ballet: Coppelia, at the Merriam Theater, 4/27/08
Today my mom and I went to see Coppelia. I was really excited about this one, and had been since we first heard the lineup of shows for this ballet season. I'd heard of it before, and I'd thought it was about a doll who comes to life. Actually, not really. It's really about a bratty popular girl.
Here's the story.
Act I: In the village. The dollmaker, Dr. Coppelius, has made a life-size girl doll. He sits her out on his balcony. The unfortunately named Swanilda comes along and, seeing the doll, mistakes her for a real girl and tries to make friends. She feels snubbed when the doll doesn't respond. Then her boyfriend, Franz, comes along, and when he sees the doll, he thinks she's beautiful and tries to flirt with her. Swanilda gets pissed at him. Various dances involving all the villagers ensue. The mayor announces a big festival to be held tomorrow, and says that any couple to get married during the festival will receive a dowry from the village. That night, Dr. Coppelius goes over to the inn for a drink, but the village youths rough him up on the way and he drops his house key. Swanilda finds it, and she and her friends sneak into his house.
Act II: In Dr. Coppelius's workshop. The girls prance about the workshop and turn on the various mechanical dolls. Fun! Swanilda also discovers that Coppelia is not a real girl. When Dr. C comes back, the other girls run away, but Swanilda decides to disguise herself and pretends to be the doll. Meanwhile, Franz has snuck into the house too, to try and see Coppelia. Dr. Coppelius slips Franz a sleeping potion, and then he wheels out the supposed doll and tries to work a magic spell to bring her to life. Swanilda pretends the spell worked, and begins to move, and Dr. Coppelius is obviously overjoyed, until Swanilda gets tired of the act and goes around smashing things in his workshop. She wakes up Franz, shows him that Coppelia is just a doll, and they run away, leaving Dr. C crying in the naked doll's lap.
Act III: In the village, the next day. Franz and Swanilda marry with accolades and a dowry from the village. When Dr. C shows up and tells everyone what Swanilda did, she gives him her dowry money to pay for the damage, and then everyone forgets about him as they have a big long boring party.
This story really bothered me for a few reasons. These sorts of stories are usually about a heroine who triumphs by being nice, but Swanilda isn't a nice girl at all. She's popular--she has a gaggle of girls who follow her around town. She breaks into Dr. C's house for no reason, and she makes the other girls go with her. She messes up the workshop, steals the dress the doll was wearing (which isn't even mentioned), but what's worse is that she breaks Dr. Coppelius's heart. He was so happy when he thought the doll came to life. How cruel is this girl? Then she just tosses him some money and everything's okay? I also thought Swanilda's dynamic with Franz was troublesome. She gets angry that he flirts with Coppelia, which is understandable, but then she spends the whole first act not talking to him, making him chase her around begging her to tell him what he did wrong. Basically, she toys with him. Yeah, like that's not going to set the tone for their marriage. And Franz isn't an innocent either--he's sneaking into what he thinks is some other girl's bedroom the night before he's supposed to marry Swanilda. Because the other girl turned out to be a doll, that makes everything okay? His intentions were the problem here. I don't see good things coming out of this marriage. I had other problems with the story, too. I didn't like that Dr. C got roughed up by the young men in town. Why is everyone mean to him? We don't see him doing anything wrong, except maybe shooing kids away from his dolls. The whole ballet is about teenagers being mean and cliquey, and the message is that you can get away with anything as long as you're the prettiest girl in town. There were lots of little girls in the theater, and I wasn't really comfortable with the message this ballet sent to them.
Other than the WHOLE PLOTLINE, it was an enjoyable ballet, I guess. The dancing was excellent. The dancer playing Swanilda was really terrific--her dance mimicking a doll was amazing. She did an excellent job. I'm probably taking things too seriously. But I have to say, this was my least favorite ballet I've seen yet. Not because of the dancing, but because of the story itself, so my opinion of it shouldn't reflect badly on the PA Ballet Co. But why is this one of the most beloved ballets in history? I just don't get it.
