ON The Outsiders
“Review: A hypnotic new musical adaptation of ‘The Outsiders’ stays gold.
The violence is made real, even when it’s stylized in the kinetic battle scene in the second act. The choreography by Rick and Jeff Kuperman becomes more flamboyantly muscular as bodies are pummeled in a storm that is literal as well as unapologetically metaphoric.”
“Now comes the superior “Outsiders” the musical, which opened in its world premiere Saturday at La Jolla Playhouse. It successfully blends the best of the book and the movie in a richly detailed story for teen and adult audiences. It reveals its characters’ thoughts through song lyrics that feel authentic to the book, while still delivering a cinematic- style visual punch, with muscular choreography and, yes, a dazzling rumble in the rain.
Choreographers Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman have created a blend of highly athletic dance and fight choreography that reaches its zenith in the thrilling rain battle, performed with synchronized and percussive slow-motion punches, streaks of lightning and flying sprays of black cork particle “dirt” that lines the stage floor. The scene powerfully reflects Ponyboy’s growing realization of the brutality and futility of violence.”
“The choreography by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, is physical and visceral, with all of the barely restrained energy and frustration that fuels these characters coming out in their movement...
The rumble between the two groups is an outstanding piece, combining dance and fight choreography ... to create a moment that you will be talking about well after you have left the theatre.”
“No one sings during the rumble scene in “The Outsiders,” a new musical at La Jolla Playhouse adapted from S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel of teenage alienation and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film version... Instead, young bodies, about 20 of them, supply their own percussive music, falling to the cork-covered floor, groaning into their mikes, as stage rain soaks them through.
This violence is for show, of course. Those kicks and punches don’t actually connect. But the brawl, at least at first, is not aestheticized. It’s a fistfight, not a dance — brutal, futile, wet, raw and sad.
... the choreographers Rick and Jeff Kuperman, manag[e] some striking and playful images...
For the hopeless, for the loveless, for the misunderstood, which is all of us, Greaser and Soc, young and old, “The Outsiders” offers the promise of harmony.”
“Rick and Jeff Kuperman provide standout choreography, including a rumble with a visually stunning rain sequence late in Act II that will almost certainly take your breath away.”
ON Dicks: The Musical
Press release here.
Harvard Magazine
We enjoyed chatting with Lydia Gibson at Harvard Magazine about our work on stage and screen. Link to the full article here.
On Cyrano
“[The] impressively staged battle sequence looks like a scene from Cold Mountain... events take on a lovely music-video quality, and [the show] uses slow motion and even a kind of scenic crossfading like a master.”
“And Schmidt stages the numbers with a lovely simplicity, embellished with expressive gestural choreography by Jeff and Rick Kuperman. This is especially effective in an early scene at Ragueneau’s, in which a window opens in the set by Christine Jones and Amy Rubin — aptly dominated by a wall etched all over with cursive script — showing the graceful movements of the bakers as Cyrano bares his poetic soul.”
“The production boasts an effective traditional-yet-modern feel, with a handsome minimalist set design by Christine Jones and Amy Rubin; dreamlike and ritualistic movement by Jeff and Rick Kuperman (who also supplied one of the more memorable elements of “Alice by Heart”)...”
“Schmidt (who both adapts and directs) manifests Cyrano’s poetic worldview in stage pictures that look like Baroque paintings... a cutout window elegantly frames Jeff and Rick Kuperman’s dreamlike choreography for the bakers at the shop where Cyrano and Roxanne have arranged a meeting (Waitress has some competition when it comes to dexterity with a wisp of flour).”
“Cyrano [is] eye-catchingly choreographed by Jeff and Rick Kuperman...”
“The director-choreographer brothers creatively play with time and space, best exemplified when Cyrano, Christian and De Guiche find themselves on the front lines of the siege at Arras... the atrocities come to life through haunting, suspended imagery — reminding us that the ravages of conflict linger long after the dust settles on the battlefield.”
ON Living With Yourself
“All of the resentments and feelings of inadequacy between the two Mileses fuel their fight scene at the very end of the season — a carefully choreographed mess of wrestling, pillow-fighting, twinning, and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation that immediately stands out as an accomplished feat of filmmaking.
“These two guys have the exact same instincts as one another and the exact same strengths and the exact same lack of training as well,” says Rick, the older of the two. Jeff adds: “It’s kind of like two brothers just going at it, which we have a lot of experience with from our childhood.”
ON Alice by Heart
“Choreographers Rick and Jeff Kuperman deserve major props... The Kupermans’ witty, athletic choreography is the show’s raison d’être, along with Nelson and her designers’ creative use of setting…
...along with the Kupermans — [they create] a terrific Caterpillar out of the whole ensemble packed together in a line, doing creepy-crawly choreography in matching knitted arm-warmers.
Whenever the Kupermans and the actors let loose together, the show takes off...”
