set design by Erik Paulson features a vintage grandfather clock face in the center of the stage, and it’s surrounded by stairs and scaffolding, as well as cogs and gears as if they are from the inside of a clock.
When the hands of the clock move — sometimes forward and sometimes backward — they add an emphasis of urgency.
Meanwhile, the production takes a few liberties with the order of events, veering away from Shakespeare’s version of the story at times. It makes sense, given that the show doesn’t include dialogues to help explain what’s going on, except for an opening monologue by Noah Coon, playing Mercutio. Other than that, the story gets told through movement, so Peluso has streamlined certain complicated plot points.
Collide’s soundtrack of recorded tunes, designed by Peter Morrow, has some interesting surprises. Drawing on everything from the Eurythmics' “Sweet Dreams” to Billy Joel’s “Die Young,” it scatters in an eclectic mix of genres. Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” recurs throughout the story, and a gorgeous instrumental version of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” layers an aching sadness into one of the story’s most painful moments.
The dancing offers a mix of styles, as well. Besides ballet and jazz dance, Benvolio (Emily Rose Phelan) and Coon show off their tap prowess. As Tybalt, Boltjes is brooding and dangerous, while Paris (Nathan Huberty) is portrayed as an abusive villain. He’s pretty easy to hate, despite his excellent dancing.
Heather Brockman takes on a powerful and somewhat dominating look in her role as the Friar. She commands the stage when she’s given the opportunity. As Norah, the nurse character, Megan Carver throws in some comic sensibility and terrific moves.
On opening night last Sunday, Collide had set up a VIP audience section with gift bags of chocolate and tables, and they began the evening with a preshow of sorts, which gave audience members an opportunity to take photos.
That kind of audience cultivation and interaction is one of the reasons this company has earned a healthy following in the Twin Cities. The other is that it knows how to tell stories with panache.
‘Romeo & Juliet’
When: 7 p.m. Fri, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., through Feb. 23.
Where: Luminary Arts Center, 70 N. 1st St., Mpls.
Tickets: $48, VIP $60. 651-395-7903, ext. 701. collidtheatrical.org
The dance company’s steampunk riff of the tragic drama is backed by a soundtrack with surprises.
