OUTDOING THE BARD

Is it sacrilege to say that Sir Kenneth MacMillan's ballet tells the story of Romeo and Juliet as eloquently as Shakespeare's verse?  It is more difficult to find mature and gifted actors who can act and sound like teenagers than it is to find ballet dancers who can convince us.  There is not a wasted scene in this 1965 three-act ballet created for the Royal Ballet in 1965 and introduced to American Ballet Theatre two decades later.

The sets and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis recreate the world of Renaissance Verona in a most believable fashion, in spite of the absence of the Arena of our memory.  Everything evokes a Renaissance painting with burnt sienna, burnt umber and ochre being the main colors.  As regular readers will have noticed, we adore verisimilitude.  We felt transported to another time and place, much as we did at the Metropolitan Opera's magnificent production of Wagner's Die Meistersinger.

Prokofiev's score comprises set pieces for each scene, moving from lyrical adagios for the romantic duets to lively allegro music for the street scenes with an ominous foreboding theme to illuminate the strands of the tragedy.  Charles Barker did an exemplary job of conducting.  The woodwinds were particularly remarkable.

The ABT dancers did a superlative job of assuming the attitudes of the citizens of Verona.  There were aristocrats with their arrogance and their finery, members of a wedding party, some pretty randy "painted ladies", a crippled beggar, and some regular townfolk reacting to the events in the plaza.  In spite of the categories, each member of the corp seemed to have his/her own distinguishable personality.  This Verona is not a happy place.  Gangs of young men are too quick to draw their swords and the death rate soars.  Likewise the women of the town scorn the "painted ladies" who retaliate with their own provocation.   It is well to remember that such realismo was new in 1965.  Sir Kenneth is said to have been inspired by John Cranko's choreography of R&J but he was no copycat.

As Juliet, Diana Vishneva created a headstrong adolescent still playing with dolls in Act I but maturing considerably by the end of the ballet.  Not only was she at the peak of her form-- dazzling with her footwork, elegant with her port de bras-- but also most persuasive with her acting.  Her supple spine lent great pathos to her death pose and equally great vulnerability to the lifts.

Marcelo Gomes overcame his manly handsomeness with enough acting skill to convince us that he was a teenager in the throes of first love, as he switched his attention from Rosaline to Juliet.  His dancing has always been remarkable in terms of technique, partnering skills and musicality; his acting skills have grown enormously.  His chemistry with Ms. Vishneva was unmistakeable.

As Mercutio, Craig Salstein danced his heart out; the sword fight with Tybalt (a suitably nasty Sascha Radetsky) was frighteningly convincing and brought to mind last week's Salon/Sanctuary program illustrating the common background of ballet and sword-fighting.  (See review).  Romeo's other friend Benvolio was danced by the fleet-footed Daniil Simkin.  Susan Jones provided comic relief as Juliet's nurse.  The three "painted ladies" were danced y Luciana Paris, Simone Messmer and Kristi Boone.

We could easily say that the saddest scene we have seen all year was Romeo trying to dance with a deathly limp Juliet.  The only thing that would be more heart-breaking would be if ABT decided to "modernize" this perfectly perfect production.

© meche kroop

A SWAN TO CHEER

The ABT audience loves to cheer-- and cheer they did at last night's performance of Swan Lake, starring two major stars of the ballet world, Polina Semionova and David Hallberg.  The Petipa/Ivanov choreography we know and love has endured for over a century with periodic tweaking, including that of Baryshnikov and, in the current version, by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.  There are those who rail against the Prologue in which Odette's backstory is revealed; we belong to the camp that appreciates it.  We actually get to witness von Rothbart the Evil Sorcerer transform the beautiful young maiden into a swan.  Great theater!

If there is a better ballet, we have not seen it, although Giselle and Romeo and Juliet come close.  Gorgeously tuneful and lavishly orchestrated music by Tchaikovsky?  Check.  Lucid storytelling?  Check.  Dazzling choreography for the principals?  Check.  Dazzling sets and costumes?  Check.

At last night's performance, Polina Semionova was deftly partnered by the long-limbed Mr. Hallberg whose line is regally poetic and whose technique is unsurpassed.  Ms. Semionova was luminous and added some very special touches to her Act III fouetées.  Their partnership leaves nothing to be desired.  Mr. Hallberg's acting was most convincing in Act III; he made it easy for us to "feel his pain".  He was distressed by his mother's insistence on his choosing a bride; his disappointment with each Princess was palpable; his delight when Odile arrives was plain; his passion for the woman he thought was his beloved was thrilling; and his despair when he realized the deception was heartbreaking.  If only he had created a character in Act I it would have been perfect.  As performed, it was difficult to tell what sort of Prince he was and what his relationships were with his mother, his tutor and his best friend.  We have written before about Max Beloserkovsky's Prince Siegfried who shows us all that and more.  Perhaps it is his Russian soul.

