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Mad World

"MADDADDAM"
The National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Canada
November 30, 2022 

by Denise Sum
copyright © 2022 by Denise Sum

Wayne McGregor's "MADDADDAM", a new work inspired by Margaret Atwood's prescient MaddAddam trilogy (published between 2003 and 2013), has been many years in the making. In an alarming example of life imitating art, the premiere of this dystopian ballet set during a global pandemic was delayed by an actual global pandemic. Of her frightening work of speculative fiction, Atwood has written "it does not include any technologies or biobeings that do not already exist, are not under construction, or are not possible in theory." Lest audience members get too comfortable distancing themselves from the horrific hypothetical scenarios of "MADDADDAM", the message that they could occur in the near future is sobering. It is heavy and dark content, hardly an obvious choice for a classical ballet company. Then again, McGregor has shown with "Woolf Works" that he is not one to shy away from complex, literary material. A large scale, big budget work, "MADDADDAM" brings together many repeat collaborators of McGregor in this joint production between the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Ballet. It features an original score by Max Richter, design by We Not I and film design by Ravi Deepres. British designer Gareth Pugh created brilliantly imaginative costumes. Atwood is listed as "creative consultant", but has said in interviews that she gave McGregor and his team carte blanche in reimagining her books for the stage. 

Artists of the Ballet in Wayne McGregor's "MADDADDAM". Photo © Karolina Kuras. 

A Holiday Favorite

“The Nutcracker”
New York City Ballet
David Koch Theater
Lincoln Center
New York, New York
December 6, 2022

by Gay Morris
copyright © 2022 by Gay Morris

When New York City Ballet first presented George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” in 1954, New York Times critic John Martin wasn’t happy. He thought it betrayed Balanchine’s dedication to abstraction, which, he said, had revolutionized ballet. But, as so often happened, Balanchine knew best. He added the full-length narrative work to New York City Ballet’s mostly plotless repertory, and it is still a hit to this day, not to mention a major source of revenue for the company.

With these thoughts in mind, I joined the crowd at Lincoln Center on Tuesday evening for one of the many “Nutcracker” performances, with varied casts, that New York City Ballet offers annually from late November through December. And once again, the ballet showed why it has become as much a part of New York’s festive season as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and neighborhood caroling.