THE​ ​NATIONAL​ ​BALLET​ ​OF​ ​CANADA's​ ​A​ ​STREETCAR

NAMED​ ​DESIRE​ ​IS​ ​BREATHTAKING​ ​FROM​ ​START​ ​TO​ ​FINISH

Reviewed​ ​by​ ​Taylor​ ​Long,​ ​June​ ​5,​ ​2017

No​ ​one​ ​yells,​ ​"Stella!"​ ​at​ ​the​ ​ballet​ ​-​ ​because​ ​they​ ​don't​ ​have​ ​to.​ ​John​ ​Neumeier's​ ​A
STREETCAR​ ​NAMED​ ​DESIRE,​ ​inspired​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Pulitzer​ ​Prize​ ​winning​ ​play​ ​by​ ​Tennessee
Williams,​ ​had​ ​its​ ​National​ ​Ballet​ ​of​ ​Canada​ ​premiere​ ​on​ ​June​ ​3,​ ​2017.​ ​The​ ​ballet​ ​dives​ ​deeper
into​ ​Blanche​ ​DuBois'​ ​psyche,​ ​examining​ ​the​ ​motivation​ ​for​ ​her​ ​psychological​ ​instability.
Featuring​ ​music​ ​by​ ​Sergei​ ​Prokofiev​ ​and​ ​Alfred​ ​Schnittke,​ ​Mr.​ ​Neumeier's​ ​choreography
exposes​ ​more​ ​vulnerability,​ ​fragility​ ​and​ ​desire​ ​than​ ​could​ ​ever​ ​be​ ​communicated​ ​by​ ​words
alone.​ ​Neumeier's​ ​visionary​ ​production​ ​expands​ ​on​ ​the​ ​context​ ​referenced​ ​in​ ​Williams'​ ​play​ ​-​ ​by
showing​ ​us​ ​more,​ ​we​ ​feel​ ​more.

The​ ​first​ ​act​ ​opens​ ​in​ ​silence.​ ​Blanche​ ​DuBois​ ​sits,​ ​shaking​ ​on​ ​a​ ​naked​ ​bed.​ ​The​ ​stage​ ​is​ ​cast​ ​in
a​ ​sterile,​ ​white​ ​(Blanche's​ ​signature​ ​colour)​ ​-​ ​symbolizing​ ​her​ ​eternal​ ​longing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​pure,
idealistic​ ​life​ ​that​ ​has​ ​passed​ ​her​ ​by.​ ​Screeching​ ​violins​ ​introduce​ ​Blanche's​ ​escape​ ​into​ ​a
frantic​ ​daydream.​ ​Accompanied​ ​by​ ​Prokofiev's​ ​gorgeous​ ​and​ ​suitably​ ​titled,​ ​"Visions​ ​Fugitives"
Op.22,​ ​the​ ​music​ ​is​ ​broken​ ​up​ ​into​ ​short​ ​vignettes,​ ​lending​ ​itself​ ​beautifully​ ​to​ ​the​ ​pace​ ​of​ ​the
first​ ​act.​ ​Blanche​ ​invites​ ​us​ ​back​ ​to​ ​Belle​ ​Reve,​ ​abruptly​ ​leading​ ​us​ ​through​ ​various​ ​memories​ ​in
a​ ​"beautiful​ ​dream"​ ​sequence.​ ​As​ ​the​ ​action​ ​transitions​ ​to​ ​the​ ​modernity​ ​of​ ​New​ ​Orleans,​ ​the
music​ ​evolves​ ​with​ ​it.​ ​A​ ​single​ ​voice​ ​pierces​ ​the​ ​silence​ ​singing​ ​"Paper​ ​Moon",​ ​layered​ ​over​ ​the
crescendoing​ ​orchestra​ ​in​ ​haunting​ ​dissonance.​ ​The​ ​memory​ ​fades​ ​as​ ​the​ ​set​ ​and​ ​its
characters,​ ​literally​ ​and​ ​figuratively​ ​melt​ ​before​ ​our​ ​eyes.​ ​Blanche​ ​struggles​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​onto​ ​this
part​ ​of​ ​her​ ​past,​ ​mirrored​ ​by​ ​pulling,​ ​reaching​ ​and​ ​grabbing​ ​in​ ​Neumeier's​ ​choreography.

