Jump

[GeneChing]

In the tradition of Cirque du Soleil's KA and Alonzo King's recent LINES ballet, here's yet another example of martial arts in live theater.

Friday, May 18, 2007
'JUMP'
Slapstick 'n' high-flyin' kicks
By STEPHANIE HANNON

A chop suey of martial arts, acrobatics and slapstick, "Jump" is a nonverbal, comic martial-arts musical centered around a zany Korean family. It runs through May 18-June 24 (times vary) at Shinjuku Theater Apple, Tokyo. The company behind the production, Korean-based Yegam, has already received international recognition for the show, notably at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2005 and 2006.

The characters are a far from conventional group, made up of a grandfather — expert in the traditional Korean martial-art form of hapkido — who heads a family of six. Below him in the pecking order is the father, also a martial-arts practitioner; the clumsy, yet tae kwon do-savvy mother; a drunken, nunchukku-wielding uncle; a dainty daughter with feather-light fighting moves; and the putative son-in-law, a geek-turned-warrior lover.

The story has four parts and unfolds from the entrance of a visitor who, although a complete amateur, has no choice but to take part in the family's daily martial-arts training regime. It becomes apparent that he may have found his forte and the family's daughter promptly falls in love.

In the final part, two hapless burglars find themselves on the wrong side of these domestic fighting machines. Cue stunning flying leaps, flips and plentiful kicks. The characters re-create moves in "slow motion" and other "flying" special effects in hilarious fight routines reminiscent of "The Matrix" movie series.

The action is so vigorous and skilled that there are enough troupe members to make up 2 1/2 casts in case of injuries. During the 3 1/2 year training period preceding the opening of the show, performers studied various combat disciplines such as tae kwon do, taek kyun and hapkido from Korea and capoeira from Brazil.

The musical is nonverbal and suitable for all ages. Admission is 6,800 yen. For tickets, call Koma Production Ticket Center at (03) 3207-5888. For more information, visit www.jumpjump.jp

[doug maverick]

i use to produce martial arts theater.http://www.freewebs.com/mateinc/ we even did a huge show at the chinese benevolent association. in chinatown

[GeneChing]

Has anyone seen this yet?

Getting a Jump Off-Broadway
by Mark S. Maluso

Off-Broadway audiences have embraced blue men, drummers, clowns, stomp-ers and performance artists of all kinds—and now Korean martial artists can join the list. The comic spectacle Jump brings a high-flying troupe of martial artists to the stage of the Union Square Theatre in a show that's been a smash hit around the world. Veteran theatrical producer and tour manager Mark S. Maluso is shepherding Jump to off-Broadway and beyond as executive producer of CAMI Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of Columbia Artists Management. Maluso has worked on a variety of shows with international appeal, including one featuring the Shaolin Monks of China, and as he shares with Broadway.com, the minute he saw Jump in London, he felt sure American audiences would love it too. Hey, any feel-good farce described as “Jackie Chan meets Charlie Chaplin” sounds like a winner!

Jump first came to my attention while I was drinking a pint of Guinness. I was in Belfast to attend a client's performance, and after the show I was reading the papers at the city's famous Crown Liquor Saloon (probably the world's most beautiful bar) when an advertisement for Jump's engagement at London's Pea**** Theatre (Sadler's Wells) caught my attention. I happened to be on my way to London the next morning for meetings, so I quickly rearranged my schedule to catch a performance. Simply put, I fell in love with this show.

Having now seen many performances of Jump, I can say that the strongest memory I have of my first encounter with this unusual blend of slapstick comedy, acrobatics and martial arts was how much my stomach and face hurt: My stomach hurt from laughing, and my face hurt from smiling. Truly, I laughed harder than I had since I was a child. Jump was silly and fun and seemingly simple, but my professional eye began to take in just how subtle and serious the abilities of the performers were. I was in awe of their athletic prowess, but even more moved by their acute sense of comic timing.

As it happened, the performance I attended was Jump's official opening in London. At a reception, I was introduced to the producers of the show and, in particular, a dynamo named Cara Han, from Korea's Yegam Theater Company. With the metabolism of a hummingbird, Ms. Han runs three Jump companies and looks after Yegam's international business dealings. She asked if I would give an interview for KBS TV, Korea's leading television network, and I gushed on and on about how great the show was and how I felt that western audiences will love it.

As these things often go, a professional relationship developed, and my company and Yegam are now happily in business bringing Jump to North and South America. New York is, of course, the first stop here in the United States, and the big question is whether a martial arts comedy can succeed here, as it has in London, Seoul, Tokyo, Madrid and a host of other cities, with future engagements set for Russia, China, Malaysia and Australia.

