In a collaboration with Phoenix Dance Theatre (also from Leeds), Opera North have brought a Bernstein Double Bill to The Lowry Theatre in Salford. The first half before the interval was devoted to the operatic side of Bernstein's music, as they presented his one act Chamber Opera, 'Trouble In Tahiti'. This opera was first presented by Opera North in 2017 as part of their 'Little Greats' series of productions. At that time, it was backed with Gilbert And Sullivan's 'Trial By Jury', but this evening we were transported to a different world completely: that of contemporary dance as Opera North gave way to their neighbour company Phoenix Dance to show off Bernstein's more popular music from West Side Story. However, back to act one...
The title for this Bernstein masterpiece is a little misleading perhaps, as it refers to the title of a film which one of the characters watches. We are in the 1950s, Middlesville, USA, and just to make that abundantly clear, large, contemporaneous posters adorn the walls of the set. In Matthew Ebehardt's directing, the trio of radio jingle singers form an integral part of the production, Greek Chorus-like, chipping in with their "happy" melody juxtaposing the tension built up between protagonists Sam (Quirjin De Long), and Dinah (Sandra Piques Eddy); a married couple with a young boy, who have hit the seven-year itch and despite still loving each other start to drift further and further apart, whilst the boy looks on perplexed.
The set was simple in design but highly effective, as it moves from a radio recording studio, to the couple's dining room, and other settings along the way. De Long reprised his role from 2017, along with two of the three radio jingle singers, and the singing and acting from all was absolutely up to the standard one has come to expect from Opera North, making it a joy for me to rediscover this 'little great'.
After the interval, and before the next Bernsein piece, a short work 'Halfway And Beyond', by Khadijah Ibrahim, who also (unseen) spoke his monologue whilst the dancers from Phoenix Dance Theatre performed on the stage. The stage had been split into two halves by a long "catwalk" of theatre flats and scaffolding, and the dancers, without any real music to speak of - just the occasional snippet of sound from the pit - used their internal rhythms to perform light-as-air moves across, through, and around this "catwalk". The music was ultra-modern with percussion-heavy atonality, and the piece was used as a bridge in order for us to cross from opera into the world of West Side Story.
The set was simple in design but highly effective, as it moves from a radio recording studio, to the couple's dining room, and other settings along the way. De Long reprised his role from 2017, along with two of the three radio jingle singers, and the singing and acting from all was absolutely up to the standard one has come to expect from Opera North, making it a joy for me to rediscover this 'little great'.
After the interval, and before the next Bernsein piece, a short work 'Halfway And Beyond', by Khadijah Ibrahim, who also (unseen) spoke his monologue whilst the dancers from Phoenix Dance Theatre performed on the stage. The stage had been split into two halves by a long "catwalk" of theatre flats and scaffolding, and the dancers, without any real music to speak of - just the occasional snippet of sound from the pit - used their internal rhythms to perform light-as-air moves across, through, and around this "catwalk". The music was ultra-modern with percussion-heavy atonality, and the piece was used as a bridge in order for us to cross from opera into the world of West Side Story.
Bernstein's 'West Side Story' is nothing short of a phenomenon, and has entered Musical Theatre history as one of the most popular shows of all time, with good reason. Bernstein's score is uncompromising, contrapuntal, sometimes even bi-tonal, and yet it is lyrical, sonorous, soaring and emotive in the extreme. His set of Symphonic Dances from the score is a stand-alone piece which I have heard played by orchestras aplenty (minus the dancing), and seen a couple of amateur or dance school presentations of the work where the dancing has been performed alongside the score. However, this was the first time I have seen a profesional dance company tackle this work. It is almost impossible to extricate the intended meaning and the story of West Side Story (or even Romeo And Juliet) to make this an independent piece of dance theatre; the music is intrisically and inextricably linked to the show that no matter what choreography is used, the dance still ends up using the themes of youth culture, gangs, love, lust, jealousy, regret, and death.
Choreographed by Dane Hurst, this contemporary dance was no different. although once again, the dancers showed just how nimble and light they are. It is a thrilling piece of music, even without the visuals, but the dancers and the starkness of the set (2 white flats with door-shaped openings) made for an interesting watch. I loved the use of shadows upon the white canvases (was this intentional?) - and certainly much more could have been drawn out of this.
Both of the works after the interval were played live by Opera North's orchestra and the whole evening was conducted by Martin Pickard.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 11.11.21
on - 11.11.21
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