June 9-15, 2005

dance

Stars Uncrossed

by Janet Anderson

Shakespeare's tragic love story Romeo and Juliet is not new to Pennsylvania Ballet's repertory; this is the fifth local staging of the late John Cranko's version. Cranko's specialty was ballet as total theater. He wanted movement to tell the story, not suggest it. Not a problem for PAB with dancers who luxuriate in this double challenge.

While it's not always useful to transfer what you know about dancers personally to stage performances, surely the utter abandon and ardor of Zachary Hench and Julie Diana, as Romeo and Juliet, especially in the early falling-in-love scenes, reflected something of their personal love story. These were not tortured lovers meeting secretly but a heedless, almost giddy duo transformed by their attraction. Diana leapt dangerously into Hench's beckoning arms, melting into back bends in his embrace. If movement can personify joyful abandon, their stage Romeo and Juliet did just that. Of course, this rapture made the ultimate tragedy of their dual suicide more poignant.

David Krensing, who retires from PAB with this production, was a menacing and proud Tybalt who scornfully taunted Romeo. Krensing's finely nuanced characterization fittingly polished off his long, versatile career. Phillip Colucci and Matthew Neenan were superb as Romeo's comic, high-flying buddies Mercutio and Benvolio. Colucci's death scene was a production standout, with the dancer managing the shift between comedy and tragedy so purely that you were still laughing as the grief set in. There were outstanding performances in less high-profile roles as well, Francis Veyette cavorting as a carnival jester for one. Plus there was some in-house fun with PAB stage manager Anthony Constandino stalking about the stage as Lord Montague.

This is a tightly conceived retelling of the famous love story, although Cranko also created scenes uniquely his own. Perhaps the most perfectly realized is the magnificent first act ballroom scene. As elegant lines of dancers move in lines across the stage, the wailing discordant undertones of Prokofiev's ballroom score simultaneously underscores the stately dance patterns while hinting at the disorder and menace being unleashed by masked Romeo's flirtation with Juliet. Unlike many ballets, the sword-fighting seems organic to the story and not just a bunch of guys clunking stage props (a tribute to PAB's swashbuckling skills.) Few ballets have anything as wrenching as watching Juliet lowered into her grave. Since PAB now owns the production (sets and costumes), they can rightfully claim it as their own, lock, stock and talent.

ROMEO AND JULIET Through June 12, Pennsylvania Ballet at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust sts., 215-551-7000