Also, the men's tights were an issue again this time. Most of the guys were in sage green tights, which weren't bad, but the guy dancing Franz was in flesh-colored tights for the first two acts, which made me keep forgetting he had any pants on at all, and white tights for the third act, which as previously documented outline the dancer's package for everyone to see. What's weirder is that they were wearing typical German villager type shirts and vests, with these tights. The male principal dancer (James Ady) is retiring, and Franz today was his last performance, and so at the curtain call at the end he's out on the stage and people are clapping and throwing flowers, and all I can think of is that this is like one of those nightmares where you go out on stage and people are clapping and suddenly you realize you're not wearing any pants. I was feeling bad for the guy! Could it be that the costume designer doesn't know what those tights look like from the balcony? I mean, really. The darker colors aren't near as revealing.
I had an interesting adventure on the train ride home, too. After the train left 30th Street, the conductor came around to punch tickets, and in my car there was apparently a man who had the wrong kind of pass. He'd bought it at the station, but I guess they sold him some pass that doesn't start until tomorrow. The conductor said he needed to buy a ticket, and the man said he did not need to buy a ticket because he had one, and the conductor said that ticket isn't valid and he needed to buy a new one, and the man said he didn't have enough money for another ticket, and they went back and forth and at the next stop the conductor stopped the train and called the police. Over a $5 train ticket! And so we waited, and waited, and waited. People were getting crazy. One guy actually went up to the conductor and tried to pay him the money so the train could move on. The conductor said he couldn't call the police back and tell them not to come. Another guy got all up in the conductor's face about how he was going to miss his mother's 90th birthday party (well, why didn't you take an earlier train if it was that important, asshole, and for that matter why weren't you there helping set out the food?) and he and the conductor were yelling at each other. It was quite the scene. Finally the train just started going. The non-paying guy was in my car, so I know the police didn't come. After the train started moving the non-paying guy came up and paid, and the conductor was all, oh so now you're paying. The guy sat down again afterward but when the conductor walked past him, he tried to grab the conductor's arm, and the conductor seriously almost punched him. And the guy going to his mother's 90th birthday kept getting in their faces taking pictures (with the flash on, even!). It took that train an hour to make a 30-35 minute ride. At least it was entertaining.
Here's the story.
Act I: In the village. The dollmaker, Dr. Coppelius, has made a life-size girl doll. He sits her out on his balcony. The unfortunately named Swanilda comes along and, seeing the doll, mistakes her for a real girl and tries to make friends. She feels snubbed when the doll doesn't respond. Then her boyfriend, Franz, comes along, and when he sees the doll, he thinks she's beautiful and tries to flirt with her. Swanilda gets pissed at him. Various dances involving all the villagers ensue. The mayor announces a big festival to be held tomorrow, and says that any couple to get married during the festival will receive a dowry from the village. That night, Dr. Coppelius goes over to the inn for a drink, but the village youths rough him up on the way and he drops his house key. Swanilda finds it, and she and her friends sneak into his house.
Act II: In Dr. Coppelius's workshop. The girls prance about the workshop and turn on the various mechanical dolls. Fun! Swanilda also discovers that Coppelia is not a real girl. When Dr. C comes back, the other girls run away, but Swanilda decides to disguise herself and pretends to be the doll. Meanwhile, Franz has snuck into the house too, to try and see Coppelia. Dr. Coppelius slips Franz a sleeping potion, and then he wheels out the supposed doll and tries to work a magic spell to bring her to life. Swanilda pretends the spell worked, and begins to move, and Dr. Coppelius is obviously overjoyed, until Swanilda gets tired of the act and goes around smashing things in his workshop. She wakes up Franz, shows him that Coppelia is just a doll, and they run away, leaving Dr. C crying in the naked doll's lap.
Act III: In the village, the next day. Franz and Swanilda marry with accolades and a dowry from the village. When Dr. C shows up and tells everyone what Swanilda did, she gives him her dowry money to pay for the damage, and then everyone forgets about him as they have a big long boring party.
