Review of Zafira Dance Co. and Vaudeville Carnivale at Kelly-Strayhorn Theater.

Last night I did something I seldom do- I attended the theater. This wasn't just any theater though, and it wasn't a typical theater production. I went to the Kelly Strayhorn in East Liberty. For those of you unfamiliar with Pittsburgh, East Liberty is a predominantly black neighborhood that has recently seen the intial phases of the type of gentrification that is both understandably bemoaned and celebrated in our modern society. East Liberty was the third largest commerical district in Pennsylvania in the 1950's, but after decades of neglect and decay it became one (among many) symbols of the downfall of the Pittsburgh economy. But with the birth of the twenty-first century, a new wave of enthusiasm was focused on beginning the transition to a new era in the life of the neighborhood. An unfortunate housing project was demolished, and several large corporations began to construct stores there. Excitement built to refurbish and reopen the last of the surviving theaters in East Liberty- the Regent.

The Regent Theater was built in 1919 on the corner of Penn and South Highland Avenues. During the 1900's its doors opened and closed several times, but in 1996 the Regent's footlights were extinguished for the last time. In 2000, a $1.3 million renovation was initiated, and the facility was completed by August of 2002. It was named after two former Pittsburgh East End residents- Billy Strayhorn (composer for Duke Ellington's band) and Gene Kelly. It is a beautiful facility with much of its original charm surving intact in the look of both its facade and interior.

I was at the Kelly Strayhorn theater to see Zafira Dance Company's Vaudeville Carnivale. My friend Olivia Kissel founded Zafira (with Christine Andrews and Maria Hamer- sorry for the omission!) , and the concept of the show intrigued me sufficiently to ensure my attendance. As I stepped into the lobby, I was delighted by the American-hipster version of a middle eastern suq and the musical stylings of another group of friends- the Dishwater Cocktail Trio. Propelled by the driving jazz beats of drummer Ian Green, the sultry sax notes of Amy Murray, and the stand-up rhythm of Shawn McBride (with a mini-electric guitar duct-taped to the front of his upright bass)- this combo is smokin'. They had people dancing before and after the show. I watched for awhile, put a couple bucks into the donation basket for a beer, and waited impatiently for the program to get underway.

Local celeb and artist Bob Ziller was suited up in his carny best to play the role of emcee. He regaled us with a series of alliterative, fantastically-fabricated descriptions for each of the performers in turn. The opener was chunky chantuesse Phat Mandee- the very definition of regional stardom. She belted out some of her loungey, jazzy originals and was accompanied during one song by a dance performance courtesy of Olivia. Mandee was succeeded by poets Rebecca Cooper and Vanessa German, who delivered a tag team piece addressed at every man who had picked at their collective heart.

Next on the bill was songwriter and ukulele-strummer Liz Hammond. Her vulnerability mixes with her witty charm to bridge the gap between performer and audience. A highlight song detailed her misadventures with dating Pittsburgh boys. Then we were treated to several enchanting dances by the women of Zafira. I've been watching these folks explore middle eastern dance for more than a decade, and their evolution is notable. It seems that within the last couple of years they have begun to take more risks, and consequently have elevated their art to a higher level of stylish excellence. I'm by no means an expert on bellydancing, but I can say that, for the first time in my life, I was absolutely mesmerized. I couldn't turn away.

There was a much needed 45-minute intermission featuring the fire-eating, acrobatic antics of Springwood Forest. Along with the drumming of the aforementioned Trio, these young men stopped traffic outside of the theater with their incendiary glee. The audience ate it all up from a barely safe distance, and then filed back in, to stock up on alcohol, tea and goodies. Thus fortified and relieved, the audience reconvened for the remainder of the program.

The second half contained revisitations from MC Bob, Mandee, Hammond and Zafira (who performed the culminating act to a standing ovation). We also got to see a sizzlin' performance from Carolina Garcia-Loyola and Pittsburgh Centro Flamenco, and a racy number from a pair of vaudevillian damsels that billed themselves (quite confusingly) as the Triplets of Bellevue. I was initially surprised by the $18 admission charge, but I will take the risk of saying that just about everyone who saw the Vaudeville Carnivale received their money's worth. These people put on a hell of a show.

As we exited the Kelly-Strayhorn into the warm night air of East Liberty, we brought the wide open energy of the show out with us. I would have liked to see more of the neighborhood's fulltime residents mixed in with the crowd, but it would have been foolish to expect an unqualified embrace. While the activities of the night were assumedly alien to the routine Saturday passersby on that part of Penn Avenue, I did feel a worldly tolerance directed toward our band of interlopers. Townies always perceive these traveling shows with a hint of suspicion, but in this case I believe there was an accompanying hint of amusement.