`Merry Widow' feels more like a movie than a ballet
Houston Ballet opened its season with The Merry Widow , a ballet concerning the romantics of Hanna Glawari, danced by principal dancer Janie Parker. The ballet is the company's grandest one this year, which is no wonder with Desmond Heeley's fantastic sets that almost totally covered the Wortham's Brown Theater stage.
We start out in a simple anteroom with a patriotic background and move to a gorgeous ballroom with sparkling columns and a grand staircase to a cozy villa in the soft evening time. Finally, the ballet ends in the bright red dining room of Chez Maxim, where a party ensues, complete with a snotty maitre d'.
The sets never dominated the action, however. Instead, they acted to make the action on stage stand out even more. This ballet, unlike many others, gave the dancers the opportunity to show off their acting skills as well as their dancing skills.
Dorio Perez and Timothy O'Keefe, in the comedic character roles of Njegus and his employer Baron Zeta, constantly add comic relief to the action, which produced a lot of laughs Thursday night. Njegus has the funny ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the baron's bum knee always acts up when least expected. Yet the baron can also breaks the audience's hearts, especially when he gives his wife away to her spirited lover.
Janie Parker also uses her acting skills to give her character a personality rather than merely a smiling face. In fact, her skills were so extraordinary that she made the audience giggle with a mere point of her foot. That in itself should indicate how fine a dancer and actress she is. Her 20th anniversary with the Ballet will be a fine one.
The Merry Widow seemed almost more like a movie to me than a classical ballet production. There are scenes, of course, which are structured around dance, but more often, Ronald Hynd's choreography suits the story. This is what makes this ballet enjoyable, especially to those who have never had a taste of classical dance.
Instead of boring scenes where dancers dance for what seems like hours for no particular reason, one understands how the movements fit with the silent dialogue and evident emotions of characters.
The story itself may be a little cheesy, but anything more complicated is hard to express without dialogue, and the result would strain any audience. Yet this storyline stays in a festive mood, with a little flirting here and there.
Perhaps the funniest flirtations are those between the French Attache Camille (Carlos Acosta) and the baron's wife, Valencienne. The two dance in a coquettish and free manner, and the effect is great when he holds her in a beautiful lift that the audience feels it must take seriously; then his hand creeps toward her chest.
The relationship between Hanna and her old flame Danilo, danced by Phillip Broomhead, also unfolds easily in The Merry Widow . One of the best scenes in the production is a time-shifting dream sequence where he remembers their romance, and as the peasant girl Hanna leaves, the widow Hanna passes him by in a fog.
As in any romantic comedy, the plot twists based on a misunderstanding. It's this misunderstanding that drives the second half of the ballet toward the resolution, when all parties end up happy.
The Merry Widow has the qualities of a big-screen romantic comedy. The negative attitudes some people have toward ballet can be instantly shattered by the way this production keeps the audience involved through laughter and heartbreak.
The Merry Widow at the Wortham Center can be seen until Sept. 17. Tickets range from $10 to $75, but no matter what the price of your ticket is, The Merry Widow is definitely worth the money.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the September 15, 1995 issue.
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