http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/11/25/entertainment/local/a8a
541eb71c05cd68625739e001871ab.txt

'Red Nativity' entertaining, educational

By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer

A handful of words can't do justice to Brule's holiday concert "Red
Nativity."

Drawing on several elements of the arts -- dance, music, art and film -- it
managed to bridge several gaps at once. Primarily, it showed how Native
American culture can morph into several others while retaining its own
integrity.

Playing at the Orpheum Theatre Saturday night, the two-hour production
neatly educated, entertained and enlightened.

Those unfamiliar with the group could latch onto familiar Christmas carols
-- "Silent Night," "We Three Kings," "O Holy Night" -- and find an opening
into the world of the Lakota tribe.

Paul LaRoche, founder of the South Dakota-based band, set the songs to a
Native American beat, added superior dancing and augmented it all with
Broadway-style lighting.

The result was pretty spectacular.

While this year's production featured a little more smoke than necessary,
it appealed to more than one sense at a time. Indeed, the Many Moccasins
Dancers created whirling bursts of color as they spun around in Fancy
Dances, Grass Dances and Hoop Dances.

Thirza DeFoe and Lowery Begay were particularly good (as they were in
previous years) with Hoop Dances that managed to reference birds, fish --
you name it.

Several songs were accompanied by Mannheim Steamroller-like visuals but the
lighting behind the screen was often so bright it made things like falling
snow and buffalo herds difficult to see. For the show's final number, the
background lights were dimmed and the effect worked. Interestingly,
spotlights on the performers -- drummers Moses Brings Plenty and Clay
Bryan, guitarist Shane LaRoche and flutist Nicole LaRoche -- weren't as
bright as they needed to be. Often, the musicians were hidden in the
shadows, a real shame considering their talent.

Paul LaRoche talked about the group's first television special -- shot at
Mount Rushmore. Unfortunately, there wasn't a clip or a cut from the
special, which might have primed yet another pump.

Instead, the show stayed pretty true to its past, including tributes to
elders and veterans, a song about the buffalo jump and a "Little Drummer
Boy" adaptation that managed to get five dancers performing the Native
American equivalent of a Rockettes spectacular.

Brings Plenty -- an actor who has appeared in such films as "Pirates of the
Caribbean" and "Hidalgo" -- has emerged as the group's comic relief,
telling stories that play off Brule's roots and manage to jab LaRoche. The
light approach was good, particularly since so many of the holiday songs
had a solemn, almost mournful tone.

Every year, though, the duet between Paul and Nicole earns the tears it
produces. This year's was no exception. The two presented a powerful "O
Holy Night" that showed just how effective the band can be without the
extras.

For those who have seen "Red Nativity," the 2007 production was a
no-surprises, welcome re-creation. For newcomers, it was an introduction to
something that's singularly unforgettable.