BWW Reviews: Bravissimo! Ballet Arizona's NAPOLI Is Solid Gold Ballet

Triumphant! Exhilarating! Dazzling! Ib Andersen's masterful and extraordinary staging of August Bournonville's Napoli is a cornucopia of bravura performances, bristling with energy, velocity, and vivacity.

A classic tale of a lover's quest ~ in this case, Gennaro the fisherman ~ to save his beloved Teresina from the grasp of a phantom ~ in this case, Golfo, the demon of the sea ~ is presented on a grand scale and with a depth of color, movement, and detail that can only be called monumental.

Brian Seibert, in his February 6th New York Times preview of Napoli's United States premiere performance ~ in itself an affirmation of Ballet Arizona's evolution to prominence, thanks singularly to Mr. Andersen's artistic vision and genius ~ noted that "Some challenges arise from the steps and the style. Bournonville choreography can be exhausting - jump after jump - but it is not supposed to look at all difficult. As the feet are busy with tricky sequences, the upper body and arms are held modestly or carried softly, as if nothing much were happening below. The phrasing is also distinctively irregular and fluid. "You have to sing it," Mr. Andersen said."

Likewise, it has been said of the Bournonville method that "the legs are the rhythm, the arms are the melody."

And, oh, did the dancers sing it, excelling in the ballet's intricate footwork and entrechats!

The opening night performance on February 12th featured the exquisite artistry of Alejandro Mendez as Gennaro, Arianni Martin as Teresina, Brian Leonard as Golfo.

The first two acts are studies in contrast, both in theme, form, and appearance, thanks too to the stunning scenery and costumes (designed by Søren Frandsen and Kirsten Nielsen), courtesy of the Royal Danish Theatre, and the rich accompaniment of the Phoenix Symphony, conducted by Timothy Russell.

Act I is awash in color, a tableau of Napoli life as Bournonville saw it. Romance is in the air as Teresina and Gennaro attest to their fidelity and seek the blessings of Veronica, Teresina's mother (Kanako Imayoshi). The clownish advances of Giacomo the macaroni seller (Carlos Valcárcel) and Peppo the lemonade seller (Roman Zavarov) are entirely resistible. The celebratory mood a la mime ~ humorously displayed by the antics of local street performers ~ collapses as Teresina is lost at sea and Gennaro sets out to save her.

The stunning Blue Grotto of Act II is Golfo's domain wherein he holds sway over the Naiads and lures Teresina into his fold ~ until, of course, Gennaro arrives to rescue her.

For all the glorious performance of the first two acts, it is Act III that delivers the frosting to what is a multi-tiered sweet cake. Here comes an explosion of ballet artistry ~ the pas de six, the fantastic solos, the festive tarantella ~ that literally takes one's breath away while declaring unequivocally that Mr. Andersen has mounted a masterpiece.

Napoli runs through February 15th at Phoenix Symphony Hall.

Photo credit to Alexander Iziliaev

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