Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE lives up to its name, showcasing the various possibilities of full length story ballets

• By drediman
• July 18, 2024
• No Comments

American Ballet Theatre is living up to its name by concluding its summer season at the Metropolitan Opera with a pair of meaty three act story ballets — Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s classic Romeo and Juliet and Christopher Wheeldon’s relatively recent ballet adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s novel Like Water for Chocolate. Seen together, these full length works showcase the different sides and various possibilities of the form. As always, read on for my thoughts.

ROMEO AND JULIET
Metropolitan Opera House
Closed

Certainly one of the warhorses in Ballet Theatre’s repertoire, the company’s production of MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet (RECOMMENDED) has long been a beloved favorite of dance fans and a reliable vehicle for both veteran and up-and-coming dancers. As such, like Swan Lake, it’s no surprise that it’s programmed nearly every year. For the most part, this ballet retelling of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy is clear and comprehensive, and especially — and swooningly — compelling during the series of gorgeously evocative pas de deux between the title characters. Otherwise, the production, which is set to Prokofiev’s ravishing score, relies on an uncanny progression of painterly stage pictures to give a sense of forward momentum through the eventful plot. At the closing night performance I attended last weekend, the titular roles were played by principal dancers Calvin Royal III and Catherine Hurlin. I’m happy to report that both were in terrific shape and had natural chemistry with each other, making for an exceedingly likable couple that was easy to root for. As Romeo, Royal exuded an attractively easy going confidence that nicely grounded the often times histrionically wrought tale. And as Juliet, Hurlin was quite ideal, balancing the character’s delicacy and vulnerability with her steely determination and courage — qualities evident both in her poetic and technically sound dancing, as well as her nuanced acting. In the showboat supporting role of Mercutio, Carlos Gonzalez danced with abundant personality, even if the immense physical demands of the choreography at times peeked through in his performance.

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
Metropolitan Opera House
Through July 20

Then there’s this week’s run of Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate (RECOMMENDED), which closes out the Ballet Theatre’s summer season. If you thought Romeo and Juliet‘s plot was crammed, then I encourage you to read the synopsis of Esquivel’s epic, sprawling story, here set to Joey Talbot Latin-tinged score (lushly orchestrated by Ben Foskett). Although the ballet’s more intimate and admittedly more effective moments seem to pay homage MacMillan’s organic and sensual style (those shapes!), Wheeldon choreographic approach — inspired quite literally by the passing of time — largely eschews the static tableaus of Romeo and Juliet in favor of a more cinematic and dynamically fluid sense of storytelling. Indeed, that the ballet covers as much narrative ground that it does — and with ingenious efficiency and a stylish dash of magic realism — is a testament to Wheeldon’s skill as both theater director and storyteller. This impressive accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without Wheeldon’s fruitful collaboration with his longtime veteran design team (largely culled from the theater world), namely Bob Crowley (sets and costumes) and Natasha Katz (lighting). The performance I attended was led by soloist SunMi Park and principal Daniel Camargo in the central roles of the long-suffering Tita — the youngest of three daughters — and Pedro, respectively. Park is an alluring and mysterious dancer; here, she gives a luminous performance of captivating inner fortitude and strength. Camargo was also excellent, giving a slow-burning performance that simmered with yearning and quiet intensity (he’s also a fabulous partner). The multi-generational story is chock full of colorful supporting characters, giving plenty of opportunities for dancers to display their acting chops — principals Skylar Brandt and Aran Bell were lively and spunky as the revolutionary couple of Gertrudis (the middle sister) and Juan; corps member Fangqi Li gave a haunting portrayal of the eldest sister Rosaura; corps member Claire Davison all but demolished the scenery as the imperious Mama Elena; and Calvin Royal Ill was an affectingly understated as Dr. John Brown.