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Golden Gate

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Posts posted by Golden Gate

  1. Help me out here, you who love Dracula.

    I saw it once a few years ago and did not go back this year. I was put off by dissonant music, sharp movements, and violence and seem to be missing something from others' comments.

    What is it that you like so much? Music? Acting? Story? What?

    Hey Fandango!

    ...well, I know we're way past this, time-wise... but it's been busy. Here we go... for me personally, it's a combination of serious passion for theatre (this is definitely theatre meets ballet), an even deeper devotion to ballet, and I'm a big fan of the triumvirate that put this together (Michael Pink/Philip Feeney and Lez Brotherston), I love most of CB's dancers, and the story... ahhh the story. It is taken almost metaphorically verbatim from the novel by Bram Stoker. They stayed very true to the 'written word', when it was created. It is all about the experience... the combination of all of the above, finding oneself in the dark and drawn into the story, the performance, and the mystery. The dancing is somewhat muted, but as far as generalities go, it was never all about the dance; it's about a dramatic production, and dance is merely the vehicle by which it is presented... there is a thrill about it, an excitement in the struggle between good and evil. And then, for me personally... there is the dancing.

    Some of my favorite choreography on the stage is in this production. The pas de deux between Dracula and Jonathon Harker is extremely intense and very challenging. It borders on sensual, dark, forbidden, it's nucleus is an insatiable lust for life blood... and fear, and panic... and seduction - not a sexual seduction, but one much more imperative, the seduction of Jonathon's very soul- the seduction of good by evil, it's really an edge of your seat, breathless scene. The challenge is not in technique so much, although there are some tricky steps, and timing is of course, important... but rather in the execution of the drama and emotion. If it isn't danced precisely- if the dancers don't 'become' Dracula and Jonathon... it's totally lost. This company does a killer job with it. The other dance scene that I love from this show is - (...and please forgive this unusual perspective) the scene in which Renfield escapes his room at the hospital and goes to see Mina Harker. There is a brief and strange pas de deux between the two, the coolest part of which is that Renfield is barefoot and bound in a straight jacket. When danced at it's best (thank you tremendously Andrew Thompson) it is quite a sight to behold, to see Mina and Renfield dance together this way, it's tough enough doing a pas de deux with slippers and 4 limbs... but barefoot and tied? Yah... one of my favorites. I never saw a dancer interact more carefully with his partner and still pull off the act as when Andrew did this role. If one is watching closely and understands anything about dance and balance... the appreciation is immediate.

    I very much enjoy getting caught up in the whole experience, that's what makes it so great... the delicate combination of all of the aspects, and if any one of them was gone, or different, it wouldn't be even remotely as good as it is.

    However, for someone who doesn't like dark stories... no good. don't go. The enjoyment of a bit of the darker side is a prerequisite for this one. I think your preferences have a tendency to go toward the more romantic and tragic than this would offer - a true lover of classics and not contemporary so much, and my friend, I don't think you would like it... no matter how interesting I try to make it sound. :(

    We desperately need lovers of classics to keep them alive in the face of the gradual transition into more popular contemporary and modern dance... but maybe the classics aren't in quite as much danger of being lost as I fear... as long as there are little girls, there will be princess ballerinas. Amen.

    :(

  2. Haven't they always had a live orchestra for Dracula?

    -no, the last time it was done (04-05) it was recorded. I have the rehearsal CD - although for the life of me I can't figure out why, it's not really anything pleasant to listen to what with the knocking and screaming and everything - really it's just not the same without the count in your face.

    I again saw Gil Boggs. I thought about saying "It's a 10", but a 10 is something like a sextuple bogey, which usually results in someone throwing their golf clubs into the lake.

    Just crawled up off the floor, fell off my chair laughing at that... VERY funny... I wonder if he'd appreciate that one. I certainly did. :wink:

    --I saw two shows, the second on Saturday night, it was not as good as Thursday (opening night)... everyone was a bit off, but still, I was glad to see it. CB did the usual 'costume contest' for the patrons and one of the couples; third place, excited the crowd into a frenzy when the gentleman got on his knee and asked his lady friend to marry him - and of course she said yes. What else could she say on stage at the opera house in front of 1400 people? This is the second proposal I've seen CB assist with - it's very nice.

    ...let's see what Gil does with Nutcracker.... not sure if they'll use Martin's choreography this year or not.

  3. They've done it again... and it's still as great as it ever was. Colorado Ballet's opening night for Dracula was great - everyone was excited, there was an electric tension in the air, and fog on the stage... and for the first time in a very long time, an orchestra playing the score - which improved the production immensely! It still gives me such a thrill.