While we can't predict the future, I think Jump will happily take up residence at the Union Square Theatre and bring its unique brand of merriment to audiences of all kinds and all ages. After all, who can resist the idea of three generations (from grandfather to young daughter) challenging one another to martial arts showdowns—and then taking on a pair of burglars who have no idea what kind of family they're stumbled upon?

Martial arts have been celebrated on film—from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan—and in comic books and on television, but Jump represents the first-ever theater show focusing on this thrilling athletic form. In fact, before taking the stage, our cast members train for three and half years in combat disciplines such as tae kwan do, taek kyun and hapkido from Korea and capoeira from Brazil. So, yes, we expect the theater at Union Square to be crawling with folks who may never have set foot in a theater before.

Stay tuned.

[GeneChing]

There's a lot more buzz on the web about this now...

Korean Martial Arts Sensation Jump Opens Off-Broadway Oct. 7
By Adam Hetrick
07 Oct 2007

The Korean martial arts spectacle Jump officially opens Off-Broadway at the Union Square Theatre Oct. 7. Previews began Sept. 25.

The 90-minute import promises audiences "the kind of action you'd see in Jackie Chan and Matrix movies," only live on stage, without the use of wires and special effects.

The story centers on a Korean family, including such characters as a drunken uncle and crotchety grandfather, who, according to production notes, "enjoy nothing more than challenging the rest of the family to martial arts showdowns. When two burglars break into the house occupied by three generations of highly trained martial artists, the family turns their expertise on the unexpected guests. The hyperactive sitcom that ensues is the ideal forum for this troupe to show off their extensive training in martial arts, acrobatics, gymnastics and comic acting."

Jump is similar in vein to Off-Broadway productions like Stomp, Slava's Snowshow and Blue Man Group in that the visual and physical elements of the production are used to tell the story rather than relying on language. Some have described the highly physical, family-friendly production as "Jackie Chan meets Charlie Chaplin."

The American premiere has been double cast in order to meet the demands of the highly physical production. Featured among Jump's cast of martial arts talents are Sang-Cheul Lee and Chang-Young Kim (Grandfather), Cheol-Ho Lim and Joo-Sun Kim (Father), Hyun-Ju Kim and Kyung-Hyun Kim (Mother), Han-Chang Lim and Young-Jo Choi (Uncle), Hee-Jeong Hwang and Kyung-Ae Hong (Daughter), Byung-Eun Yoo and Dong-Kyun Kim (Son-in-law), Yun-Gab Hong (Burglar 1), Seung-Youl Lee and Tae-Sung Kim (Burglar 2) and Woon-Yong Lee (Old Man).

The New York creative team for Jump includes Tae-Young Kim (scenic design), DOLSILNAI, INC. (costumes), Jong-Wah Park, Sung-Bin Lim (lighting), Dong-June Lee (music), Gye-Hwan Park (martial arts choreography) and Pan Company (make-up design). CAMI Ventures, a subsidiary of Columbia Artists Management, Inc., produces Jump for American audiences.

Created by Yegam Theatre Company (Producer, Kyung-Hun Kim/artistic director, Chul-Ki Choi), Jump has undergone a bit of fine-tuning for Western audiences. David Ottone was brought in to clarify moments and adapt culture specific references for broader audience appeal, while expanding some of the martial-arts fight scenes.

Jump continues to play a sold-out run in downtown Seoul in a theatre built specifically to house the production since its 2003 debut. Productions of Jump are also underway in Russia, China, Malaysia and Australia.

Tickets for the Off-Broadway production of Jump are available by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (212) 307-4100.

For more information visit www.jumpnewyorkcity.com.

[GeneChing]

...not unexpected at all.

Jump
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel

Jump, the Korean martial arts comedy import at the Union Square Theatre, is described in its press release as "Jackie Chan meets Charlie Chaplin." As it turns out, that statement is accurate only insofar as the actors are Asian martial artists and their comedy is largely physical and not verbal. While Jump features the occasional exciting display of martial arts moves (choreographed by Young-Sub Jin) and a laugh every now and then, it is otherwise as bland as cardboard. Indeed, the lack of imagination that went into the creation of this show is stunning in the extreme.

Before the show begins a bent over old man with a cane kibitzes with the audience. We will see him again, and it is no surprise that he will eventually be revealed to be sensationally acrobatic. Then we meet a family: a grandfather, father, mother, uncle, daughter and a soon-to-be son-in-law. They come out and perform martial arts moves much in the way the Rockettes come out at Radio City and show their stuff. All fine, but the problems are still to come.

