Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake (Matthew Bourne)

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!!!!
Review: This production is artistically brilliant and imaginative. I was inspired to see this production after seeing "Billy Elliot" and being held spellbound with Adam Cooper's brief appearance. The choreography manages to capture the breathtaking beauty, grace and contained ferocity of male swans. In spite of reading other reviews, the "gay" aspect of this production never presented itself to me. The subtle symbolism of a lost soul seeking his own identity and yearning for freedom was clear. While the symbolism may have been subtle, the animal magnetism and masculine power of the all male "corps de ballet" was not. All I can say is WOW!!! I'll never think of Swan Lake the same way. If you were looking for something truly innovative, and thought ballet was for "wusses"...think again. Bravo, Matthew Bourne...and as for Adam Cooper...there are no words!!!

Rating:
Summary: I was disappointed to find this was not a ballet video
Review: This production is not for everyone, especially fans of traditional ballet and Tchaikovsky. While the overall production is of a very high caliber, I found occasional vocal interruptions by the cast during the performance (yowls of "hurrah!" for instance) to be especially disturbing. Do not purchase this video unless you are familiar with the contents. Definitely not appropriate for children!

Rating:
Summary: Swan Lake cracks open an old masterpiece to reveal its heart
Review: This Swan Lake is a strange and wonderful amalgam of dance and theatre that is immediately accessible and affecting in a way that classical ballet is usually not. Scott Ambler as the prince and Adam Cooper as an intense and magical swan provide both heat and tenderness, comedy and heartbreak, all without saying a word. The Tchaikovsky score can be heard and appreciated with new ears in this re-imagining of a classic that will srike a chord in every heart.

Rating:
Summary: To Quote a London Review: "Simply Heartbreaking"
Review: Though I have never considered myself a devotee of ballet, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is one of the most powerful, deeply moving, innovative & iconoclastic productions I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Anyone who can view the final scene without being grabbed by the heart has probably never understood how intertwined beauty and sorrow can be. "Simply Heartbreaking," indeed...and simply unforgettable.

Rating:
Summary: Do you call this "Swan Lake"?
Review: When put the DVD into my player I found that I was deceived. This is a "modern" version, not the Swan Lake I want to buy.