November 23, 2009 THE WANTING The purgatory of unrequited desire is the underlying theme of this balletic rock concert from "Moxy Phinx," the pseudo-anonymous alter ego of local performer (and L.A. Weekly Theater Awards winner) Katrina Lenk. Audiences who recall Lenk's offbeat, tuneful turn as the tragically exploited Linda Lovelace in Lovelace: The Musical, will be fascinated by the edgy alternative performance she offers here in her "Phinx" persona. Caparisoned in flowing rags and furs that suggest a thrift store goth Goddess, "Phinx" performs a series of haunting songs, accompanied by a group of dancers, portraying members of a family who look like they might be right out of Norman Rockwell - except, within minutes of starting the show, the clan suddenly shifts into being something from an Edward Gorey nightmare. In the bizarre family grouping, dad (Michael Quiett) rapes his wife (Whitney Kirk) and longs to do the same to the gorgeous nanny (Jackie Lloyd). Meanwhile, the adorable youngest son (Daniel Huynh) gropes his twin sisters (Liz Sroka and Jennifer Cooper), and also fondles the nanny, before donning a dress. (Thanksgiving should be a blast at this clan's place.) "Phinx"'s haunting voice finds itself somewhere in between the dark throatiness of Ute Lemper and the jaded melancholy of Neko Case - not a bad place in which to find oneself, really. Director Janet Roston's choreography is tight, energetic, and extremely sophisticated, the sense of detail in the movement suggests a mood that's both kinky and beguiling - just note Huynh's rictus of what could either be lust or rage as he woos his vacantly smiling sisters. The gleefully sour ball atmosphere is ultimately effective at crafting the sad yet bleakly funny meditation on the abject emptiness of longing. Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica. Sun., Dec. 6 & 14, 7:30 p.m.. (310) 315-1459. (Paul Birchall) Click HERE to read the original article. |