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Pacific NW ballet's erotic feast: 'Carmina Burana'

Pacific NW ballet's erotic feast: 'Carmina Burana'
by Rod Parke - SGN A&E Writer No self-respecting Gay man (or anyone else with a heightened appreciation of the male body) should miss Pacific Northwest Ballet's homoerotic production of Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana'! (It plays through April 22nd. Tickets at 206 441-2424 or www.pnb.org.) There! I've said it! While absolutely everything about this production is first-rate, it remains true that this is the most impressive display of gorgeous young men's bodies one could find anywhere. Not even the porn industry gives us such a concentration of perfectly formed and graceful nude-appearing athletic young men. Sure, Men Magazine and the like will show full-frontals of individual models to suit almost any taste; but the repertoire of those men is severely limited to clichéd poses. PNB gives us a whole stage full of leaping lusties whose movements are endlessly varied and often amazingly expressive. And these men are right there in front of you, not slick pieces of paper or ephemeral images on a TV screen. The Gay community needs to know that this company does not shy away from showing ALL of its talent. And, yes, there are women too! Okay, so they weren't actually nude. But the flesh-toned tights they wore perfectly outlined every leg muscle and glutimus maximus, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. My grandmother would have had a conniption fit! I swear to you that I knew nothing of the above delights and came to review this performance solely because I love this often bawdy music and had heard that PNB did it well. (Seattle Symphony will present 'Carmina Burana' in concert beginning July 12th.) Before it began, I said to my partner, Dale, "I hope it's loud!" This 1937 score by Orff is not subtle, and many critics denigrate its simple appeal to audiences who don't ordinarily like classical music. Despite being sung in Latin, this work connects with nearly everyone. It was indeed loud. An excellent large orchestra occupied the pit, while the Seattle Choral Company, costumed in monks' cloaks and hoods, filled a huge, stage-wide platform that was elevated about ten feet above the back of the stage. Both the chorus and vocal soloists were perfectly miked so that balances were always right, and the thundering rhythms came through with full power. The Seattle Choral Company, playing the major vocal part, sang with precision and conviction, so that the Latin text projected the rhythmic punch so characteristic of this score. The vocal soloists were veteran baritone Eric Parce, Soprano Christina Siemens (a PNB pianist, she was a last- minute substitute), and tenor Paul Karaitis. All appeared on stage in costume and related to the dancers while singing this often demanding score with expression. (In some ways, Parce sang better than in his excellent Seattle Opera days, having scaled down the voice a bit, no longer going for quite such a big a sound. His old tendency to go a little flat on high notes was now totally absent.) I'm sure regular PNB reviewer Milt Hamilton has, in his own article, described the stunning sets and costumes. Kent Stowell's 'Carmina Burana' was a sensual feast for the eyes (sets by veteran designer Ming Cho Lee) and ears (conductor Stewart Kershaw). When you have an orchestra as fine as PNB's, it's great to find a way to put the players in the spotlight for a change. Thus, an opening fanfare, "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" by minimalist composer John Adams, was especially welcome. During the fanfare, photos of the players in rehearsal were projected onto a large screen. I loved the driving rhythms and layered sonorities of the Adams piece. Openly Gay and Renton native, Mark Morris choreographed the next work, 'Pacific,' set to a piano trio by Lou Harrison. More "balletic" (women often 'en pointe') and less witty than much of Morris' work, this lyrical work had many delights, not the least of which was principal dancer Olivier Weavers, whose physical beauty was almost a distraction. (He later danced a glorious 'pas de deux' with 26-year veteran ballerina Patricia Barker, who seemed a bit cold next to Weavers' obvious joy in dancing.) The first two movements used solo instruments, with all three members of the trio coming together only for the last part. Mark Morris loves Harrison's music, and for good reason, and his respect for the score shown through with every step. A lyrical pleasure from beginning to end, and a perfect start to a wonderful evening of music and dance. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.