Pas de Oohs and Aahs

Dudamel and Stars of Ballet

Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood, CA

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

After all of the craziness trying to get home from NKOTB, I decided that I would take the shuttle to the Bowl.  I had a dentist appointment, so I needed to leave work early anyway, and caught the shuttle from Arcadia.  Liz took the shuttle from Lakewood and she arrived a little while before me.  She got some popcorn while she waited for me to arrive.  She regretted getting it, though, because it was cold.  Yes, she still offered some to me after giving the popcorn a bad review. Because, you know, I'm all about eating blechy popcorn.  I declined and got sushi at the Marketplace (again), and we went to our seats.  We weren't sitting together, but we were in the same section, a couple of rows apart, so we were able to pass stuff to each other before other people rudely sat in their designated seats and got in our way.  

I guess I haven't been to an actual Bowl performance in a while, because I forgot that the orchestra starts the event by playing the Star-Spangled Banner.

Dudamel

Tchaikovsky: Selections from The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction - The Lilac Fairy; Panorama; Valse

• I love this music, and I enjoyed watching the LA Phil play.
• I also enjoyed seeing people sway in their seats with the Valse, which Disney fans know from the film as "Once Upon A Dream".  I forgot how quickly the piece is actually played when Aurora isn't singing it.

Tchaikovsky: Selections from Swan Lake: Act II No. 10 - Scene; Act II No. 13 Moderato assai; Act II No. 13 - Tempo di valse; Act II No. 13 - Moderato assai

• When Marcelo Gomes jeted onto the stage, a lot of folks gasped to see his striking makeup as the White Swan (from Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake).
• Misty Copeland also had a White Swan solo, and it was as gorgeous as you'd think, if you've ever seen her dance before.  I had seen her dance on Colbert's LSSC and was amazed, so you know I was looking forward to this.  She did not disappoint me in the least.
• I was eager to see Marcelo and Misty dance together later in the program.

  

  Copland's White Swan as Dudamel Looks On

<Intermission>

Gustavo Dudamel talked to the audience about how amazed he was at the dancers' movements.  He said that some people like to watch him conduct, but he feels like he's just waving his arms around when compared to them.  I like listening to him.  I wish I could have played violin in one of his orchestras.

Adam: Selections from Giselle: Act I - Introduction; Act II No. 17 - Hilarion is killed by the Willis; Act II No. 21 - Giselle and Albrecht

• Natalie Osipova and Sergei Polunin performed a Grand Pas de deux and Variations.  I reference pas de deux occasionally in my drum corps write-ups, mostly because that is usually my favorite part of any dance program.  
• How?  How does she do those little jumps like that and go across the stage like she's a bird?   I know what you're going to tell me: "Practice, Sherry."  I wish my pictures had come out during this piece, but she moved so quickly that they're all blurry.  So here's a video of the two of them at another performance.  It should start with her little jumps at 7:25, then he dances as I reference below.
• The way he lifts her like he's helping her float across the stage is just beautiful.
• Then he does his entrechats and it was wow.
• So I'm not familiar with this ballet.  Does he die, and she brings him back to life or something?  Or maybe they were playing different characters now that I'm looking at the scene titles.  Duh.

Prokofiev: Selections from Romeo and Juliet: Montagues and Capulets; The Young Juliet; Romeo and Juliet (Balcony Scene); Death of Tybalt

Romeo and Juliet

• The Montagues and Capulets was orchestra only, and I loved it.  I love this piece.  I refrained from humming along, but it was in my head for a couple of days afterward.
• Misty was wonderful as Juliet, and she danced with such light feet!  Sigh.
• The Pas de deux made me sigh a lot with happiness.  It may help to know that this is my favorite story, so this was just sublime for me.  Beautiful music, beautiful dancers, people falling in love...aaaaahhhhh.
• Marco did a bunch of Double Tours and it was amazing.
  
  

What a treat for us to see!  I really enjoyed it.  I need to watch a full ballet someday.

Brava! Bravo! Bravi!

Dudamel, Copland, and Gomes

We were also treated to the orchestra playing an extra piece, but I'm sorry that I don't remember what that was.  I do remember that I liked it. Does that help?  

Liz and I went to our respective buses. I sat in the back corner, and with every pothole or dip, I thought the wheels were going to fall off.  I texted Liz when I got home, and she pretty much had the same experience, and thought the driver was going 90 mph.  Well, at least we got home quickly!

Next up:  Sondheim on Sondheim