Whatever one might expect from Peter Pan, the Grand Rapids Ballet delivered it—and more—in their tremendous production of this utterly magical contemporary storybook ballet.
True to the original 1902 story written by J.M. Barrie about the boy who refuses grow up, it’s a tale particularly suited to being told largely without words and primarily through movement. Beautifully so, in fact.
And while it’s a ballet for all ages, and a brilliant way to introduce children to the art form, it’s also as sophisticated as it is hilarious, an extraordinary achievement in every way, equally pleasing for a seasoned adult fan of classical ballet.
Choreographed by Septime Webre (who is known for literary adaptations such as Sleepy Hollow, The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, and Alice in Wonderland) with a world premiere in 2001 at the Washington Ballet, this Peter Pan is grand: bold, colorful, campy, with larger-than-life characters, shot through with glitter and stage fights and children flying amid twinkling stars of a night sky. The dancing is largely classical in style, with little runs and steps inspired by Petipa and yet they seamlessly blend with contemporary nods to hip hop, neo-classical, and theatrical dance to create a storybook ballet that’s rooted in tradition and yet made new, utterly of its time.
This spirit and creative playfulness is mirrored by the marvelous score composed by Carmon DeLeone, longtime music director of the Cincinnati Ballet. Romantic, classical, theatrical, with jazz and pop cultural references throughout, eclectic influences are evident from Prokofiev, Bach, Gershwin, and Strauss. Conducted by John Varineau opening night, the gorgeously sweeping music was lively, fun, and beautifully inspired the dancing.
In fact, Grand Rapids Ballet with the Grand Rapids Symphony completely fulfilled the promise of this wonderful ballet at DeVos Hall. With stunning scenery and costumes courtesy of Cincinnati Ballet and a world-class company of dancers, this professional ballet performance was simply as good as it gets.
The story begins and ends with a literally larger-than-life Peter Pan in giant projected silhouette played by the impish, spritely Julian Gen. He flies with the assistance of wires, but what’s more impressive is how he jumps with such power and grace, he seems to float, suspended in air, often while turning, even when he’s not attached to wires.
He’s playful, joyful, delightfully boyish, when dancing with Yuka Oba-Muschiana as an elegantly girlish Wendy or in a comic pas de deux with the incomparable James Cunningham as a magnificently campy Captain Hook. They achieve characters so big they’re nearly cartoonish, but wonderfully so—and not to be outdone by the furry dog (Anderson Da Silva) and crocodile (Wade Mesecar) who nearly bring down the house with their physical comedy.
And Rowan Allegra’s perfect Tinkerbell emerges from a spiraling green lighting effect, and brings the platter tutu and tiara without which any storybook ballet would be incomplete—and she exquisitely leads the most beautiful small army of fairies and “Tinkertots” of all ages who fill the stage with gusto.
Other corps numbers both large and small are exceptional. The Lost Boys and Pirates, each in groups of six, bring terrific masculine athleticism and humor; while Princess Tiger Lily, performed with phenomenal strength and sensual expressivity by Sarah Marley, and her Maidens are utterly mesmerizing.
With such magnificent performances and tremendous material, this show does, indeed, allow Grand Rapids Ballet to soar to new heights both literally and figuratively. Peter Pan is a spectacular achievement in this magical fairy tale that not only brings out the child in all of us but does so through unparalleled artistry.
Peter Pan
Grand Rapids Ballet
Feb. 21-23
grballet.com
