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Love Spinning Out of Control: Richmond Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Richmond Symphony and Chorus, February 8 - 10, 2008
1/2/2008
RICHMOND BALLET
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2008
Media Contact:
Aaron Sutten
(804) 344-0906 x244
asutten@richmondballet.com
Danaë Carter as Puck in
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love Spinning Out of Control:
Richmond Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
with Richmond Symphony and Chorus
February 8 - 10, 2008
RICHMOND — Join the mischievous sprite Puck as his matchmaking goes awry in William Shakespeare’s topsy-turvy comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Director and choreographer William Soleau will merge the talents of
Richmond Ballet, Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Symphony Chorus,
Virginia Opera soloists and special guest narrators in this
collaborative interpretation of the Bard’s riotous play.
Richmond Symphony, directed by Mark Russell Smith, will accompany the
performers with the delightful musical score by Felix Mendelssohn.
Meanwhile, outlandish characters will come to life in the form of
Richmond Ballet dancers with the help of the singers and narrators.
Combining forces, these artists will deliver an unforgettable evening
of dance, live music, drama, song and mayhem.
First produced for Richmond audiences in 2006, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
made Style Weekly’s Lea Marshall “wish for more.” Granting that wish,
the Ballet will offer three public performances – up from two in 2006 –
of the multifaceted production that Marshall said “succeeded in both
evoking the richness and charm of Shakespeare’s comedy and celebrating
the lovely ribbons of music in Mendelssohn’s score.”
A Synopsis of a Dream
One of Shakespeare’s early comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
is light, witty and known for its lyrical dialogue. Scholars believe
that this play was created as entertainment for a wedding celebration,
and its overriding themes of love, marriage and romance support that
idea. The whimsical tale follows errant love stories in the human
world and the fairy world as the escapades of the lovers overlap from
one realm to the next. The human lovers, Hermia and Lysander and
Helena and Demetrius, get caught in the schemes of Oberon, king of the
fairies, when he sends his servant Puck to sprinkle a love potion on
Titania, the queen of the fairies. The potion causes its object to fall
in love with the first person she sees upon waking. Titania awakes and
proclaims her devotion to Bottom, a weaver turned into a donkey, and
Lysander, also affected by the potion when the fairies begin to meddle
with the humans, falls in love with Helena. The comedy unfolds as the
mismatched characters travel through the forest throughout the night
behaving outlandishly. Adding to the mayhem is the “play within the
play” as Bottom and his band of men rehearse the production they will
present at a wedding scheduled for the following day. By morning the
confusion is solved thanks to the work of Puck, and the worlds of the
fairies and humans are reordered once more.
About the Choreographer
William Soleau has worked as a principal dancer in both ballet and
modern companies and with choreographers including Anthony Tudor, John
Butler, Alvin Ailey, Norman Walker, Joyce Trisler and Toer Van Shayk.
While dancing with Finis Jhung's Chamber Ballet U.S.A. in New York
City, Mr. Soleau created his first work, Isle, which became an instant success. In 1987 he gained international recognition for his full evening work, Universe,
for the Shanghai Ballet of China during its first International
Shanghai Arts Festival. As resident choreographer and principal dancer
for Dennis Wayne's DANCERS during the 80's, he soon stopped dancing and
began to devote himself entirely to choreography. Mr. Soleau has over
70 ballets in the repertoires of many companies around the world
including Ballet British Columbia, The Icelandic Ballet, Ballet de
Montreal, Austin Ballet, Ballet Florida and The Louisville Ballet. Mr.
Soleau is no stranger to Richmond Ballet, which has in its repertory
Mr. Soleau's Hymn, String Sketches, Fauré Melodies, Tandem Spaces, Closing Doors and Nuevo Tango.
As a resident of New York City, Mr. Soleau serves as executive
director for the John Butler Foundation, which protects and preserves
the masterworks of the legendary American choreographer.
Tickets on sale now!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
runs February 8 through 10 at Richmond’s Landmark Theater. Purchase
tickets, priced from $27 to $100 for adults (discounts available for
seniors, students and children), by contacting Ticketmaster at (804)
262-8003 or www.ticketmaster.com,
or by visiting the Richmond Ballet box office, located at 407 East
Canal Street, Richmond. Group discounts are also available through the
Richmond Ballet box office.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is presented by SunTrust
with additional support from Dominion.
Fast Facts:
Who? Richmond Ballet, Stoner Winslett, Artistic Director. www.richmondballet.com
What?
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Choreography by William Soleau
Music by Felix Mendelssohn
Conducted by Music Director Mark Russell Smith
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
When?
February 8 at 7 p.m.
February 9 at 7 p.m.
February 10 at 2 p.m.
Where? Richmond’s Landmark Theater
How much? Tickets
are $27 to $100 for adults (discounts available for seniors, students
and children). Call Ticketmaster at (804) 262-8003 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
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Richmond
Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, is dedicated to the education,
promotion, preservation and continuing evolution of the art form of
ballet. Richmond Ballet strives to keep meaningful works of dance
alive and to produce and foster new works that remain true to these
values. Now in its 24th professional season, Richmond Ballet's mission
is to "awaken and uplift the human spirit, both for audiences and
dancers."
***
For further press information contact:
Aaron Sutten, Director of Marketing and Communications
EMAIL: asutten@richmondballet.com; CALL: (804) 344-0906 x244