PA Ballet's Romeo and Juliet, a stunning achievement

Since Angel Corella took the directorship of Pennsylvania Ballet five years ago, he has hurled huge challenge after huge challenge at the company. It has been startling to watch the Intel-like turbo-burst speed with which PA Ballet has processed everything that Angel has thrown its way. It has evolved into a national contender in the classics, in contemporary, and in its core Balanchine rep seemingly overnight. This is a good, good, good company that is filled with talent and ambition.

This week PA Ballet opened its fall season in its 55th year with the company premiere of Kenneth MacMillan’s masterpiece Romeo and Juliet, a ballet in which Corella was devastatingly brilliant during his career with American Ballet Theatre. His love for this ballet shone through every performer on the stage Thursday night at the company's premiere. The staging by Julie Lincoln and Robert Tewsley was filled with crisp musical and theatrical details (when have we ever seen the Capulet women pose so uniformly and severely bent at their waists – not in New York). The scenery and costumes were by Paul Anderson whose designs MacMillan commissioned when the Birmingham Royal Ballet mounted its own production of MacMillan’s ballet in 1992. The original 1966 designs were by Nicholas Georgiadis and are still used by ABT and the Royal Ballet. Anderson’s designs included Early Renaissance columns and statuary. When MacMillan saw the new scenery on stage, he then changed some of the choreography to better adapt to it. So, the dancing sometimes looked a little different than what we are accustomed to seeing in New York. By the way, the ballerina who led the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s premiere performance in 1992 was Nina Ananiashvili.

 

A major difference between the Georgiadis and Anderson designs is the apparel for the Mandolin Dancers. Georgiadis costumed the men in salmon pink tights and strange little hats. The Anderson version is difficult to describe; so we’ll just dig out a photo (by Photo Roy Smiljanic) of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Lead Mandolin Dancer and his colorful streamers:

 

There were six of these guys on Thursday night including Peter Weil as the Lead Mandolin Dancer. By the time Weil finished dancing with his group, he had taken over our attention so completely that we thought that this ballet was about the Mandolin Dancers. In addition to Lead Mandolin Dancer, Weil will perform the role of Mercutio which we intend to see next week. We have raved about this dancer previously. He’s got charisma and electricity on the level of a young Corella. He also has squeaky clean technique and moves like lightning. Some readers may recall that when Corella first joined ABT in 1995, one of his early roles during that first Met Season was the lead Mandolin Dancer in Romeo and Juliet. Just sayin’ … Keep both eyes on this guy.

 

Sterling Baca and Lillian DiPiazza were captivating as Romeo and Juliet. The honesty in their portrayals made us believers, and their “deaths” hit us hard in the gut. As Juliet, DiPiazza spoke with soft supple feet, liquid port de bras, deeply arched arabesques, and a natural acting style that made us hear Shakespeare’s words. We fully felt her turmoil as she leaned against her bed motionlessly during Act III and contemplated her dilemma. By the way, the lighting design for this scene was brilliantly conceived by Brad Fields to show Juliet’s world turning dark around her stillness. 

 

Any concerns that we may have had about whether the young Baca would be victorious over the impossibly difficult choreography in the balcony pas de deux were allayed at that first renversé into arabesque which began his first variation. Baca whipped it and then took off around the stage with force and energy that we had not seen from him before. This was a breakthrough performance for him in that he found a way to break free from Sterling to become his stage character. The very difficult partnering and lifts were seemingly done with ease. The "corpse pas de deux" was a realistic look at Romeo's desperation.

 

Ian Hussey was a fierce, menacing Tybalt. Mercutio and Benvolio were danced by Albert Gordon and Jack Sprance. Their trio dancing with Baca was clean and energetic. Pau Pujol probably never thought that his apprenticeship at PA Ballet would deliver a role like Paris to him. Despite his obvious youth, he managed the stifling sternness of the character along with some very fine partnering of DiPiazza’s Juliet.