If​ ​you've​ ​read​ ​the​ ​play,​ ​the​ ​second​ ​act​ ​will​ ​seem​ ​more​ ​familiar.​ ​Blanche​ ​travels​ ​to​ ​New​ ​Orleans
to​ ​visit​ ​her​ ​sister,​ ​discovering​ ​a​ ​bustling​ ​and​ ​unfamiliar​ ​world.​ ​The​ ​big​ ​city​ ​doesn't​ ​have​ ​an
ounce​ ​of​ ​the​ ​old​ ​money​ ​elegance​ ​that​ ​Blanche​ ​identifies​ ​with​ ​-​ ​its​ ​moved​ ​on​ ​without​ ​her.
Neumeier​ ​enhances​ ​this​ ​conflict​ ​by​ ​choreographing​ ​Blanche​ ​stylistically​ ​at​ ​odds​ ​against​ ​an
ensemble​ ​of​ ​young,​ ​jazzed​ ​up​ ​New​ ​Orleanians.​ ​Blanche​ ​stands​ ​out​ ​-​ ​she's​ ​out​ ​of​ ​place​ ​in​ ​a
changed​ ​world.​ ​Alfred​ ​Schnittke's​ ​Symphony​ ​No.​ ​1​ ​accompanies​ ​this​ ​memory​ ​with​ ​sustained
chords​ ​and​ ​elaborate​ ​horn​ ​lines​ ​that​ ​help​ ​to​ ​create​ ​the​ ​hectic,​ ​urban​ ​atmosphere.​ ​The​ ​second
act​ ​is​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​too​ ​busy.​ ​It​ ​almost​ ​makes​ ​you​ ​feel​ ​a​ ​tad​ ​mad​ ​by​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​it.

Blanche​ ​DuBois​ ​is​ ​absolutely​ ​divine​ ​when​ ​played​ ​by​ ​Sonia​ ​Rodriguez.​ ​Rodriguez​ ​pulls​ ​you​ ​into
Blanche's​ ​flawed​ ​perception​ ​of​ ​reality​ ​from​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​the​ ​curtain​ ​rises.​ ​Her​ ​Blanche​ ​is​ ​careful.
Through​ ​Rodriguez'​ ​elegant​ ​technicality,​ ​we're​ ​presented​ ​with​ ​a​ ​delicate​ ​Blanche​ ​who​ ​still
dances​ ​like​ ​the​ ​young,​ ​idolized​ ​southern​ ​belle​ ​she​ ​longs​ ​to​ ​return​ ​to.​ ​Guillaume​ ​Côté,​ ​as
Stanley,​ ​embodies​ ​the​ ​masculine​ ​virility​ ​that​ ​made​ ​Marlon​ ​Brando's​ ​portrayal​ ​so​ ​appealing.​ ​Côté
spends​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ballet​ ​in​ ​as​ ​little​ ​clothing​ ​as​ ​possible​ ​-​ ​presenting​ ​a​ ​sort​ ​of​ ​arrogant
confidence​ ​that​ ​forms​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​rival​ ​for​ ​Blanche's​ ​"conservative"​ ​identity.
Jillian​ ​Vanstone's​ ​Stella​ ​is​ ​full​ ​of​ ​life,​ ​her​ ​dancing​ ​is​ ​spirited​ ​and​ ​free.​ ​Evan​ ​McKie​ ​portrays​ ​Mitch
brilliantly,​ ​with​ ​earnest​ ​sensitivity.​ ​Not​ ​only​ ​is​ ​McKie​ ​a​ ​mesmerizing​ ​dancer,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​natural
actor.​ ​His​ ​Mitch​ ​has​ ​a​ ​dynamic​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​emotion,​ ​ranging​ ​from​ ​insecurity​ ​to​ ​rage-filled
disappointment.​ ​McKie​ ​and​ ​Rodriguez​ ​dancing​ ​under​ ​the​ ​stars​ ​in​ ​Act​ ​II,​ ​is​ ​stage​ ​chemistry​ ​at​ ​its
finest.

In​ ​my​ ​opinion,​ ​the​ ​ballet​ ​is​ ​more​ ​effective​ ​than​ ​the​ ​play​ ​in​ ​providing​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​Blanche's​ ​mental
condition.​ ​Instead​ ​of​ ​references​ ​to​ ​Belle​ ​Reve,​ ​we're​ ​transported​ ​there​ ​to​ ​experience​ ​it​ ​with​ ​her.
By​ ​creating​ ​flashback​ ​sequences,​ ​we​ ​gain​ ​a​ ​greater​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​Blanche's​ ​inability​ ​to​ ​let
go​ ​of​ ​her​ ​youth.​ ​She​ ​feels​ ​as​ ​if​ ​it​ ​was​ ​stolen​ ​from​ ​her​ ​-​ ​her​ ​prime​ ​years​ ​wasted.​ ​She​ ​suddenly
becomes​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​sympathize​ ​with.​ ​One​ ​can​ ​argue​ ​that​ ​dance,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​right​ ​hands,​ ​is​ ​even​ ​better
than​ ​words​ ​at​ ​examining​ ​these​ ​intricate​ ​nuances​ ​of​ ​the​ ​mind.​ ​The​ ​unlimited​ ​potential​ ​of​ ​the​ ​body
to​ ​express​ ​emotion,​ ​especially​ ​at​ ​the​ ​hands​ ​of​ ​Mr.​ ​Neumeier,​ ​can​ ​convey​ ​more​ ​than​ ​words
could​ ​ever​ ​hope​ ​to​ ​describe.​ ​His​ ​take​ ​on​ ​A​ ​STREETCAR​ ​NAMED​ ​DESIRE​ ​is​ ​exciting,
provocative​ ​and​ ​raw.​ ​It​ ​will​ ​take​ ​your​ ​breath​ ​away.