The Pacific Northwest Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’ returns to Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall, April 15-24.
Kids who love dance will love the play
PNB Artistic Director, Peter Boal, explained, “If Nutcracker is the gateway to the world of ballet, ‘Swan Lake’ is the portal through which one passes into a world of infinite discovery.”
The most dedicated, young dance lovers can handle the three-hour-long performance. However, the ballet is best suited for audience members pre-teen and older who can appreciate this moody, good-versus-evil story.
Star studded set and costume design
‘Swan Lake’ is a masterpiece to behold in several media. Ming Cho Lee’s set design achieves a haunting effect with moonlight and a sparse forest of crooked trees. This run is especially poignant, it is the PNB’s first since Lee’s passing in 2020. All 175 costumes were designed by Tony-award winning Paul Tazewell who outfitted ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Hamilton’, among several other Broadway shows. Lee and Tazewell’s designs give the appearance of a Chinese watercolor come to life beneath Randall Chiarelli’s romantic lighting design.
Music and orchestra
The PNB orchestra, under the direction of Emil de Cou, almost steals the show. Seattle is fortunate to have a 57-member orchestra when other companies survive with just 20 musicians or worse – a recording. The strings soloists, Michael Jinsoo Lim on violin and Page Smith on cello, were phenomenal and perfectly in synch with principal dancer Elizabeth Murphy. The music and dance are equal partners in this multi-dimensional classic. My children, young musicians themselves, watched the orchestra pit nearly as much as the dancers from our perch on the balcony.
The divine dancing and choreography
You may recognize the principal dancer, Murphy, as last holiday season’s Sugar Plum Fairy. She is up to this most coveted and challenging role in ballet: the white/black swan, Odette/Odile.
Murphy’s exquisite precision and fluidity convinces us that she is both woman and swan. Her prince, Lucien Postlewaite, was a phenomenal dancer and excellent actor. Teens can relate to his resistance to his pushy mom. The television series “Bridgerton” comes to mind – Prince Siegfried is our ‘Anthony’, a frustrated bachelor unsatisfied with the parade of maidens at the ball. Prince Siegfried wants someone truly unique.
The PNB’s choreographer, Kent Stowell, gave the 1895 Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov version of ‘Swan Lake’ a refresh back in 1981. Ivanov’s iconic “Pas de Quatre” remains, as well as much of Petipa’s staging. The Act III national dances are reminiscent of the Nutcracker’s tour of the “Land of Sweets.” Young, aware attendees may wonder whether pieces such as the “Persian Dance” are culturally sensitive enough for modern audiences. George Balnachine noted, “‘Swan Lake’ is always changing.” Perhaps it is time for Boal to re-imagine the national dances before the next bevy of swans return to Seattle.
Making the Most of ‘Swan Lake’
- Performance duration: three hours, including two intermissions.
- The run includes 11 performances, April 15 – 24, 2022 at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall.
- Tickets start at $30.
- Prior to the show, follow PNB on Facebook and Instagram for behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the ballet.
- Arrive an hour or more early and be mindful of the Seattle Kraken schedule. If a hockey game is happening at Climate Pledge Arena, give yourself an extra 15 minutes and purchase parking in advance. This will give you plenty of time to rent binoculars, grab a booster seat, and enjoy the festive pre-show atmosphere. If you hope to enjoy a treat during intermission, it is best to pre-order your goodies before the show.
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