Choreographer Alexander Ekman's 2015 dance piece devised for Stockholm's Royal Swedish Ballet and featuring music by Mikael Karlsson bears no resemblance to Shakespeare's classic play. Rather, this is a phantasmagorical production centered on the Swedish celebration of the summer solstice. The first act, cast as the dream of a sleeping man, focuses on the actual festivities, beginning with the corps gamboling about the stage and throwing handfuls of hay in the air to striking effect, before moving on to crowd dances around the maypole and a midsummer feast that is complete with a toast to the audience. The second act turns bizarre, as the man's dream morphs into nightmarish visions of headless people lurching about, strange tableaux (sometimes using projected montages, often with sexual overtones), and weird, frightening crowd scenes. Karlsson's music alternates between instrumental numbers (both melodic and dissonant) and songs (during which vocalists appear onstage). The ballet ends with the dreamer waking up—after one false awakening—and resuming his normal life. Midsummer Night's Dream has something of a provincial feel, even though it is an opulent production featuring effective sets and costumes, as well as exuberantly athletic dance. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an interview with Ekman. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Midsummer Night's Dream
(2015) 97 min. DVD: $24.99, Blu-ray: $29.99. Bel Air Classiques (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 32, Issue 6
Midsummer Night's Dream
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