And here we go: They perform an extended skit (extended to the better part of an hour), in which each family member has essentially one (or less) traits. The grandfather is strict and demanding -- one might even say cruel when he pretends to ram a stick in the anus of a wayward relative. The father and mother are anxious to get their sweet young daughter married off to nerdy guy with big glasses. The suitor's shtick is that whenever anyone takes off his glasses he becomes a slick, tough, martial arts master -- except, when his glasses go back on, he has no idea what heroics he's just performed. The Uncle is a drunk. As a family, their one distinguishing characteristic is that they all have the moves to take on Chuck Norris or Jet Li. Family fights, as you might imagine, can get pretty wild.

Into this household come two hapless burglars. Outnumbered and outmanned, the two villains try their best to steal and escape, but neither a gun nor their own martial arts knowledge can help them against this uniquely equipped family. Some of the battles that take place have sparks of imagination, but are either run into the ground with repetition or are surrounded by so much lame posturing that one loses interest in the dumb plot.

The best moments are those when they poke fun at the kung fu genre. A fake version of a fighter flying through the air is genuinely amusing. So is a slow motion rendition of a Rube Goldberg series of ricochets that end up knocking out the two villains. But there is so little of this clever stuff that what there is stands out in stark relief to the rest of the filler.

Only at the very end, when the skit is thankfully over and all of the actors come out again to show off their skills, does the show become really exciting. Had the creators of Jump had the imagination to come up with enough varied martial arts stunts to fill up 90 minutes, they would have had a wonderful show on a par with Stomp or Be, but most of this production is so interminable that it makes Jump look more like squat.

[GeneChing]

who you gonna believe?

Off-Broadway 'Jump,' a martial-arts sitcom, is wild and wacky
By JULIE REED | Associated Press Writer
11:49 PM EDT, October 8, 2007

NEW YORK - If Jackie Chan ever guest-starred on "Everybody Loves Raymond," the result would be something like "Jump," the new martial-arts sitcom now on view at the Union Square Theatre.

Created by Korea's Yegam Theater Company, the mostly nonverbal "Jump" is loosely structured around the unique talents of an extended Korean family as they are introduced to a possible son-in-law and are burgled by two inept thieves. Everyone has a signature move (watch out for the mother _ hers is the "Groin Blast") and performs many different feats of strength as drilled by the rather tyrannical grandfather.

The production, which ****zes by at a brisk, intermissionless 90 minutes, references any number of martial-arts-based movies ("The Matrix," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") with a healthy dose of the Three Stooges and a bit of cartoonish romance.

All the cast members, who have trained for years in a variety of martial-arts and gymnastics, shine in a variety of physical set-pieces _ breaking boards, sword fighting, tumbling and just generally exploding across the stage with bursts of seemingly impossible motion. No wires or special effects are in use here: When this family drives each other up a wall, they take it literally.

Along with the amazing action sequences, there's an abundance of sight-gags and pratfalls to keep even the youngest spectators in stitches. A particularly successful gag involves the son-in-law. When he takes off his oversize glasses, he transforms from a wimpy nerd into Superman crossed with Valentino. In action-hero mode, he saves the daughter from one of the villainous crooks, although it's abundantly clear that she can fend for herself. (Her signature move? The "Talk to the Foot.")

All the activity takes place in a traditional Korean living room _ if Korean living rooms traditionally include a multitude of swords hanging on the wall and light panels with the potential to (humorously) electrocute. Costumes are a blend of traditional and modern dress and the recorded music is also a mix of many different styles, most of them percussive.

Closing the show is an almost pyrotechnic display of athleticism. Each of the actors solos in choreographed routines full of back flips, somersaults, and yes, jumps. They swoop through the air and bounce off the walls in a truly exhilarating finish to a spectacle that seeks to defy gravity.

[doug maverick]

went to see this perfomance, it was really fun the acrobatics were insane, but the martial arts was poor. and i realize when i was watching this that this is the film stephen chow is producing that i was talking about here stephen fung is directing it. it made me want to actually sit and write and put togather another play. i really want to do one about wong fei hung and just do a kung fu movie on stage like we did with the first play i did. honestly right now its just a dream with my time being as it is.

[doug maverick]

just heard edison chan is joining the cast of jump the movie

[GeneChing]

Soooooo, Doug, is Edison Chan still involved or is he too busy with his pink elephants...

