By Rae Hunt
For anyone who loves the old fairy tales, Ballet West II’s production of Snow White, A Grimm Brothers’ Tale at Salt Lake City’s Capitol Theatre is the perfect retelling of this classic tale and Front Row Reviewers is excited to share our experience. The ballet was conceived and choreographed by Ballet West‘s Principal Rehearsal Director, Pamela Robinson-Harris, who also wrote the libretto and arranged the music.This production is a lighthearted adaptation by Artistic Director Adam Sklute and a perfect blend of different storytelling methods. I found myself just as enchanted with this performance as I was the first time I was able to attend a Ballet West performance.
As the ballet opens, the Brothers’ Grimm (Victor Galena, William Lynch) herald in the cast of characters in introduction: the King (Anderson Duhan) and the Good Queen (Maren Florence), Snow White (Stella Birkinshaw), the Prince (Jonas Malinka-Thompson), the Seven Dwarfs (Molly Caldwell, Lucia Fouco, Eloise Hawks, Tess Jensen, Harper Pack, Cameron Spencer, Daisy Stewart), the Huntsman (Luca Freudenberg), the Vain Queen (Kye Cooley) and a host of forest animals (Isabella Agrapides, Sofia Cannella, Maya Cheng, Hazel Lowe, Sabrina Lowell, ophia Lowell, Isabel Schutjer). We are treated to the classic tale of a King and Queen who long for a child and are finally blessed with Snow White. Unfortunately, the Queen, who was fair and good, fell ill and passed away. The King remarried but the new Queen is vain and evil, not wishing to allow anyone to be more beautiful than she. As Snow White grew, so did her beauty. As she came of age, she became the fairest in all the land and a neighboring Prince fell in love with her.While her father and the Prince are away at war, the Vain Queen sends the Huntsman to take Snow White into the forest to kill her. He is unable to do so and instead tells Snow White to run away into the forest where she meets the Seven Dwarfs who allow her to stay with them. Refusing to be thwarted, the Vain Queen devises a plot to kill Snow White with a poisoned apple. Will she succeed or will the Prince save Snow White to live happily ever after?
The story is told in duplicate, first we get a recap of the story as told by the Brothers’ Grimm followed then with the portrayal retelling by the highly talented and passionate dance company.Galeana asJakob Grimm and Lynch as Wilhelm Grimm pull off a fabulous pantomime of the story with lots of humor and lighthearted fun. Their antics are spot on and impossible to not laugh along with as they outline the plot for the younger audience members. Together, their chemistry on stage really pulled this story together. Their choreography works perfectly with the narration by Skluteand Christopher Renstrom.
Birkinshaw dazzles as Snow White. Her youthful energy and grace make her the perfect choice for our heroine. Throughout Snow White’s ordeals and triumphs, Birkinshaw convincingly portrays innocence, fear, relief, love, and joy. Too often in the story of Snow White, the Prince is often a background character, overlooked and only there to rescue the princess. Not in this retelling however as Malinka-Thompson does a fantastic job with this role. In addition to complementing Snow White perfectly, he is a marvelous character in his own right. As her counterpart, the Prince is dashing and brave, working with Snow White’s father to resolve a war conflict in his own kingdom.When he arrives at the end to rescue Snow White, we were cheering for them both.
Of course, this story wouldn’t have Snow White without the King and the Good Queen and their desire for a child. Florence is beautiful and graceful. While her role was limited as her character passes away early on, she also plays the old Peddler Woman (the Vain Queen in disguise) and is superb in both roles. Duhan as the King makes several appearances throughout the beginning of the story and then again at the end when Show White reunites with him after the war. Duhan is every bit as regal as his character and is a commanding presence whenever he is on stage. He is the doting father to Snow White and his joy upon their reunion is touching.
Once the King has remarried, we are introduced to Cooley playing the Vain Queen. She is every bit as villainous as she should be. Beautiful and graceful, she has every right to be Queen but her heartlessness and resentment to Snow White is evident through her actions. She like to push around her mirror minions (Elijah Hartley, Kennedy Sheriff, Rebecca Trockel) and ordering the dashing Huntsman around. What I really enjoyed, however, is the redemption arc they have for her at the end.The Huntsman, who is also one of her retainers, is played by Freudenberg. He is loyal and willing to comply with the Vain Queen’s demands up until Snow White is threatened. He shows his compassion in sparing her life.I found Freudenberg’s performance dashing and clever. He makes the character very charismatic and enjoyable to watch.
A large portion of the story does revolve around Snow White’s stay with the dwarfs. Caldwell, Fouco, Hawks, Jensen, Pack, Spencer, and Stewart comprise our group as the Seven Dwarfs. These kids are energetic and fun. Their choreography is lighthearted, youthful and they deliver a fantastic performance above and beyond.
In addition to these main characters, we have a host of other elements as well. Dancers from the very young on up participate in a variety of roles. From courtiers, handmaidens, and garland dancers to forest animals, snowflakes, and leaves, these kids do a fantastic job. They fill the stage with delightful dances and fantastic storytelling. I truly enjoyed the characterization of the forest animals especially as each animal type has its own unique personality and movement style. I also really loved the snowflake dance. The dance is so pretty and delicate. This really brings the sense of winter to the story, just as the leaves did for fall, giving a sense of time passing.
The music score arrangement is by composers Edvard Grieg and Johann Strauss Jr. and brings the story together. With costume design by David Heuvel, stage sets by Thomas George, lighting by James K. Larsen, choreography by Principle Rehearsal Director Pamela Robinson–Harris and assistant choreographer Christopher Sellars, and dancers from Ballet West II, this is a top tier performance.
Ballet West II presents Snow White, A Grimm Brothers’ Tale by Frederick Quinney Lawson, Based on the story from the Brothers’ Grimm Fairy Tale.
Capitol Theatre, 50 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Apr 7-8, 2023, 7:00 PM, 2 PM matinee. See site for individual performance details.
Tickets: $35
Contact: 801-869-6900
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