Theatre Review

Production: Love Lies Bleeding

Company: Alberta Ballet

Inspired by and featuring the music of: Sir Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Choreography: Jean Grand-Maitre

Run: May 6, 2010 - May 9, 2010

Reviewed by: Richard Lam (Calgary)

Every year, Alberta Ballet makes an honest effort to appeal to the masses, to break the stigma of ballet as an art form reserved for the elite and wealthy. Traditional ballet is forgone in exchange for contemporary relevance or a more risqué allure. This ranges from their annual family-friendly The Nutcracker to the sexy Moulin Rouge to their ballets that incorporate pop music.

With the prior success of Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and The Drum and an upcoming Sarah MacLachlan production, the news of the Elton John-inspired extravaganza Love Lies Bleeding undoubtedly turned heads.

Taking popular and not-so-popular songs by John and Bernie Taupin, choreographer Jean Grand-Maitre has arranged a song cycle and crafted high-energy dance routines to go with it. Yet both seem oddly impenetrable.

True to the man, this is by far the most colourful and vibrant production of the season. From the dynamic and ever-changing lighting to the mobile, rotating set, this is pure eye candy. Cycling between a revolving platform, a crooked TV set, and majestic red curtains, it seems like an ADD-inspired attempt to maintain the audience’s attention, sometimes to brilliant effect, but sometimes disorienting.

The all-frills-attached costumes deserve special mention. With flamboyant colours and exaggerated extensions and props, it is more akin to a New York Broadway show. The costumes range from blue-and-white baseball outfits, to zebra skirts and cowboy tassles, all the way to the suits worn by A Clockwork Orange’s droogs.

With a different costume for each song, Yukichi Hattori is, no contest, the star of the show. Nimble and dexterous, his Elton John stand-in character convulses on the floor with the same ease as he swings from a wire. He spider-walks with his head in another man’s hand. He dodges baseball bats and swords. It’s an impressive sight, regardless of your ballet expertise.

Despite the vivid imagery and precise technique, the ballet is still missing a soulful centre. The imaginative homoerotic imagery and pop-culture references would have been aided with a contextual backdrop. Lacking a central storyline and relying on just pre-recorded clips, the numbers seem to go on for longer than they really do.

One particular misstep is the use of an extended live performance of “Rocket Man” rather than the familiar album cut. While seeing John stretch out every note on stage for ten minutes was surely a sight to behold, hearing it in a ballet setting with repetitive sequences just drags. Though the decision to dance in the dark with LED lights is an inspired space-explorer touch, it simply goes on for too long.

Unfortunately, in attempting to appeal to both ballet aficionados and John fans, Love Lies Bleeding falls short on both. Ballet fans will be treated with the stunning and technically sound movements of Hattori. However, the absence of an orchestra or original vocals — relying instead on pre-recorded pop songs — fails to engage the audience. On the other hand, John fans get treated to old favourites and magnificent costumes, but receive little insight into the man’s life and are left with no discernible narrative in sight.

There is great music and great craftsmanship plainly displayed on stage. It’s just missing that bridge, that spark, that brings the two elements together.

Written by :

richard.l.lam

 

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed