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William Shakespeare’s penned his extraordinary plays more than four decades ago, yet they continue to be adapted into films, operas, and even ballets—most notably “Romeo and Juliet.”
Now comes the American Ballet Theatre premiere of acclaimed director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet “The Winter’s Tale,” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts April 3 through 6.
“The Winter’s Tale” is one of Shakespeare’s final plays, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. It can be called a romantic comedy, although it’s also been labeled one of The Bard’s “problem plays” because the first three acts are filled with psychological drama while the last two acts are lighter with a happy ending.
According to information provided by Segerstrom Center, Wheeldon, who choreographed ABT’s “Like Water for Chocolate” that Segerstrom Center presented last spring to great acclaim, has used the power of dance to create a magical reimagining of Shakespeare’s play, which follows the narrative of a mad king, the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, a seemingly hopeless love, a lost royal child eventually restored to her family, stormy sea voyages complete with a shipwreck, and wedding festivities.
“The Winter’s Tale” is an exploration of the different types of love and the consequences that could happen when that love isn’t valued or nurtured. But through remorse and regret, there is a miraculous return to life in a joyous ending of forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Winter’s Tale, featuring Joby Talbot’s compelling score and Bob Crowley’s atmospheric designs, transports audiences to a magical land where love conquers all. Talbot’s previous compositions include Wheeldon’s “Like Water for Chocolate” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the film “The Hitchhiker’s Gude to the Galaxy” and the popular animated feature “Sing.”
Crowley is the winner of seven Tony and three Olivier Awards with Broadway credits including “Carousel,” “An American in Paris,” “Disney’s Aladdin,” “Aida,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Tarzan.”
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Wheeldon said “The Winter’s Tale is yin and yang–extreme darkness contrasts with a beautiful, joyous pastoral for the second act, and the crashing together of the two worlds in the third. This play offers extreme comedy, tragedy and romance all in one work, exciting because you get to explore two very different ways of working. Translating Shakespeare is not just telling a story but lifting the poetry off the page.”
Devon Teuscher dances the role of Hermoine, the virtuous and beautiful Queen of Sicily, at two of the ABT performances. She noted that as a dancer, it’s nice to have Shakespeare’s text as a reference because the story can seem complicated so having the play as a guide is a nice tool to have.
One challenge of rehearsing a ballet like “A Winter’s Tale,” said Teuscher, is that it is a very full production in terms of sets and costumes, and a variety of props, but the ABT studio is large enough to accommodate all of those elements so when the company gets to Segerstrom Center, they are comfortable in the space.
There is one additional challenge for Teuscher: her character is pregnant.
“I wear a fake belly under my dress. I have never danced pregnant, never worn a fake belly on stage. It changes the way you are partnered and the way in which your partner holds you, so I have more awareness of being pregnant. I had to get used to having it on during rehearsals.”
Because many audience members may not be as familiar with the story told in “A Winter’s Tale,” Teuscher recommends arriving early enough at the performance to read the synopsis in the program.
“That way when you sit down you have a clearer idea of what you are watching,” explained Teuscher. “This is a ballet about redemption and forgiveness. It tells a story of class. It has a lot of magic in it. It’s a beautiful tale, with morals to learn through the story. Immerse yourself in it. Even if you don’t know what’s going on, immerse yourself in the different stories being told. Shakespeare’s writing covers a lot of time and space, so just go for the ide and enjoy it.”
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s “The Winter’s Tale” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts start at $44.07 and are available for purchase online at www.scfta.org, in person at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, and by phone at (714) 556-2787.