The Three Musketeers a mix of beauty, ballet and swordplay

By Burt Saidel

As a very young boy, it was my dream, my fantasy, to walk buoyantly around my neighborhood world with a sword at my side.  The sword was, of course, a stick with a crudely attached hilt.  But to me, it was a noble and manly badge.  The sword was to be used for noble purposes such as rescuing damsels and dispatching evil monsters.

More than six decades have passed since those halcyon days.  The symbol of the sword, a bunch of lace at the throat, and a rakish plumed hat has never really left me.  If I had any hope of recovering from that flight of fancy, it was dashed as I watched the men of Dayton Ballet live my youthful reverie to the nines.

The opening concert of Dayton Ballet’s 80th season was nothing other than The Three Musketeers.  Choreographed by celebrated New York City Ballet dancer Christopher Fleming, it followed the romantic action tale of Alexandre Dumas faithfully.

Dayton Ballet is one of the handsomest dance companies I have seen.  The men and ladies are brimming with talent and are so physically appealing that they virtually shine from the stage.

What could be better than to garb these dashing men in the romantic costumes of the 17th century?  And the ladies, well those were the days of elegance and elaborate costumes – let’s forget that bathing was a rare practice.

From the first moments of the ballet, swords flashed and evil was ground under the relentless force of nobility of purpose.  Remember – all for one and one for all was the credo.  And, it worked perfectly, at least on the stage of the Victoria against a host of black-clad villains in the employ of the wicked Cardinal Richelieu.

The music was a pastiche of operatic themes from Donizetti and Rossini.  It set the mood for the swashbuckling action and equally active love matches which followed our heroes.

The story was well told, danced on an interesting set and complimented by a stage full of dancers augmenting the company in the colorful crowd scenes. The four musketeers, yes, there are four, were danced with appropriate dash and machismo by Richard Grund, Justin Koertgen, Grant Dettling and, as the central adventure figure d’Artagnan, Paul Gilliam.  Their swords flashed successfully against the bad guys who were also quite handsome in spite of feigned sneers.

Eduard Forehand was the chief bad guy, the right hand slasher for the baddest guy of all, Cardinal Richelieu.  Former dancing great and now master costumer Lowell Mathwich, garbed in a spectacular red cassock, did his best to dominate the weak King Louis XIII and the rest of the country.

To explain the action and add the spice of humor, another former great dancer, Paul Porcino, became the narrator spouting off his lines in halting quasi-French.
The ladies, really beautiful, were led by Christy Forehand as d’Artagnan’s love interest and Jennifer Grund, Keenan McLaren and Reno Street as three harlots.

Oren Porterfield and Ramón Gaitan played at being queen and king.  What is a romantic saga without a villainess?  Dumas supplied one in the form of Milady de Winter, the Cardinal’s lover and would be assassin of the king.  Kathie Keith, distractingly beautiful, outdid any image that leapt from Dumas’ pages.

The story was well told, the dueling great fun, but the evening was rather short on real dancing.  There were dances during the coronation scene and the lively crowd scenes were fun.  But, dancing is what these handsome young people do to perfection.  Unfortunately, the dancing became servant to the tale.

Don’t be discouraged.  The repertory evening of the ballet will be coming.  No swords but plenty of great dancing.

Soirees Musicales’ Petronel Malan

Don Hageman has a jewel box full of great pianists.  Season after season, some of the world’s outstanding artists treat the Soirées Musicales’ loyal and knowledgeable audience to intimate recitals filled with the finest music.

The jewel box may be full, but Impresario Don is always adding another jewel.  To open this season, South African native Petronel Malan made a debut which will inspire many return engagements.

Ms. Mahan lives in Texas where she teaches and actively concertizes throughout the nation and the world.  She has won many prizes and has played with great orchestras.  In addition, she concentrates on her favorite activity, giving recitals.    

In the weeks prior to her recital, Dayton Public Radio was playing many of her CDs.  Her special interest and contribution to the performing platform are the piano transcriptions of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.  She calls them “transfigured” works and her recordings have received rave reviews.

The recital at Shiloh Church began with Haydn’s C major sonata.  Her approach to the piano was so delicate in the opening passages that it seemed that her fingers were not touching the keys.  As the dynamic of the music swelled, the sound and the power increased but her touch remained gossamer-like.  Somehow, she was able to make the piano serve her touch rather than the reverse.

She followed with the commanding Liszt B minor sonata.  Hearing Liszt played by a master musician always causes me to lose an argument.  I favor a less dramatically exaggerated approach to the music.  For years, Impresario Don Hageman has assured me that the drama, the pauses, the seeming exaggerations are in the score and are faithful to the composer.

In discussing my opinion with the artist after the concert, she reminded me that I lost my argument by a score of three to one.  It seems my vote is cancelled by the votes of Liszt, Hageman and Petronel Malan.

The rest of the recital prompted no more arguments.  Transcriptions of Bach and Mozart by Ignaz Friedman were examples of sheer piano mastery.  The concert closed with Liszt’s familiar Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.  It may have been familiar prior to this hearing, but I will always remember it exactly as Petronel Malan played it and relish another “dose” of her virtuosity.

Call for entries - Works on Paper

Rosewood Gallery announces a Call for Entries for the 18th Annual Dayton Area Works on Paper, a juried exhibition created as a showcase for artists living within a 45-mile radius of Dayton.  Entries must be original works in any media (2-D or 3-D) on or of paper, completed within the last four years, not exceeding 40 inches in width.

Entries will be received at Rosewood Gallery on Sat., Feb. 2, from noon to 3 p.m. and Mon., Feb. 4 from 12 p.m.-7 p.m.  A non-refundable entry fee of $20 for up to three works must accompany each completed entry form. The exhibit runs from Feb. 25 through March 21, 2008.

For an entry form please stop into Rosewood or write, call, or e-mail: Amy K. Anderson, Coordinator, Rosewood Gallery, 2655 Olson Drive, Kettering, OH, 45420, (937) 296-0294, amy.anderson@ketteringoh.org.

OHS presents Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid

Pictured, left to right: Marcel Bonterre (Cleante), Hunter Wilson (Monsieur Argan), Gabriel Robinson (Monsieur Beralde) and Jennifer Hanna (Angelica).

The Oakwood High School Theatre Department proudly presents The Imaginary Invalid, a classic farce by Moliere. Performances will be Nov. 8, 9 & 10 at 8 p.m.. Tickets are $5 at the door.

The characters in the French comedy are broadly drawn, almost cartoon-like as they move through the insanely silly plot. Decked out in deliciously ornate costumes from the period (loaned to OHS by Wittenberg University), the actors play Moliere’s language in high style, enjoying every opportunity to tickle your funny bones. This kind of theatre could be described as a comedy of appetites. Each character is motivated by what they crave: love, power, health, money, to name a few.

In the original translation from the French, Moliere utilized burlesques, mini-musical scenes to comment on the action. Our production embraces this idea with two short burlesques of our own that introduce the acts. These are added to the Miles Malleson adaptation of this delightful play to bring us one step closer to the French theatre. In addition, the OHS French club will offer pastries and Parisian ambience for a lovely intermission.  

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November 6, 2007
Volume 16, No. 45

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