    I've seen Dracula many times, but this was my favorite. John Henry Reid portrayed the evil Count Dracula, and even though it was his first time as the vampire... he did an excellent job. It is not, however, his first time as the bad guy in a "Michael Pink/Lez Brotherston/Philip Feeney" production. He danced as Frollo in every single one of last season's 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' shows for CB - and was very good at that. Wondering if he'll be typecast in the future as the bad guy everyone loves to hate...

    Maria Mosina was perfect as Mina Harker... as usual, and Chandra Kuykendall is my favorite Lucy. There are only 5 shows (there were 6 at one time, but the Sunday eve show was cancelled months ago), so don't miss it - especially since the music is the only live thing anywhere near the stage... ha ha ha... just kidding. Vampire joke. But definitely a must see - again.

    :P:)

  4. "Gil Boggs passed in front of me when I was walking to the lobby during intermission. I resisted the urge to yell "fore!"."

    You're killing me, that's so funny. It was the first time Maria and Igor made me cry in all the years I've watched them. It was a very powerful performance, and demanding... but my every expectation was surpassed. You're right about Igor maturing too... and Maria, as well. The last time I saw them do this ballet, they were not this good. All around, one of their best ever. They've come a long way... and it shows.

    :)

  5. Perhaps my last missive was a bit strongly worded... I agree Fandango, I too will continue to support it as much as I can, and I too wish to see it grow and become one of the best companies in the nation. Perhaps that will happen under Gil's direction.

    Thanks for the positive direction, I can get overly focused on situations sometimes :)

    Let's keep it going.

    Golden Gate

  6. Good point about not wishing for the demise of the company... no one wants that, but this company has been through some staggering blows that seem endless... perhaps it will have an opportunity to heal now - one would hope, for the dancers and for the benefit of the community. I just don't see that happening, however.

    The board is mostly made up of people who have money but not a passion for dance, or a good working knowledge of it (much to my chagrin) and they frequently make poor decisions, in my humble opinion. The executive staff running the company are partly well educated in dance and dance companies, but mostly oblivious to the patrons and remainder of the staff... which cannot be, as the patrons and donors are the backbone of the organization. It runs like an old machine with missing parts... somehow getting along but who knows for how long. Definitely broken. It makes me so very sad to see that and experience it on many levels.

    As for Jocelyn and Andrew, they are doing well and moving on with their lives - I wish them the very best in all their aspirations. Meelis Pakri and his wife Carol will be going to England to join the Royal Ballet in August... I also wish them every happiness and many blessingsWe will see where Gil tries to take this company in the coming season, but it doesn't look good from here.

    An aside to Kyle MacMillan about his article in the Sunday Denver Post... you complete fool; I can't believe you took the CB press release and just printed it - with the headline that Gil Boggs didn't have to let anyone go because they all resigned, that is just 100% false. Start doing your job and research a little bit. Labsan and Thompson were fired on June 6th, 2006 and that's it. At least Marc Shulgold of the Rocky Mountain News contacted them and interviewed them... and wrote it correctly; they were fired, and for no good reason. I highly recommend reading Shulgolds two articles on the subject.

    Even in the face of all of it, I will say go... support the dancers, experience the shows, let's do our best to try to keep the thing afloat, as much as can be done. Youoverthere... don't give up on them yet. Please...

    Golden Gate

  7. As if there weren't enough changes in this company over the last two years (+), things are still evolving... but who's to say in what direction.

    Jocelyn Labsan and Andrew Thompson have been fired from Colorado Ballet (see Marc Shulgolds article in the Rocky Mountain News, and both Marc and Kyle MacMillan (denver post) will be posting articles regarding this in their respective Sunday papers). :clapping:

    Both Labsan and Thompson worked under previous Artistic Director Martin Fredmann for 18 years at CB. Jocelyn and Andrew both danced, and then Jocelyn became asst. AD and was a core essential of the company for the last several years; most importantly during this last year when Martin was fired in October, one week before the season opener Sleeping Beauty was done... (talk about atrocious timing). She stepped in immediately as Interim Artistic Director and saved the companies 'you know what', supported the dancers and staff, kept as many of the patrons in the audience as she could, and struggled with this unthinkably gigantic task all season long - without complaining at all. Her husband Andrew supported her, kept up with company classes and choreographing, both worked with such patience and strength - and both of them were let go without much more than a brief paragraph in the press release that was sent out two days ago.

