Gem City Ballet awakens Sleeping Beauty

By Burt Saidel

Artists such as Barbara Pontecorvo, Director of Gem City Ballet, should be in charge of the US Space program. They know neither limitations nor bounds. Flying to the moon would be just another project to perform to perfection.

The young company members who make up GCB are all devoted students of ballet. They learn from a great dancer who performs, with the help of her attorney husband David Shough and a very devoted board, miracles on pointe shoes.

The quality of the company hearkens back to the days when Dayton Ballet was a training company. Infused with the dance passion of Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, Jon Rodriguez and Bess Saylor, they carry the passion and love of their art to the stage and thence forward into their lives.

Barbara’s latest goal, like flying to the moon, was to mount a full length classical ballet at the Victoria. Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty was chosen and work began.

The company was enlarged by inviting two great professional dancers, Kristi Capps and Dmitri Trubchanov of Cincinnati and Colorado Ballets. Supernumeraries filled the character roles such as king, queen and major domo.

The real enlargement of the company was the assignment of several roles, all quite different, to each dancer. This also meant many costumes, probably nearing 70 in number. The costumes were made by Barbara’s needlecraft and a few borrowed from Cincinnati Ballet. Yes, she also sweeps out the studio and cooks like Julia Child. What a woman!

The set, an imposing and mutable pavilion, was designed and constructed by David who also serves as production manager. What a couple!

The ballet, in four acts, tells the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty and her rescue by Prince Charming. Dance, pure dance in a variety of classic forms, is the driving force behind the telling of the tale. The familiar music was made for dancing and dance they do.

The principal roles were danced by the guest artists and by Krystal Palmer as the Lilac Fairy and Claire Bergman as the evil enchantress Carabosse. Major roles were performed by Chloe Donaldson and her partner Andrew Wingert, Evelyn Ritzi and Da’Shawon Body. Five lovely high school freshmen, Oakwood’s Hadley Smith, Sophia Cothrel, Morgan Hale, Sarah MacKenzie and Kerri Hemmelgarn, danced the demanding parts of the five fairies. The famous jewel quartet added Lauren Clark, Clarice Perryman, Molly McDonald and Sophia Cothrel.

Had I more space, I should name the entire cast. Still fresh after four acts, these wonderful young artists are each, like Sleeping Beauty, touched by an awakening kiss. In this case the kiss is not from a prince but the art of dance. It is not instantaneous but takes years of hard work. The result – dancers – but more important great young persons who will do their part to make our world better and more beautiful.

Schwartz Scholarship Competition

Mega-musical king Stephen Schwartz was in Dayton accompanying his blockbuster hit Wicked. The three weeks of Wicked’s residency at the Schuster will break all records.

Schwartz was also present for the third annual Musical Theatre Scholarship Competition which bears his name. A joint venture of the Human Race and Victoria, the competition gives an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the best of aspiring musical theater students.

Seven finalists are selected from more than 30 candidates. They each sing two songs, one by Stephen Schwartz, and the winners are declared. Held this year at the Mathile Theatre, the evening was hosted by Wicked cast member and Human Race actor Daniel Torres.

Talent flowed from the finalists - Hilary Fingerman, Kelsey Cathleen Hopkins, Rachel Jones, Charity Farrell, Andrew Koslow, Charlie Mann and Alexandra Sunderhaus.

All are musical theater majors. They must be A+ students since each could really “sell a song.”

The two winners, Charity Farrell and Andrew Koslow, were first among equals as the future of our talent pool is safe and flourishing!

Kimberly Akimbo

Last week I wrote about the world’s most famous dysfunctional families, Oedipus and company. Their problems: Oedipus killed his father, married his mother, brought a plague on his city, and blinded himself after the suicide of his wife. A pretty impressive list of troubles.

Dayton Theatre Guild, in mounting David Lindsay-Abaire’s Kimberly Akimbo, almost eclipsed Oedipus in dysfunctionality . The only problem is that the vehicle to explore this very sick family was a very uneven play. Even direction by Saul Caplan and fine acting by the cast could not save this shouting match of very unloveable people.

Kudos go to Ellen Finch who takes the most unusual roles to the heights and Megan Cooper who does that to all her roles. In his Guild debut, high schooler Tim Moore was wonderful.

Remembering Paul Magill

This column must mark the passing of a special person. Paul Magill was central to the music life of greater Dayton, especially Oakwood. He touched so many with his devotion to art and to life. He and lovely Peggy were the friends we all need and want.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church gave Paul a most impressive and beautiful memorial on February 22nd. The magnificence of the service was nearly as magnificent as the man.