BALLET SAN JOSE'S 'ROMEO AND JULIET,' AND FRIAR LAURENCE TOO
                    A Strong Start and Late Sag in a Powerful Drama 
                                              By Paul Hertelendy 
        artssf.com, the independent observer of San Francisco Bay Area music and dance 
                                                                 Week of March 1-8, 2010
                                                                  Vol. 12, No. 71
           SAN JOSE---Like “Otello” in opera, in ballet “Romeo and Juliet” emerged as the crown jewel of Shakespearean adaptations to the medium---some would even say it’s the only one. Its richly orchestrated Prokofiev score, its focus on Juliet, and its streamlining much of the action have made it the touchstone of  20th-century evening-length ballets---hard to cast, hard to choreograph, but immensely easy to digest as a compelling drama of love and heartbreak in a rigid society, particularly given the tight action involved.
         Ballet San Jose’s “Romeo and Juliet” pulls out all the stops, expanding certain roles (Juliet and Friar Laurence, most notably), and backing it with some of the most sumptuous costumes since Renaissance Verona. 
          The greatest asset in Artistic Director Dennis Nahat’s choreography and staging is his facility with story-telling mime, which is largely a lost art in modern ballet. This carries over into humorous exchanges and ripostes between the warring factions, making the BSV’s first act the most effective I have ever encountered.
          Thereafter  the production, however elegant, sags as certain roles are padded, music is repeatedly replayed, and all conciseness is lost. The philosophy seems to be that if a bit of drama is worth telling, it is worth telling again and again and again. Add to that a measure of fist-shaking and archaic posturing, and much of the initial impact is lost. Oddly, some of the original Prokofiev music, like the Gavotte that we recognize from the Classical Symphony, was omitted. 
          Based on the second day’s performance Feb. 28, the BSV is a lively, well-honed, multi-ethnic and multi-racial ensemble that is highly appealing. The title roles went to company veterans Maria Jacobs-Yu and Ramon Moreno. Jacobs-Yu brought out the nimble footwork essential to Juliet. While not a totally convincing adolescent, her Juliet effectively portrayed the subtle transitions to womanhood, first love, and victimization. She is upbeat most of the show; the only problem with a Juliet’s nonstop smiling is that you may conclude that she’s more in love with the spotlight operator than with Romeo.
          Moreno plays Romeo as a subdued, shy sort, not even effusive in the love scenes. But he cuts a good danseur noble figure and leaps well, supporting his Juliet in memorable sequences where she looks out at the world upside down. 
          Preston Dugger, the Mercutio,  scampers about the stage as a lovable jester, treacherously dispatched by the haughty, malevolent Tybalt of Willie Anderson. In a supporting character role, Roni Mahler (Nurse) was a classic comedienne, reeling when kissed by a grateful Romeo when he is put in touch with his Juliet. And Paris (Robert Raney), the would-be swain whose looks suggest some topnotch Nazi officer, exhibits a fatal vanity evoking more than  a few titters. 
          A spirited corps de ballet was capped by the saucy cavorting of the harlots in the city square, played by the perfectly coordinated trio of Heather Aagard, Catharine Grow and Tiffany Glenn.
           In this show, Friar Laurence pops up everywhere, even in some scenes where he has no function. The veteran  Nahat plays it skillfully, but loses all credibility with the shameless padding of the part. (Wouldn’t the title “Laurence and Romeo and Juliet” be more appropriate?)
            And if his Laurence insists on turning up unexpectedly in Juliet’s tomb scene, why doesn’t he tip off Romeo that Juliet merely took his sleep potion and not a poison? All the bloodshed could have been averted.
         Purists would fault Nahat far more for his liberal taffy-pull and pinking shears on the dazzling Prokofiev score, as if to say that Prokofiev wasn’t quite good enough otherwise to make it in San Jose. Very strange!
          The sets and costumes are among the most detailed and authentic in the long career of the late designer David Guthrie; surely this opus deserves a San Jose reprise more than once every 12 years (last mounted when this troupe still had a two-city affiliation with Cleveland), assuming it can be trimmed and tightened up.
            Dwight Oltman’s pit orchestra showed more punch than finesse, but generally made a commendable showing.
            SYMBOL OF LONGEVITY---The opening-night Juliet, Karen Gabay, qualifies as the Bay Area's reincarnation of that ageless Juliet of the past Margot Fonteyn; Gabay had already played the same role in Nahat’s production 24 years ago.
            FROM ABSENCE TO REDUNCIES---Pity that our dance companies don't communicate occasionally, especially where blockbuster productions are involved. Despite this work's considerable absence, it reppears this season at the S.F. Ballet as well (May 1-9) in a Tomasson version.
            “ROMEO AND JULIET” ballet, music of Prokofiev, stretched out to three hours, two intermissions. By Ballet San Jose, with orchestra, through March 7, Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose. For info: (408) 288-2820, or go online. 

        ©Paul Hertelendy 2010
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           Paul Hertelendy has been covering the dance and modern-music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area with relish -- and a certain amount of salsa -- for years.
    These critiques appearing weekly (or sometimes semi-weekly, but never weakly) will focus on dance and new musical creativity in performance, with forays into books (by authors of the region), theater and recordings by local artists as well.
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