Margo Sappington

On a cold night in Milwaukee high art meets pop culture as award winning choreographer Margo Sappington (OH! CALCUTTA!, BILLBOARDS) premieres her latest ballet, "Common People", set to the music of William Shatner and Ben Folds from their album, Has Been. GONZO BALLET explores the genesis of this unique artistic collaboration by fusing the music, poetry, and dance of "Common People" with interviews of the creators, dancers, and audience members.

Billboards is a ballet created by the Joffrey Ballet featuring the works of Prince. The premiere was on Wednesday, January 27, 1993, at Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa, Iowa City. No new music was used, although Prince contributed a special extended ten minute orchestrated version of "Thunder" from the Diamonds and Pearls album. A video of the performance was released on VHS in February 1994, and on Laserdisc format.

Based on the controversial off-Broadway musical comedy revue, "Oh! Calcutta!" is a series of musical numbers about sex and sexual mores. Most of the skits feature one or more performers in a state of undress, simulating sex, or both. The show sparked considerable controversy at the time because it featured extended scenes of total nudity, both male and female. The title is taken from a painting by Clovis Trouille, itself a pun on "O quel cul t'as!" French for "What an arse you have!".