Romeo & Juliet opened its run on April 21, 2023, produced by San Francisco Ballet at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House. Set to music by Sergei Prokofiev conducted by Martin West and choreographed by Helgi Tomasson.
The romantic story is dramatic and moving. Scenery and costume design by Jens-Jacob Worsaae work together with the lyrical choreography to transport us. Visually the large sets with a bridge are impactful and skilfully used in the mise en scene. Costumes are of rich textures and earth tones that evoke a time gone by very effectively, together with lighting design by Thomas R. Skelton.
Tomasson’s choreography is beautiful in the duets and all ensemble sequences. In fact the ballroom scene is breathtaking when all dancers move forward at once in a show of grace and strength, it’s a powerful image not to be forgotten.
Jasmine Jimison is a beautiful Juliet in every way – it is her story – and we are transfixed to her scenes when she is at the ball, meets Romeo, stridently negates her parents wishes of a suitor – and then entangles herself in the tragic events. Jimison is youthful and authentic with muscular precision, joy, freedom and sadness. Partnered with Angelo Greco as her Romeo they are well matched with visceral movement and lovely interactions.
A formidable cast play parents and friends of the star struck couple, led by Ricardo Bustamante and Jennifer Stahl as Lord and Lady Capulet, Luke Ingham as Tybalt, Rubén Cítores Nieto and Katita Waldo as Lord and Lady Montague, Max Cauthorn as Benvolio and Anita Paciotti as Juliet’s Nurse.
Sword fights take centre stage in this ballet between Montague and Capulet rivals – dynamically performed by Cauthorn and Ingham – and are some of the best I have seen in a ballet setting, with vibrant and dynamic fight scene choreography by Martino Pistone in collaboration with Helgi Tomasson.
The current production at Masquers Playhouse in Richmond showcases Jaclyn Backhaus’ On the Moors Now, March 17-April 8. As part of their 2023 season tribute to women, the show features a female playwright (Backhaus), director (Angelina LaBarre) and protagonists.
Backhaus brings together familiar Victorian literary characters, matches them with “modern sensibilities” and transports them to “an in-between world of the 1800’s and today” according to LaBarre. In this surreal place, Jo (Little Women), Cathy (Wuthering Heights), Elizabeth (Pride & Prejudice) and Jane (Jane Eyre) meet, become friends and create new stories for their lives.
Isabella DaSilva (Elizabeth), Maelle Griffin (Jo), Anna Oglesby-Smith (Cathy) and Alix Josefski (Jane) all distinguish themselves in their roles. Oglesby-Smith’s moving narrations and Josefski’s comedic timing stand out. Austin Trenholm (Darcy), Kyle Carillo-Enders (Laurence), Oz Sobal (Heathcliffe) and Diego Loza (Rochester) are equally talented as the male counterparts.
Jon Hull frames the set with pages ripped from books by Austen, Alcott and the Bronte sisters indicating their stories have been pulled apart. His design captures the eeriness of the Moors in the background and lighting by Gill Stanfield sets the mood. Masquers productions consistently feature lovely and authentic costumes and this production is no exception. Mara Norleen’s costume design is dazzling.
While the storyline is sometimes hard to follow, the actors’ and production team’s talent and commitment to the show make it easy to enjoy.
Coming up next at Masquers is Roe, June 9 to July 2, written by Lisa Loomer and directed by Michael Sally.
The leading and character roles are played by a different cast at each performance and on opening night, March 31, 2023 Cinderella was danced by Misa Kuranaga. This role is strenuous in the amount of choreography and emoting the character does in her journey as an orphan to fulfil her dreams of going to the ball. We all know the story and what happens eventually, but Wheeldon took elements from several versions of the Cinderella story as told decades ago, and this Cinderella is fresh in the new ideas and imagery it brings.
