ABT’s “Sleeping Beauty” Schleps Along
Despite the howl that ran through every review concerning the production, the important aspect of ABT's new "Sleeping Beauty," is that the performers did their best to retain the "after Petipa" masterpiece despite the tinkering and Disney-like, Radio City approach. Since the work first appeared in 1890, "Beauty" has been scaled down and reinvented by almost every major company. ABT earlier versions were presented in 1976 and 1987.
This production contains some puzzling changes by artistic director of the company, Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey Kirkland (former ballerina with the company, who self-destructed her career with drugs), and "dramaturgist" Michael Chernov, all of whom had an interpretation and interpolation to make. Kirkland danced the wicked fairy, Carabosse, who was not invited to Aurora's christening and donated a poisonous curse. It was danced in her own "over-the-top" interpretation. She was flown up to the grid Peter Pan fashion, arrived and exited with a "comet" explosion, as seen at the Cirque de Soleil, that resulted at one performance in a trip to the hospital with a burn. Overly expanded was the role of Catalabutte, the King's Chief Minister who forgot to invite the wicked fairy, pantomimed by Craig Salstein, dressed in a "Joseph and the Magic Coat" costume as well the King, who seized the moment to do King Lear.
Scenery designer, Tony Walton did not escape ridicule for his sets....the fairies entered through what seemed to be an opening of a huge shower curtain; the castle resembled a stone tunnel underpass on the Amtrak line to upper New York State; the castle's staircase make entrances and exits awkward and the procession carrying Aurora to her sleeping quarters a miracle of determination. At her christening, Aurora with her new-born head unsupported, was passed around like a box of chocolates.
The costumes by Willa Kim, who usually make stunning creations, were inappropriate, including tutus that were so short, they revealed everyone's backside thong line. Ah well, enough of all this. Put a girl in a tutu and you sell out everywhere.
Now to the important part: the dancing. The role of Aurora and Prince Désiré was performed by ABT's male and female stars overcoming the oppressive set and production. At one time, every competition or recital in America included performance of the solo variation from "The Spell" scene. Aurora's tour de force balance is challenged as she accepts a rose from each Prince, who has come to celebrate her 16th birthday and take a look. The variations by the fairies are significant in showing the remarkable vocabulary of the Russian school at the time of Petipa. They, of course, are still taught in variation classes, although the names have been changed in this production, and each presents its own difficulties.....running pas de bourées, taqueté (hops on pointe), and ronds de jambes executed shoulder high in extreme to the point that the step needs a new name...rond de jambe en haute?
Irina Dvorovenko, in her Kiev manner, captured the joy, sparkle and brilliance of the role with clear attacts and "time-for-applause" endings... steady, sure and right to the audience. Diana Vishneva, with a softer, more charming, musical St. Petersburg company approach to Aurora, handled every technical aspect with ease.
As for partners, Maxim Beloserkovsky from the Kiev school and David Hallberg, from Rapid City, South Dakota, were so opaque they were almost not on stage, partnering in a perfunctory manner with little emotional relationship to Aurora. It makes one wonder why, when Aurora was kissed by her Prince, she didn't just roll over, close her eyes and sleep for another 100 years.
It's not over: Opening the second act of this three-hour production, was the vision music from "Swan Lake's" scene by the lake as the Prince wanders about wondering why he has such a migraine. Then, abruptly, the score changes from "Swan" and goes back to "Sleeping Beauty" in a key change with no transitional material. The Prince is on his way to the castle if he can find it in all the brush.
At last, the final act. This act contains story-time characters, Puss-in-Boots and the Cat and Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, as in the original production. However there were two party crashers, Cinderella and Prince Charming. A tour-de-force pas de deux, The Bluebird and Princess Florine, always wakes up the party with the difficulties in the male variation of brisés front and back. Danced by the famous in the past, Gennadi Saveliev and Stella Abrera did justice to the brilliant, short insertion. Conductors were Ormsby Wilkins and Charles Barker, who slowed up tempi and were probably exhausted after the long production.
The 8-week ABT season included performances of "La Bayadere," "Othello," "Symphonie Concertante," "Manon," "The Dream," "Romeo and Juliet," "Cinderella," and "Swan Lake." ABT remains America's premier company. For more information contact: www.abt.org.