Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – City Center’s virtual New Adventures Festival showcases Matthew Bourne’s unmatched ability to conjure fully realized worlds for his dance creations

• By drediman
• March 29, 2021
• No Comments

Over the last three decades or so, Matthew Bourne and his London-based company New Adventures have dominated the market for the fresh reinvention of classics (e.g., ballets, operas, literary works) into hugely entertaining, commercially successful dance theater creations. Invariably, these makeovers, enriched by Mr. Bourne’s trademark wit and ingenuity, imbue his shows with disarming specificity that sharpens the drama, no matter how audacious the concept. Throughout the month of March, fans old and new have been able to peruse some of Mr. Bourne’s most striking accomplishments – 1995’s Swan Lake (which emphatically put the choreographer on the map) with its infamous all-male corps of swans, 2000’s super sexy The Car Man (a twist on Bizet’s opera Carmen), 1997’s Cinderella set during the Blitz, and 2019’s judiciously edited but harrowing Romeo and Juliet (his latest concoction) – thanks to the virtual New Adventures Festival via New York City Center, the venue that has hosted a majority of the New York performances of Mr. Bourne’s works.

In short, watching these shows back-to-back has highlighted Mr. Bourne’s unmatched ability to conjure fully realized environments for his dance theater creations to unfold in, leaving space enough for both satire and genuine emotion. Indeed, his often outlandish ideas and the debated merits of his choreography are ultimately able to withstand scrutiny because of the completeness of the worlds he creates, thanks largely to his close collaboration over the years with brilliant scenic designer Lez Brotherston. Aided by impeccably referenced and executed designs, Mr. Bourne’s works take on a cinematic and theatrical mode of storytelling that leaves viewers satisfied, first and foremost, with the broader stage picture. Whether it be the heartbreaking finale of Swan Lake, the juicy narrative detailing throughout The Car Man, the romantic widescreen sweep of a wartime Cinderella, or the Lars von Trier-like brutality of Romeo and Juliet, these productions work because they structurally possess the emotional building blocks to ensure hefty emotional payoffs.

The four films that comprise the festival were all captured relatively recently (i.e., within five years). As such, they’ve given a whole new generation of dancers the opportunity to take on some iconic roles in the Bourne repertoire and make them their own. In Swan Lake, I particularly took to the authentic sensitivity exuded by Liam Mower (London’s original stage Billy Elliot, coming full circle) as the Prince and Nicole Kabera’s unnerving chilliness as the Queen. The sensationally passionate central pairing of Christopher Trenfield and Zizi Strallen in The Car Man smoldered, and they commanded the stage at every turn. Liam Mower once again sparkled in Cinderella as the mysterious, otherworldly Angel, as did Ashley Shaw in her tender portrayal of the title character. All around, I found Mr. Bourne’s youth-oriented Romeo and Juliet to be an uncommonly focused, viscerally reconsidered production. Collectively, the brave, triumphant performances of Cordelia Braithwaite as Juliet, Paris Fitzpatrick as Romeo, Dan Wright as Tybalt, and Ben Brown as Mercutio seemed a powder keg waiting to go off. And boy, did it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MATTHEW BOURNE’S NEW ADVENTURES FESTIVAL
Dance Theater / On-demand
New Adventures / New York City Center
Approximately 2 hours a piece
On-demand through April 4