Documenting Philippine Ballet Theatre's Newest Ballet: Merry Widow

Merry Widow  is a ballet  adaptation of a romantic opera created to match the music of  Franz Lehar. The original ballet was presented by the Australian Ballet in 1975 using the choreography of Ronald Hynd.   Inspired by his version of the  ballet, Artistic Director and resident choreographer Ronilo Jaynario decided to recreate the ballet for the Philippine audience. He re-imagined the story telling and injected a more contemporary spin to the ballet vocabulary.  While the original version in its original form already had a lot of entertainment value, he thought it best to put more mixy mischief into each of the scenes. 

Act 1 Anteroom in the Pontevedrian Embassy 

Act one begins with glaring theatrics establishing the characters. In the Pontevedrian Embassy the Baron Zeta,  Valencienne, Count Camille and Njegus  are in panic looking at the dwindling  amount of money for their city. Pontevedra is bankrupt. The group schemes and decides that a viable solution would be to match rich widow Hanna Glawari with Count Danilo so that money can be kept within the City. With much comical vulgarity Count Danilo enters and entertains with his drunken state. They cringe at the possibility  of disaster as they see the Count in a condition not fit to woe anybody. 

This scene closes with a glimpse of infidelity Camille and Valencienne  tease the audience with a quick pas de deux. It ends with  Njegus shocked when he sees a bit of the illicit affair and warns them of the repercussions.  

Act 1 Scene 2 The Ballroom in the Pontevedrian Embassy

The stage reveals a grand ballroom with guests. The Baron and Valencienne await the arrival of the merry widow.  She glamorously walks down the grand staircase and is quickly introduced to the elite males in the ball. She soon finds a familiar face. Count Danilo, her former lover who left her in tears was right in front of her. 










A flashback follows. Count Danilo recounts how he left his loved ones to follow  his family's wishes. Hanna was not in the same social class as him and therefore was not fit to be the wife of a future count. Hanna hasn't quite forgiven Count Danilo and jabs at him by choosing other gentlemen to dance the night away. Angered the Count does the same and a petty battle of jealousy begins. 

 

Act 2 The garden of Hanna's Villa the next evening

The following night Hanna gives a party in her villa. With traditional Pontevedrian clothing they engage in traditional dances. Hanna and Count Danilo are confronted with their history and begin to rekindle their old flame. 

Meanwhile, Camille and Valencienne no longer able to control their feelings for each other  spend intimate time in Hanna's pavilion. Njegus sees their passionate display. He also sees Count Danilo and Baron Zeta on their way to the pavilion . In his desperation he tells Hannah the situation and she indulges in his plan to conceal  the problem.  Hannah swiftly switches with Valencienne. When the Baron finally gets Njegus to open the door, Hannah is revealed.  Surprised Count Danilo is told that Camille and Hannah were newly engaged.  Confused and irritated the both the Count and Valencienne display quite a comical response to the madness. 

Act 3 Engagement Aftermath 

All the characters meet again in yet another social gathering.  Count Danilo threatens Camille and they engage in hilarious bickering sequences. The entertainment doesn't stop with them as the can can girls and the sophisticated waltzing women   bring some excitement for everyone. 

Eventually, Valencienne and Camille end up in each others arms. Soon enough they could no longer hide that  there is something between them. The sad truth is revealed and the Baron is heartbroken. He yields and forgives them.  Count Danilo finally understands the situation. Grateful that he still has another chance with the merry widow, he sweeps her off her feet and  professes her love. Jaynario ends the ballet with an imposing "They lived happily ever after,". 

Jaynario's approach  veers away from Merry Widow's old glamour feels but certainly retains the sophistication of the ballet. The narrative was clearly translated into movement. From the physicality of the theatrics to the artistry of the cast , the characterization was clear as day. The choreography glorifies the evident strength of his Company. Length and lavishness in the range of motion were the key elements that he played with. There were a lot of technical spectacles like fouettes dispatched with one hand on the voluminous skirt, pas de deux acrobatics, high impact extensions  etc. Of course not every scene is flawless there are redundancies within the ballet but it is certainly entertaining. It's nice to see  a show feature something other than what popular imagination on ballet is. A few refinements here and there and I reckon it will be one of those lasting  light productions  that people will look forward to seeing.

