By Laura Kennelly
A Broadway show without song lyrics? Yes! Choreographer Matthew Bourne and the expressive dancers who spin, shine, dazzle, menace and love bring delight to this year’s Playhouse Square Broadway Series opener, Sleeping Beauty. In this fantasy world, words might even break the spell. From the opening scenes (featuring the most delightful baby on stage ever) to the satisfying, romantic conclusion, it’s easy to see why this has been an international hit.
Yes, the Tchaikovsky ballet score is there and yes it would have been great to have, say, The Cleveland Orchestra in the pit, instead of recorded music, but the company still pulses in rhythm to the beautiful music by the Russian master.
When the show opens, it’s 1890 and (following the first part of the traditional storyline) the lovely young Aurora is doomed by her parents’ careless neglect of a fairy who turns vindictive. Once her spell is cast, the good fairies concoct a way to save Aurora and her One True Love. Too bad for her parents and loving nurse, however, because they are long gone by the time this new Bourne version resolves.
Allowing the fairies to have vampire power, Bourne combines the whole of the fantasy underlying TV’s “True Blood” series into one rewarding resolution which takes place in the present day. Touches of modernization added to these scenes include witty observations of teen culture, including young tourists taking “selfies” outside the castle.
Bottom Line: It’s a lovely show, made splendid by the dancers gracefully telling this story sans words.
Will folks who expect a more traditional offering be upset? I don’t think so, at least not based on the response of season-ticket holders sitting around us. Before the show they said they weren’t sure they’d stay after intermission, but they did and they seemed to love the show.
[Pictured: Matthew Bournes SLEEPING BEAUTY – photo by Simon Annand]
Laura Kennelly is a freelance arts journalist, a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and an associate editor of BACH, a scholarly journal devoted to J. S. Bach and his circle.Listening to and learning more about music has been a life-long passion. She knows there’s no better place to do that than the Cleveland area.
Cleveland, OH 44115