Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem
A genre-defying performance of profound thought, music, dance, and song.
Patrick Olson in a scene from his show “Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem” at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Pershing Square Signature Center (Photo credit: Russ Rowland)
Christopher Caz, Critic
So this bald guy wearing a flamboyant suit and chunky glasses comes out onto the stage. He starts talking; his voice is warm and strong, his eyes sparkling and bright, his expression inquisitive and searching. He begins to drop statements which sound scientific, then segues into the subjective, swerve to the philosophic, and shoot into the fantastic. Before you know it, his words break out into song, surrounded by a rich four-piece band, lights, dancers, and backup singers.
What is this thing, Emergence? A science lecture? A concert? A math class? A musical? A religious revival? A philosophy lesson? Who can say for sure, but there’s no sense trying to define it. Emergence simply does just that: emerges onto the ears, eyes, and minds of the audience, courtesy of creator and performer Patrick Olson and his host of excellent musicians, singers and dancers.
Cherry Davis, Summer Sheldrick, Miya Bass, Lavy Cavaliere, Bela Kosal, Dana Liebezeit and Samara Brown surround Patrick Olson in a scene from his show “Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem” at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Pershing Square Signature Center (Photo credit: Russ Rowland)
Olson might very well be the three-way love child of Thomas Dolby, Bill Irwin, and Max Headroom. He carries the show with an unbridled, infectious, childlike enthusiasm, sharing what he knows and loves–science and music–using songs he wrote in his car and lyrics that support his storytelling. He puts on this show like a life-long project that he couldn’t wait to find the barn for.
Olson reels us all in as he fills our minds with profundities in the same ease and flair he might have if he were telling us an evening of dad jokes. He shares postulates about time, space, color, light, thought, consciousness, love, and existence, in easy-to-grasp terms using purposeful words and with exquisite imagery.
Patrick Olson in a scene from his show “Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem” at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Pershing Square Signature Center (Photo credit: Russ Rowland)
Singers Miya Bass, Samara Brown, Cherry Davis, and Bella Kosal are more than just backup vocalists. Uniformly dressed in smart black, reminiscent of dancers in a Robert Palmer video, they support Olson with fantastic vocals, yet are each distinctly burgeoning talents in their own light. Uncredited choreography, both modern and balletic, is well-placed throughout the performance, and is expertly performed by strong, lithe, and impressive dancers Summer Sheldrick, Dana Liebezeit and Lavy Cavaliere.
The combination of lighting design and LED visual design provided by Wasted Potential, Jordan Noltner, Jonathon Corbiere, Tyler Sammy, Nick Proctor and FutureTalk Inc. is superb and dreamy, perfectly complementing all aspects of this production.
Patrick Olson and the cast of his “Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem” at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Pershing Square Signature Center (Photo credit: Russ Rowland)
Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem might defy categorization and challenge description; ultimately it is a living, breathing organism that both entertains and makes a person think, and deeply. Quirky, whimsical, profound, and mind-blowing, Emergence is not to be missed. Brilliant!
Emergence: Things Are Not As They Seem (through January 7, 2024)
The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W. 42nd Street, in Manhattan
For tickets visit https://emergenceshow.com/
Running time: one hour and 25 minutes without an intermission
I loved the show, and saw it twice. (I wanted to bring more people to the experience). Lecture meets guided meditation, with wonderful music and dance.
Patrick is completely charming, and conveys the science with a sense of almost childlike wonder. I had a smile on my face throughout the show!
Emergence, which I’ve seen three times, unveils itself more every time I see it. I’ve discovered new facets of the show- the way the dancers sync up with the singers and mirror Olson’s movements, the acapella trade off between the singers and the band (who also sing well!), and the layered harmonies and quirky asides that pepper some songs. But I am deeply impressed by how cohesive Olson’s show is, how the monologues weave science into human experience and ultimately into art with the music. Like a flower opening up new layers of petals, Emergence is a show I’d recommend seeing more than once.