The colours are glorious and take you right back to the psychedelic 1960s, when The Beatles were one of the defining names of popular culture.
The dancing is glorious, too – full of joy, humour and tightly choreographed anarchy, as much as that might sound like an oxymoron.
Originally unveiled in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Mark Morris’ Pepperland is a piquant blend of witty, jubilant choreography and experimental music, courtesy of jazz composer Ethan Iverson.
This is an evening that’s far too much fun to be called a homage. It’s inspired, quirky, witty and joyful in equal measure. The dancers are simply superb, mind-bogglingly talented and they cope effortlessly with the often complex choreography and timing. A sublime and sunny evening for these dark days – it’s guaranteed to raise a smile.
This infectious, clever, romantic and droll hour-long dance was inspired by Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (it was commissioned by the city of Liverpool to mark the album’s 50th anniversary), but, this being Morris, it’s a long way from a tribute act. Although the American occasionally references the lyrics in the iconic songs — Penny Lane (not actually on the album, although it was intended to be), A Day in the Life, the title track — his jaunty choreography paints a bigger canvas of affecting sentiment, from smoochy romance to hippy spiritualism, from poignant couplings and displays of eccentric high spirits to carefree eruptions of ecstatic movement.
The look of "Pepperland" — Elizabeth Kurtman's mod costumes are as bright as neon, with vividly clashing colors and patterns — is not so surprising, nor is Morris' playful choreography. That's the popular side of Morris, such as in his hit "The Hard Nut." But every single move in the dance is, while being utterly musical, entirely unexpected. What first seems wrong always feels right, as though, to confirm John Lennon's lyric, "Nothing real, but nothing to get hung about."
“I’m not interested in a Beatles tribute at all,” [Morris says].
“If you want that, put on the record. I do. It’s nice. [Pepperland] is for those who love or hate The Beatles. I mean that. It’s not reverent or irreverent. It’s a new piece and I like it. It’s not too long, it’s wonderful and my dancers are great. It’s a very interesting evening.”
Choreographer Mark Morris, hailed by the New York Times as "the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical," returns to Toronto with the Canadian premiere of Pepperland, a tribute celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' ground-breaking album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Mark Morris joins Tom Power live in the q studio to talk about his latest work and how he executed a fresh take on a classic work…
Pepperland celebrates the semicentennial of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Clocking in at just under an hour, its kaleidoscopic color palette draws direct inspiration from the "tangerine trees and marmalade skies" psychedelizing The Beatles' 1967 record. The dance pays homage to the Fab Four and the Summer of Love with Elizabeth Kurtzman's mod-meets-flower-power costumes, Nick Kolin's trippy lighting design and an original Ethan Iverson score that creatively reimagines six songs on the record. Pepperland is its own pop sensation…
SHOW OF THE YEAR
As part of the Liverpool festival celebrating the 50th birthday of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the American choreographer Mark Morris presented a premiere inspired by the Beatles’ groundbreaking album. Pepperland was marked with high-spirited humour, eccentric charm and a joyous musical sensibility. Ingenious, entertaining and wonderfully performed...
4. Mark Morris: Pepperland (Royal Court, Liverpool)
With Mark Morris, it always starts with the music. In creating this celebratory work for Liverpool’s Sgt Pepper at 50 festival the American choreographer worked with six boldly idiosyncratic reinventions of the Beatles’ songs, including a wonderfully arthritic version of When I’m Sixty-Four. With his 15 dancers dressed in a fusion of Carnaby Street and Woodstock, Morris had a choreographic ball, interpreting the world of Pepper through a nostalgic mix of disco, jive and free-form hippiness.