Freya West - Typewriter

"Mickey Mousing"is a technique used in film and television, especially early cartoons, in which music is timed directly to the action on screen, and where sound effects can lend a powerful underscore to exaggerate specific actions. Let's say a cartoon wolf in a zoot suit is walking down the street to some swingin' beats, twirling a stylish walking stick in time to a jazzy tempo. Then a sexy lady crosses the street in front of him, his eyes telescope out of his skull, and a distinctive foghorn "Ah-ooo-GAH" emanates from somewhere unseen. That's all Mickey Mousing.

The wild, wild Freya West utilizes this concept beautifully in her typewriter act, with shimmies and shakes perfectly considered and synchronized to mimic the actions of the machines most of us were forced to utilize for a semester of high school home economics classes. The number is spry, it's whimsical, and all-around it's a breath of fresh air in a show. The service bell delightfully ensconced in her headpiece which she uses as an exclamation throughout the number takes this from a quick, fun act to a powerfully memorable one. Sometimes it's the details that sell the thing.

In writing these essays, I'm trying to determine WHY exactly I enjoy these specific acts, because I believe it makes me a better admirer of the art to examine and critique them. But as a writer, you know I'm going to love a typewriter that dances. It's just science.