THEATER REVIEW : MUSIGN HITS UNHEARD RIGHT NOTES

The great choreographer George Balanchine believed that the correlation between dance designs and musical motifs should be so complete that audiences would see the music and hear the dancing.

To Musign, an ensemble that combines dance, theatrical forms, mime and sign language, the ability to make audiences see the music is more than an aesthetic--it’s a necessary ingredient. That’s because Musign’s mission is to provide a musical experience that can be absorbed by the hearing-impaired.

When the troupe began its three-week stay at The Theatre in Old Town last Thursday night, the hearing-impaired were well-represented in the audience--and that is typical of Musign concerts.

Fortunately, Musign has something to say to hearing audiences as well--and their upbeat message (most of it played against rock ‘n’ roll or new wave music) abounds with comic overtones. The aurally handicapped members of the audience sensed the rhythmic flow by feeling vibrations from the inflated balloons that were distributed before the performance. They saw the lyrics of the songs lip-synced and interpreted in sign language.

The “signing,” a complex lexicon of gestures and nimble fingering, could have become a tiresome gimmick to the hearing members of the audience, were it not so deftly integrated into the choreography. Instead, it became a fascinating device to enhance the movement.

Artistic director Rita Corey, Bob Hiltermann and Tom Hillyard (the only hearing dancer in Musign, and the newest member of the company) are expressive, high-energy dancers, and their nonstop dance revue moves like a music video. There are no dead spots for costume changes. In fact, much of the time the trio is peeling off layers of clothing on stage. There is little depth to the program, but no lack of charming invention.

Corey is one of the most winsome dancers around, and her good-natured ebullience is contagious. The two men are charismatic performers as well, and it’s difficult to believe any of them are hearing-impaired when you see them in action. Their timing and musicality Thursday evening was right on target, and the group fit together like parts of a puzzle in their ensemble numbers.

The threesome made an eerie entrance in coveralls and dark glasses, inching their way down from the back of the house in jerky, robotlike gyrations. From then on, there was more mischief on their minds than anything else, and they pulled a few shenanigans you might expect from Pilobolus. The fast-paced and acrobatic movement motifs kept the threesome in high gear, often flinging them around like popcorn.

A medley of ‘50s tunes offered opportunities for a bubbly pastiche of the period and spawned the most elaborate number of the evening--one in which a “volunteer” from the audience was an unwitting accomplice in the comic chicanery.

Musign is living proof that there are no sound barriers to dancing if it’s really tuned in to the music.

MUSIGN Starring artistic director Rita Corey, Bob Hiltermann and Tom Hillyard. At The Theatre in Old Town, 4040 Twiggs St., Thursday-Sunday evenings (with matinees on selected Tuesdays and Wednesdays and most weekends), through Aug. 24.