A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare's Classic Comedy Play | Perfect for Theater Lovers, Book Clubs & Literature Enthusiasts

Like some other reviewers, I am a great fan of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and with this, I have seen seven realizations, five of which were the play itself, plus Benjamin Britten's opera . But I am not a great fan of ballet. The only one I've seen at length is "The Nutcracker" ballet, and bits and pieces in operas.For those who are in a similar boat, I learned one lesson. It makes all the difference in the world if you happen to know the story really well. I am close to memorizing the play, so I know every little nuance, and I will say this performance captures in dance virtually all that Mendelsohn's music has to offer. Remember that Mendelsohn's music is "incidental". It provides an overture and music for a few key scenes in the forest, in Act I. Act II music is taken from additional Mendelsohn pieces which were not written for Shakespeare's play. Aside from a brief scene in the forest, to bring Bottom into the story, the "Mechanicals" subplot is absent.Act II of the ballet is devoted to the celebration of the three weddings which end the play, that of Theseus and Hippolyta, Helena and Demetrius, and Hermia and Lysander. There is no story to speak of, and it features the three pairs. The star of Act I is Puck, as witnessed by the fact that he got the biggest applause at the end.Note that the corp de ballet is huge, with three large groups, of which was all young children, performing the various orders of fairies from Act 1, plus a company to add to pieces in Act II.To repeat, if you know the story really well, ballet (and opera too, I suspect) goes down really well. I cannot judge the dancing as well as other reviewers, but as an non-ballet fan, I found the dancing exquisite.