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It takes two

By April Isaacs

Coinciding with its 30th anniversary, Sunnyside's Thalia Spanish Theatre has brought another tango show to the stage, intertwining the sultriness of Argentinian music with the iconic duplicity of its accompanying dance, in the world premiere performance of “[he]Tango & [she] Milonga,” running for eight weeks through February and March. The show is directed by Thalia's artistic director, Angel Gil Orrios, and features music composed, arranged and directed by world-renowned bandoneon maestro and 2007 Latin Grammy Award winner Raul Jaurena. In 2007, Jaurena won a Latin Grammy for his album “Te Amo Tango,” a live recording of the 2005 show of the same title that he developed and premiered at Thalia, which was released on CD by Soundbrush Records. A former child prodigy from Uruguay, Jaurena has been playing the bandoneon – a traditional Argentine instrument similar to the concertina – in tango orchestras since the age of 4, performing with such tango greats as Astor Piazzolla. Arguably the world's top bandoneon virtuoso, Jaurena is wildly popular in Europe, requiring Thalia to book him three years in advance to compose for and direct original shows for the theater. Orrios describes the theater as an artistic home for Jaurena, not only because of the creative freedom it allows him, but also because it's the site of his U.S. debut as a bandoneon player in 1988. “It's like a lab” for Jaurena, Orrios said. “A place where you can take risks.” Tango shows generally involve a mixture of dance performance and orchestral concert with simple storylines, sometimes with a flavor of American cabaret – past shows at Thalia have featured musical arrangements from “All That Jazz,” for example. In “[he] Tango & [she] Milonga,” however, director Orrios experiments with an interactive element, and provides a space during the show for audience members to join the dancers and musicians on stage to tango. This new component to Thalia's annual tango shows was based on feedback Orrios has received from past performances. “Everyone always says that they want an opportunity to dance,” he said.”[he] Tango & [she] Milonga” is divided into three 30-minute segments with no intermission. The first segment, set in a bordello, depicts the historical birthplace of tango and the “[he] Tango” portion of the show – the more formalized of the two styles, and ascribed to the masculine gender. The second part takes place in a public courtyard and focuses on the female “[she] Milonga” mode, a lighter, community-minded version of tango. “'Tango' is melancholic, nostalgic É what you would usually see in a formal tango concert, while 'Milonga' is happy, batty, joyful in spirit,” Orrios said of the two styles. Milonga is also the name for public dance halls in Argentina and Uruguay, where anyone who wants to can dance tango, which is why Orrios has chosen the end of the “[she] Milonga” segment for audience participation. The final act presents a traditional tango show combining music, song and dance. “[he] Tango & [she] Milonga” runs through March 23 at Thalia Spanish Theatre. In addition to Jaurena on the bandoneon, the ensemble includes pianist Octavio Orlowsky, double bassist Ken Filiano, violinist Ali Bello, clarinetist David Orlowsky, guitarist Ruben Isola, singers Marga Mitchell and Sergio Eduardo, and dancers Carolina Jaurena, Ant—n Gazenbeek, Anna Padron and Diego Blanco.If You Go[he] Tango & [she] Milonga Date: Through March 23Time: Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.Cost: $30; students & seniors $27; Fridays $25For More: www.thaliatheatre.org or 718-729-3880 for tickets.