OKC Ballet mixes up 'Fancy Free,' 'Cacti' and 'Carmina Burana' into 'Shorts' season finale
Oklahoma City Ballet is closing its 2023-2024 performance season with three short ballets that will add up to one big collaborative effort.
More than 30 OKC Ballet dancers, 40-plus Oklahoma City Philharmonic musicians, 80 Canterbury Voices singers, three opera soloists and a string quartet will work together May 10-12 to bring the mixed bill "Shorts" to the Civic Center main stage.
"The collaborations are really fantastic. But it is a very heavy lift. And I think it speaks to the company's growth, our eagerness to perform more excellent work and to continue moving forward. So, I think it's important to partner with other arts organizations in the community," said Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye.
Closing the OKC Ballet's Civic Center season with a "Shorts" program has become a tradition in recent years, and this spring's bill includes a playful piece from featuring music by iconic composer Leonard Berstein, a dramatic classic with its roots in medieval times and a cheekily affection parody of dance that might just make converts out of people who don't think ballet is the art form for them.
Each bite-sized ballet from the bill boasts its own costumes, sets, music and vibe.
"Whether you are a longtime ballet fan or have never been to a ballet, 'Shorts' is a must-see," said Jo Lynne Jones, OKC Ballet's John Kirkpatrick Executive Director, in an email. "The variety of performances means that you will certainly discover something new to love."
Here's what to expect from OKC Ballet's "Shorts" 2024:
What legendary composer and choreographer created 'Fancy Free?'
Spotlighting seven OKC Ballet dancers and the more than 40 OKC Philharmonic players, "Fancy Free" features choreography by the legendary two-time Oscar winner Jerome Robbins (1918-1998) and music by influential American maestro Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990).
"Some of the most famous dancers in the history of ballet have danced this piece: Baryshnikov was famous for dancing a role in 'Fancy Free,'" said Jolicoeur-Nye, who was officially named OKC Ballet's artistic director in October 2022.
"So, I think from the artists' perspective, it's really nice to jump in that driver's seat. The steps remain exactly the same over time, and, really, what you have is your own individual interpretation of the characters."
Set during World War II, the short ballet takes place in a New York City bar, where three sailors vie for the attention of two beautiful women. It was the inspiration for the Broadway musical "On the Town," which was turned into an Oscar-winning 1949 movie musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
"Fancy Free" is featured in one of the standout scenes of Bradley Cooper's Academy Award-nominated 2023 Bernstein biopic "Maestro."
"The music is just so American feeling ... and with the storyline about these three sailors, it's a nice mix of comedy and history and fun music," said Jolicoeur-Nye, adding that a live orchestra to perform the score is a requirement for staging the title.
"'Fancy Free' was one of my favorite pieces to dance as a dancer, and I wanted to bring it here for the men in the company."
What famous musical movement will audiences hear with 'Carmina Burana?'
Along with the OKC Philharmonic musicians in the pit, more than 80 choral singers from OKC's nationally recognized Canterbury Voices symphonic chorus will flank the audience from the box seats to present the dramatic classic "Carmina Burana."
Plus, 36 OKC Ballet dancers will share the stage with opera soloists James Bobick, Nicole Van Every and Steve Sanders as they perform choreography by Jolicoeur-Nye set to the choral opus by Carl Orff.
Based on a collection of 11th- and 12th-century songs and poems from a 13th-century manuscript first discovered in the Bavarian monastery of Benediktbeuern in 1803, Orff's 1936 masterwork "Carmina Burana" is best known for its opening movement "O Fortuna," which has been featured in many movies, television shows and commercials.
OKC Ballet Principal Dancers Marco Corcella and Courtney Connor Jones performed an excerpt of "Carmina Burana" at last fall's "Ballet Under the Stars," a popular free outdoor performance at Scissortail Park.
What can OKC Ballet fans expect from the cheeky 'Cacti?'
The "Shorts" program will close with the unusual "Cacti," choreographed by Alexander Ekman and set to music by famed composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert.
While the OKC Philharmonic musicians perform in the pit, Kansas City string quartet Opus 76 will share the stage with the OKC Ballet dancers on the piece.
"They've performed 'Cacti' before in Kansas City: I saw them live, and they were fantastic," Jolicoeur-Nye said. "They're really becoming a national and international name, and they were very excited to make the trip to Oklahoma City and get on stage with us."
In "Cacti," 16 dancers seem to be trapped on oversized Scrabble tiles. While the string quartet plays and spoken recordings provide tongue-in-cheek narration, the dancers run, fall and try to escape.
"It is a showstopper. It's incredible. Alexander can be very comedic ... and this piece feels like an inside joke, because he's kind of making fun of dance and what dancers go through to move their bodies and produce the performance on the stage. There's a lot of unexpected things that happen," Jolicoeur-Nye said.
"It's very funny. It's very athletic. And there's not a second in that ballet where one would be bored."
OKC BALLET'S 'SHORTS'
When: 7:30 p.m. May 10-11 and 2 p.m. May 12.
Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
Tickets and information: https://www.okcballet.org.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Ballet closing its season with 'Fancy Free' mixed bill of 'Shorts'
