SWANIE...How I Love Ya!!

 

 There is another GreatLake that can be added to our geography…SwanLake. It is hard to believe that it has been almost ten years since I first saw Matthew Bourne's groundbreaking production of, what can be argued, the most popular ballet ever created. First staged in 1995, Bourne's SwanLake became the longest running ballet in London and on Broadway, where Bourne won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Director and Best Choreographer of a Musical. It has taken almost eleven years for SwanLake to make its Chicago premier, but the wait was more than worth it. With Tchaikovsky's score prerecorded, this production takes flight with imagination, great scenery, impeccable dancing and most important, truth in acting. This is not your parents SwanLake. The female gentle swans of old have been replaced by masculine, graceful, aggressive, territorial and vengeful creatures. 

 From the opening scene when we see the young Prince awaking to what seems a nightmare with a Swan beckoning at his window, to the final scene where the same bedroom set leaves not a dry eye in the house, this is musical theatre in its truest and richest form.

 SwanLake opens with The Young Prince tossing and turning in his very large bed, agitated by nightmares. Above him appears a figure from his imagination, a powerful swan. The figure disappears and his mother, The Queen (Oxana Panchenko) enters his room to console him; however, when he reaches out to her (a gesture repeated throughout the piece), she turns away from him unable to give him the love and attention and acceptance that he needs. As The Prince becomes an adult, the focus becomes The Prince's relationship with his Mother and the conflict with his sexuality.  As references to the British Royal Family abound, we see the conflict of The Prince (Sam Plant for the Tuesday performance)  trying to adapt to his title while dealing with a zealous press and a Mother relishing in the throws of her reign. The Prince becomes acquainted with a young girl, who has the demeanor of Paris Hilton and the fashion since of Glinda the Good Witch from Wicked. The pair and The Queen set out to the Opera/Ballet which is one of the finest comic scenes in the show, with the Girlfriend as out of place in the opera as the Prince is in his own skin. In the background throughout is the Queen's Private Secretary, who continually tries to engineer the Prince's downfall.

 In The Prince's private quarters, a confrontation erupts between The Prince and his Mother. The scene plays like a "coming out" of sorts for The Prince, again yearning for his Mother's affection and approval. After his Mother again rejects his emotional outcry, The Prince flees the Palace and arrives at the Swank Bar, a throwback to the clubs of the 60's and 70's. He proceeds to down a few cocktails and picks a fight with two male sailors who try to entice the lad. The Prince is beaten up and thrown out of the club after seeing his Girlfriend with the Private Secretary who pays her a fee for the evening.. 

 Act II commences with The Prince at the brink of self destruction. He writes a suicide note and proceeds to attempt to drown himself in the lake near the palace. His attempt is subverted by The Swan (played by Alan Vincent, reprising his Broadway role) who emerges from the water. The Prince recognizes The Swan from his dreams and is instantly attracted to him. The Swan is joined by other swans who seem to threaten The Prince. The Swan controls them and protects The Prince, becoming his soul mate and his reason to live. This scene is brilliant. The choreography and direction are perfect. The acting and the dancing throughout are exceptional with Vincent and Plant having incredible passion and chemistry. More importantly, The Swan's embrace of The Prince is the moment he recognizes who he is and what kind of love he wants and needs. He is able to accept his sexuality and finds a peace that he has never known before.

 Act three features a modern day setting, with designs of the Princesses dresses derived from modern day fashion shows and a dance number with clear kudos to West Side Story's Dance at the Gym. The Swan now appears as a confident, sexually charged Stranger who seduces the women, and in particular, The Queen. He has no social graces and jeers the Royal etiquette. The Prince, jealous of what transpires between his Mother and the Stranger (who he recognizes as the Swan), is involved in an accidental shooting which puts him in a mental institution and culminates in what appears to be a lobotomy being performed on The Prince. Here, lighting designer Rick Fisher, effectively uses shadow lighting to create the drama of the institution. 

Back in the Prince's bedroom, The Swan arrives to comfort and protect The Prince while the swans emerge and violently turn on both of them. The last scene of the ballet is breathtaking and needs to be seen in order appreciate the depth of each of the performances.

 Bourne's vision is stunning. His research of the creatures and how they move give the swans' emotional depth. The wings of The Swan wrap around The Prince in the duets and The Swan even takes flight with the Prince in tow. The sets and costumes augment Bourne's decision not to set the ballet in any particular time period, but rather allows the designer, Lez Brotherston, to play with different styles and themes throughout the four acts. Much of the production and its meanings can be left to individual interpretation which can make for some interesting discussions. 

 It is a shame this production is only here for a week. This production has the staying power of any major production in town. Do yourself a favor and see this production and you will remember why you fell in love with theatre.

 

Matthew Bourne's SwanLake is playing through February 26, 2006 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre,

151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, Illinois, 60602

. Visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com for more information.