“Ain’t Done Bad”: a coming out story told in dance

A talented dancer and choreographer, Jakob Karr, has come to New York from the Orlando Fringe Festival with his latest creation, Ain’t Done Bad. Using songs either written by or covered by queer country rocker Orville Peck, Karr and his troupe have created a story about a young man’s discovery of his own sexuality and his quest to find love and acceptance. It is an exciting piece, told entirely through the medium of dance, with Peck’s songs used to set the mood.

Karr plays the son. We see his interactions with his small family as he begins a non-straight journey of sexual self-discovery. His mother (Megumi Iwama) is supportive of her son’s budding differences. His brother (swing Caden Hunter at the performance I attended) is not totally understanding the son’s actions. However, his father (Adrian Lee) rejects what he sees happening with his son. The son has friends (Yusaku Komori, Jordan Lombardi), a male and female pair with whom he can be totally himself, but finally leaves his home and the tensions within his family.

The son arrives in another city, and in further exploring his sexual desires connects with two lovers (Adrian Lee and Caden Hunter in dual roles). Eventually, in a sweetly shy encounter, he meets with the lover (Josh Escover), with whom he forms a solid emotional bond. The son and the lover eventually return to the son’s home town. 

The choreography, by Karr and his associate, Grace Buckley, ranges from balletic leaps and spins to sharply angular movements staged in kaleidoscopic patterns. It is designed not only to tell the son’s story but to show off the athleticism and grace of all the dancers’ bodies. It is able to express goofy humor, the seductive allure of physical passion, the tentative nature of finding one’s true love, and the tensions and anguish of a tightly bound family confronted with the emergent self-expression of a queer child.

The music heard are the original recordings of songs either covered by Orville Peck (“Unchained Melody,” “Smalltown Boy”) or written by Peck (“Dead of Night,” “Kalahari Down,” “Let Me Drown,” “Roses Are Falling”). One of the songs, “Legends Never Die,” is a duet with Peck and Shania Twain.

Orlando’s Renaissance Theatre Company is to be commended for bringing two shows into New York for this summer of Pride: the musical From Here and Ain’t Done Bad. Both shows, performing at the Pershing Square Signature Space on 42nd Street, give differing perspectives on the LGBTQ experience. For those who are more interested in modern dance — and the sight of toned male dancers’ bodies — I recommend seeing Ain’t Done Bad.

Ain’t Done Bad is presented at the Irene Diamond Stage in the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W. 42nd Street in New York, through Aug. 31, 2024. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to aintdonebad.com or call 212-244-7529.