Monaco ballet sets classy standard

The most astonishing and surprisingly excellent ballet of the year was presented this past Thursday to Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline of Monaco, who arrived in Detroit specifically for the occasion. As is always predicted with royalty, the Princess and her entourage arrived fashionably late, causing a setback with the start of the performance. Ushered into their middle box, the royal guests were met with a standing ovation by the gawking crowd - a highly unnecessary, if not undeserved, display of admiration.

The only disappointing aspect of the actual presentation was the use of projected credits that illuminated a white scrim while the Detroit Opera Symphony played Sergei Prokofiev's famous overture. It's sad to see the television world so heavily influence standards that have been instilled in the realm of stage performance.

Presenting a contemporary version of "Romeo and Juliette," les Ballets de Monte Carlo showcased a side of the tale not often depicted in Shakespearean stage performances. Concentrating on Friar Lawrence as the tragic hero of the piece, the ballet featured grand solo performances by Gaetan Morlotti, who portrayed the friar. Intimate dances performed by Morlotti displayed the friar's guilt and self-abuse. In a tender moment following Juliette's consumption of the poison, Morlotti exposed his guilty conscious through a quick-moving dance in which he expressed his inner pain and self-judgement. Clad in the traditional Roman collar, he updated the role to a more modern Catholic priest, complete with two boy acolytes. Director and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot found inspiration within the priest/acolyte relationship to feature a few sexual moments, indicating events concerning supposedly celibate priests and young boys.

Ernest Pignon Ernest's panels of white decorated the background of the stage - the famous balcony scene was performed with a rising/lowering walkway that wound its way into the backstage flats. Costumer Jerome Kaplan relied on simple tones of white and black interspersed with flecks of gold and silver to distinguish the differences between the Montague and Capulet families. The Montague family mostly wore white with gold accents, and the Capulets were adorned with deep blacks and silvers. The women of the Capulet family danced stealthily - a feat quite difficult, considering the long, slightly tight black dresses that they were wearing.

The contemporary tone of the piece wasn't entirely dependent upon the set design and costumes; the dance style of the ballet reflected an attitude of grace and dignity, all the while full of life and the passion of young love. At the moment when Romeo first sees Juliette, the young lovers touched at center stage, with the rest of the company surrounding them. Later, at the battle scene in which Romeo kills Tybalt, the dancers moved as one, each strike of the arm one concise hit with the power of 20 men. The scene became a brutal death dance, at least, as far in ballet as brutal goes.

A stunning performance was delivered by Francesco Nappa, as Tybalt, cousin to Juliette, who attempts to defend his family by picking fights with Romeo and his friends. Nappa's near-acrobatics demonstrated his powerful drive.

Ljiljana Peric, as the nurse, offered a slightly childish touch to the role, evoking a youthful attendant figure, more than the desired matronly overseer that is so often characterized in Shakespeare's play.

The dramatic aspects of the romantic tragedy were played out in the beginning of Act Two with an onstage puppet show. Using a sheet as a stage, the dancers donned head puppets and quickly went through the "Romeo and Juliet" story in a mocking farcical display. Slapstick face-smacks and absurdist violence provoked laughter not only from the audience, but the dancers onstage as well. While the roles of the Lord and Lady Montague were entirely cut from the performance, the only represented parental authority came in Veronique-Dina Jean's portrayal of Lady Capulet. In her tall domineering presence, Jean brought a nervous tone to her scenes.

Even more exciting and suspenseful were the deaths of the star-crossed lovers. As every audience member most-likely knew the fate of the pair, each eye and heart was absorbed into the unfortunate tragedy that befalls Romeo and Juliette. Using the device of a lengthy red silk scarf, Romeo, played handsomely by Chris Roelandt, drew it from his pocket, indicating a menacing demise of passion, tied it about his neck, and hung himself. When Juliette awakened to discover the wilted body of her once-blossoming lover, she used the same scarf to commit her own death.

As Friar Lawrence discovers the dead bodies, his guilt and evil-doing all come full-circle, offering a performance fit for a princess.

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