Holiday dance fare doesn’t have to mean icy fairylands. Sita Ram simmers with the crowds, noise, and brilliant colors of India. Like the original production, which debuted at Lookingglass Theatre in 2006, this remount is a collaborative effort by Chicago Children’s Choir, Natya Dance Theatre, and Lookingglass member David Kersnar, featuring no less than 110 singers, 32 dancers, 12 actors in principal roles, and 23 acrobats. Grammy-nominated composer Jai Uttal mined the world’s music for his commissioned score, taking inspiration from Indian, African, Caribbean, and U.S. sources, including gospel, rap, and the blues. Krithika Rajagopalan’s choreography is similarly wide-ranging—a blend of bharatanatyam and contemporary Western styles that communicates the emotional content of a moral tale.
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12/14-12/15: Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 2 and 7:30 PM, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph, 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org, $15-$65.
