It's been fifty years since Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band first hit the airwaves and Beatles fans everywhere are commemorating the band’s trippy eighth album. In Berkeley, renowned choreographer Mark Morris is adding to the celebrations with a vibrant new dance work titled Pepperland, a frolicsome appreciation of the groundbreaking album.
Pepperland premiered in Liverpool last year, before heading to Berkley’s CalPerformances for three nights only next week. Featuring a score by longtime Morris collaborator Ethan Iverson, the production includes a unique chamber ensemble performing iconic songs from the record mixed with imaginative original compositions. The dancers are coated in candy-colored pastels reminiscent of the fabulous foursome’s retro-military garb.