A Midsummer Night's Dream
At Seattle Opera House
By Dan Larsen, for SeattleInsider.com
Originally published by Cox Interactive Media

The Pacific Northwest Ballet kicks off its millennial season with a Shakespearean favorite, fresh from last season's European tours to Edinburgh and London, for which PNB has won international acclaim. The 1999 PNB production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," choreographed by George Balanchine and directed by Francia Russell, is a luxuriously energetic pleasure. Martin Pakledinaz' set and costume design bring one of the Bard's most vibrant tales to larger-than life, from Oberon's lavish, flowing cloak, to the glistening stage-front spider web (complete with twelve foot spider), all the way down to the rustling, autumn-flavored garb of the munchkin-like children.

While the choreography and skill on display was superb across the board, a fistful of dancers truly played their part in showing that the Pacific Northwest Ballet's productions are some of the best in the world. Seth Belliston stole a good part of the show as Oberon's devilish hench-imp, Puck, spreading his mischevious ways with palm-rubbing glee throughout every corner of the stage, his raw zeal and seemingly endless energy like a troublesome Tazmanian devil on speed. It's easy to steal the show when you're the comic relief, of course, but Belliston's horned dynamo goes above and beyond the dastardly deeds of one of Shakespeare's more colorful creations.

Louise Nadeau and Olivier Wevers' mesmerizing pas de deux in the second act is also worth mentioning, their flawless embrace boldly centering a light-hearted production crammed with partner-swapping and donkey-loving with a well-tempered and confidently graceful radiance.

Even the symphony orchestra managed to lift the music of Felix Mendelssohn out of the acoustical black hole to which they have been relegated in the stage-front orchestra pit, and for a while the audience forgot how god-awful the sound is from down there.

With only 10 performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" penned into the schedule between now and October 3, there isn't much time to catch one of PNB's most acclaimed productions. With Proposition 1, the initiative on the ballots November 2 to decide extra funding for the Opera House, now is also a perfect time to refresh your memory of just how much needs to be done to the PNB's home. On the budget: earthquake-proofing, replacing the 1927 plumbing and electrical systems, remodeling the 72-year-old performance spaces (see: "acoustical black hole") and more. To find out more about Proposition 1, call "Yes on Prop. 1" at (206) 340-0399.

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