A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)

Edwin Landseer, Scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Titania and Bottom, 1851

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a two-act ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Felix Mendelssohn's music to Shakespeare's play of the same name. In addition to the incidental music Balanchine incorporated other Mendelssohn works into the ballet, including the Overtures to Athalie, Son and Stranger, and The Fair Melusine, the "String Symphony No. 9 in C minor" and The First Walpurgis Night.^[1] A Midsummer Night's Dream, Balanchine's first completely original full-length ballet, premiered at New York City Ballet on 17 January 1962,^[1][2] with Edward Villella in the role of Oberon, Melissa Hayden in the role of Titania, and Arthur Mitchell in the role of Puck. The ballet employs a large children's corps de ballet.^[3] Act I tells Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies while Act II presents a strictly classical dance wedding celebration. The ballet dispenses with Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale. A Midsummer Night's Dream opened The New York City Ballet's first season at the New York State Theater in April, 1964.^[1]

Casts

original

first cast

Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta

Melissa Hayden Edward Villella Arthur Mitchell Gloria Govrin

film version (1966)

[4]

Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta

Suzanne Farrell Edward Villella Arthur Mitchell Gloria Govrin

NYCB revivals

2009 Spring

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

first cast Darci Kistler Joaquín De Luz Daniel Ulbricht Teresa Reichlen Ask la Cour Charles Askegard Rebecca Krohn Amar Ramasar Jennie Somogyi Jonathan Stafford Erica Pereira [casts 1] Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer [casts 2] Philip Neal

second cast Maria Kowroski Antonio Carmena Adam Hendrickson Ana Sophia Scheller Henry Seth Jason Fowler Faye Arthurs Arch Higgins Abi Stafford Andrew Veyette Alina Dronova Adrian Danchig-Waring Yvonne Borree Sébastien Marcovici

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

third cast Teresa Reichlen [casts 1] Andrew Veyette Sean Suozzi Savannah Lowery [casts 1] Jason Fowler Justin Peck [casts 1] Dena Abergel Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild [casts 1] Brittany Pollack [casts 1] Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer Jared Angle [casts 1]

fourth cast Teresa Reichlen Gonzalo Garcia Troy Schumacher [casts 3] Savannah Lowery Jason Fowler Justin Peck Dena Abergel; Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild Brittany Pollack Henry Seth Janie Taylor [casts 1] Tyler Angle [casts 1]

rôle: Titania Oberon Puck Hippolyta Theseus Titania’s Cavalier Helena Demetrius Hermia Lysander Butterfly Bottom divertissement

fifth cast Teresa Reichlen Andrew Veyette Troy Schumacher [casts 3] Savannah Lowery Jason Fowler Justin Peck Dena Abergel Ask la Cour Sterling Hyltin Robert Fairchild Brittany Pollack Henry Seth Jenifer Ringer Jared Angle

Notes

1. first time in rôle
2. Jenifer Ringer replaced Wendy Whelan in the divertissement.
3. Troy Schumacher replaced Sean Suozzi in the rôle of Puck.

Other choreographers' interpretations

• Frederick Ashton (The Dream)
• Christopher Wheeldon
• Bruce Wells on the Boston Ballet
• Ib Andersen on Ballet Arizona
• David Nixon on BalletMet Columbus
• John Neumeier
• François Klaus on the Queensland Ballet
• Heinz Spoerli on Basel Ballet, Rhine Opera Ballet, and Zurich Ballet
• Lourdes Lopez on Miami City Ballet

References

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Archived October 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
2. New York City Ballet: Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
3. Boston Ballet: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Archived June 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 October 2008.
4. New York Times review, Clive Barnes April 18, 1967 | http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0DEFDA153AE63ABC4052DFB266838C679EDE

External links

Balanchine Foundation website

Balanchine Trust website

NYCB website