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Petronio re-mounted Underland, the work he
had created for SDC. “I still, to this day, have
an amazing relationship with Stephen,” he
remarks. “I love and admire his work, and his
work ethic – and his ideas.”
He is equally enthusiastic speaking about
Lar Lubovitch, one of the city's most respected
veteran choreographers, with whom he worked
for one season, saying, “He's the sweetest man,
so talented, and has a real voice. It was such a
privilege to dance his work.”
Auditioning for Broadway became an
option once Luplau obtained his Green Card
in 2012. “I always knew that musical theatre
and jazz were a huge part of my life,” he says.
“I moved here thinking I would do concert
(contemporary) dance for a time – but I
always knew in the back of my head that I was
going to do theatre and film and acting and
singing – because I have a passion for that.”
The 2015 Fiddler revival provided his
Broadway debut. That production took the
unusual step of not reconstructing the landmark
original choreography by Jerome Robbins, as
most revivals have. Hofesh Schechter, a
contemporary Israeli choreographer with an
international reputation, provided new
choreography, and gave particular emphasis on
the male ensemble.
“I went in with the 300-odd other men for
the call, and it just felt right,” Luplau says.
“I think the adaptation and upgrades Hofesh
made to the show were completely riveting
and new and refreshing. I think he has a
hip-hop feel with his movement; it's very
down and dirty. We were sexy Jews!”
His current Broadway musical, The Great
Comet, began in a tiny theatre far from
Broadway, becoming a cult success and a hot
ticket. Feisty and original, it brings the
performers into close contact with the
audience and sets them in motion on different
levels of the specially re-designed theater. The
New York Times's rave review called it “a witty,
inventive enchantment” with “dazzling
staging” by director Rachel Chavkin.
Luplau is clearly having a blast dashing all
over the theatre and performing SamPinkleton's choreography. “We're doing
things from folk dancing to the party scene
attheclub,tobeinginaunitarddoing
post-modern contemporary - everything. It's
a smorgasbord of dance.” He performs a duet
in the show’s opera scene that was added for
the Broadway incarnation.
The show's demands are intense and novel.
“People don't know what to expect when they
come,” notes Luplau. “When we first start,
some don't want to make eye contact. Our
energy comes a lot from how people are
reacting to us, and how they're feeling. We
really want to lift the audience – and then
that lifts us as well.”
Luplau began rehearsals forComet(which
opened in November) the day after his final
Fiddlerperformance.Sothepacehasbeen
non-stop,butrewarding.“Iusedtobeableto
plan.Cometcame out of nowhere. I'm really
enjoying this show, and I'll see what happens
from there,” Luplau says. “I can never try to
plan anymore. Things happen. Right now I'm
very happy where I am.”
–SUSANREITERABOVE: Katarzyna Skarpetowska & Reed Luplau in
The Time Before the Time After for Lar Lubovitch
Dance Company.
TOP: Reed Luplau in Fiddler on the Roof (second row, left
of Danny Burstein as Tevye).PHOTO: JOAN MARCUSPHOTO: STEVEN SCHREIBER