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| The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream |
Back in early 2013, I saw the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra perform Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite at one of their season concerts and it made me regret right away missing Ballet Philippines' adaptation of that William Shakespeare play that the company staged just the month before.
It didn't help that BP continued to present in subsequent years an excerpt from this Carlo Pacis choreographed ballet set to the Nocturne which is my favorite piece from the suite. This left me wondering for years where this excerpt fits with the rest of the ballet. And to remind me further of what I've missed was Tanghalang Pilipino's 2016 production of Panaginip sa Isang Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-Araw, a Filipino translation of the play.
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| Denise Parungao and Dan Dayo |
Six years later, I finally saw the whole picture as Pacis' A Midsummer Night's Dream made a successful comeback to the Cultural Center of the Philippines' stage as the second offering of Ballet Philippines' 50th Gold Anniversary Season.
The ballet adaptation is straightforward retelling of Shakespeare's comedy of the intertwined stories of the faerie king Oberon and queen Titania, the Athenian lovers Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, the royals Duke Theseus of Athens and Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons, and lastly, a group of ragtag band of actors led by Quince.
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| AL Abraham, Sarah Alejandro, Jemima Reyes, and Earl John Arisola lead the dancing at the Wedding |
The neoclassical choreography by Pacis clearly conveyed the story and established the characters spot on. The otherworldliness of Titania (Denise Parungao and Katrene San Miguel) and Oberon (portrayed by Ronelson Yadao and Lester Reguindin) was shown by having them carried by the corps of faeries and faerie men giving them the illusion of weightlessness.
The boundless energy of Puck (Victor Maguad and Dan Dayo) with his multitude of tricks contributed to his impish nature. The personification of Love-In-Idleness/Flower (Gia Gequinto and Jemima Reyes) gave Puck not just a dancing partner but also worthy accomplice in spreading his mischief.
There was a sense of being grounded with the four Athenian lovers, Hermia (Jemima Reyes and Monica Gana), Lysander (Earl John Arisola), Helena (Sarah Alejandro and Jessa Tangalin), and Demetrius (AL Abraham and Eugene Obille) whose lives and eventual fates were at the mercy of the capricious supernatural beings. How these pair of lovers willingly/unwillingly came into contact with each other through the course of the ballet was a foil to the tension and disconnect between Titania and Oberon.
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| The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream |
While brief, the spotlight on the Rustics composed of Bottom/Pyramus (Dan Dayo and Emmanuelle Guillermo), Starveling/Wall (John Ababon/Mark Balucay, Quince/Director (Ace Polias), Snug/Lion (Emmanuelle Guillermo and Luigie Barrera), Flute/Thisbe (Erl Sorilla and Bonifacio Guerrero), and Snout/Moonshine (Earvin Guillermo) was a comedic highlight.
With all the spotlight on the other characters, the pair that was left with the short end of the stick for me in characterization was that of Queen Hippolyta (Stephanie Santiago and Denise Parungao) and Duke Theseus (Eugene Obille and Ronelson Yadao). The pair somehow made up for their lack of characterization by being part of the intricately choreographed group wedding scene.
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| Post show meet and greet with the cast |
The costumes by Eric Pineda with additional design by Ricardo Eric Cruz gave the faeries tights with a single vivid color (blue for Oberon and pink for Titania) with minimal detail/accessories. This was supported by the imposing stylized tree set occupying a huge chunk of the set. Instead of going all traditional in how faeries and a mystical forest are depicted, this production went with a distinctly modern touch. My only gripe was when the some of the upper branches of the tree went down to form some sort of panels at the wedding scene, the stage got a bit too cramped with all the dancers doing the intricate choreography.
Finally, I was able to see the epilogue with the Nocturne music with its proper context. I appreciate how Oberon and Titania now wore nude tights with hints of green foliage detail as if they finally shed their brightly colored tights as well as their egos. Their movements became softer and their points of contact more intimate. A growth within the pair upon realizing what they've done out of pettiness and with it, the ballet ended with Puck offering a final thought on whether all had been a dream.
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| Souvenir programs and a sprout pencil giveaway |
The biggest surprise for me in this ballet was hearing more than just the incidental music that Mendelssohn composed. Also used were music from what I believe belonged to his string symphonies. Which ones, I couldn't tell. But the biggest music highlight for me was the clever use of the 2nd and 3rd movements of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 in key scenes of the ballet. There was a time when I got sick and tired of this piece but because of the ballet and seeing the music in a different light, I cannot wait to see a live performance of this concerto once again.
RAd's Playlist | Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Relive the ballet with Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream (and more) recorded by Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Levine.
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