"Carmen" Again, But Dancing This Time
Bill Gale, TheaterNewEngland.com
In the opera world, "Carmen" is sometimes seen as a bit of a warhorse, all that over-familiar music and forced "passion."
But "Carmen" is less often seen in the ballet, where it surely could be audacious, even shocking, containing real passion.
That may be what is going on at Festival Ballet in Providence where a new "Carmen" seemed to be well on its way to finding the ardor that has made it a landmark.
Seen at a run-through rehearsal, this "Carmen" filled with provocative dancing and an undercurrent of drive and destiny could make the work new all over again. It seemed a sweaty, driven version rather than just another re-created warhorse. The fight scenes between, say, Carmen and another cigarette girl, Mercedes, [Beth Petkus] had an intensity that gave them reality. And a love duet, bed to floor and back, between Carmen and Don Jose was, well, hot.
Conceived and choreographed by former Boston Ballet principal dancer Viktor Plotnikov, with Leticia Guerrero and Jennifer Ricci, two small feisty dancers, sharing the role of Carmen, and Gleb Lyamenkoff and Davide Vittorino as Don Jose, "Carmen" is on October 3 to 5 at VMA Arts & Cultural Center, Providence.
During the week of September 29th, the VMA Arts & Cultural
Center Box Office will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to sell tickets to all
of Festival Ballet Providence's VMA productions. On Friday, the box office
will be open from noon until 8 p.m.; on Saturday from Noon to 8 p.m.; and
on Sunday from Noon to 3 p.m. The VMA Box Office telephone number is 401.272.4VMA.
For ticket information, please contact Festival Ballet Providence at 401.353.1129.
