PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia Ballet is performing “The Merry Widow” for the first time ever!
“Since I became artistic director I wanted to do this ballet, and finally it’s here,” says Angel Corella, Artistic Director of Philadelphia Ballet.
The Academy of Music will be transformed for the production.
“It’s a very big ballet with, you know, a lot of costumes,” he says. “Great sets, and of course, a beautiful love story.”
The romantic comedy follows Hanna.
“A very young and naïve girl that is in love with an officer called Danilo,” he says. “And Danilo kind of rejects her.”
Corella says Hanna leaves the town and “marries a billionaire.”
After Hanna’s husband dies, the widow returns a wealthy woman.
“The town is not doing very well, so the baron, which is sort of like the mayor of the town, wants for her to get married to Danilo, because Danilo’s an officer of the town,” he says. “And then she can help, you know, the wealth of the country.”
Love triangles play out on stage.
Corella says the wife of the baron is flirting with a French officer from the embassy and they almost get caught.
“And that’s when everything just becomes chaos,” he says.
The company dances across lavish scenes, starting in the ballroom.
Corella says audiences will see twelve couples waltzing around the stage.
“It’s quite spectacular,” he says.
There’s also a party in the garden. And then the third act takes place in the restaurant Maxim’s in France.
“Three acts completely different from each other, but that tells a story in a magical way,” he says. “And you really care for those two roles, for those two people.”
Corella instructs not just technique, but character development as well.
“I danced it when I was a dancer at American Ballet Theatre,” he says.
Corella says to keep it fresh and inviting for audiences, “we want to do a little bit of everything.”
“It’s a very, very powerful, unusual ballet that people should not miss,” he says.
Philadelphia Ballet presents “The Merry Widow” March 5 – 15 at the Academy of Music.
For more information:
Philadelphia Ballet – “The Merry Widow”
Link to Tickets at the Academy of Music
Academy of Music
240 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
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