From left: Brendon Chan, Aché Richardson, Tyson Hill, and Marideth and Austin Telenko shine a light on their dancing with cell phones as they also livestream their performance of 11 to Midnight.
11 to Midnight is a funky, dance-driven show by Austin and Marideth Telenko (the social media sensations Cost n’ Mayor) in partnership with Lyndsay Magid Aviner (who also directs) and Jacob Aviner of Hideaway Circus. Set on New Year’s Eve between the hours of 11 and midnight, the production presents a festive feel before it begins. Cast members casually chat with the audience as they take their seats, holding a large stack of sticky notes on which they write down missives, meant to echo New Year’s resolutions.
Austin and Marideth Telenko (social media stars known as Cost n’ Mayor) find love in the high-energy show 11 to Midnight. Photographs by Rebecca J. Michelson.
The story centers on the romance between Austin and Marideth, who play “Husband” and “Wife” (and are married in real life). Gathered in their small New York City apartment, seven friends—Brendon Chan (“His Cousin”), Tyson Hill (“His Single Friend”), Kati Simon (“Her Former Roommate”), Makenzie Olsen (“Her Friend From Work”), and Aché Richardson (“Our Famous Friend”)—mingle, drink, and watch the Times Square celebration on TV. As they wait for the ball to drop, the show captures the magic of New Year’s Eve: the idea that you can “start again and be who you want to be.”
The show splinters off into story lines that highlight each character’s real and imagined challenges. Chan (“His Cousin”), adorable in glasses and a fluffy buzz cut, imagines an alter ego: a superhero who scales buildings, slays dragons, and brings justice to the city.
The Telenkos (left) with (clockwise) Olsen, Chan, and Hill create a break-dance game called Don’t Spill Your Drink.
Tyson, a short, muscular dancer with swagger, can’t seem to get a date; he ends up performing a swooning duet with a broom to Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night.” Makenzie has her eye on Tyson, but both are too shy to take the first step.
Makenzie perks up when she hears a confidence-boosting ad for Planet Fitness which promises “Confidence doesn’t start at midnight. It starts the moment you decide to show up.” Her individual scene melts away into a gym scene, featuring cast members in short shorts and neon-colored headbands, turning her confidence-boosting into a hilarious riff on gym culture. However, returning to the party scene, they stay on opposite ends of the room, stealing glances. Neither the broom nor Planet Fitness seems to bolster their confidence in the dating department.
Kati is Marideth’s forsaken roommate. The sound design (Ben Scheff) and lighting (beautifully created by Jeff Croiter and Sean Beach) brilliantly highlight how even a small space can become severely divided. Upstage sits an imaginary door leading to Marideth and Kati’s bedrooms. At one point, Marideth “enters” through the “door” just as Kati “exits” to her own room. When the door opens, a sliver of light peeks through; the sound effects of the door clicking shut effectively emphasizes the wedge between the roommates, who become two ships passing in the night.
Barbara Erin Delo’s costumes are an eye-popping cornucopia of colors, textures, and patterns. Aché (“Our Famous Friend”) wears an outfit that blends past and present (think Jimi Hendrix circa 1960s blended with 1980s à la voguing club dancers). Tall and sinewy, Aché—the character we know the least about—has an expressive face that mixes playfulness with a “Back off!” vibe, fitting for a celebrity persona. Jacob Aviner’s music mix offers a fun soundtrack that highlights old and new, re-imagining the beats and vibe of each. There are some especially fun mixes, such as a blend of TV ads that cuts and splices the Friends theme song “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name” to the Meow Mix jingle: “Meow, meow, meow, meow… Meow mix, tastes so good cats ask for it by name.”
Chan imagines himself to be a Clark Kent–type of superhero who defeats his nemesis; a dragon who terrorizes the city.
11 to Midnight sits at a unique intersection of dance and theater without being a traditional example of either. There are hints of Rent—also set in New York City—in its structure and creativity. But where Rent captures the height of the AIDS pandemic and a city on the edge of despair, 11 to Midnight is a celebratory lovefest.
While the characters aren’t fully developed, and don’t necessarily overcome their challenges, the talented cast give high-octane, infectious performances. It’s a reminder that creativity is daring and that dance is uplifting: the show is a wonderful escape from the climate of despair that surrounds us today.
11 to Midnight plays through May 31 at the Orpheum Theater (126 2nd Ave,). Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday; at 8 p.m. Saturday; and at 5 p.m. Sunday. Matinees are at 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. There are additional shows at 7:30 p.m. on April 15 and May 20. For tickets and information, visit 11tomidnight.com.
Choreographers: Austin & Marideth Telenko (aka Cost n’ Mayor)
Director: Lyndsay Magid Aviner
Set Designer: Arnel Sancianco
Costume Designer: Barbara Erin Delo
Lighting Designer: Jeff Croiter & Sean Beach
Sound Designer: Ben Scheff
Original Compositions: Jacob Aviner