Fayrouz star at Spring of Culture
By SOMAN BABY

LEGENDARY Fayrouz will be among a world-class line-up confirmed for the Spring of Culture 2008, scheduled to start in Bahrain next month.

With over 30 events over five weeks, beginning on March 1 and running until the F1 weekend in early April, the festival features bigger names, more local talent and even more must-see events in its third successful year.

For this year, Spring of Culture will feature a mix of the best in international, regional and local music, dance, theatre, visual and performing arts, poetry, literature, art and sculpture exhibitions, say organisers.

Fayrouz will be appearing live in Bahrain for the first time in a decade at Arad Fort on March 12.

This year's festival also boasts a dedicated family programme, with seven events either created especially for children or offering real appeal for all ages. These include Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana's Children's Cheering Carpet - The Japanese Garden, a theatre performance that combines dance, storytelling and audience participation in two daily shows at the Salman Cultural Centre, from March 27 to 29.

Storyteller Roger Jenkins will have a performance involving masks and puppetry at the same venue on 15 March.

Jump, the award-winning Korean martial arts performance, will be held at Arad Fort on March 21 and 22.

The Joe Louis Puppet Theatre from Thailand, where every puppet is controlled by three puppeteers who are also classically trained dancers is being held on March 7 at the Culture Hall.

A show by Chinese Little Wood Martial Arts, which combines martial arts with modern dance, music, and spectacular staging is scheduled for March 23 at the Culture Hall.

Also confirmed are Paco Pe–a's A Compas, featuring an evening of flamenco and gypsy music, song and dance from the man hailed as the Saviour of Flamenco - Paco Pe–a.

It will be staged at Arad Fort on March 14.

Another event is by percussion group STOMP, being held at Arad Fort from April 3 to 5.

Local talent features more strongly than ever in this year's festival, say organisers.

Bahrain Arts Society is holding a Triple Sculpture Exhibition by renowned Bahraini artists Ali Al Mahmeed, Mahdi Al Bannai and Fuaad Al Binfalah.

Al Zayed House will be filled with sculptural forms in celebration of women by another local artist, Khalid Farhan, as part of International Women's Day.

Bahraini musician and composer Majeed Marhoun will also be performing at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre on March 16.

Local galleries will showcase a number of diverse events including Voices of Arab Women film screenings and the Gulf Women Art exhibition at Al Riwaq Art Gallery and La Fontaine Centre for Centemporary Art will present a musical evening with the world famous ney player Suleyman Erguner.

Spring of Culture 2008 is organised by the Economic Development Board in association with Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research. Arts centres and galleries across Bahrain, including Al Riwaq Gallery, La Fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art, Albareh Art Gallery and the Bahrain Arts Society, are supporting the events.

Sponsors of the event are Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company.

"Having Fayrouz headline is a fantastic coup for the festival and for Bahrain, but what I'm most proud of is the breadth and diversity of events at Spring of Culture 2008," said Culture and Heritage assistant under-secretary Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa.

"For example, we have the renowned exhibition, Masks - Beauty of the Spirits at the National Museum from March 3," she noted.

"This exhibition, which comes direct from Paris, includes a collection of 100 ethnic masks from around the world, and is a shining example of the museum's ethos of presenting world cultures in a spirit of openness and learning. It's also a truly inclusive event for families.

"What we have also focused strongly on for the last three years is creating a festival that highlights our unique heritage through innovative use of venues and event staging.

"In the Historic Houses of Muharraq we are able to boast some of the region's most evocative and intimate venues."

EDB chief executive Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa said Spring of Culture 2008 would provide a cultural feast for everyone living and working in Bahrain.

"It will draw visitors from across the region and beyond - boosting the economy and strengthening our Kingdom's tourism season," he noted.

"With the addition of the Family Programme this year, we look set to provide an even stronger draw for parents and children from across the Gulf - delivering a key part of our national tourism strategy."

Mumtalakat-Bahrain chief executive officer Talal Al Zain said he was looking forward to all the events that promise to give the audience a "definite thrill". "Spring of Culture has always been a success and we are very glad to be part of that success," he added.

Tickets for concerts at Arad Fort are individually priced, and are available from Havajava, Seef Mall, and Al Osra Supermarket in Saar.

For more information, listing details, and ticket availability call the Spring of Culture hotline on 39900630.

[doug maverick]

well i heard he was dismissed from the project. but idk how acurate that is. i do know however his cameo in batman has been chopped right out and put on the cutting room floor. because warners doesn't want the film to be tarnished with any bad press, due to ofcourse the death of heath ledger.