HAILED BY THEATER AND DANCE CRITICS
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE, the modern re-interpretation of the legendary ballet that won three Tony Awards® has returned to New York for a strictly limited run at New York City Center (131 West 55 Street) and officially opened this week.
Produced by New York City Center, Sadler’s Wells Theater London and Back Row Productions, the groundbreaking and multi-award-winning international hit production will play through Sunday, November 7, 2010.
Hailed around the world as a bold blend and theater and dance, MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE has once again impressed critics from both the theater and dance worlds:
“Should not be missed. Call it theater, dance, or something perched happily in between, the return of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is a chance for those who didn’t catch it in 1998 to see what kind of life a fertile mind and some pretty cool feathered knickers can breathe into a century-old classic, exposing it to audiences who might never dream of entering an opera house.”
– Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press
“A sensation. (Bourne’s) reinterpretation raises the ballet’s inherent sexiness and gives Tchaikovsky’s music new force. Mr. Bourne hasn’t taken the traditional road, but given tradition a push.”
– Gia Kourlas, The New York Times
“Dance just got all sexypants. The mysterious hunk who shows up in form-fitting leather trousers in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is the tall dark stranger this town had been waiting to meet. Is it theater or dance? What matters is that it’s a great story, told wonderfully.”
– Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post
“A captivating evening of dance as theater. A work of storytelling in its purest, wordless form — and one that allows your imagination, like the onstage swans themselves, to take flight.”
– Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly
“‘Swan Lake’ hews faithfully, if fancifully, to Tchaikovsky’s score, with an impact often stronger than that of many traditional versions. Since starting life 15 years ago as a variation on a work still largely known for its Russian lineage and feminine aura, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake has taken off on its own, making an English, manly mark.”
– Robert Greskovic, The Wall Street Journal
“Bourne’s wildly theatrical staging… is one of few contemporary dance productions that can simultaneously honor and reinvent classical ballet, as well as appeal to diverse audiences.”
– Matt Windman, AM New York
“Bourne’s deeply felt conceit triumphs. The production, splendidly turned out by designer Lez Brotherston, resonates at this moment, as too many young gay men die rather than face their own confusion and the world’s hostility.”
– Elizabeth Zimmer, Metro Newspaper
“I can’t wait any longer to say that the current version of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, at City Center through November 7, is the most gratifying re-invention of the Petipa-Ivanov ‘Swan Lake’ I’ve ever had the good luck to see.”
– Tobi Tobias, ArtsJournal
“The inventive British choreographer-director — working in tandem with brilliant set and costume designer Lez Brotherston has created one of the most audacious, visually stunning, and often moving works created for the stage — all without using a word of dialogue. One need not be a dance expert — or even been to a dance piece before — to fully grasp the wonder of this Swan Lake.”
– Brian Scott Lipton, Theatermania
“Highly imaginative, full of laughs, yet quite powerful emotionally. Matthew Bourne manages to poke fun at traditional ballet and still give us a new interpretation that is a perfect fit for Tchaichovsky’s score. Don’t miss it!”
– Annie Bergen, WQXR Radio
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE stars a mix of established New Adventures performers and newcomers. The company features Richard Winsor and Jonathan Ollivier returning to the role of “The Swan” following their 2009 debuts. Dominic North and Simon Williams will share the role of “The Prince.” Original Broadway cast member Nina Goldman will perform the role of “The Queen.” Madelaine Brennan will also appear as “The Queen” and “The Girlfriend,” a role she’ll share with Shelby Williams. “The Private Secretary” will be danced by Steve Kirkham and Ashley Bain.
Matthew Bourne blends dance, humor and spectacle with extravagant, award-winning set and costume designs by Lez Brotherston and lighting design by Rick Fisher, to create a provocative and powerful Swan Lake for our times. Now firmly crowned as a modern-day classic, this iconic production is perhaps best known for replacing the traditional female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble.
Collecting over 30 international theater awards, MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE has been acclaimed as a landmark achievement on the international stage. It has become the longest running ballet in the West End and on Broadway and enjoyed four hugely successful tours in the UK and thrilled audiences all over the world.
Ticket prices are $25, $50, $85, $110 and are available at the New York City Center Box Office, through CityTix at 212-581-1212, or online at www.nycitycenter.org/events.
Filed under: SWAN LAKE | Tagged: Dance, Matthew Bourne, NEW YORK CITY CENTER, Swan Lake |
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