Plenty of surprises and a lavish production equal a great night of dance
The Colorado Ballet’s new production of Peter Pan blends masterful dance with magical scenes in performances that fill the Ellie Caulkins Opera House through Feb. 9.
The same artistic duo that created the sold-out Dracula ballet in fall 2017 — choreographer Michael Pink and composer Philip Feeney — have generated yet another mesmerizing show. Feeney’s orchestral music is rich and melodic, while Pink’s individual, duo and group choreography is multifaceted.
While you’d expect Peter Pan (Kevin Gaël Thomas or Francisco Estevez, depending on the performance), to fly through the sky, additional moving settings, curtains, lighting and fog machines brought deeper dimension to the flights.
Each dancer convincingly acted their parts, portraying author J.M. Barrie’s 118-year-old story of Peter Pan effectively, so audiences didn’t need the seat-cheat electronic storyline updates — though they are available in the opera house. Tinkerbell (played by Leah McFadden Saturday evening) was especially memorable, with her fiery, feisty, sassy and sweet personality, as well as her illuminated pastel dress.
The most touching moment came when audience members, given “Fantastic Fairy Fixer” sticks, lit up their fluffy fairy wands (even before the official cue to light them, which was all the more charming) and continued to wave them until little Tink came to life once again. This audience participation element, along with great costumes and dancers filling out every portion of the stage with captivating movements and storyline, thrilled both adults and kids.
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More surprises
To enhance the magical feeling of Peter Pan, well-hidden dancer exits and entrances surprised audiences; pixie dust and smart set designs allowed characters to appear out of seemingly nowhere. For example, stagehands “invisibly” attached dancers to high-flying wires, and Pan’s shadow suddenly emerged from under the bed to dance with its owner. Such appearances and disappearances are just one way Colorado Ballet expertly depicted the enchanted quality of Peter Pan and allowed audience members to soar along with the characters in their spectacular fantasy.
Other unusual characters brought a warm humor to the performance: the Darling’s shaggy dog fetched plenty of laughter, as did an unexpected emergence of the alligator from the orchestral pit.
Captain Hook’s motley crew “effortlessly” pulled off graceful choreography infused with intoxicated, flailing movements — not an easy combination to convey convincingly. Meanwhile, the Lost Boys ushered in boisterous behavior with spunk, contrasting the Indian princesses’ steady and strong formations.
Changing sets, particularly Hook’s ship, which morphed from one design combination to another, supported the appealing choreography as the story progressed with precision and wonder.
The two-and-a-half hour performance felt a bit long with two intermissions, and I heard at least one parent with small children commented on the length. The two intermissions also tended to interrupt the magical spell so intimately cast.
But, in the end, Colorado Ballet’s Peter Pan leaves audiences gracefully soaring into the night, where abounding dreamlands await.
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