CORAZGN FLAMENCO - the latest incarnation of Spain’s premier flamenco company Gumbre Flamenco - click their stacked heels into Edinburgh this month with a maraca-shaking, cummerband-splitting new show. Director Francisco Sanchez, whose rollicking, taverna- style shows of the past ten years raised the profile of flamenco world-wide, has been criticised for departing from his proven formula to introduce a previously unheard of element to live flamenco - 3 storyline. Flamenco purists are appalled, claiming the narrative in Sanchez’s one-act drama Noche de Santiago goes against the grain of the libido-raising Andalucian dance- form’s raw, untamed nature. Assistant director Mari Carmen Garcia leaps to his defence: ‘This was an act of love from the director. It’s been his wish for a long time. Why does ballet tell a story? Why does contemporary dance tell a story? If people don’t agree maybe they haven’t seen too much. It’s just a different way of expressing the flamenco.’ However everyone agrees that the show’s star attraction is the statuesque Manuela Garrasco, nicknamed ‘the Goddess’. ‘Very few artists have a light around them — a special Iight,’ says Garcia, ‘and she is one of them.’ (Ellie Carr)
Corazon Flamenco play the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 13—8at 17 Feb.
The Roy Orbison Story dons the dark glasses and hits the stage for a musical tribute to the man in black. Long-time fan Larry Branson plays the Big () -« a role he's occupied for the last six years both in America and now Britain. Branson had long performed Roy ()rbison songs on stage. but it was only after the singer's death in 1988 that he considered actually doing a lookalike tribute. ‘l was really concerned about doing it. especially out of respect for Roy.‘ says Branson. ‘l’eople ask me. in't it a shame that one person's demise is another's fortune. but there’s no fortune in this for me. Larry Branson is just the guy who‘s keeping his name aliye.' (liddie (iibb)
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HENRY ROLLINS is well into his third career — as an in- demand character actor in
hip Hollywood films. Already a legend in the American hardcore scene with his bands Black Flag and the
Rollins Band, more recently
our ’enry has been showing his, dare we say it, feminine side in a series of acclaimed spoken word gigs based on his prolific writings. Now Rollins is becoming a regular in the movies after making his debut
with Charlie Sheen in The Chase.
This month he appears in the mucho anticipated — and by all accounts mucho disappointing —
Johnny Mnemanic based on a William
Gibson cyberstory, with Rollins as a renegade doctor. Rather more credible is a part in the Al Pacino and Robert de Niro gangster movie Heat, in which he plays a crooked security chief. Only in the movies could muscular workout fanatic Rollins get beaten up by the diminutive Pacino. Johnny Mnemonic opens on Fri 9 Feb. Heat is on general
release.
2 The List 9-22 Feb l996