Kuranaga is notable as Cinderella with lovely projection and sublime, fluid movement throughout all her solos, duets and when she joins other groups along the way. Throughout the entire ballet she sustains her light dance quality and goes through a range of emotions from sadness to pure joy and wonderment.
Jennifer Stahl as Hortensia, the stepmother is beautifully strange, usually accompanied by her two daughters, Cinderella’s stepsisters, danced by Elizabeth Powell and Ellen Rose Hummel, forming a deliciously quirky and powerful trio with choreography and angular movement to match.
Prince Guillaume danced by Isaac Hernandez is Cinderella’s romantic lead and works well with his childhood friend, Benjamin, danced by charismatic Esteban Hernández. Their sword interplay is mirrored in Act 1 when the boys were young children and then become grown up versions – this makes a connection and through line to focus on throughout the story timeline.
Tiit Helimets plays Cinderella’s Father partnered with Cinderella’s Mother, Kamryn Baldwin in some tender parental moments.
A curious group of characters in dark blue and black waft in and out of each act adding an ethereal element to the storytelling. They are ‘helpers’ as in various genres of theatre and performance and interact with and around Cinderella and others somewhat like a Greek Chorus, moving the story forward and facilitating otherworldly action. These are the Fates, a dynamic group danced by Daniel Deivison-Oliveira, Steven Morse, Alexander Reneff-Olson, John-Paul Simoens. The Fates are a vital part of this witty reimagining of Cinderella – and they look like they are having too much fun!
Outstanding scenic and beautiful costume design by the renowned Julian Crouch is creativity personified. Stunning sets and transitions truly transport the audience into the magical nether world and back to reality with clever choices that work together perfectly with Wheeldon’s imagination and vision. Lighting design by Natasha Katz and Projection design by Daniel Brodie are all part of this magic together with Basil Twist for his show stopping tree and carriage sequence direction/design.
If you have not yet seen Wheeldon’s Cinderella, do so, it will take you away to where anything is possible!
Reviewed by Suzanne Angeo (member, American Theatre Critics Association; Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle), and Greg Angeo (Member Emeritus, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle)
Photos courtesy of Sean Carter Photography
Craig Bentley, Mark Rademacher
Hilarious and Poignant “Harry”
In its Michigan Premiere at Meadow Brook Theatre, “Harry Townsend’s Last Stand” manages to be powerful, and funny, and bittersweet, all at the same time. It touches on a subject that is relevant to everyone, but that everyone wants to avoid talking about – what happens when we grow old. People are living longer than ever before, as families face the challenges of aging. This new play could be one of the most important works to come along in recent years.
It began life as a prize-winning short story by George Eastman, a retired Massachusetts teacher turned playwright, based on his own family. It changed titles a couple of times, gained admirers in Hollywood and New York, and built momentum in a staged reading off-Broadway. It then opened at the New York City Center’s Stage II to a sold-out performance in early December 2019. It was so popular with audiences and critics that its run was extended to April 2020.
It’s easy to see why. The story is so well written and unfolds in such a charming way, you can’t help but be drawn in. Pathos and sorrow are generously leavened with gentle humor and raunchy wisecracks. There is something so familiar about these people, these situations; the conversations are natural-sounding, the characters are irresistible, and real.
The trouble with Harry, an 84 year-old widower, is that he’s in stubborn denial about his declining health and growing dependence on his two middle-aged children. He’s a dynamo: a former local radio personality who helped build the lakeside community in Vermont where he has lived for many decades, in the lovely house he shared with his late wife. Harry falls a lot but refuses to use a walker. He has major health issues but won’t see a doctor. He does reckless things and scares his family. He has treasured lifelong memories, but can’t remember what was said five minutes ago. He has an endless supply of racy jokes and outrageous comments.
His son, Alan, a successful real estate agent in Southern California, is in Vermont visiting Harry for the weekend. Soon long-simmering tensions between the two boil to the surface. His twin sister (away with her new husband in New York) had been staying with Harry as his caregiver, but it’s getting to be too much for her, and a big change is in the wind. Harry has a decision to make, but doesn’t want to make it.
