|
danceviewdc The
DanceView Times, Washington, D.C. edition |
Volume 1, Number 13 An online supplement to DanceView magazine
| Choice Eugene
Onegin, Mazeppa By
Alexandra Tomalonis For those
holding their breath, wondering if the Kennedy Center Opera House would
be ready for the start of the ballet season, it’s safe to exhale.
The planners did a splendid job. There was a test show a few weeks ago
(which George Jackson reviewed in these pages) to spot possible problems;
then the Kennedy Center Honors; and this week, the really truly grand
[opera] opening: the Kirov Opera, presenting Tchaikovsky’s Eugene
Onegin and Mazeppa as part of a Festival in that choreographer’s
honor. Congratulations to all involved in the renovation. There were no
visible last minute glitches; no dangling wires, no “pardon our
dust!” signs. The new carpet is in place, those masking tape repairs
to the wall covering are gone. Whether my sense of scale has been skewed
by several months in the intimate Eisenhower Theater or whether the house
really is about 20 percent larger, I can’t say, but it certainly
SEEMS bigger. The aisles are twice as wide, the orchestra center section
has more seats. The pit is huge, swallowing up the Rows Formerly Known
As E and F (this may be adjustable for occasions that require fewer musicians).
One quibble is that the seats seem less suited to a theater than a restaurant
where management wants to insure quick turnover. It’s not that they’re
hard as Victorian horsehair; that’s rather bracing. It’s that
that they seem cut and angled to fit a different species, with low backs
and an odd slant that make it difficult for the lower spine and seat back
to find each other. But overall, I think patrons will be happy to have
their house back.
|
What's On This Week Dec.
23-28 Dec.
23-28 Dec.
23-28 Dec.
28
|
|
| Copyright ©2003 by
by DanceView |
|