Delightful Variety with MKE Follies

The latest installment of MKE Follies, a series produced by Dance Revolution MKE, proved a joyful success. The evening’s variety was stimulating and each new act created a shift in the atmosphere of the room.

The room itself, The Box at 311 E. Wisconsin Ave., is effortlessly cool. Both comedians made reference to its superiority to their typical venues, riffing on the exposed brick and classy bathrooms. While the space inspired the comics, it gave particular mystique to the dancers; bodies moved through the light cast by the footlights and threw intriguing shadows onto the wall, mirroring the performances and adding new layers of interest.

Catey Ott Thompson led the evening with an achingly lovely piece entitled “Life is (no) Daffodil.” Her body rose and fell to the music with cyclical fluidity, taking the audience on a journey that seemed both celebratory and sad. Together the comedians presented a two-edged sword: Allison Dunne commanded the room with her dry, precise style and Liz Ziner’s smiles invited the audience along in her easygoing exploration of the mishaps of millennial life. Marie Warren and Barry Paul Clark, on cello and double bass respectively, shook the room with the resonance of both modern and centuries-old duets. The evening wrapped up with a rhythmic movement piece from Melissa Vesel and Hannah Drake, their mirrored bodies twining and echoing each other.

The night was short and sweet, an hour filled with snippets of the quality work being created by skilled Milwaukee performers. For information on upcoming shows, visit dancerevolutionmke.com or email mkefollies@gmail.com.