Craig Bentley, Mark Rademacher
The two male cast members are effective counterpoints – contrasting personalities in the father/son dynamic that are interesting to watch. MBT, TV and film veteran Mark Rademacher is simply wonderful as the spirited, gregarious Harry, grappling with the defiant desire for independence and the fear of the unknown. And another MBT and NYC veteran Craig Bentley, as strait-laced, intensely subdued Alan, captures a son’s frustration mixed with love. Both have great comic timing, a rare talent and really essential to this show.
The set by Brian K Kessler is picture-perfect, representing a lovingly handcrafted home. The dramatic lighting by Brian Debs is a vital part of the story.
Director Travis Walter has done it again – his strong instincts for storytelling, pacing and natural dialogue drive the events. The show’s nearly two hours fly by, and you leave wanting to know more about this family, and how similar they may be to your own.
Now through April 16, 2023
Tickets $37 to $46
Meadow Brook Theatre at Wilson Hall
Oakland University
378 Meadow Brook Rd
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
(248) 377-3300
www.mbtheatre.com
A special note: As Covid-19 is a constantly changing situation, MBT will be monitoring and adhering to the guidance given by the CDC, the State of Michigan, the Actor’s Equity Association, and Oakland University. Check the Meadow Brook Theatre website at www.mbtheatre.com for the latest information on efforts to keep everyone safe.
This theater operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers of the United States. The theater operates under the agreement with the International Alliance of Theatre Stage employees, Local 38.
Meadow Brook Theatre’s season is supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kresge Foundation, the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, the Shubert Foundation and the Meadow Brook Theatre Guild.
Cal Performances presents the US premiere of William Kentridge’s SIBYL, Friday–Sunday, March 17–19, 2023 in Zellerbach Hall. (credit: Stella Olivier)
Cal Performances presents William Kentridge’s Sibyl March 17-19, 2023 at Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley. Kentridge is in residence at UC Berkeley for the 2022-23 academic year presenting a series of lectures, art exhibits, performances and films culminating with the US Premiere of his theatrical chamber opera, Sibyl, directed by Kentridge, who also led the concept and design supported by a substantial creative team. Music for the two-part program is composed and conceived by Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Kyle Shepherd, with piano played by Shepherd, during the performance.
The first piece The Moment Has Gone, is a twenty two minute film of Kentridge his studio in South Africa with several singer dancers on stage, accompanied by jazzy piano music. The piece is intriguing and moving and shows Kentridge’s multi disciplinary creativity as an artist and animator. The quality of the music, singing and magical effects of the film is sublime storytelling and a fascinating insight into Kentridge.
William Kentridge. Cal Performances presents the US premiere of William Kentridge’s SIBYL, Friday–Sunday, March 17–19, 2023 in Zellerbach Hall. Pictured: William Kentridge (credit: William Kentridge)
Sibyl is a story based on the myth about waiting for the Sibyl, to find out one’s destiny, expectations of life, death and hope for the future. There are several scenes in this forty four minute piece interspersed with a blackout. Each scene is visually and aurally abstract, creative and visceral. Expect the unexpected after the first image of a woman center stage, she is breathing visibly – she is waiting for the Sibyl, to know her destiny. A group of five performers are near, suggesting a form of a mythical chorus, they each wear curious, remarkable round flat hats, while another performer chants “the moment has gone”. It reminds me of something I can’t remember. We are transported!
Cal Performances presents the US premiere of William Kentridge’s SIBYL, Friday–Sunday, March 17–19, 2023 in Zellerbach Hall. Pictured: S’busiso Shozi, vocalist (credit: Stella Olivier)
This scene is followed by a veritable feast of Kentridge’s strident black ink art woven through a creative tapestry of images, animation, drama, wit, beauty, with Dadaist designs of sets, objects and costumes featuring lively and rich music and song. We are led through a creative mind and interpretation by Kentridge taking us to places we don’t recognize and up and down stairs, to an office where words come alive and out of a man’s head and a distinctive old school typewriter has its own sound and rhythm. Haunting melodic singing is punctuated by African click sounds.
