I flew up from Georgia to see Einstein on the Beach on Friday night at the Power Center.   The event itself was very well run, having garage parking available next to the theater was very considerate, particularly during a snow storm.   Delaying the start of the show by 30 minutes in light of the weather conditions was also helpful.

As for the show itself.   I was very impressed by the musicians, the chorus, the dancers and the props.   It takes some real endurance to perform in those roles for four and a half hours.   I also was amused by the subtle gestures made by performers towards the “fourth wall” (audience).

I like Philip Glass music and have listened to the album version of Einstein on the Beach numerous times.  One distinction I found between the experiences is that one can listen to Einstein in segments on their headphones, then push stop and pick it up later.     In the live theater one does not get that opportunity of course.     The creators recognize this and allow for the “come and go as you wish” seating policy.

From my perspective, some sections  of Einstein have an unnecessary exaggerated length.   The dances and knee plays were beautiful and creative with their variation, but they seemed padded.     Not that it should be cut down in any way nor am I suggesting it be retuned to short attention spans.    It was an enjoyable and certainly unique experience to finally to go see this.

One nitpick – the opening “Knee Play” should have started only after the people in the venue had finished sitting.   I could hardly hear the opening dialogue over the crowd and folks walking down the aisle ways to their seats blocked the view.

Thanks for hosting this UMS!