Cast :

Count Danilo Danilovitsch (Pontevedrian Diplomat) : Martin Buczko

Hanna Glawari (wealthy Pontevedrian widow): Kim Abrogena 

Baron Mirko Zeta (Pontevedrian Ambassador to France) : Anatoli Panasiukov

Valencienne (Baron Zeta's Wife): Lobreza Pimentel 

Camille Rosillion : Peter San Juan  

Njegus : Joel Matias 

October-Ballet-Fest!

 

Nothing ordinary about October. In fact, it's going to be a lively one for the dance world. Our three major ballet companies will offer three very distinct programs. I'm quite happy to see artistic diversity as it gives audiences an option to see all three companies even if they are  just days apart. It allows each company to refine their respective brand imagery. Truly all three companies have unique qualities that make them all worthy of a full house. 

Philippine Ballet Theatre offers Merry Widow as it's second offering for the season. It is a story about former lovers who are given a chance to reignite their lost love. The opportunity comes  when a party reunites a rich widow named Hana Glawari with her first love  Count Danilo  to her first heartbreak. The story is told with light humor and ostentatious dramatics.  Similar to who PBT really is, it promises to show sophisticated refinement. I reckon a sense of ownership to this flamboyant ballet.  PBT is actually  the only company in the Philippines who has performed this ballet. It was last seen in 2001 when the Company staged Julie Boromeo's grandiose  version. This time around based on Franz Lehar's Operetta, PBT's Artistic Director will present his own version. Having seen snippets of their rehearsal it gives me the impression that their new show will be  everything but simple. Interesting partnering, colorful unisons and  strong story telling, that is what I foresee. Their show opens on Sept 30 and closes on October 1. Don't miss Kim Abrogena and Veronica Atienza as Hana Glawari and guest artist Martin Buczco  as Count Danilo (Berlin Staatsopera). 

Ballet Manila sticks to what it does best. As a second installment to their season Flights of Fantasy, the Company will be staging the ultimate white ballet "Swan Lake" which opens on October 7, 2017 and closes on October 15, 2017.  The company takes on the challenge of preserving the tradition and history of the ballet  by restaging a show that is close to its original form.  Artistic Director Lisa Macuja herself devoted time and effort in mentoring her new breed of Swan Queens and it will be interesting to see if they will conquer the technical and artistic requirements of the ballet.  The role of Odette/Odile will be played by Katherine Barkman, Abigail Oliveiro and Joan Sia while Joseph Phillips, Elpidio Magat, Romeo Peralta, Rudy de Dios and Mark Sumaylo will be taking on the role of Prince Siegfried.  This dramatic story ballet glorifies the art form with its physical demands.  The promise 32 fouetttes, drilled corp de ballet and the majestic music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky should  be enough to draw in audiences. Swan Lake simply can't be missed. It's a ballet that should be watched not once but numerous times in one's lifetime. 

October-Ballet-Fest ends with Ballet Philippines' "The Exemplars. Amada and other Dances". The most contemporary of the three companies, BP will present a  mixed bill that will show pieces from their collection of oldies but goodies. Most will be modern ballets.  Some of the works that will be presented were created as early as the seventies.  "Amada" will make a comeback with no less than international ballerina Candice Adea. This piece is particularly special because  it is  serendipitous collaboration of artists who now hold the highest honors in art.  The story was based on  National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin's "Summer Solstice" The music used is by National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag. Finally the choreography was crafted by National Artist for Dance  Alice Reyes. Indeed watching this can be called eye opening education. Also included in the  mixed bill is "Valse Fantasy" created by Muneca Alonte, "Ang Sultan" by Gener Caringal, "Songs of a Wayfarer" by Norman Walker and "Concertino" by Pauline Koners. Their mixed bill is pretty much establishing that Ballet Philippines. They open on October 20, 2017 and closes October 22, 2017. 

All three companies will have their award winning dancers taking the lead. All three companies are also making use of guest artists. This makes October-ballet-fest a tad more interesting. The best of the best are ready to be seen. Now will this healthy competition help fill up the theaters?! I surely hope so because each Company can provide  a different experience. Something new from Philippine Ballet Theater, something classic  from Ballet Manila and something revisited from Ballet Philippines. Take your pick people. See you everyone at least three times this October.

Ballerinas in Rehearsals 

Photos by Justin Bella Alonte 

Candice Adea rehearsing Amada 

Denise Parungao of Ballet Philippines 

Philippine Ballet's first  full stage rehearsal
Kim Abrogena with Martin Buczco 

 Ballet Manila Swans
Photo by Alfren Salgado