In a vibrant scene colorful shapes – orange, yellow, red, white and blue appear, while there is singing with hyena like laughs. Delicious contraptions are everywhere – and a performer sits wearing a delicate circular pleated skirt very carefully arranged.
A highlight scene is a stage full of mismatched chairs, when we discover that they have a life of their own, it’s so witty and clever!
Beautifully staged by Kentridge and performed by the cast of nine singers and dancers, with Shepherd at the piano, Sibyl is pure movement, rhythm, art, dance, visual abstract theatrical storytelling, textured music and song. It is to be seen and experienced!
Don’t miss Ross Valley Players current production, Pride and Prejudice, The Musical. Adapted for the stage by Josie Brown, Jane Austen’s timeless story comes to life thanks to outstanding direction by Phoebe Moyer, incredible music and lyrics by Rita Abrams and fine orchestrations by Wayne Green and Jack Prendergast.
When the musical was first performed in 2016 at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco, Moyer found it “clever and inventive…with some fun and enchanting modern interpretations.” She suggested RVP produce the show and it was added to the 2020 season, then cancelled due to the pandemic. Moyer is “very relieved and very happy to finally present this very special show.” She dedicates the production to the memory of her husband Charles Brousse (producer, playwright and theater critic).
Set in Meryton England in the “Year of our Lord and King George III—1813,” the story revolves around the Bennet family’s five “marriageable” daughters, in particular protagonist Elizabeth Bennet (Lily Jackson). Lizzy meets local aristocrat Fitzwilliam Darcy (Evan Held) whose arrogance causes them to clash from the start, but as the story develops, so does love, and not only for Lizzy and Darcy!
The large cast’s fine acting and singing satisfies the audience for the entire show –2 hours 45 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. The set is charming (Tom O’Brien & Michael Walraven) and costumes authentic (Adriana Gutierrrez).
Pride and Prejudice, The Musical runs March 17-April 16 at the Barn Theater in Ross.
Coming up next at RVP is Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias and directed by MaryAnn Rodgers, May 12-June 11.
San Francisco Ballet presents the stage Premiere of Myles Thatcher’s COLORFORMS, part of a triple bill program, March 14 – 19, 2023 at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.
Previously presented as a World Premiere film version during SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season, the stage version debuted on March 14th and was very well received. Set to music by Steve Reich and choreographed by Myles Thatcher, an SF Ballet Soloist, the combination of Reich’s Variations for Vibes, Pianos, and Strings with Thatcher’s choreography results in a vibrant and joyous new ensemble piece to be added to the SF Ballet repertoire.
On opening night COLORFORMS featured Principal Dancers Sasha De Sola, Aaron Robinson, Misa Kuranaga, and Esteban Hernández; Soloists Jasmine Jimison, Isabella DeVivo, Steven Morse; Cavan Conley Maggie Weirich, and Davide Occhipinti, performing in a variety of small and large combinations with streamlined transitions of set and lighting.
The Scenic and Lighting Design of this piece by Jim French is architectural and beautiful as the set and lighting transforms the space from a seeming three rooms that become a stunning vast backdrop of neon colors and grids.
Susan Roemer’s Costume Design of a notable every day look including full skirts and dresses in varied colors and textures at the start of COLORFORMS and becomes form fitting as the piece evolves.
The theatrical set and look of this piece develops from the fast moving groups of young characters and random combinations as they playfully turn, move, enter and exit a three room space. Reich’s rhythmic music is unpredictable and exciting, especially when the ‘rooms’ melt away – into a new episode of shapes, forms, set, dancers and choreography!
