From: owner-trajectory-digest@smoe.org (trajectory-digest) To: trajectory-digest@smoe.org Subject: trajectory-digest V2 #44 Reply-To: trajectory@smoe.org Sender: owner-trajectory-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-trajectory-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk trajectory-digest Sunday, May 17 1998 Volume 02 : Number 044 Today's Subjects: ----------------- The Connecticut Ballet [meredith ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 01:55:45 -0400 From: meredith Subject: The Connecticut Ballet Hi! I went to the Connecticut Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet" this evening. I think the best word to describe it would be "surreal". :) With the exception of Veda's song, all of the music was pre-recorded. Prokofiev's score was interspersed with the songs of contemporary singer/songwriters, and the entire production was staged to take place in "any modern American city". To be honest, sometimes it reminded me of "Grease" (which considering it was a ballet is probably pretty frightening). Some of the concepts were pretty cool, though: the Capulets and Montagues were portrayed as rival gang members, as well as opposing basketball teams: the big fight between them was "the big game", complete with basketball hoops and shots taken (but only one was made :). The songs provided the music only in Juliet's room and the motel room where R&J consummated their marriage, and the transitions between them and the Prokofiev weren't too jarring. The songs were, in this order: Act I - -- Ani DiFranco, "Not A Pretty Girl" (2md scene, in Juliet's room - our introduction to Juliet) - -- Dar Williams, "If I Wrote You" (5th scene, after "the big game", again in Juliet's room, with her friends) Act II - -- Dar Williams, "Teenagers, Kick Our Butts" (1st scene, at the school dance - during this scene Veda sat in the back on the bleachers with her guitar, trying to blend in :) - -- Veda, "Seasoned" (performed live, while the kids at the dance, sitting on the floor, "slow-danced" and R&J came onstage to dance halfway through) - -- Bruce Springsteen (not sure which song - 4th scene, in the motel) - -- Ani DiFranco, "Sorry I Am" (the last half of the song, in Juliet's room while Romeo tried to apologize to her - not sure for what, I was *completely* lost by this point because the ballet wasn't synching up with Shakespeare very well) - -- Sarah McLachlan, "Hold On" (the Freedom Sessions piano version - in Juliet's room, before and while she commits suicide) All in all, it was pretty weird, and not very successfully staged. The first act was definitely much better than the second. The set was really amateurish, the costumes didn't make much sense, and Veda wasn't very well-lit at all. She sounded great, though! I freely admit that I don't know jack about ballet, so I'll leave it to Hillary, the expert to review the dancing if she wishes. :) I don't think the choreography was all that great - sometimes it all seemed to be one big muddle. One amusing thing, though, was during the consummation scene there was a big-screen television on one side of the stage showing a bit from the Leonardo DiCaprio/Clare Danes _Romeo and Juliet_ movie. :) It took me a minute to figure out what it was (they were in a pool, and from the 10th row of the balcony it looked a *lot* like the infamous Xena and Gabrielle hot tub scene, which would have been even more hilarious). Once I determined what it was, I still had to squelch memories of a college production of Sartre's _No Exit_, in which televisions on either side of the stage showed nothing but the opening credits to several "Love Boat" episodes for the duration of the play. Afterwards Veda was selling _Spine_ in the lobby, and I had to laugh when an elderly couple complimented her effusively and picked up a copy. I would pay large sums of money to see the look on their faces when "Bellyfish" comes on! :> She did sell a number of discs, though, which is cool, and apparently a bunch of the dancers got copies as well. Anyway. It was definitely interesting, if nothing else, and I think Veda won some new fans, at least. I'm sure she's convinced I'm certifiably insane for going, but hey. :) I can't just sit home on a Saturday night! Don't forget about the chat Monday night, 10 pm Eastern, instructions on the web page... don't make me be the only one in the room! Veda's cool and everything, but I don't want to chat alone! +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | | *** TRAJECTORY: the Veda Hille mailing list *** | | *** http://www.smoe.org/meth/trajectory.html *** | +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ End of trajectory-digest V2 #44 *******************************