The Boy Who Danced on Air
Book and LyRosser
Choreography by Nejla Yatkin
Music Direction by David Gardos
Directed by Tony Speciale
Abingdon Theatre Company
June 9, 2017
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

And now a song and dance musical essentially about pedophilia.  How’s that for a crowd pleaser?  I am starting my theatre extravaganza a day before my group with a musical probably best done without my gang of students. The Boy Who Danced in the Air is a musical (imagine that) based on the practice of bacha bazi — “boy play” in the Dari language of Afghanistan — is an “ancient tradition where wealthy men buy boys from poorer families” and “train them to dance.” “So the sexual abuse, which the show does not ignore, is seen in the context of historical precedent and local culture, much as those who defend it ask us to see genital cutting.” Imagine that musical . . . This one I’m seeing by myself.

It took me awhile to be able to handle this exploitation of young boys in the context of singing and dancing.  It made sense when I saw the documentary of “bacha bazi”.  I found the documentary fascinating but it was so odd to see the story break out not song and dance.  It was obvious that this was the beginning of a workshop on an idea for a musical.  There were a lot of loose ends and detours that detracted from the story.  The love story between two of the “boys” was a bit contrived – I think giving the show a reason to have a love song or two.  I also found the dialect of the show TOO American.  I realize they are not going to speak Arabic – but too many phrases screamed American English.

The most beautiful part of the show was the dancing that was done by the young boys as they were instructed to dance as women.  It was amazing to see their bodies transform.  They became women for those moments.

I always enjoy seeing straight plays workshop their way into existence.  It is much rarer (at least for me) to find a musical workshopping into being.  I considered it a treat.