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Sun Dec 24 2006, Winnipeg Free Press
By Holly Harris
THE Royal Winnipeg Ballet's swashbuckling new holiday show Peter Pan burst onto the Centennial Concert Hall stage Friday night in a spray of pixie dust, transporting all those who believe in fairies to the wondrous world of Neverland.
Choreographed by former RWB principal dancer Jorden Morris, the world premiere marks a refreshing departure from the company's traditional Nutcracker fare. The production (with alternating casts) runs until Dec. 31, and will be added to the company's seasonal repertoire.
Based on J.M. Barrie's children's story, the full-length ballet chronicles the adventures of Peter, a high-flying boy who doesn't want to grow up, and Wendy Darling, who flies with her two brothers to Neverland. Although many incarnations of Peter Pan have been seen before -- on both stage and screen -- Morris stays true to the story's Victorian roots, with classical choreography mixed with a few contemporary twists of his own.
Principal dancer Vanessa Lawson's giddy, gleeful Tinker Bell stole the show every time she appeared onstage, completely enchanting not only Peter but the entire audience. The tiny Lawson makes the perfect fairy, with her effervescent twittering and flawless technique capturing the petulance and poetry of this beloved imp.
Yosuke Mino brings out the boyishness of the title character with athletic precision, inspiring an audible gasp of delight from the audience for one particular, spine-twisting leap.
Emily Grizzell's Wendy is a can-do girl who figures everything out from sewing on shadows to staring down a ship of pirates. Her sparring with evil Captain Hook (played by swarthy RWB principal Jaime Vargas) -- and all on pointe, too -- is a highlight, as she becomes transformed into an empowered, newly-knickered heroine.
The men seem to get all the best material in the show, with the Lost Boys appearing especially feisty. A jeering, sneering Hook leads a crew of pirates with Smee's more innovative, hip-swaggering movement providing a taste of what this choreographer is capable of, and hopefully, a sign of more to come. Peter Pan shows some growing pains of a new production, with its length of two-and-one-half hours entering the squirm zone for many youngsters. Several scenes -- such as Tiger Lily and Crocodile's extended pas de deux -- could be tightened, as well as the Return to London finale where loose ends are tied up in what becomes a very long goodbye.
Morris has also made some very conscious choices (with nary a Nana in sight), and the first sighting of a pirate performed in silence only feels like the orchestra forgot to come in. Hook's eagerly anticipated entry is also somewhat anti-climatic (although his glistening, seven-pound hook is to die for).
But then there's the flying. You know it's rigged and yes, you can see the wires, but the sight of four dancers soaring into the stars still creates a lump in the throat. Morris resists the temptation of overusing the effect while the dancers -- having only practiced with the apparatus for one week -- effortlessly integrate the mechanics of the machinery with joyful, soul-freeing aerial choreography.
A starry, storybook set design by Don Rutley, lit by Bill Williams, take us from the children's cozy nursery to the blue-green drenched lagoon of Neverland. Imaginative costumes by RWB designer Anne Armit find creative solutions to both artistic and logistical questions posed by flying dancers.
The score consists of a remarkably well blended pastiche of Victorian era music, with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra conducted by RWB Music Director Earl Stafford.
With a few bumps along the way -- what one would expect when sailing high seas -- Peter Pan is a family-pleasing show that even the most black-hearted pirate would enjoy.
DANCE REVIEW
Peter Pan
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Centennial Concert Hall
To December 31
(four stars out of five)
Attendance: 1,888
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