    Thankfully the press took the release and put the spotlight where it should have been, on the departure of these two incredible people and 6 dancers, and put quite a bit less emphasis on the other changes occurring within the company, such as Arthur Espinoza being named General Manager, and some minor changes in staff/addition of dancers.

    Guess we shall see where this 'new ballet' company is headed, as the house is now cleaned and everything old has been made new. :clapping:

  8. There are times when applause during a ballet ruins the mood, but other times when it is practically written into the piece.

    Oberon, I agree completely. I think that it's more 'production specific'... the rules change according to the show.

    This subject came up recently with Colorado Ballet's triple bill 'Choreographers Showcase'. The three productions were very well received by every audience that saw them; the first was Paul Taylors 'Company B', and the last was Twyla Tharp's 'Nine Sinatra Songs'... and during both of those the audience was whipped into a screaming pitch by the time the curtain fell - and had clapped and yelled continuously during, and the dancers loved it. However - the second piece was designed for CB by Jessica Lang (just stunning), but it was different... it's very unusual... dark and curious, very contemporary. The only music is live accompaniment (the piano was situated in front of the stage, just off to the side, under spotlight), and the mood is one of introspect... observance and silence. During this piece there was intermittant scattered applause that grew into thunderous applause and the dancers REALLY didn't like it, they said it was distracting and annoying because it ruined the mood. And it did, to a point. When the audience wasn't clapping, there was a definite pin drop silence and at the end a collective witholding of breath throughout until the final moment.

    I'd say that it depends on what production one is seeing as to whether or not it's appropriate, as there are so many different variations and styles on stage... I don't think it's a 'one size fits all' kind of question and answer - it can't be, with such a vast array of productions offered up in so many different places. Location has a big role in it, as does production - which usually determines the ilk of patron... there are different patrons for Cinderella than there are for Dracula... than there are for a triple bill... and each group is expecting different things from the talent onstage, and each group responds differently to their respective situation.

  9. Hi You!

    It's going to be interesting to see what Gil Boggs puts in for the third piece in Dance Creations - they just have the two choreographers right now, and it's a triple bill... so we'll see. It's going to be one not to miss with Darrell and Jessica though! :wub:

    Golden Gate

  10. I have been glued to this monitor for several minutes now... laughing, reminiscing, agreeing, disagreeing, taking notes and adding to the ever-growing 'oh I have to see that' list... as the worlds most hopeless romantic, however... I can't leave without adding my favs too - a good deal of which were already mentioned.

    ...in no particular order

    It happened one night

    Chocolat

    Bringing up baby

    Casablanca

    GWTW

    Bed of Roses

    Meet Joe Black (a double romance, two different guys same body)

    The Notebook

    The King and I (Kerr/Brenner, just kills me every single time)

    Anna and the King (Foster and CYF)

    A walk in the clouds (one of the top favs without question)

    Ghost

    Titanic

    Pretty Woman

    Sleepless in Seattle

    Breakfast at Tiffany's

    Roman Holiday

    Funny Face (notice the trend...)

    Brigadoon

    An American in Paris (another trend)

    The Mirror has two faces

    French Kiss

    Everafter

    Sabrina (both versions)

    Much ado about nothing

    Shakespeare in Love

    Phantom of the opera

    Midsummer nights dream

    Madame Butterfly

    Farewell my concubine

    Dr. Zhivago

    The Thornbirds (this one gets me SO frustrated; I yelled at the tv last time. huh.. :) )

    The Far Pavilions...

    I better stop here, but I could go on, I think indefinitely.

    Thanks for the topic, and all the input, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's notes.

    :)

    Golden Gate

  11. For $707, plus nine nights of hotel and meals, that better be one great Bayadere! We'll look forward to your posts. Maybe you'll find a nice internet cafe to check back in while the ballet is still fresh in your memory.

    ...ha ha ha... oops. :) Forgot to mention I am staying with a friend who danced at CB. No hotels. I will definitely do my best to take copious notes to report as soon as I am back!

    Golden Gate

  12. For travelers, mid December, early March and early May give you the opportunity to see more than one program - unfortunately some of the most interesting programs don't seem to be given at a time when something else is happening.

    Time to start watching airfares.

    I'm heading off to London and Paris April 2nd; it'll be a nice trip (10 days), but I'm going specifically to see POB do Nureyev's La Bayadere... can't wait. Very excited! I will have to post details after I get back. The round trip airfare was $707. :clapping:

  13. I hope CB keeps Company B active for a few seasons in order for the dancers to find it's emotional core, and the audience, as well.

