This is a delicate reminder of settling into the norm, fitting in with peers, becoming what is expected. It's a classic small town story. But that option is too stultifying for a dreamer, a boy with raw talent and ambition.
Despite the nostalgia implicit within the eighties playlist, Brew fits the past within the present, with a sense of momentum and the idea that we're all very much works-in-progress, constantly improvising and refining ourselves.
The ramp itself doubles up as costume storage space and performance platform. Even this is an act of simple subversion, as ramps are generally associated with accessing transport or venues—here, the purpose is to amplify Brew's burning fascination with the stage, and by extension, the glamour of dance. So, the duo slide and glide ever upwards, totems of upward mobility, despite the odds.
Through vivid, gestural choreography, Brew's skill and resilience is shown with versatility. As Malloy flits between the machismo of Kevin Bacon's character Ren in Footloose, in vest and shorts, to operatic diva wearing a red chiffon dress, first as triumphant cosplay, then as shroud for sorrow, he's building identity, coming to terms with his sexuality. Iwanickl does more of the emotional heavy lifting, through fluttering hands and spinning in the wheelchair.
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