Critical Acclaim for Swan Lake in New York
Posted on Monday 25 October 2010
“Should not be missed. Call it theater, dance, or something perched happily in between, the return of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is a chance for those who didn’t catch it in 1998 to see what kind of life a fertile mind and some pretty cool feathered knickers can breathe into a century-old classic, exposing it to audiences who might never dream of entering an opera house.”
Jocelyn Noveck, ABC News
“A sensation. (Bourne’s) reinterpretation raises the ballet’s inherent sexiness and gives Tchaikovsky’s music new force. Mr. Bourne hasn’t taken the traditional road, but given tradition a push."
Gia Kourlas, The New York Times
“Dance just got all sexypants. The mysterious hunk who shows up in form-fitting leather trousers in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is the tall dark stranger this town had been waiting to meet. Is it theater or dance? What matters is that it’s a great story, told wonderfully.”
Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post
“A captivating evening of dance as theater. A work of storytelling in its purest, wordless form — and one that allows your imagination, like the onstage swans themselves, to take flight.”
Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly
“‘Swan Lake’ hews faithfully, if fancifully, to Tchaikovsky’s score, with an impact often stronger than that of many traditional versions.”
Robert Greskovic, The Wall Street Journal
“Bourne’s wildly theatrical staging… is one of few contemporary dance productions that can simultaneously honor and reinvent classical ballet, as well as appeal to diverse audiences.”
Matt Windman, AM New York
“Bourne’s deeply felt conceit triumphs. The production, splendidly turned out by designer Lez Brotherston, resonates at this moment, as too many young gay men die rather than face their own confusion and the world’s hostility.”
Elizabeth Zimmer, Metro Newspaper
“I can’t wait any longer to say that the current version of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, at City Center through November 7, is the most gratifying re-invention of the Petipa-Ivanov ‘Swan Lake’ I’ve ever had the good luck to see.”
Tobi Tobias, ArtsJournal
“The inventive British choreographer-director — working in tandem with brilliant set and costume designer Lez Brotherston has created one of the most audacious, visually stunning, and often moving works created for the stage — all without using a word of dialogue. One need not be a dance expert — or even been to a dance piece before — to fully grasp the wonder of this Swan Lake.”
Brian Scott Lipton, Theatermania
“Highly imaginative, full of laughs, yet quite powerful emotionally. Matthew Bourne manages to poke fun at traditional ballet and still give us a new interpretation that is a perfect fit for Tchaichovsky’s score. Don’t miss it!”
Annie Bergen, WQXR Radio
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