If "The Turning Point" and "Fame" got married and had a baby it would be "Center Stage." Aspiring to a level of utter shamelessness it achieves without so much as breaking a sweat, this ballet world romance grand jetee's its way across the sceen with the force of a triple hot-fudge sundae with sprinkles, almonds and real whipped cream, plus strawberries And a masichino cherry on top. Not a nanosecond of it is to be taken seriously
Thank goodness.
It's a "guilty pleasure" that if you're a balletomane or a teenage girl with dreams of Moira Shearer-like fame, or someone who just loves the sight of men in tights, you won't feel all that "guilty" about.
Ethan Stiefel is the main attraction here; cast as a Baryshnikov-like heartbreak who wins then discards Our Heroine (Amanda Schull). But don't worry, she has another swain waiting in the wings -- the equally humpy Sascha Radetsky. There's a very funny scene in which the two guys try to out-leap each other in ballet class to impress her. God those ballet dancers are so butch!
No cliche is left unturned in this look at ABT dancers in training. Peter Gallagher is more Peter Gallagher than ever as the head of the school -- with a love'em and leave'em history of his own. Donna Murphy is his top teacher -- a harridan with a heart of gold. Among the kids Zoe Saldana is a standout as the feisty black girl who pretends she doesn't give a damn, but of course she does, and despite the fact she tells off all the teachers s really talented. Susan May Prattdoes her best as the Prima Ballerina Most Likely, with an awful stage mother (Debra Monk), and is a bulemic to boot (quel surprise!) But she's rescued from pursuing a career she Doesn't Really Want by (here comes the science fiction part) New York's Only Straight Cater- Waiter (Eion Bailey). Ilia Kulik (of skating fame) is suitably decorative as a Russain student, and Shakiem Evens is very good as a very out gay dancer who's Everybody's Best Pal.
The grand finale (One ballet to Rachmanninoff, another to 90's pop) suggests a cross between "Showgirls" and "The Red Shoes." It's a bad taste classic in itself.
Nicholas Hytner directs Carol Heikkinen's script as if he believed every word of it. Producer Larry Mark believes there's an audience for this kind of glitzy-sincere nonsense. And he's absolutely right.