COLORFORMS envelops a range of moods and emotions from dancers in their interactions between the characters and creative choreography, which is visceral, energetic and dynamic throughout the piece. This is certainly a piece to see again to appreciate all the elements that come together so well!
This triple bill program opens with Helgi Tomasson’s 7 FOR EIGHT and closes with William Forsythe’s BLAKE WORKS I.
7 FOR EIGHT is choreographed by Tomasson and is set to beautifulmusic by Bach : Keyboard Concerto No. 5, BWV 1056 (2nd & 3rd movements); Keyboard Concerto No. 4, BWV 1055 (1st and 2nd movements); Concerto for 4 Harpsichords, BWV 1065 (2nd movement) arranged for one harpsichord; Keyboard Concerto No. 1 BWV 1052 (2nd and 1st movements), conducted by Martin West with pianist Mungunchimeg Buriad.
The first duo with Yuan Yuan Tan and Aaron Robinson with intricate partnering, elegant lifts and Tan’s outstanding extensions sets the tone for the piece. Next, Norika Matsuyama and Cavan Conley perform a joyous and lively duo with freshness and verve. The following movements include floaty, gracious, and dramatic choreography with twirls of floor patterns and precise fast footwork in this elegantly restrained piece.
Dark costume design by Susan Roemer perfectly juxtaposes with the deep blue tones of the scenic and lighting design by Jim French.
Forsythe’s BLAKE WORKS I is set to music by James Blake and features a large ensemble of dancers performing in short episodes. The ethereal music with vocals in the first piece is fascinating when Sasha De Sola, Nikita Fogo and Jasmine Jamison lead out in I Need a Forest Fire. The intriguing score continues with trios, duos and ensemble choreography that is at once grounded, electrifying, sensual, balletic, vibrant, punctuated with fluid joy, unusual choreography with fascinating relationships among the dancers as the music becomes transporting to another time and place – it is all very compelling!
All elements of this piece work in unison to create a breathtaking experience for the audience. Beautifully staged by Ayman Harper with mid blue to dark costume design by Dorothee Merg and William Forsythe and moody atmospheric lighting design by Tanja Ruehl and William Forsythe.
Sasha De Sola and Max Cauthorn’s final duet, Forever, is breathtaking, tender and lovely!
At a rehearsal of Pride & Prejudice – The Musical in Ross are, from left, songwriter Rita Abrams and actors Carrie Fisher-Coppola, Landers Markwick and Pennell Chapin. (Photo by Jack Prendergast)
Rita Abrams can be a mega-inspiration — for older folks who think their creative lives may be over or for those whose 15 minutes of fame dissipated many years ago.
Abrams, at 79, is deep in rehearsal with the Ross Valley Players for “Pride & Prejudice – The Musical,” for which she created music and super-sweet lyrics. The ex-hippie says it’s going well, particularly due to director Phoebe Moyer’s ability to draw extra humor from the show’s pun- and alliterative-laden tunes by suggesting actors change the tiniest gesture or turn of the head.
From left, Heren Patel, Justin Hernandez and Rita Abrams work on a song from Pride & Prejudice – The Musical. (Photo by Heather Shepardson)
The musical opens March 17 at The Barn in Ross and runs through April 16.
It’s a short geographic distance but a far cry from 1970, when the songwriter’s “Mill Valley” became a pop chartbuster while she was in her mid-20s and a teacher in that city. Abrams and her third-grade class at the Strawberry Point School sang her tune on a Warner Bros./Reprise vinyl.
“It was a sudden thing, overnight, they put a rush-release on it, and we were getting calls from all over the world,” she recalls in a recent phone interview. “At first the fame was very exciting, but then I got off-balance. It felt strange to me — the song was my whole life, and it was dizzying. It was hard to handle. If it were now, in the age of social media, I’m guessing I might have been mercilessly ridiculed.”