    This production of Company B will be the only one that CB does for a while... :) as of today, who knows whether Gil Boggs will do it again in the near future or not.

    I think that the Choreographers Showcase is one of the best performances CB has presented in a while; it's intense and full of energy; the talent that the dancers exhibit is mind boggling - I see them dance on a regular basis and they were doing things I had no idea they could do. There were rave reviews by Kyle MacMillan in the Denver Post and I haven't read what Marc Shulgold wrote... although when I asked, he said it was 'ok' after the first piece. I'm not going to write what I think of Marc or his opinion.

    It is a fabulous way to spend a night out - more for adults than children methinks... but it's not inappropriate for them, only the wrong ilk for a very young person.

    I wouldn't miss this one; in fact, I'm going to try to see it as many times as I can. ...and I love old blue eyes' music; I think it's the dancer in me. The Choreography is excellent in every piece.

    :) Cinderella was lovely; it's the same Cinderella that Martin presented in 2000-2001 but it's so nice to see it again, Maria Mosina and Igor Vassine were as perfect as ever; and the rest of the cast was delightful as well.

    ...PS - there was a bronze statue commissioned a couple of years ago to be put into the Opera House; it was unveiled last month; it's a statue of Igor and Maria.... as far as technique, it's stunning, very well done... but as for my own personal taste, I don't like it at all... it's painted to look real... far too real, it looks like formaldehyde dancers... ewww.... too eerie.

    Golden Gate

  14. That seemed even more ironic since I enjoyed the (apparently heavily criticized) hip-hop dance piece that the CB did last year so much that I went back to see it a second time.

    The hip hop piece is in reference to "Earth Tribe" the Rennie Harris part of the 2004-2005 triple bill that CB presented last year. It was very dark - beyond sad to the point of 'soul hollowing', it was extremely contemporary, and it was not well recieved at ALL until it was decided that Martin Fredmann would go out on stage before the curtain went up and explain what the choreographer had created, and the vision that he was trying to get across to the audience. After that, the patrons were much more receptive because they had a base concept of what the point was... essentially.

    For this though... the synopsis was difficult to find... in the last part of an 'article' more about Matthew Bourne than the production that was about to be experienced. Maybe if the patrons could be introduced to a definitive storyline before the curtain rises... but who can second guess fate. Bottom line, didn't enjoy.

    Next?

    GG

  15. Did I dislike Swan Lake so much because I was comparing it to a ballet rather than judging it on its on terms? Was it really as bad as I'm making it out to be? Would I have liked it more if I had known beforehand that it was a play rather than a ballet (or even modern dance)?

    I thought about this yesterday... I was speaking to a patron of CB who'd purchased season tickets and was heading out to see this show in a couple of days. I told her what thought (see the opening remarks at the beginning) and she was so surprised and disappointed. So I back pedaled a bit, and I told her that it was entirely possible that she might enjoy it... I said, don't go in expecting the story of Swan Lake. Don't go in expecting ballet. It's a theatrical production with some dance. Go in knowing that it's a Broadway show about a prince in a cold dark world who falls in love with a male swan, and they can only be together in death. If I had known that, if I wasn't expecting ballet... I might have enjoyed it (the dancers were off though... bad dancing)... but entering in a different frame of mind might have altered my opinions.

    Good pointe... You.

    Golden Gate

  16. At the intermission, a woman who sitting next to me and had noticed that I frequently checked my watch (trying to guess how much longer until the intermission) said to me "You kept checking your watch. John Wilkes Booth also checked his watch frequently." I replied "I don't think that Abe Lincoln is here tonight. This show just isn't my thing." She said "So you don't like ballet?"

    Leigh - Most of the audience was perhaps under the impression that this was a more classical rendition; but I however, was not. I researched it, studied it, taught about it... and I DIDN'T WATCH THE VIDEO - It was the only thing I didn't make time for and should have. UGH!!! I knew... but I had no idea. Wow. I think it's very likely that the experience of the production differs greatly from the video.

    Youoverthere... this didn't happen to be an older lady with white hair cropped at the shoulder with bulky glasses who looks exactly like the old navy lady... was it? ha ha ha....

    Golden Gate

  17. I will offer a review tomorrow; I am there tonight for opening night... YAY!!!!

    It looks like I beat Golden Gate! Of course, I cheated. I didn't stay til the end. Spending 2.5 hours watching a play with no discernible plot and simple-minded humor isn't my thing. The dancing seemed to me to be below what one would see at a professional ballet, though I think I missed much of it since the 2nd act seemed to be more dance-oriented.

