Subtitled “The Legend Returns,” Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is back in New York for the third time. Twenty years ago this show ran on Broadway and won three Tony Awards for costumes, direction and choreography. This is my first encounter with this production. The accolades are deserved. This hybrid ballet and wordless musical theater piece is awesome.
Mr. Bourne’s version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet is famous for changing the swans to men. The original story is one of a prince and a princess. She has been converted into a swan by an evil sorceress. That detail (and others) are eliminated here to make way for an exuberant and modern take on this story.
In the first scene, the Prince is asleep in his bedroom. Above his head appears a half naked man from his dream (the future swan). There’s no mystery about the Prince’s internal leanings but he dutifully attempts to fulfill his birthright expectations. He will date “The Girlfriend,” a ditzy blond prototype. Katrina Lyndon is brilliant and hilarious in the part. A trip to the opera house is a clever show within a show conceit. Ms. Lyndon steals the scene with her crass behavior in the royal box.
Speaking of royals, the Queen (an excellent Nicole Kabrera) has no husband and seems to be interested in her guards. She is a cold mother. Sub-zero temperature. A scene occurs in the Prince’s Private Quarters and she recoils at his display of weakness. They dance but the effect is a combination of touching and heartbreaking. She demands he keep a stiff upper lip and remain resolute and unemotional when facing adversity. She concludes her visit as the Prince is looking in the mirror. Mom pulls his shoulders back to the required posture.
I have never seen Swan Lake before and I have seen few classic ballets. In this staging, the storytelling and acting are so strong that the main characters emerge as multi-dimensional emotional beings. The wit and modern spin go into full speed when the Prince heads to a seedy nightclub called the Swank Bar. He leaves dejected and forlorn, walking to a city park.
On a bench under a streetlight, the Prince writes a suicide note. Under a beautiful full moon, he approaches the lake. A very muscular male swan appears. The Prince is mesmerized. The dancing ensues. More swans appear. The choreography accentuates swan movements most notably in numerous arm positions. (To be honest, I am not a ballet aficionado and this segment went on a little long.) The lead swan appears to be the alpha of the bunch.
After intermission, media stand behind red velvet ropes. A Royal Ball is about to occur. Shots are poured and consumed. The dancing is hot. Princesses from many countries are present. When the Italian Princess dances, there’s no mistaking which one she is. “The Stranger” appears. He is The Swan only now clad in black leather pants. The ladies are agog. The Queen is agog. Their male escorts are irritated. The Prince is, to say the very least, jealous.
This party is filled with tensions everywhere. Erotic tensions between men and women and also between men and men. The entertainment soars. If The Swan at the city park appeared to be the alpha, the Black Swan that swoops in and oozes sex appeal confirms the initial diagnosis (and then some). In the performance I saw, Max Westwell performed The Swan and The Stranger. He was outstanding.
All of the principal dancers were excellent. As The Prince, a sublime James Lovell delivered a beautifully nuanced character study. The inner turmoil was transparent and distressing. The final scene is a visual and emotional masterpiece.
While Matthew Bourne’s conception for this Swan Lake is arresting, the execution is superb. The direction and clarity of storytelling is superior to the vast majority of Broadway musicals. The spectacularly large yet simple set design frames the grandeur of royalty. The costumes are playful and gorgeous. Both were memorably designed by Lez Brotherston. Paule Constable’s lighting is also top notch.
The movie Billy Elliot about a boy who wanted to be a dancer ends with his performing The Swan in this show. This artistic company tours the United Kingdom and internationally with a number of different productions. If given the opportunity, I won’t wait another twenty years to see the next one.
Matthews Bourne’s Swan Lake is being performed at New York City Center through February 9, 2020. In the United Kingdom, his New Adventures company is now touring The Red Shoes and a Nutcracker! revival is planned for the 2020 holiday season. Who knew there was a show made out of the movie Edward Scissorhands! Can we beg for a revival?