Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In the early 1990s, London’s English National Ballet was at a crossroads.
“We needed a very, very popular title to get the audience more interested and bring in more people,” says choreographer Derek Deane. They decided on a balletic adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which made for a visual feast of fantastical costumes and size-shifting set pieces. Mr. Deane complemented the pageantry with meaty choreography inspired by the novel’s quirky characters.
“It became the highest grossing production in the history of the company” at the time, he says.
6 comments:
I have never heard of a ballet performance of Alice in Wonderland but after reading this article and watching a few videos I am thoroughly impressed! The idea of using a popular title only to bring in a crowd and dazzle and few ticket sales out of people seemed like a cop out at first, but after further investigation i consider it a very successful business strategy! By using a well known title the original producer of the ballet, The London National Ballet was able to invent a crowd pleasing hit that ropes in a crowd AND stuns them with amazing choreography and techniques. I am also thoroughly impressed with the attention to the technical aspect of the ballet, as the article says the show "made for a visual feast of fantastical costumes and size-shifting set pieces." I hope t be able to see this show next weekend here in Pittsburgh!
Firstly, on a level of purely design, this production is full of design elements that I'm fascinated by. Considering the fact that the story of Alice in Wonderland is one with a strong history that lends itself to preconceived notions and expectations for the familiar characters of Wonderland, the care put into both honoring the traditional style of the drawings in Carroll's original novel as well as the effort that goes into keeping the designs for a production like this still refreshing even with a story that we're all already familiar with. I'd also be interested in seeing more of the scenic elements since the article mentioned it's surrealism, it would be intriguing to see how they bring the surrealistic qualities from the novel and film onto the stage. I also think that the choice to perform a ballet through these familiar characters is a great way to introduce a new audience to the realm of ballet, who may not have been as enticed by other, seemingly foreign, ballets that would be unknown to people that lie outside the ballet community.
I never knew that Alice and Wonderland was made into a ballet, but I can easily see why. I think that the movie with Johnny Depp brought a new life to the classic Disney tale, where the crazy world is brought a little more into our world. This show and production seems like any designers dream. Everything is over the top but not too far that it becomes just comical, their is a realness to it as well. I think ballet is a form that stays true to its roots, and while the Nutcracker will make money every Christmas time, rarely does any other show draw in a crowd. This show I would be interested in seeing, because it is newer. The costume pictures on the article are beautiful. I think that the designer found a good balance between the actor and animals that they play. I normally think of Alice and Wonderland comparable to a Seuss style, however, I think the designer was able to go into the cartoony world with the designer and not have the same feel as Seuss does.
What a great idea! Alice in Wonderland I think lends itself well to any kind of visual medium, and to bring it to the ballet seems like the natural next step. The pictures and costumes from the preview pictures are so gorgeous, I’m so interested in this show. You can do so much with costuming as well as the movements of the dancers in order to convey this dreamlike wonderland that the story takes place in. It’s also a smart business move; by presenting a more well-known piece the ballet can drum up a little more business for patrons who wouldn’t usually visit. I’ll have to see exactly what day I can go see this show, I’d like to catch it while it’s still open in Pittsburgh. The tickets may be a little pricey, but tickets to most ballets are anyway.
The world of whimsy that Alice and Wonderland demands by nature is one that has always fascinated me. It brings be to a state of familiar childish exploration, wonder, and, discovery. In a production such as this, the design team has the utmost responsibility in completely transporting the audience into the land of wonder. I hope I have the opportunity to see the ballet and experience the work the creative team has done on this production. Not a lot of the photos featured in the article show pieces of the set, but the costumes seem to be spectacular. I love the balance of fantastical design matched with the simplicity and practicality that the dancers require. They look light and beautiful, while maintaining strong elements of design and character. I also think the choice of basing the design for both the set and the costumes on the original illustrations from Lewis Carroll's book is great. I feel like it's rare that we see productions of any kind that still strive to make a deliberate and intentional connection with the original work, which makes a production like this special to me.
Last week Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre released their next season, and I was thrilled and entranced. Since moving to Pittsburgh, I have gotten out of my usual habit of following Ballet Companies in the area. Once I realized just how far I strayed, I wasted no time getting back in and purchasing my first ballet tickets, and they just happened to be for this production of Alice in Wonderland, one of my favorite stories. I have always loved to read and imagine the world around me as I read, and Alice is a great one for the level of production possibilities. Seeing this article excites and makes me look forward to seeing the Ballet this week! It is absolutely wonderful that Carnegie Mellon Students have so much art readily accessible to us. There is such a variety of events going on. If only we had a little more time in our schedules to actually take part and appreciate the art going on around us as opposed to only our own.
Post a Comment