Music by Nellie McKay
Choreography by Chase Brock

The Connelly Theater
The Chase Brock Experience

Like its music, “Whoa, Nellie!” is a mash-up of styles and cultural references. A band of irrepressible pranksters, the dancers joyfully move chameleon-like from the Caribbean-tinged hip hop of “Identity Theft” to the disco-inflected whacking and voguing inspired by the refrain “Saturday Night in the Mens’ Ensemble Dressing Room” from “Galleon” to a symphony of hands suggested by McKay’s gospel-inspired “Testify.” The dancing plays with and against the thematic material of McKay’s punchy, always surprising score.

“Whoa, Nellie! takes inspiration from Nellie McKay’s album “Obligatory Villagers,” and mixes various dance styles in a revue that snakes around like a raucous conga line.”

– The Star-Ledger

“A wild and wacky traveling carnival of a dance performed to acclaimed and eclectic singer-songwriter Nellie McKay’s album “Obligatory Villagers.””

– Times-News

“”Whoa, Nellie!” has a good time with the wide-ranging pastiche of Nellie McKay’s album “Obligatory Villagers.”

– The New Yorker

“The fun first piece of about 30 minutes in length was “Whoa, Nellie!” danced to the songs of Nellie McKay. The colorful set and costumes by Dane Laffrey suggested a carnival atmosphere, but there was no story here, just a wild and humorous interpretation of the music. Strangely the sense of circus turned into comic horror when the piece ended in a depiction of zombies. Irreverence was the order of the production. Each of the seven dancers were given the spotlight to display their individuality and worked beautifully as an ensemble. They were Dean de Luna, Ashley Eichbauer, Erica Furst, Drew Heflin, Yukiko Kashiki, Micki Weiner and Michael Wright.”

– Michael Jay at the Theatre

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