Rita Abrams (at keyboard) and third graders sing “Mill Valley.” (Photo by Annie Leibovitz, with permission by Rita Abrams)
After Abrams and her small charges generated a follow-up album, the hit song catapulted her into a lifelong music career. She worked on kids’ records and films, pop and novelty songs, commercials, greeting cards, books and musical theater productions such as the well-received “For Whom the Bridge Tolls” and “Aftershocks.”
She has written songs for “Sesame Street,” collaborated with Elmo (Shropshire), who performed the holiday song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and worked with John Gray to mount a show based on his best-seller, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.” London in 2012, presented by the Ruislip Operatic Society.
“We had nothing to do with the production, and we were barred from it,” she remembers. “They didn’t want the writers anywhere near it because they were afraid that we might change what they wanted. Later, when I watched a video of it, I saw so many things I’d have changed.”
Still, she says, “Emotionally, I really like to sit back and let other people do it. For me, the joy is in the writing.”
San Francisco’s IAM Theatre, now inactive, produced another version, and there was a high school incarnation in Peoria, Illinois, last year. A company in Hong Kong is working on doing a production sometime this year, possibly in the fall.
Brown’s passion for the tale jumpstarted the project, and she convinced Abrams to do the music. Brown isn’t on site for the Ross Valley Players’ rendition, “but she’s accessible by phone or computer” if needed, Abrams says.
“Pride & Prejudice,” of course, is the story of the emotionally repressed 19th century English family, the Bennets. Mother wants to marry off her five daughters and father just wants to be left alone. Enter the iconic love interest Mr. Darcy, and we’re off to the chapel (ultimately).
Ex-Strawberry Point School third graders gathered outside Throckmorton Theatre on the 45th anniversary of the song “Mill Valley” include, from left, Marisa Tomasi, Kathleen Trudell, Jaina Delmas, Greg Berman, Kelly Martin, Caroline Van Buuren, Cindi Koehn, Scott Garbutt, and Scott Victor. (Photo by Rita Abrams)
Abrams’ favorite song in the show is “‘What Is a Man to Do?” which she calls “a parody that says everything’s a woman’s fault. I like that it has a lot of catchy rhymes and it’s like a tango.”
Currently in a relationship with bandleader-bass player Jack Prendergast, Abrams long ago was married for eight years to a documentarian, and has a daughter, Mia, who was an actor for film and TV in Hollywood but now, at 41, is shifting into a food industry setting.
A few years back, Abrams had to leave the town she helped make famous because she could no longer afford to stay. She says she has no regrets about it: “I love living in a lovely, affordable mobile home park in Novato. And I’m still an honorary citizen of Mill Valley.”
As for what’s next in her future, she says, “I’ve come to the age where the reality is, unless you don’t care if anyone likes it or not, the average time of getting a show from stage to page is seven years, and that’s too hard to deal with. Instead, I want to nurture the shows I’ve already written.”
Ronnie Burkett, world renowned award-winning Canadian puppeteer performs his Daisy Theatre show, Little Willy, produced by Stanford Live, March 1 – 4, 2023, at the Bing Studio, Palo Alto, California.
Known internationally for his original devised shows told through exquisite marionette puppets, Burkett is the ultimate storyteller and master puppeteer. He skillfully manipulates and voices his marionette characters with quick changes in vocal tone and pitch then brings life to the complex and beautifully carved and costumed characters – always sharing their individual quirks and foibles!
Burkett designs and creates the thirty or more intricate string puppets for every show he devises, performs and tours internationally. Other shows include Forget Me Not, Penny Plain, Billy Twinkle, 10 Days on Earth, Provenance, Happy, Street of Blood, and the arrestingly moving tour de force, Tinka’s New Dress.
Little Willy is a show that includes several characters from prior shows and this time they decide to perform their version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Led by the transformative burlesque star Dolly Wiggler, characters such as the take charge actor Esme Massengill, have their sights on playing the young ingenue, Juliet.
