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We all know the story of the rags-to-riches girl with a fairy godmother and glass slipper. But chances are you haven't seen Cinderella like Oregon Ballet Theatre does it.
For its first ever performance at OBT, the company takes a notable step away from the traditional Cinderella story. They add splashes of over-the-top humor, seemingly boundless enthusiasm and a lush score performed live by the OBT orchestra to take British choreographer Ben Stevenson's tale beyond a hopeful romance. And even when some of the movement falls flat, the production still shines with funny moments, and plenty of sparkle, too.
Unmistakably a family ballet, there's no shortage of little girls dancing around the audience in tulle skirts and tiaras, and the sets are as big and lavish (and glittery) as you would imagine. Cinderella's ballroom set has sky-high pillars that seem to make the stage even larger, and the fairy godmother's forest scene boasts all the breathtaking grandeur ballet allows—fairies dance in magical embodiments of the seasons, alternately swirling leaves and lightly falling snow.
Cheng as Cinderella easily exudes the gentle kindness and hope-tinged loneliness of our famous heroine. Thrown limply to the floor by her sisters one second, she transforms in the next moment to a confident, if slightly awestruck, princess. When she steps out, transformed, in a glittering white gown, the moment is magical and satisfying even though you expected it. Cheng's following bourées, delicate as she flutters en-pointe across the stage, are just as enchanting.
The highlight of the evening, though, comes from its comedic relief. The stepsisters (played by Brett Bauer and Michael Linsmeier in one Friday night performance), play clumsy narcissism perfectly, falling over each other to try on the slipper. Clad in obnoxious mustard yellow and purple dresses plus ringleted wigs, they fight for attention with exaggerated curtsies and big, bumbling leaps at the grand ball. Seeing these two dancers, usually so strong and fluid, clack around stage in loud heels and dramatically pout their way through the performance is surprisingly delightful, even if the slapstick moments feel like fodder for the young audience.
Chauncey Parsons also livens things up as the court jester, moving across the stage with long, exaggerated leaps and sprightly, spiraling jumps that add a flare of mischievous humor. Courteously inviting one dancer to the floor with open arms, he'll just as suddenly push them into the path of a stepsister, transitioning from charming to wicked with just the flick of the wrist.
But in the midst of such playful fun, the emotion and backstory behind the movement seems missing. Even when Cinderella and Prince Charming (Brian Simcoe) fall in love at first sight and dance, the moment feels more like a show of classic ballet technique than an exciting development of the relationship between the characters.
Yes, we know the story. Still, when OBT whole-heartedly embraces it, the grand scope and theatrical mood of the Cinderella classic becomes just as magical as we would expect.
SEE IT: Oregon Ballet Theatre's Cinderella is at The Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 248-4335. 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Saturday March 7. $40-$165. Tickets here.
WWeek 2015