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Live from Istanbul - Bob Fosse's Tatli Charity

by Carol Schuberg

I never thought I'd find myself in Istanbul, Turkey, assisting director/choreographer Tony Stevens with an all-Turkish production of Sweet Charity. The adventure began on 23 January 1999 when Tony and I flew from New York City to Istanbul. We arrived in a land unlike anything I'd ever seen. In every direction there were mosques and minarets and we even passed under an ancient Roman aqueduct on our way to the hotel. We were on the European side of Istanbul and as I looked across the Bosphorus Sea to our right was the Asian side of Istanbul. It dawned on me that we were in the middle of the world, where East meets West.

We checked into the Taksim Plaza Hotel, our accommodations for the next six weeks. After settling in we set out on our first Sunday excursion to Topkapi Palace, located in Sultanmet, the oldest section of Istanbul. The Palace was built during the Ottoman Empire and was filled with the most opulent treasures, jewelry, and thrones imaginable. We were even able to tour the Sultan's harem. We then visited an authentic Turkish bath house, built in 1594. I entered the women's section, having paid for a combination Turkish bath and massage, and stepped back in time. Inside the ancient steam room the entire floor was marble and dome-shaped, heated from underneath by burning coals. After lying on the marble and soaking up the heat, a Turkish woman seemingly from another century gave me a "Turkish massage." I re-convened outside with Tony, both of us relaxed and ready to start rehearsals the next morning.

The first day of rehearsals began when we met with Yekta Kara, the Artistic Director of the Istanbul Opera and Ballet Company. Then we toured the Opera house, which is the third largest in Europe. Next, we met our stage managers and cast and began a read-through of the show in Turkish. We had two interpreters, one an opera singer from the show and one a ballet dancer.

As we began our dance rehearsals, what became apparent to me was that words weren't very necessary because dance is an international language of the body. So the best way of communicating with the dancers, was to define clearly, with my body, the lines, shapes, steps, and Bob Fosse style, attitude and isolations. It was wonderful watching these highly trained ballet dancers expand their dance vocabulary.

During the first afternoon of dance rehearsals, teaching them the "Rich Man's Frug," they were introduced to the language of Fosse - turned-in feet, tiny isolated pelvic thrusts, slope walks, self-contained body shimmies, a less-is-more mentality, and smoldering sensuality below the surface of each movement.

We chose an exquisite Russian ballerina, Tatiana, to be our lead Frug girl. She led the company with poise, elegance, and understated power. She was the first of the dancers to understand and own this new style of movement. We watched as the others followed suit and learned to finesse the steps and gain command of this language.

The company experienced an entirely unusual rehearsal process. Even if they weren't called, Tony asked them to stay and watch as much of the rehearsal process as possible, so that each of them could develop their own character and know how they related and contributed to the entire show. We mixed the singers and dancers together in many of the musical numbers, which is rarely done in this Company. We realized that many of the singers initially did not even know the dancers' names, and vice-versa.

The two principal dancers playing Nicki and Helene, having never sung in a show before, slowly became what we would call in New York triple threats - as excellent singing and acting as they are dancing. The two women alternating the role of Charity were primarily Opera singers. It was amazing to see Tony bring out their strengths and design the role for them, making them look good even though they didn't have much dance training.

In the musical number "Hey Big Spender" we combined women from the Opera chorus with ballet dancers, to be our Fandango Girls. While teaching them the style, steps, and attitude, we'd see one of the shyer opera singers not only find her character, but feel comfortable speaking with both her body and her voice.

The opening number of Act II is "The Rhythm of Life." We used over 60 people, Tony transforming the number into a huge gospel, roof-raising, gyrating extravaganza. In their entire lives I don't think some of the opera singers had ever moved parts of their bodies as Tony had them move. Tony's inspiration for the choreography in "I'm a Brass Band" was George Balanchine's ballet, Stars and Stripes. This number showcased the native language and talent of the ballet dancers.

The people we met in the company were so friendly to us and made us feel very welcome. They invited us to their homes for Turkish meals, to other theaters for Turkish musicals, and along with them to mosques and sights of Istanbul.

On our final Sunday we witnessed the mystical Sufi Whirling Dervish ritual. It's not a performance, but actually their form of meditation, which has been done for centuries, based on the teachings of Rumi. Each movement and piece of clothing is important to the ritual. They began by taking off their black robes revealing white robes underneath, signifying the death of the ego. Their tall hats signified the tombstone of the ego. As they begin to whirl, their right palm faces up to receive love and their left hand faces down to give this love. Not only is their movement a language in itself, but their dance becomes a conduit for their meditation. Words were not necessary, as they swept us into their world much as Tony and I swept the classically trained ballet dancers and opera singers into our world of musical theater.

Opening Night arrived, and at 7:15pm, with an 8:00 curtain, Tony was helping out with last-minute light cues, and I gave the final note-session to the company. Sitting in the audience as the lights dimmed and the overture began, we were nervous and excited. The "magic-of-theater" thing happened and everything came together.

We were so happy and proud, and now it's their show to own and take care of. It will be performed in their repertoire for the next six years or more, maybe becoming a tour. We danced at the opening night party until 3:00am, said our sad good-byes to our new friends, and boarded our plane the next morning to return to New York. Having had one of the most amazing times of our lives.

A few days later, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Company sent this letter to the US Embassy and EsBank [ed.]

Dancer/Choreographer Carol Schuberg lists among her performing credits Broadway, National and Regional touring companies, Film, and Television. A specialist in the styles and technique of Bob Fosse, she served as Assistant Director and Choreographer for the Istanbul State Opera production of Sweet Charity which premiered in Turkey on 6 March 1999. Most recently, she was Assistant Choreographer for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera summer production of Bye Bye Birdie. Carol has performed on Broadway in Meet Me In St. Louis (also serving as Dance Captain), Off-Broadway in Chess and in the National Tours of Cats, Tap Dance Kid and Barnum. Her regional credits include featured roles in Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie), A Chorus Line (Sheila), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Tintinabula). Carol's choreography has been seen in The Two Gentlemen of Verona for the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and Nine for New York University. Her teaching credits include classes in Theatre Dance, Jazz, Tap, and Ballet at New York University, The American Music and Dramatic Academy and at the Broadway Dance Center. Carol received her BFA as a Ballet major from the University of Utah.