Burkett’s shows are mainly for adult audiences because of their length and depth of storytelling and irreverent bawdy mayhem. Little Willy is an interactive fast paced show – that Burkett announces at the beginning, is improvised – therefore the two hour show with no intermission changes somewhat at each performance. Knowing his carefully crafted and thought out characters as well as he does, Burkett, in view of the audience, ad libs and acts through his puppets with a variety of fascinating observations, quips, double entendres, songs and lines from Shakespeare!
The vibrant excitement flow of the show also includes two particularly memorable characters for their immense heart and humility – Mrs Edna Rural who sits in her comfy armchair regaling us with upbeat stories about her friends in a moving monologue about her husband; and then there is Schnitzel, who will melt your heart!
Little Willy is a very entertaining, well-crafted, witty, humorous show, with Burkett’s brilliant puppetry and multi dimensional performance told through a unique story. Do not miss this show… it’s Highly Recommended!!!
San Francisco Ballet presents Giselle at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco as part of their 2023 season led by Artistic Director, Tamara Rojo.
Choreographed by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa, Jules Perrot, and Jean Coralli, Giselle runs from February 24th until March 5th.. Tomasson’s production is set to music by Adolphe Adam, with additional music, orchestrations, and arrangements by Friedrich Burgmüller, Ludwig Minkus, and Emil de Cou, conducted by Martin West.
On opening night, February 24th 2023,the cast featured principal dancersSasha De Sola as Giselle, Aaron Robinson as Count Albrecht and Nikisha Fogo as Myrtha.
The story takes place in a beautifulbucolic setting surrounded by a gathering of friends where Giselle lives with her mother in a Rhineland village. When noblemen visit – an elegant and distinguished Ricardo Bustamante as the Duke of Courtland and his entourage – there is great excitement and Giselle meets the Count Albrecht, who is disguised as Loys, a peasant…and so the romantic and mysterious journey begins.
De Sola is fast, light and fluid as the peasant girl with a passion for dance, Giselle dances everywhere only to be curbed by her caring mother, Anita Paciotti as Berthe. Robinson is dynamic as Albrecht/Loys when he meets Giselle. Their partnering is charming, joyous and harmonious with intricate footwork as they weave their way around the many villagers, friends and children.
The Pas de Cinq with Isabella DeVivo, Norika Matsuyama, Carmela Mayo, Max Cauthorn, Hansuke Yamamoto is notable and engaging in Tomasson’s production.
While there is a lot of traditional style mimed expression in this production from several characters, and especially between Robinson’s Loys and Nathaniel Remez as Hilarion, a court game keeper, this ballet demands substantial acting skills from its main characters – and they all manage very successfully.
The scene changes to another time and place – to the haunting glade of the Wilis, who are ethereal creatures, maidens who died before they wed and live their fragile lives at night. Fogo is a wonderful and commanding Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis with pure technique and the vision of the corps of Wilis is spectacular. The Wilis are wearing white calf length dresses covered with gossamer tulle and are outstanding as they perform Tomasson’s tricky choreography, ranging from lyrical or en pointe to the ensemble delicately balancing while turning in perfect unison, set amongst a forest of tall dark trees with intricate branches that open and delicately settle into place, inviting the Wilis to inhabit the night, this scene is utterly beguiling.
Beautiful period costumes (with special attention to fascinating hats) in Act I with the striking Wilis costumes in Act II, and the scenic and lighting design are all by Mikael Melbye.
De Sola’s mad scene and the quality of her strength and graceful precision performing sequence after sequence of intricate virtuosic footwork together with her range of character depth in this rigorous multi faceted Giselle in both act I and act II are truly exceptional. Robinson conveys a range of emotions with vibrant muscular expression and a strong presence in his solos and tender partnering with De Sola. They are an exciting match! Throughout the run the casts change, showcasing the quality and depth of SF Ballet dancers. There is much to enjoy and admire about this production – and the final flourishes of this ballet are simply breathtaking! Highly recommended!!!