Roman Zhurbin danced the role of the monster von Rothbart while the Count in human form was performed by Alexandre Hammoudi who lacks the compelling seductiveness with which Marcelo Gomes invests the role.  The Pas de Trois was neatly executed by Stella Abrera, Maria Riccetto and Sascha Radetsky.  The corps de ballet might have been a bit sharper and one wished for sprightlier cygnettes.

David LaMarche conducted the familiar score without any unwelcome surprises.  Sets and costumes by Zack Brown have held up well and serve the production, as does the atmospheric lighting by Duane Schuler.

(c) meche kroop

Ashton 10 Ratmansky 2

 

A pair of one act ballets at ABT left us wishing we had slipped out during the intermission.  Not enough good things could be said about Frederick Ashton's "The Dream" from 1964; no encomium could do justice to Herman Cornejo's portrayal of Puck.  Wait... portrayal is not the right word.  Mr. Cornejo inhabited the role; one could easily say that he owns it, endowing the character with great joie de vivre, mischievousness, jaw-dropping athleticism, and consummate artistry. 

We all know the story and this is just another case in which a master choreographer can tell the story so that it makes sense; it delights the child in us at the same time as it awakens the adult in us to the vagaries of romantic love.  As Oberon, Cory Stearns was as regal as any King of the Fairies could be.  As Titania, Xiomara Reyes was adorable, if not quite convincing as a Queen.  (She was far more convincing last week as Juliet).  Alexei Agoudine was hilarious as Bottom.  The complicated romantic tribulations of the four Athenians were made crystal clear by Maria Riccetto, Stella Abrera, Sascha Radetsky and Jared Matthews.  Ormsby Wilkins conducted Mendelssohn's delightful score and the Young People's Chorus of New York City sang beautifully.

But oh, that Firebird!  Alexei Ratmansky, Artist in Residence at ABT, can be faulted for trashing a ballet some of us know and love.  Over a century ago, artist/designer Alexandre Benois collaborated with choreographer Michel Fokine and wedded together two Russian folktales, that of the Firebird and that of Katshchei the Immortal.  Diaghilev's Ballets Russes  gave the premiere in Paris where it was an enormous success.  Balanchine also choreographed the work for New York City Ballet and updated the costumes and the sets over the years, eventually settling on Marc Chagall's.  Mr. Ratmansky shows himself to be a pipsqueak in the shadow of giants.  It is sad that in today's audience, there are many who have nothing with which to compare this version and who may leave the theater totally perplexed by this violation of a classic.

The stage is filled with firebirds, all dressed alike, with nothing to distinguish THE Firebird except the outstanding dancing of Natalia Osipova.  Poor Ivan, splendidly danced by Marcelo Gomes, is introduced wandering through bare rooms with doors.  WTF!  The maidens are hideously garbed in green, looking like they wandered over from "Wicked"; worse still, they are given some kind of post-modern witchy-twitchy-itchy movements that make them look spastic, rather than entranced by Katshchei, powerfully danced by David Hallberg, whose makeup makes him look like he could slice bread with his face.  It is hard to believe that Ivan would choose any one of these green ghouls as his beloved.  But he does, he chooses Simone Messmer who did not make much of an impression with her dancing, probably because of the choreography. After Katshchei is destroyed (Ivan breaks the egg containing his soul), off come the green wigs and horrid dresses revealing unbecoming blond wigs and white shifts.  These are attributed to Galina Solovyeva and the weird sci-fi scenery to Simon Pastukh.

There is a puzzling pas de quatre for the Firebird, Ivan, the Maiden and Katshchei that conveys nothing about their respective characters, intentions or relationships.  All in all, there are profound deficits in storytelling and, with few exceptions, a lack of beauty and grace.  And isn't that what we want when we go to the ballet?  Otherwise, we may as well go see post-modern dance.

The score by Stravinsky was commissioned for the ballet when he was but a youth and it brought him great success.  Charles Barker conducted it with spirit.  It could best be enjoyed by closing ones eyes.

(c) meche kroop