The second ballet in Cineplex’s Ballet Season is The Australian Ballet’s The Merry Widow. This is a brand new ballet for me, as well as the first time that I see this company perform outside of World Ballet Day. When the Cineplex season was announced, I was really excited and intrigued to see this ballet on the roster.
I’ve previously watched The Australian Ballet during World Ballet Day in company class and in rehearsals, so I was a little familiar with the company, but had never seen them perform. As such, I delved right into my research on the ballet that was created on this company. For a ballet with a storyline, as this one is, I usually like to research the story and the characters before seeing the show. I find it helpful to be able to follow the story, instead of being distracted trying to figure out what’s going on, and I like being able to identify who is who. Luckily enough, they had just performed this in the Sidney Opera House, and so the their Youtube channel had press footage. This included a trailer, and a wonderful explanation of the story and identification of the characters. This is the first time I see this done so clearly by the company themselves, and I must say, I hope to see more. It’s a great way for people to learn more about the ballet as first time audience members.
I attended the first viewing of this ballet in cinemas on a Wednesday afternoon, so, it was a very small audience. There were only around fifteen of us. That being said, as the ticket was general admission, this meant I got a great seat – central, and not overly close. The theatre in general was accommodating and easy to navigate, though not as updated as other cineplex theatres. They did however have a more stocked Starbucks within their concessions which meant that I was able to get a decent coffee before the show, which I appreciated.
The introduction was led by the two principal dancers cast as the widow Hanna, danced by Amber Scott, and Danilo, danced by Adam Bull, in that same show. It was essentially a short synopsis of the ballet itself, with an introduction to the characters. It was very well done as they show small images of the upcoming characters while presenting them, which really helped in identifying who was who during the ballet. The intermission segment was after act 2, scene 1, which is unusual in a two act ballet, as it is usually placed between acts. The segment was a short discussion of the historical nature of the ballet and how it has become part of the Australian Ballet identity. Also short at under 10 minutes, this segment was an interesting discussion with the current dancers, previous dancers and staff of the Australian Ballet. Unfortunately, there was no post-show segment presented with this ballet. Overall, I would say that this presentation was light on added segments when compared to the more regularly presented Bolshoi Ballet performances in cinema, but still interesting and valuable alongside the show.
This ballet is so much fun, and so beautiful. I think the best words to describe it are glamorous and romantic. Set in 1905, it has a very Disney’s Anastasia-vibe to it, where the ballroom is decadent and ornate, and the costumes flowing, laced and stunning. Seriously, I want one of the ballgowns. The costuming, done by Desmond Heeley, an Award-winning English set and costume designer across performing arts mediums, is so intricate and stunning. I know I said that already, but they are seriously stunning. I mean look at this photo. The musical score is moving, glamorous, and yes, romantic. It also seriously gets stuck in your head – but I honestly don’t mind. There are two acts, the storyline is clear and moves along well. I was in and out of the theatre in just under two hours, which is fairly quick with a 20 minute intermission. Arguably, for these reasons, I would say that this is a wonderful first ballet to go see. A great ballet to bring a friend or date to that may never have seen a ballet before.
The Merry Widow will be in select Cineplex Theatres on Sunday September 30th. You can check the dates and times at a Cineplex near you here, international release dates here, and watch the trailer for the cinema relay here.
I hope you enjoy the performance and the behind the scenes!