ISO revamps culture 'Extravaganza'

Author: Joyce Man

Given that the International Students Organization Cultural Show is performed every November, making it an extravaganza for everyone who is not a first-year student is a tall order indeed. Yes, the diverse hodgepodge of cultures represented at Middlebury College ensures a certain number of foreign curiosities-the beating rhythms of the gum boot dance and the swish of skirts in the salsa piece can always be relied on to entertain-but inserting innovation into the standard equation is hard.

"Extravaganza," led by show Co-Chairpersons Alvin Lam '06, Carolina Caeiro '08 and Laura Wedel '08, had the hallmarks of past versions plus more. Among the most entertaining performances was a Philippine bamboo dance that originated as a punishment for field workers called "Tinkling", choreographed by Philippines-native Nicole Santa Maria '06. The Bollywood Saga brought glaring lights and guilty-pleasures pop tunes while Tsering Sither '09 seduced the audience with her belly dance. Eugene Lee's '06 awkwardly hilarious, lightning-fast martial arts piece with the arbitrary title "Cherry Blossom Under the Blue Moon" inserted a surge of comedy to a lineup that was already powerful and punchy. If not for the brilliantly colorful-although also hugely expensive-Korean fan dance choreographed by Mari Kim '06, the evening's greatest highlight would have been Lee's random burst into song to the tune of Celine Dion's "All By Myself," which was complete with pained facial expressions under a glaring spotlight.

The performances scored high, but this year's ISO Fashion Show was well-received not because of revolutionary new material as much as innovative rethinking of old routines. Here was a smoothed-out version of the over-recycled ISO Show that showed off impressive new spins. Advertising began not in the Fall semester as it traditionally had, but in the summer, with short emails calling for participation to incoming international first-years. These incoming students, as a result, knew about the show even before they knew where McCullough Social Space was. The fashion walks, traditionally tagged on as awkward afterthoughts to each of the show's seven geographical segments, were strategically hauled to the opening so that the audience was transported into "Extravaganza" by a stunning mix of national costumes. The backdrop for this year's show, a multi-colored floor-to-ceiling painted room scene, solved that distracting curtain-search action that has plagued almost anyone who has ever performed on McCullough stage - at the end of each segment, singers and dancers merely walked around it to transition to the next scene. If there is a problem even more annoying than the exit-fumble, it is the constant flow of performers who move in and out freely between their call-times and rest times. The show's co-chairpersons had the good sense to set up a separate section in the audience for them to solve that distraction.

If anyone can tell you about refreshing the ISO Show, Lam can. Sitting down to dinner on Monday night for our interview amid the chaos of Ross dining hall, he said "fresh," "first time" and "change" so repeatedly that these catchphrases of his work also became catchphrases in our conversation. "The biggest change was our involvement of first-year students," he said. "The European section was made over and we had fresh new performances. The number of participants doubled from last year and it was also the first time we printed background information in the program." After all, the point of this show, said Lam, is not just to entertain the audience. "Those who came should also have learned something cultural from it," he said.

The organizers also succeeded in shrinking the show from the usual three hours to a manageable, palatable two. It was, according to Lam, a feat of meticulous organization and intense planning. "We had to be very professional and we had to have a good, tight schedule to make it work, but in the end we solved the time issue. And," he said, "we were able to keep up a constant series of explosive performances."

And if anyone can tell you how much of a success they thought the show was, Lam also can, and he sure is not afraid to say so. "It was a phenomenal success," he said at the beginning of our conversation. "There was a lot of good planning on our part. In my opinion, it was one of the best shows that has ever been produced-that is, not just comparing with past ISO Shows, but also including any performances by the Middlebury College community."

Success though it may be, "phenomenal" it was not. As always, seating was a problem. Standing audiences were sardine-packed near the exits and flowed into the McCullough's upper level. Excited ticket-holders who arrived late found their seats taken and many who had not paid the five dollars were able to slip in through whichever one of the three doors were unattended. Although Elise Harris '06 was impressed with the show's organization, she was disappointed to find herself standing despite having bought a ticket. "If there is only standing room, people should be allowed in for free or for a reduced price. They should consider moving the show to Wright Theater, [where there is] more room since it sells out every year," she said.

Others voiced disapproval of the ticket price, which was raised to five dollars this year. Daphne Morrison '08, who was herself a performer, said the ISO Show this year was not attractive enough to warrant the price. "I wouldn't have gone if I wasn't in it. The tickets should have been much cheaper," she said in an email commentary.

Despite seating complications, however, as Lam said himself, the show is "really about the talent of the performers," and on this count, with the few exceptions of lackluster pieces that were too slow or too, well, naked, "Extravaganza" nearly lived up to its title. Former ISO President Sumaya Huque '06 was certainly pleased. "The show was excellent. It was very organized and punctual." Vijay Chowdhari '09 is another audience member who appreciated both the show's process and result. "The performance was great. Such events build teamwork and a sense of enthusiasm," he said. "It was a night of extravaganza."