This story really bothered me for a few reasons. These sorts of stories are usually about a heroine who triumphs by being nice, but Swanilda isn't a nice girl at all. She's popular--she has a gaggle of girls who follow her around town. She breaks into Dr. C's house for no reason, and she makes the other girls go with her. She messes up the workshop, steals the dress the doll was wearing (which isn't even mentioned), but what's worse is that she breaks Dr. Coppelius's heart. He was so happy when he thought the doll came to life. How cruel is this girl? Then she just tosses him some money and everything's okay? I also thought Swanilda's dynamic with Franz was troublesome. She gets angry that he flirts with Coppelia, which is understandable, but then she spends the whole first act not talking to him, making him chase her around begging her to tell him what he did wrong. Basically, she toys with him. Yeah, like that's not going to set the tone for their marriage. And Franz isn't an innocent either--he's sneaking into what he thinks is some other girl's bedroom the night before he's supposed to marry Swanilda. Because the other girl turned out to be a doll, that makes everything okay? His intentions were the problem here. I don't see good things coming out of this marriage. I had other problems with the story, too. I didn't like that Dr. C got roughed up by the young men in town. Why is everyone mean to him? We don't see him doing anything wrong, except maybe shooing kids away from his dolls. The whole ballet is about teenagers being mean and cliquey, and the message is that you can get away with anything as long as you're the prettiest girl in town. There were lots of little girls in the theater, and I wasn't really comfortable with the message this ballet sent to them.
Other than the WHOLE PLOTLINE, it was an enjoyable ballet, I guess. The dancing was excellent. The dancer playing Swanilda was really terrific--her dance mimicking a doll was amazing. She did an excellent job. I'm probably taking things too seriously. But I have to say, this was my least favorite ballet I've seen yet. Not because of the dancing, but because of the story itself, so my opinion of it shouldn't reflect badly on the PA Ballet Co. But why is this one of the most beloved ballets in history? I just don't get it.
Also, the men's tights were an issue again this time. Most of the guys were in sage green tights, which weren't bad, but the guy dancing Franz was in flesh-colored tights for the first two acts, which made me keep forgetting he had any pants on at all, and white tights for the third act, which as previously documented outline the dancer's package for everyone to see. What's weirder is that they were wearing typical German villager type shirts and vests, with these tights. The male principal dancer (James Ady) is retiring, and Franz today was his last performance, and so at the curtain call at the end he's out on the stage and people are clapping and throwing flowers, and all I can think of is that this is like one of those nightmares where you go out on stage and people are clapping and suddenly you realize you're not wearing any pants. I was feeling bad for the guy! Could it be that the costume designer doesn't know what those tights look like from the balcony? I mean, really. The darker colors aren't near as revealing.
I had an interesting adventure on the train ride home, too. After the train left 30th Street, the conductor came around to punch tickets, and in my car there was apparently a man who had the wrong kind of pass. He'd bought it at the station, but I guess they sold him some pass that doesn't start until tomorrow. The conductor said he needed to buy a ticket, and the man said he did not need to buy a ticket because he had one, and the conductor said that ticket isn't valid and he needed to buy a new one, and the man said he didn't have enough money for another ticket, and they went back and forth and at the next stop the conductor stopped the train and called the police. Over a $5 train ticket! And so we waited, and waited, and waited. People were getting crazy. One guy actually went up to the conductor and tried to pay him the money so the train could move on. The conductor said he couldn't call the police back and tell them not to come. Another guy got all up in the conductor's face about how he was going to miss his mother's 90th birthday party (well, why didn't you take an earlier train if it was that important, asshole, and for that matter why weren't you there helping set out the food?) and he and the conductor were yelling at each other. It was quite the scene. Finally the train just started going. The non-paying guy was in my car, so I know the police didn't come. After the train started moving the non-paying guy came up and paid, and the conductor was all, oh so now you're paying. The guy sat down again afterward but when the conductor walked past him, he tried to grab the conductor's arm, and the conductor seriously almost punched him. And the guy going to his mother's 90th birthday kept getting in their faces taking pictures (with the flash on, even!). It took that train an hour to make a 30-35 minute ride. At least it was entertaining.