Romeo and Juliet, Houston Ballet, State Theatre, July 6th 2016
For those new to my blog I write about the holistic experience of attending the theatre. I buy my own tickets. So if you want a re-telling of the story please refer to the links for further information or for further insights. Note, that I may provide different links for repeated main words or phrases. I write for my memories of what I have seen, and is more of a stream of consciousness.
The programme cast sheet had the poorest of printing quality and was hard to read. Other regular patrons agreed in the poor quality on the synopsis side.
Choreographically there is a depth to the individual characters which is particularly noticeable in the Act 1, Scene 2: The Market. Though visually stunning the focus was all over the place and other audience audience members were trying to differentiate between each of the characters.
Each character seemed to have signature movements and Michael Chekhov would be impressed as if
was using their own psychological gesture. The nuns flitted across the stage on pointe - not your traditional pas de bourree, but more with a prim and proper religiously superior gait. So many spring pointes were used en pointe to show excitement and an innocence of youth.
Many variations of echappes: saute, a terre and en pointe; were used by both sexes. These echappes symbolically showed the separation of the two families. These simple movements created a subliminal tension. I adored the masculinity of the men who defiantly asserted their strength with an echappe to a turned in second stance and fists on hips epaulment.
The ballet was hard to follow at times due to the lack of focus and busy background action. There was just too much to take in and savour! Even at the end of Act One I said to myself that I have to see this act again to absorb the depth of skill in choreographing so many characters..
"Romeo and Juliet" felt like a long ballet but was well worth the ride. The thunderous applause and cheering was unheard of in my 35 years of going to see The Australian Ballet.
Act 1, Scene 5: The Ball was beautiful but the costume's colours merged into the backdrop. It was so hard to see the port de bras above the shoulders against this background, and what made it worse was that the males and females alternated arms and became a blurring and rotating kaleidoscope. I enjoyed the simplicity of the choreography during the famous musical phrases, and longed to be able to see the arms more clearly. At times it reminded me of a televised triangle of the girls' and boys' audition combinations from "A Chorus Line".
The costumes and sets by Roberta Guidi di Bagno were stunningly military in their colour coding for each family unit. The set folded into various configurations to create the alleys which turned into the ballroom and then into the famous balcony scene.
Act 2, Scene 2: The Chapel where the wedding of Romeo and Juliet occurs, was a magnificently simple set with a screen flown in with a large cut-out cross. Light beamed from behind to create a lovely cross on the floor. This lit cross created a boundary for family, and foreboding their doomed future - like their crucifixion and their tombstones.
The bearded men in blue were so snappy and crisp in their turns and batterie. They received and deserved their acknowledgement by the audience who appreciated their sublime dancing. I think it was Derek Dunn as Balthausar and Oliver Halkowich as Benvilio. One of these fine young men displayed the neatest and most pure attitude en avant piroutte en dedans I have ever seen a male dancer perform. That. rarely performed pirouette, alone was worth my ticket.
It is so refreshing when the men out-shine the woman in such a traditional art form as ballet. This is not to say the woman did not dance well, they danced beautifully. To see so many fine male dancers was electrifying.
Jared Matthews as Mercutio had me gasping at his power and his controlled pirouettes. His sensational double tours en'lair were breath-takingly clean, crisp and polished. He too made my ticket worthwhile. Then Jared Matthews finished off with more turns a terre. Jared Matthews finished his turn with a solid, masculine and forth right fifth position.
Lord and Lady Capulet were danced respectively by Linnar Looris and Jessica Collado. They commanded your attention. With the caring Nurse danced by Barbara Bears these three created emotional and electric charges of concern for Juliet. Each had their signature moves to demonstrate their concerns, frustrations and love for Juliet.
Tybalt danced exquisitely by Christopher Coomer. The fight sequences seemed natural and paid homage to the Errol Flynn movies without being hammy.
The sword fighting sequences with about twelve dancers were exciting and created tension. There was no pussy footing to be seen. The rotating circles of sword fighters created a visual feast.
The miming was clear throughout. It was a little patronising and over-explained in some sections, but added the depth of story telling that other versions of this ballet lack. Normally the miming is referred to by our ballet audience group as "fluffing about", but here we had more action than other narrative ballets.
Although Act 1 seemed to not have as much dance, it was still spectacular to watch.
Finally to the two leads. Romeo and Juliet were danced sublimely by Connor Walsh and Karina Gonzalez. My ticket value had soared to scalper's heaven with these two dancers. My heart was pounding with the love and angst they portrayed. Having been trained by Anne Wooliams and Jan Stripling, I had learnt so much about John Cranko and his version of Romeo and Juliet . Connor Walsh and Karina Gonzalez spoke every line of Shakespeare's iconic love story through dance.
Connor Walsh and Karina Gonzalez are names etched in my memory for their exquisite technique and musicality. We were voyeurs as they created the forbidden soft ballet-porn with their erotic but not pornographic sexualisation of the love story. We were allowed to see the development of their relationship in such a beautifully revealing way. The simplicity of the kisses were natural and not the cliched dance moves. They were passionate, romantic and eternal.
Connor Walsh never missed a beat with his pure technique and skill. My heart leapt out of my chest with a few of his lifts. A MICA unit nearly had to be called when he swept Karina Gonzalez across the stage and threw her around his neck and created seamless, flowing images that will stay with me for a lifetime. Connor Walsh's pressage where he lifted Karina Gonzalez above his head with straight arms was as if he were a crane on a building site lifting her to the top of the Eureka Tower. Breath taking! It was the equivalent of the Alex Jesaulenko 1970 mark in Australian Rules Football - to be recalled for ever. That is why Melbourne audiences love and appreciate both their Australian Rules Football and the majesty of ballet. Speechless! (Not really speechless - I cannot rave enough about these two iconic 21st Century stars!)
Karina Gonzalez showed the innocence of Juliet with her pure lines and her precise but not clinical technique. Her footwork was so neat. Both Connor Walsh and Karina Gonzalez's acting and interaction with other characters had a depth of understanding to their respective roles.
The Arts Centre Melbourne had many toilets being renovated and the queues to the Ladies Toilet were so long and many chose to venture upstairs to near the VIC Restaurant at the second interval. More advance signage should have given patrons notice that specific toilets were closed in advance. I only noticed one sign had been covered over. The second interval was only 15 minutes and many ladies were still scurrying back from the long walk from the street level.
"Romeo and Juliet" by the Houston Ballet at The State Theatre, July 6th 2016 was a terrific night of dance and I could see this production again.
Overall I gave this production an 8/10.
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