 

Charles Askegard made Lord Capulet into a major figure on the stage throughout the evening. It has been so nice to see him evolve into such a fine and complete character actor since joining PA Ballet’s artistic staff.

 

The entire cast fully lived this Romeo and Juliet. No one was just standing around like they were filler. At any moment it was possible to pick out any performer in the background and see that he or she was actively involved in a side story or in a reaction to what was happening at center stage. Such a handsome production and a stunning achievement by PA Ballet.

 

The Orchestra of Pennsylvania Ballet under the direction of Beatrice Jona Affron, who is celebrating her 25th year as its conductor, played beautifully and with energetic spirit throughout the evening.

 

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, a complexly designed jewel of a stiletto from Jimmy Choo, is bestowed upon Lillian DiPiazza for her honest, heartbreaking portrayal of Juliet.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[MoMo]

Dear Haglund. I came from California to see this production. . I was stunned and pleasantly surprised at how wonderful it was! Every single cast member was totally in to their character. I can’t speak enough about the acting as well as the superior dancing. Angel has done wonders with this. Sterling has grown so much as a dancer and it was thrilling to see. It was goosebump time throughout. I am seeing the Sunday matinee today, as Sterling is dancing again. (Ze Cheng Liang is injured). This whole experience is well worth the long trip. Don’t miss it.

[Haglund]

You're a ballet warrior, MoMo! No wonder the Thursday night audience seemed larger than usual if people came in from California to see this R&J. I observed other New Yorkers in attendance at the premiere as well. It was a happy crowd.

I sort of wished that Angel had incorporated the rise of the curtain at the end to reveal R&J lying in their concluding poses, but perhaps that wasn't part of the 1992 staging. It always delivers a dramatic wallop.

[Anna]

Going to see Saturday evening performance. Unfortunately got the tickets in advance before casting was announced so will not see Baca and DiPiazza, but I do hope the second cast is just as good.

[deborah komins]

I was completely wiped out at the end of the opening night performance. The emotions projected by Not only Sterling and Lillian, but also Ian. He was frightening. And he was my favorite Romeo when the company did the Cranko version. I loved every minute. Deborah Komins

[Anna]

Haglund, what a magical treat this was! Just left the 8 o'clock performance and I am stunned. This was such a full complex performance from the entire cast, but to me the standouts were menacing Hussey, Askegard who fully inhabited Lord Capulet, Russell Ducker who sparkled as Benvolio, and finally Arian Molina Soca and Mayara Pineiro as R&J. Her Juliet starts out playful and girlish in Act I and by the Act III her love for Romeo consumed, matured and strengthened her into a furiously rebellious daughter and finally a heart broken woman. Gorgeous production. So glad I saw it!

[Haglund]

I'm so happy that you were able to make it to one of PA Ballet's R&Js. I also want to mention what a terrific Tybalt Aaron Anker was at the Friday matinee. And yes, not only was Ian Hussey a dark and complex Tybalt with the opening night cast, he was also an authoritative and dramatic Escalus on Friday. So much to love at PA Ballet these days. Can't wait for their Giselle in March!

[S. Francois]

We attended the Saturday, October 20th matinee performance of Romeo & Juliet with almost the same cast as Haglund. Sterling Baca was so authentic as Romeo I was moved to tears. Baca may have gotten somewhat emotional himself during the final act. His turns, dancing and lifts were superb and looked effortless. What a magnificent performance. Lillian DiPiazza was so convincing as Juliet and the pair had such elegant and graceful movement together. Mercutio was danced by Ashton Roxander who was extremely sure and fast footed and quite the cutup. Ian Hussey was well cast as Tybalt and has never looked more menacing or serious. The entire cast right down to the harlots never broke character and played their roles believably. This was one of the best performances of R&J I have seen in years. Under Angel Corella’s guidance PA Ballet is now a force to be reckoned with. Do you hear that ABT? Quit casting dancers based on celebrity status and bring some integrity back to ballet.

[Haglund]

All good to hear, S. Francois. I wish I could have made it to the final Sunday performance as well.