Among the several major international companies with close links to the Australian Ballet, Houston Ballet holds a particularly special place. Stanton Welch is not only the Artistic Director of Houston Ballet and the choreographer of their sumptuous new production of Romeo and Juliet, he was also named resident choreographer of the Australian Ballet in 1995 and is the son of two of Australia’s ballet icons: Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch. Former Australian Ballet Principal Dancer Li Cunxin established further ties when he defected from China while dancing with Houston and other Australian dancers continue to maintain and extend these connections.
It was a real pleasure to see Steven Woodgate, a former Senior Artist with the Australian Ballet and now Houston’s Ballet Master, as Friar Lawrence, a role in which he draws upon his considerable acting skills. His maturity and warm stage presence offered a convincing portrait of a simple soul with good, if misguided, intentions. The detail that gives further substance to this role exemplifies the care Welch has taken to embellish so much of this latest version of the quintessential romantic tragedy. It is almost impossible to fully appreciate Welch’s achievement without repeated viewings.
On opening night, the initial impact came with the Renaissance-inspired scrim curtain. The opening lines of Shakespeare’s text faded to reveal more clearly a richly hued tapestry of a town besieged by malignant creatures. The tapestry device was used in subsequent scenes to gorgeous effect and was complemented by stunning mobile sets that recreated scenes of Verona’s palatial grandeur. Elaborate costumes reinforced the visual excitement as shades of Montague blue, Capulet red and Ascalus gold and bronze swirled across the stage. Designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s choice of silken lamé fabric that moved in perfect harmony with the choreography emphasized the grace and beauty of the female dancers. The only questionable choice was the glittering thread in the habits of the two friars.
Although other ballet versions establish Romeo as someone in love with love, Welch develops this aspect of Shakespeare’s play to give Rosaline greater prominence. She is a more substantial figure and one that Sara Webb and Yuriko Kajiya characterized effectively. As Romeo, Connor Walsh looked the soul of romance and provided the perfect partner for an absolutely delightful Karina González. With her petite frame, broad smile and delicate fleetness, she was a youthful, passionate and totally convincing Juliet. When it comes to ravishing pas de deux, John Cranko and Kenneth MacMillan have set a very high bar indeed with their versions of Romeo and Juliet. In fact, the work has almost become defined in terms of Cranko’s version for Australian audiences since Anne Woolliams brought it here in the 70s. Even so, Welch’s choreography took flight, almost literally, with the pairing of Walsh and González. Beautifully attuned to each other, they captured the exhilaration of mutual passion in the balcony and bedroom scenes and the anguished despair of the final catastrophe. Walsh made the lifts seem effortless with González a weightless figure held high by sheer force of passion. Seamless transitions animated every fluid movement.
Also impressive in terms of choreography and dancing were the complex crowd scenes. The way Welch increased the tension of the swordplay, in particular, was tremendously exciting and exploited Prokofiev’s brilliant score with imaginative accumulations of action. Its intricacies were handled superbly by the disciplined dancers.
Central to the mayhem and the jollity were Mercutio and Romeo’s Montague friends Benvolio and Balthasar. Oliver Halkovich made an outstanding Benvolio; he made the most of the role’s comic potential with cheerful humour and danced with such easy ballon, precision and speed that there was never any lagging behind the quick tempi. Excellent control was also evident in the dancing of Derek Dunn and Ian Casady. Jared Matthews was a nimble, intense Mercutio. His touching leave-taking of Romeo as he died was unexpected, however, since Welch decided to avoid a final “A plague on both your houses!”
There were other deviations from Shakespeare too. The nurse was not the comic Shakespearean figure of “A sail, a sail!” as she approaches, but a younger, slimmer version portrayed with some nuance by Barbara Bears. Lady Capulet was given a more sympathetic reading than is customary. As with the other two balletic versions, there was the unbuttoned grief at the death of Tybalt, but for this reviewer one of the most moving moments came when, on the eve of the intended marriage to Paris, Juliet rushed to desperately embrace her mother as she was leaving her bedroom. The development of secondary characters such as the tavern owner (a lovely comic turn by Woodgate) and his three daughters acted as an enlargement of the lives of central characters as well as providing opportunities for entertaining moments and joyful dancing.
Strutting males and assertive females were a feature of many scenes, but perhaps seen to most thrilling advantage in the Capulets’ Ball. A musical highlight and a scene that has been choreographed to such brilliant effect by Cranko, it was a point of interest to see how Welch would envision it. Wonderfully sweeping, it made a powerful impact with the intensity of pounding, clapping and slapping. The orchestra obviously thoroughly enjoyed it too. Following accomplished playing under renowned Guest Conductor Ermanno Florio for the opening performance, Orchestra Victoria was sounding even more assured a couple of days later.
