A reminder that this is the last weekend to catch PNB's The Merry Widow at McCaw Hall. I have not seen it yet but will be there tonight for the 7:30 performance.
This is a fabulous ballet--with a choreography by Ronald Hynd, of the Royal Ballet-- that has quickly become a Seattle favorite after its PNB and U.S. premiere in 2002 that still continues to receive enthusiastic reviews.
It is also one of the last three productions under the direction of retiring and beloved PNB Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. Plenty of good seats can still be had at great prices. Do not miss it!
"Set at the dawn of the 20th century, The Merry Widow is the story of the fictitious Balkan state of Pontevedro and a beautiful and rich widow, Hanna Glawari. With the threat of losing Hanna and her fortune to a foreigner, the nation’s dashing Count Danilo reluctantly prepares to woo and win her – and her fortune – thus securing the country’s economic status. At the Embassy Ball in Paris, however, the plan is thwarted as Danilo and Hanna realize they were once young lovers. Fueled by the possibility of rekindled love, the ballet deftly intertwines the plot’s political and economic intrigue with the characters’ devious and comical undertakings.
The New York Post’s Clive Barnes raves that The Merry Widow is “a wonderful mix of vulgarity and gossamer charm” and calls this ballet “delicious,” “enchanting,” “joyous,” and “glamorous.” Hynd’s choreography, set to Lehàr’s enchanting music, includes swirling waltzes, spectacular Cossack jumps, intimate pas de deux, and of course, the French can-can. The Merry Widow takes place in a charming world of romantic villas, sumptuous ballrooms, and pulsating Parisian cafes where women smolder with sensuality and men exude seductive charm. This ballet is a tale of romance, courtship, and adulterous encounters amidst the glitz and glamour of the belle époque. Gary Smith, dance critic for the Hamilton Spectator, writes: “A champagne cocktail of dance, a glorious evocation of gentler times, The Merry Widow remains an imperishable bon-bon of enchantment and romance.”
