Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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// NEW TR ADITIONS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOAN MARCUS (ELF ); CHAD BATKA (SOO); LENA HERZOG (JANSEN); LOEK VAN DER KLIS (STRANDBEEST) Phillipa Soo starring in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Elf, the Musical brings comedy to the holiday season. // sculpted // BEACH WALKERS CHECK OUT THE SURREAL creations of "Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen," now on view at the Peabody Essex Museum. Made from PV tubing, the kinetic sculptures mimic the structure of skeletal and neural networks and move in response to the lightest touch—or even a puff of wind. Jansen's largest Strandbeest, Animaris Suspendisse, stands 12 feet tall and is propelled by compressed air. Running through January 3, 2016, this is Jansen's fi rst major American museum exhibition, featuring half a dozen sculptures, sketches by the artist, and images of the works by photographer Lena Herzog. 161 Essex St., Salem, 978-745-9500; pem.org From Russia with Electro-Love THE ART STAGES THE SUPER-CHARGED, MADCAP OPERETTA NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812. BY JARED BOWEN The Nutcracker gets an outrageous spin this winter with The Bang Gang's Nut/Cracked, running December 18–20 at the ICA (100 Northern Ave., 617-478-3100; icaboston.org). Choreographed by David Parker, the show features a mash-up of music from Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller and a spectrum of dance moves, from tap to disco. Even the tradi- tional ballet moves get an irreverent twist, with the dancers noshing Chinese food while in position. Sugar Plum Fairies more your style? The Boston Ballet's acclaimed production of The Nutcracker will be on stage from November 27 to December 31 at the Boston Opera House (539 Washington St., 617-259- 3400; bostonballet.org). And everyone's favorite elf, Buddy, lends a comedic air to the holidays in Elf, the Musical, running through December 6 at the Citi Performing Arts Center's Wang Theatre (270 Tremont St., 617-482-9393; citycenter.org). Imagine reading War and Peace. After a few hefty vodka shots. In some hidden den of opu- lence with electronic music pulsing. That'll give you your first hint of what's in store at the production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 exploding out of the American Repertory Theater from December 6 through January 3, 2016. Described by composer Dave Malloy as a "pop operetta," the musical is based on a 70-page sliver of Tolstoy's epic masterpiece. While Napoleon's war rages outside Moscow, the heroine, Natasha, forges a wayward path through men and love. The show has been on the ART's radar since it was first staged at the New York tal- ent incubator Ars Nova several years ago. Its 19th-century Russian setting and its supper- club feel enchanted ART artistic director Diane Paulus and producer Diane Borger. "We're always looking for experiences that immerse audiences in a world," Borger says. "Natasha definitely does that." The original cre- ative team and many members of the original cast will be reteaming, but the ART promises an even fresher version of the show. The the- ater's stage and seating will be completely reconfigured to accommodate musicians swirling around and actors appearing here, there, and everywhere. And brace yourself: It all unfolds with a definite vodka vibe. Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617- 547-8300; americanrepertorytheater.org BC Boston's resident super- model, Gisele Bündchen, has always been a head-turner, but will she be a page- turner? That's the question surrounding her new coffee- table book, Gisele (Taschen, $700). The volume boasts more than 300 photographs of the Brazilian bombshell, including images by world- renowned photographers such as David LaChapelle and Juergen Teller. Only 1,000 copies of the book (signed by Mrs. Tom Brady herself) will be produced, with all the money raised from its sales going to char- ity. taschen.com 60 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM CULTURE Spotlight STRIKE A POSE