“For all of Alice by Heart’s other moving elements, in fact—among them the fittingly dreamy, sinuous choreography, by Rick and Jeff Kuperman…make it transcendent, a term that can still be applied only occasionally to contemporary musicals. Catch it while you can, and prepare to be devastated, and uplifted.”
“Aesthetically, Alice by Heart has stunning moments... Rick and Jeff Kuperman’s imaginative ensemble choreography, which delicately floats above reality — sometimes like a dream, sometimes a nightmare — [is] consistently thrilling to watch.”
“The choreography by Rick and Jeff Kuperman is excellent and works beautifully… especially in the Caterpillar
song “Chillin’ the Regrets” and the Mock Turtles song “Your Shell of Grief.””
“The staging is fluid and the choreography, by Rick and Jeff Kuperman, often inventive.”
“The choreography by Rick and Jeff Kuperman is consistently inventive, providing [...] visual cohesion to the proceedings...”
“Giving the show a lift is the staging directed by Nelson, along with the imaginative choreography by Rick and Jeff Kuperman. Using the props at hand — crutches, helmets, gas masks, curtains and cots — they conjure croquet matches with flamingos, turtles hunkered down for a shelling and garden doorways.”
ON THE LIGHT PRINCESS
“Richly imagined and delightfully acted... [promises to leave] young theatergoers... walking on air!”
“The Light Princess at the New Victory Theater is a fiction that charms.”
“Jeff and Rick Kuperman create a flowing ensemble choreography that defies gravity. This show is quirky, imaginative and fun.”
“The Light Princess is bound to leave everyone who sees it feeling uplifted. Before kids learn to defy gravity at another musical that’s been playing uptown, they should experience the delights of The Light Princess for an unforgettable first taste of live musical theater.”
On ONE ARM AND A LEG
“Every member of the ensemble displays an incredible command of acting and movement. The choreography by Videt, Ricky Kuperman, and Jeff Kuperman sublimely evokes a weird, poignant story of love and dislocation...
Startlingly visceral... Eerily beautiful... Brilliant...
If you want to glimpse theatre’s future, go see One Arm and a Leg...
One Arm and A Leg is one of the most exciting theater pieces I have seen this year, and I look forward to seeing more work from this talented young company.”
“...the piece de resistance of this performance is the mesmerizing choreography by brothers Jeffrey and Rick Kuperman...
The Kupermans move with charm and magnetism...
It is clear that One Arm and a Leg was created collaboratively with every artist involved, because the entire show is a unified, vibrant, and exceptional work. This is one of the best performances to play downtown this summer.”
On Was a Time
“[The Kupermans] directed the videos for “Good and Ready” and “Was a Time,” which Entertainment Weekly just premiered this week, and they always manage to stretch shoestring budgets into these wildly creative, visually engaging pieces with so much heart and charm.”
“From brawling guests to a stolen bride, [D’Amato] collaborated with directing duo the Kuperman Brothers to create an unforgettable vision for the latest single off his New West Records debut... ”
On the 39 Steps
“PST’s The 39 Steps opened last weekend to deafening laughter and applause... [the show] explodes on the Hamilton Murray stage under the visionary direction and choreography of Jeff Kuperman. This highly physical re-invention of the classic spy adventure is literally breathtaking, sure to impress as much as it amuses.”
“That was the best production I’ve seen here in at least 10 years.
And if you ever wondered just what was meant by ‘physical comedy,’ watch what director Kuperman has created for the Clowns. He pays tribute to the pair in a program note for ‘danger, perseverance, and trust.’ It is far more than high-speed, side-splitting fun through spyville, it is theater at its most expressive.”
On SMILE
“Clayton Raithel is indeed the “f*cking man”... Hilarious... flawlessly timed... People with depression need to know they’re not alone, and Smile is a brave and honest work.”
“Raithel is an enormously likable performer... He makes great use of the space, sharing his well-crafted tale with wonderful physicality. The sound and video design, too, is among the best I’ve seen and is incorporated seamlessly.”
“Well-written... light-hearted... bold... The direction is a tightly woven canvas of sound, voices, visuals and lights.”
On TIT FOR TAT
“... having that edge of the cliff [...] sensation was a constant reminder of the brothers’ precision and brilliant theatrical consideration...”
“Kuperman’s Tit for Tat ends the first part with a resounding triumph of masculine aggressive energy, athletic prowess, and visual acumen. The piece is rich with unexpected body shaping, weight sharing, and highly successful visual choices (both in design and staging). Tit for Tat was both thoughtful and exciting - it is clear why it was an audience favorite.”
“Another memorable piece on the program was Kuperman’s own, Tit for Tat... [The performers] all captured a type of “breathy” strength, and it was very rewarding to see this group of men dance with such fearlessness and commitment. The partnering that Kuperman developed was especially hypnotic. The men were able to use their natural physical strength to create interesting, statuesque snapshots and hold them for a long moment. Overall, Tit for Tat was a very enjoyable and well-structured piece.”