Dazzling
Fencing!
Sparkling
Dancing.
BY
MARTHA ULLMAN WEST
Some years ago Riley Grannan, managing director of the Eugene
Ballet Company, challenged Artistic Director Toni Pimble to make
a story ballet based on Alexandre Dumas' swashbuckling historical
novel, The Three Musketeers. Pimble's response premieres
this weekend with the musketeers, d'Artagnan, Queen Anne, King
Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu, M'lady De Winter and other principals.
Swords in hand or feet on pointe, they dance onto the stage of
the Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center at 8 pm Saturday, Feb.
22 and at 2:30 pm Sunday, Feb. 23. The production, designed by
Peter Farmer, with additional costumes by Amy Panganiban and Lito
John Demitia, came from Tulsa Ballet Theatre. The wizardly Lloyd
Sobel designed the lighting design.
Dumas' tale of thwarted love and political intrigue is a grand
entertainment, and Pimble's ballet promises the same — plenty
of comedy, some of it slightly saucy; sword fights choreographed
by the excellent Christopher Villa (Romeo and Juliet);
and dancing by a company replete with highly skilled, talented
dancer-actors.
Story ballets require simple plots, a tale that is easily told
in movement and gesture, and a musical score to drive the action.
Dumas' novel has a complicated plot with many subtexts and many
principal characters. Pimble faced two major tasks before she
could even begin to choreograph. She had to simplify the story,
which involves both conspiracy at court and d'Artagnan's rite
of passage into manhood as he becomes the fourth musketeer. And
she had to find appropriate music.
Pimble researched French history and the period in which the
story takes place, which is succinctly summarized in the program.
As ballet choreographers have been doing for nearly a century,
Pimble also turned to film, where stories are speedily told —
the 1974 movie version starring Michael York, Faye Dunaway, Charlton
Heston et al, in which d'Artagnan achieves his dream of becoming
a musketeer by returning the Queen's stolen jewels and saving
her reputation.
Pimble listened to a great deal of Renaissance music before putting
together a score of folk music for the rural scenes and court
music for scenes in and around the king's palace. With the aid
of a computer, 30 segments by Praetorius, Schein, Johnson, Arbeau,
Corelli, Scarlatti, Handel, Marcello and Vivaldi have been spliced
together using "phrases for the recorder and the flute to effect
musically natural transitions," Pimble said.
Three Musketeers affords many opportunities for the company's
dancers to show what they can do. The exuberant Jonathan Guise
plays d'Artagnan. Lean-bodied Matthew Hope performs in portly
fashion as the broad-girthed Porthos. Ruben Gerding is Aramis,
and Juan Carlos Amy-Cordero is Athos. Scheming Cardinal Richelieu
is danced by John Funk, a role highly contrasted to his bumbling
Don Quixote. Hyoung Il Joung, one of the
company's strongest classical dancers,
is the Duke of Buckingham, minister of Charles I of England and
lover of the French queen.
Three major ballerina roles are danced by Brett Mills, Jennifer
Martin and Lauren Main. Mills' charm and lyricism in such roles
as Juliet is well known to the Eugene audience. She dances Madame
Constance Bonacieux, friend to Queen Anne and the object of d'Artagnan's
affections. Martin, whose impressive dramatic range has been seen
in Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and in Swan Lake,
is pure villainess as m'lady de Winter. Think Faye Dunaway in
pointe shoes. Pimble created a leading role for Main, who will
lend her willowy, fluid talents to Queen Anne. Main joined the
company last season and delivered an eloquent performance as the
Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote.
With this new story ballet, Pimble undoubtedly answers another
challenge — that of diverting a worried public from the
political intrigue and saber rattling of our own time. A free
preview at 12:15 pm Thursday, Feb. 21 in the Hult Center Lobby
is open to the public.
Cold
day, Hot Beans
Max
Orsini's big roast and other Eugene delights.
BY
MARINA TAYLOR
Caffé
Orsini
4080
W. 11th. 687-0437
 |
| Max
Orsini and his Italian wood fueled roaster. |
You'll find Caffé Orsini way out West 11th,
just as it starts to feel truly industrial. The space inside is
a little cozier and nicely fitted than you'd expect from the warehouse
appearance outside. Inside is intimate seating to your right,
and a barista to your left. The factory looms behind and above,
mysterious rumblings and smells emanate from the back door. If
you want a tour to see the magic of Max Orsini's wood roasters,
just ask. Wood roasting, the barista claims, makes coffee 40 percent
less acidic, and my mocha was certainly rich and creamy —
no hint of bitterness. Orsini's also has a revolutionary process
that infuses coffees with botanical extracts: the organic Swiss
water extract decaf with ginseng keeps you energized without the
jitters. Find out all about it by joining the Coffee Club. You'll
get discounts on coffee by the pound, coffee lessons from Max
Orsini and more.
7 am-4 pm M-F, 8 am-2 pm Sa. $.
Leftovers:
After years leasing a spot on the closed section
of Broadway, Theo's Coffeehouse will be moving one block
over, to 199 W. 8th. The company that owns Theo's will actually
have some ownership of the new place, which is right on the corner
of 8th and Charnelton. It was once Anderson's Sporting Goods,
then briefly, and tragically for some investors, a nightclub called
Platinum Fridays (the founders took the money and ran, I hear).
The move should happen this month; murals are
already going up, and the bookstore will join the coffee shop,
too. Will their old location get redeveloped now that the street
is open? No one seems to know, but word is only one-year leases
are available at this point, and the landlords are keeping their
options open.
Every third Thursday of the month Bamboo features
foods from a different Asian cuisine. This Thursday, Feb. 20th,
head chef Azam Ismail presents the Sichuan and Hunan provinces
of China. The six course meal is served from 5:30 and costs $25
per person. Next month, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be featured.
Call 484-1889 for reservations and more information.
Marché is also hosting a specialty
dinner this week. Guest chef Robert Reynolds will feature the
food and wine of the Savoie region of France in this six course
meal. The meal will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 26th with seating
starting at 5:30. Call 342-3612 for reservations. The cost is
$32 per person.
Seems Roaring Rapids Pizza Company isn't
just a good place for the kids to get out their ya-yas and for
parents to enjoy the view, it's also a place to support our hungry
public school programs. Monday, Feb. 24th, student musicians and
singers from the Springfield High School Music Dept. will provide
entertainment, and reap the profits for their music program.
Yes, Doc's Pad is gone, but no, the Kiva
does not have the same landlord, and shouldn't get kicked
out any time soon. The Kiva assures us they're staying put for
the time being. Now that the library is open and drawing a crowd,
that area is picking up, but no signs of new development yet.
Doc's Pad's location is up for lease now, but dollars to donuts
says it's only available for a year at a time.
Looking
for a few good opinions:
Got a favorite dish from a local restaurant you'd
love the recipe for? How about a favorite waiter, someone who
gives new meaning to service and friendliness? Send your thoughts
my way: Call Marina at 484-0519, ext. 20 or e-mail marina@eugeneweekly.com