    I'd have left the same time you did if I hadn't had a car load of people. :wink:

  18. :wink: I must have gone to the wrong theatre last night… I went to see M.B. Swan Lake… and what I saw could never be mistaken for Swan Lake in any form, contemporary or not. I see why Lez Brotherston won a Tony award for set and costume design; they are very good. The set is a mirror of his set for the Hunchback of Notre Dame in many ways. The orchestra was outstanding; the music was good but became too repetitive towards the end... Tchaikovsky gone long. The choreography was excellent… I wish the dancers could have kept up with it, their timing was atrocious. The dancing was hot and cold; inconsistent to extremes. The storyline was implausible, incongruent, disjointed, and erratic; and the whole show was far too long. Lastly, much to my chagrin, it was homoerotic to a fault. I’ve been assuring people for a year and half that it is not, that I would take my children to see it, that this once in a lifetime cannot be missed by any age. I was sorely mistaken.

    I have seen many productions, in a myriad of formats. This was hands down the worst show I have ever seen. I hated it. I went with a large group of people, most of them from CB, and only a few actually liked it. The dancers, for the most part, didn’t think much of it at all.

    There were some interesting moments… in the first act the ‘would be’ dumb-blonde tramp princess is at a faux ballet with the prince and his mother when her cell phone rings… an anachronism considering the rest of the show is seemingly set in the roaring 20’s, (funny though… everyone in the theatre gasped and started looking around to see if it was their own phone that was ringing… ha ha…). The second act begins with a wonderful waltz that quickly goes awry when ‘Rothbart’ comes strolling in on the balustrade of the palace balcony and attempts to seduce everyone on the stage… the first part of that scene was nice, the rest was not. There really wasn’t much more worth noting.

    In a word; the production was dirty. If I wanted to see trash, I’d go down to Colfax St., that’s 2.5 hours of my life that I will never get back again.

    There were obviously people who enjoyed it; there was thunderous applause from a large portion of the audience, but not from me, and not from most of the people around me. I believe this is one that falls into the ‘…to each his own’ category.

  19. All golf jokes aside, I looked at the Colorado Ballet website today and found no information at all about this appointment, just a note that said to come back later for more developments.  This week the company is presenting a touring company of the Matthew Bourne Swan Lake, but they supposedly have another program coming at the end of March, Martin Fredmann's Cinderella in rotation with a mixed choreographer program, which is most likely already in rehearsal -- I'm wondering when they're actually bringing Gil Boggs into the picture, and how that transition will work

    1- CB is presenting Matthew Bourne's "Swan Lake" in conjunction with the Denver Center Theatre Co. for 6 days this week... opens tonight. Tickets are on sale for a discounted price for certain shows; there's another thread about this under todays topics. As this is a presentation in name only for CB, there is no relevancy to Gil.

    2- The other two shows; Cinderella and the Choreographers Showcase are running simultaneously Mar 4-Apr 1. The choreography in Cinderella is Martin Fredmann's. I've seen this one and it's absolutely delightful. Excellent show. The Choreographers Showcase is CB's annual triple bill. This years show features Twyla Tharp's 'Nine Sinatra Songs' (costumes are Oscar de La Renta) and to my knowledge this has only been performed by three other companies since it's debut in Vancouver, Oct 1982... so this 4th show in 23 years is a lovely feather in the cap, also featured is Paul Taylor's 'Company B'... which will also be a wonderful production to see - I love swing -, and the last is Jessica Lang's premiere created for CB... she danced with Twyla for a bit, and is one of the hottest up and coming choreographers in the dance world.

    Gil will be present intermittantly and will be part of (but I doubt altering) the upcoming shows. He officially takes the reigns in April, I believe.

  20. Wednesday and Thursday nights never do well in Denver... and neither do later shows. I was surprised they booked that, but it is the broadway production, it is not CB's company... and they are traveling so you book shows when you can, I guess. Julie Andrews' "the boy friend" opens in that same theatre (Buell) on the 21st, so I think the timing was a key issue there.

    I will offer a review tomorrow; I am there tonight for opening night... YAY!!!!

    I can hardly wait! :wink:

    Golden Gate

  21. Just an FYI, those Matthew Bourne Swan Lake Tickets are only available through the Denver Center, Colorado Ballet is not handling any part of ticketing.

    It will be an amazing show, and a good turnout is expected.

    I am curious to see how a multi-faceted but predominantly conservative Denver audience will react to this avant garde production...

    Myself, I cannot wait... very excited to see it!! :beg:

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