Magic Lantern to Illuminate Capital City

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 ◆ Magic Lantern to Illuminate Capital City

Long Beach Ballet Theatre will travel all the way from California to Beijing to present two evening performances of its Arabic-flavored fairy tale ballet, "Aladdin" at the Poly Theatre on August 3 and 4. With "The Magic Lantern of Aladdin," the group relates an old legend which still retains a fascination in the 21st century. Taken from the world-famous collection of Arabic folk tales, "One Thousand and One Nights," the story has been regarded as an ever shining pearl in the world's literary treasure house with its fantastic plot, bright color, artistic exaggeration and touching scenes. However, this famed story has not been popular on the ballet stage because classic ballet could never fully recreate the mysterious and legendary atmospheres of the story with its standardized movement language and its old-fashioned stage designs. For this very reason, the Long Beach Ballet Theatre commissioned a set of lighting designs from master craftsman Chris Gathe who has created stunning sets for pop stars like Michael Jackson and the ballet luminaries like Mikhail Baryshnikov. The company also uses high-tech film techniques to bring a magical atmosphere to this full-length ballet. Thus the theatre has produced a remarkable work rarely seen on the ballet stage. Founded in 1986 by David Wilcox, its artistic director, the Long Beach Ballet Theatre has so far toured more than 100 cities in more than 30 countries. Principal dancer, Sergei Domrachev, the former leading man with the Moscow Classical Ballet takes center stage as Aladdin. The young dancer is not only dynamic and good looking, he is also technically brilliant. His acclaimed performance of "pirouettes a la second" - beautifully straight lined, swift and steady - have sent audiences into raptures. His honest, natural acting style is both passionate and dramatic and succeeds in capturing the imagination of his audience. It seems certain that with his refined behavior and remarkable talents, he will capture the hearts of his Beijing audience in the title role. The female lead, Jasmine, will be acted by the young American dancer, Katie Eberie, who has danced major roles in many full-length works such as "Swan Lake," "Nutcracker" and "Dracular." As a long-time disciple of the great French mime master, Marcel Marcau, Eg Mahan has the role of the vicious minister Jafar. He plays this evil character with obvious relish. The large physical presence of Patrick Ogle allows him to very convincingly play the genie, the gigantic spirit found in the magic lantern. Six-year-old Sultan Bishop reveals an old head on very young shoulders as the little monkey. He has only been taking ballet classes for two years but already demonstrates quick-wittedness and self-confidence in his movement. He has already gained experience in fairy tale ballets like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Alice in Wonderland."