Fit for a Tsar
"Harlequinade"
American Ballet Theatre
Metropolitan Opera House
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
May 15, 2019 matinee
"Harlequinade", Alexei Ratmansky's gleaming reconstruction of Petipa's 1900 ballet, complete with mime, character dancing, and what looked like hundreds of hats, gave the audience a taste of ballet as seen by the Tsar and his family. The Tsar, of course, did not have to watch it in the cavernous Met Opera House, so it was easier for him to focus on the detailed and elegant mime scenes, but the current audience was able to savor the riot of colors and the swirling patterns.
Cassandra Trenary, with Tyler Maloney in his New York debut, danced Columbine and Harlequin with a warm and generous aplomb and a light touch. The commedia dell'arte characters were one-dimensional archetypes, comic stick figures whose familiar jokes and situations have entertained audiences for generations, and the ballet was a bright and frivolous romp through the hearty, detailed, and very difficult choreography.
Maloney romped very well, showing a light and springy jump and a supple spine that he twisted and turned, giving his Harlequin a fine demi character flavor -- he was a fleet-footed, cheerful rascal, not a prince in disguise. His solos are full of little jumps and changes of direction which he made look easy, and his final blast of turns a la seconde were thrilling.
Trenary, too, conveyed the one-dimensional sweetness of Columbine, the eternal heroine of ballet comedy who is determined to marry who she wants, despite any parental disapproval. Her charming solos demanded ankles of steel as she hopped backwards, forwards, and sideways, skimming the group while her upper body floated effortlessly.
Petipa did manage to insert one of his abstract ballets saluting love and beauty into the old, cynical story (the raucous audiences of the original commedia dell'arte knew that money talked and would have celebrated Harlequin's riches). Columbine changed from a soubrette into an anonymous ballerina, another one of Petipa's magical birds (a lark this time), whose heart is captured by her partner as he metaphorically shoots her. Trenary was especially effective showing her growing confidence and trust, dancing with a creamy precision supported by her fluttering sisters weaving in and out in Petipa's miraculous geometry.
Christine Shevchenko as the feisty maid Pierrette who helps Columbine escape from her father danced with a nuanced and radiant clarity, her face and body showing every thought. Her second act reconciliation with her husband Pierrot (a broad and very funny Blaine Hoven, yawning and flopping with the lackadaisical nonchalance of a servant who knows he won't be fired) was both bossy and touching.
Keith Roberts as Léandre, the wealthy fop after Columbine's hand and Roman Zhurbin as her practical father were properly over the top, outrageous without being actual villains. The glorious ensembles, especially the colorful character dances in the first act, led by the blazing Luis Ribagorda and Courtney Shealy with an infectious rhythm and flashing feet, looked very well rehearsed. So too did the many children in the second act, whose bobbing heads and elegant demeanor would have surely impressed the Tsar.
Copyright © 2019 by Mary Cargill