A fitting way to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, this emotionally-charged realization of his most popular play is also likely to remain in Houston’s core repertoire for many years to come. The spectacular sets and costumes, Among the several major international companies with close links to the Australian Ballet, Houston Ballet holds a particularly special place. Stanton Welch is not only the Artistic Director of Houston Ballet and the choreographer of their sumptuous new production of Romeo and Juliet, he was also named resident choreographer of the Australian Ballet in 1995 and is the son of two of Australia’s ballet icons: Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch. Former Australian Ballet Principal Dancer Li Cunxin established further ties when he defected from China while dancing with Houston and other Australian dancers continue to maintain and extend these connections.
It was a real pleasure to see Steven Woodgate, a former Senior Artist with the Australian Ballet and now Houston’s Ballet Master, as Friar Lawrence, a role in which he draws upon his considerable acting skills. His maturity and warm stage presence offered a convincing portrait of a simple soul with good, if misguided, intentions. The detail that gives further substance to this role exemplifies the care Welch has taken to embellish so much of this latest version of the quintessential romantic tragedy. It is almost impossible to fully appreciate Welch’s achievement without repeated viewings.
On opening night, the initial impact came with the Renaissance-inspired scrim curtain. The opening lines of Shakespeare’s text faded to reveal more clearly a richly hued tapestry of a town besieged by malignant creatures. The tapestry device was used in subsequent scenes to gorgeous effect and was complemented by stunning mobile sets that recreated scenes of Verona’s palatial grandeur. Elaborate costumes reinforced the visual excitement as shades of Montague blue, Capulet red and Ascalus gold and bronze swirled across the stage. Designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s choice of silken lamé fabric that moved in perfect harmony with the choreography emphasized the grace and beauty of the female dancers. The only questionable choice was the glittering thread in the habits of the two friars.
Although other ballet versions establish Romeo as someone in love with love, Welch develops this aspect of Shakespeare’s play to give Rosaline greater prominence. She is a more substantial figure and one that Sara Webb and Yuriko Kajiya characterized effectively. As Romeo, Connor Walsh looked the soul of romance and provided the perfect partner for an absolutely delightful Karina González. With her petite frame, broad smile and delicate fleetness, she was a youthful, passionate and totally convincing Juliet. When it comes to ravishing pas de deux, John Cranko and Kenneth MacMillan have set a very high bar indeed with their versions of Romeo and Juliet. In fact, the work has almost become defined in terms of Cranko’s version for Australian audiences since Anne Woolliams brought it here in the 70s. Even so, Welch’s choreography took flight, almost literally, with the pairing of Walsh and González. Beautifully attuned to each other, they captured the exhilaration of mutual passion in the balcony and bedroom scenes and the anguished despair of the final catastrophe. Walsh made the lifts seem effortless with González a weightless figure held high by sheer force of passion. Seamless transitions animated every fluid movement.
Also impressive in terms of choreography and dancing were the complex crowd scenes. The way Welch increased the tension of the swordplay, in particular, was tremendously exciting and exploited Prokofiev’s brilliant score with imaginative accumulations of action. Its intricacies were handled superbly by the disciplined dancers.
Central to the mayhem and the jollity were Mercutio and Romeo’s Montague friends Benvolio and Balthasar. Oliver Halkovich made an outstanding Benvolio; he made the most of the role’s comic potential with cheerful humour and danced with such easy ballon, precision and speed that there was never any lagging behind the quick tempi. Excellent control was also evident in the dancing of Derek Dunn and Ian Casady. Jared Matthews was a nimble, intense Mercutio. His touching leave-taking of Romeo as he died was unexpected, however, since Welch decided to avoid a final “A plague on both your houses!”
There were other deviations from Shakespeare too. The nurse was not the comic Shakespearean figure of “A sail, a sail!” as she approaches, but a younger, slimmer version portrayed with some nuance by Barbara Bears. Lady Capulet was given a more sympathetic reading than is customary. As with the other two balletic versions, there was the unbuttoned grief at the death of Tybalt, but for this reviewer one of the most moving moments came when, on the eve of the intended marriage to Paris, Juliet rushed to desperately embrace her mother as she was leaving her bedroom. The development of secondary characters such as the tavern owner (a lovely comic turn by Woodgate) and his three daughters acted as an enlargement of the lives of central characters as well as providing opportunities for entertaining moments and joyful dancing.
Strutting males and assertive females were a feature of many scenes, but perhaps seen to most thrilling advantage in the Capulets’ Ball. A musical highlight and a scene that has been choreographed to such brilliant effect by Cranko, it was a point of interest to see how Welch would envision it. Wonderfully sweeping, it made a powerful impact with the intensity of pounding, clapping and slapping. The orchestra obviously thoroughly enjoyed it too. Following accomplished playing under renowned Guest Conductor Ermanno Florio for the opening performance, Orchestra Victoria was sounding even more assured a couple of days later.
A fitting way to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, this emotionally-charged realization of his most popular play is also likely to remain in Houston’s core repertoire for many years to come. The spectacular sets and costumes, Welch’s splendid choreographic reimagining of the story and Prokofiev’s superlative score are sure to inspire dancers and attract audiences around the world. It is a must-see.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Houston Ballet
Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre
June 30 and July 2 (Matinee)
The picture from the current production is by Jeff Busby.
