THROUGH MARCH 1: SWAN LAKE IN BLUE (A JAZZ BALLET)
By Susan Mulford
Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet is a story filled with magic, romance and tragedy that surrounds Odette, a beautiful Princess that was turned into a swan by the wicked sorcerer, Von Rothbart. By day, Odette is cursed to swim on the Lake of Tears but each night she regains her beautiful human form. She and the handsome Prince Siegfried fall in love.
But the evil Sorcerer discovers this romance and uses his own daughter, disguised as Odette to seduce the naive prince. When the Sorcerer shows Odette that her beloved prince is with another woman Odette flees in tears. Delightfully though, the prince figures out the deception, is forgiven and the couple chooses a way out so they may be eternally together.
Now, through a stunningly creative compilation of direction and choreography by the multiple IRNE and Elliot Norton award-winning Ilyse Robbins and a fantastic up beat score by multiple award-winner, noted music director and composer Steve Bass, Greater Boston Stage at 395 Main St. in Stoneham presents this WORLD PREMIERE dance event. Tchaikovsky’s tale and music has been beautifully transported into 1940’s Harlem, New York. With staging by Ilyse Robbins, this story replaces Prince Siegfried with a Broadway producer.
While he is working in the evening with a team of dancers, a beautiful burlesque dancer (Odette) suddenly appears. They immediately fall in love. When the mob boss (sorcerer) discovers their relationship, the producer realizes that Odette is owned by the mob and has been forced to perform nightly at The Swan Club. Thus, like in the original ballet, this elegant, all dance narrative is replete with passion, betrayal, mistaken identities and now, with lots of jaw dropping tap dancing.
Backed by a 17 piece orchestra with all the musicians appropriately dressed in black tuxes, the group performs this astounding new score with all the flare and toe tapping bravado of the Big Band sounds of the 40’s. Bass has artistically revolutionized the traditional ballet story and magically turned it into this up beat musical composition that is subtly laced with occasional diffused hints of Tchaikovsky’s original. It has truly been artfully converted it into a spectacular ‘swing’ style, jazz work. Completely magnificent is Ms. Robbins choreographic designs in the production that were influenced, no doubt, by her career exposure to the legendary tap dancer, Gregory Hines.
She has surely tapped into Hines’ tap expertise and raised this piece to an all new performance level. The ensemble of tap and jazz dancers are excitingly impressive. Among these are the two featured dancers. SARA COOMBS (Odette) who is not only a talented performer but is also choreographer of Manhattan Shuffle: NYC’s Premiere Song and Tap Trio. She is joined by the gifted song and dance man, ANDY MCLEAVY (Florenz Siegfried) who boasts an impressive record of multiple musical performances.
Also it should be noted that DAVID VISINI (the evil Von Rothbart) also gives a strong performance in his role as the aggressive Mob Boss. Composer and creator Steve Bass says of the Premiere, “Jazz was my first musical love, and I’ve also always loved tap dance. This piece is ballet at its core— storytelling through dance and instrumental music—and I have replaced the classical orchestra with a jazz big band and replaced the ballet dancers with tap, jazz, and lyrical dancers. The idea was to have something that looked and sounded much closer to a Broadway musical, but with no words—a Jazz Ballet. I immediately knew I wanted to base it on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and I began adapting the classic fairy tale into a 1940s New York City setting.” Thus, in order for one to know if Odette will remain a captive forever or if she will be free to fly away from her past and capture her own love, you must see this this amazing and spectacularly fresh conceptual production. Or, if you love a Big Band sound accompanied by lots of thrilling tap and swing dance routines, then obtain tickets at www.greaterbostonstage.org