"Peter Pan"
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC
April 2, 2009
by George Jackson
copyright 2009 by George Jackson
Much is silly, much is sentimental but bits of it are fun! "Peter Pan", Washington Ballet's Easter staple, is aimed at kids. Yet, Thursday's dressy gala audience of mostly grownups chuckled along, consented to "let's pretend" and clapped for the tricks in this two-act production by Septime Webre (dance choreography), Carmon DeLeone (music), Gina Cerimele Mechley (fight choreography), Foy (flying), Johanna Wilt (staging) and a gaggle of other theater artists. There's a name missing from the program credits: that of the author whose idea the popular story and characters were in the first place - J.M. Barrie. Never mind! Some, though, may care that in our age of deconstructing and reinterpreting conventional art, Webre and his team mates must have taken vows not to philosophize or psychoanalyze Peter Pan - the boy who refuses to grow up. Peter is wholesome to the point of being bland most of the time. He displays temperament only near the end, pouting when his pals - the Darling siblings - are about to depart Never Neverland for the Ever Everyday. Peter's tricks, though, clicked.
The flying up and around the stage went smoothly for Peter and the Darlings. Only once, briefly, were the suspending cords visible from where I sat. Peter's aerialist stunts included somersaults and landings on narrow ledges. Jonathan Jordan, in the title role, managed these maneuvers with the same generosity and innocent aplomb he displayed in the role's balletic bravura. Moreover, Jordan looked suitably part-boy, part-faun in his grass blade patterned costume (by Claudia Lynch). There were three "ballerina" roles: that of Peter's special friend Wendy Darling, that of the good fairy Tinker Bell, and the dual part of Mother Darling and Tiger Lilly. Maki Onuki as Wendy had as fresh an attack as earlier in the season for Bournonville's Sylphide, but this time she'd been given rather repetitious steps to deal with. Sona Kharatian as Mrs. Darling wielded her long line with a dignity that aptly distinguished her from the adolescent Wendy when they danced simultaneously; as Tiger Lilly, leader of the Indian Maidens, Kharatian was like an Amazon Queen. Tinker Bell's part seemed miserly in step allocation and didn't do much for Rui Huang.
Apart from these roles there were chances for choreography in the Indian Maidens' ensemble and the Pirates' celebration. Webre referred to the Shades of "La Bayadere" and the Nymphs of "Sylvia" for his Maidens' dance but could have made more of it. The highpoint of his choreography was the set of men's variations for the Pirates. Toning down the horseplay during these vigorous and varied passages for Jared Nelson, Norton Fantinel, Corey Landolt, Dustin Shane, Ricardo Torres and Tamas Krizsa, might pay. Casting female dancers and not just males as The Lost Boys didn't come off.
DeLeone's music for the action sequences was overblown, like for an adventure movie, but his dance sections were fairly utilitarian. The handsome sets and projections by Jay Depenbrock and Holly Highfill contributed to the sense of flight. A welcome contrast to the overdoses of sentimentality, wholesomeness and bland humor in "Peter Pan" was the Crocodile (with Luis R. Torres in the role), which had a sharply funny solo and an appetite quite undisguised.
