{"id":56794,"date":"2023-03-02T12:52:55","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T20:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=56794"},"modified":"2023-03-02T12:52:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T20:52:55","slug":"segerstrom-center-for-the-arts-announces-the-north-american-premiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=56794","title":{"rendered":"Segerstrom Center for the Arts Announces the North American Premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"

of<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>American Ballet Theatre\u2019s\u00a0<\/strong>Like Water for Chocolate,<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Christopher Wheeldon\u2019s latest full-length ballet<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Casting Announced:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cassandra Trenary and Herman Cornejo lead the opening night cast<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Music Performed Live by Pacific Symphony<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

March 29-April 2 in Segerstrom Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tickets are on sale now at\u00a0<\/strong>scfta.org<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>American Ballet Theatre is the Official Dance Company of Segerstrom Center for the Arts<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>Costa Mesa, CA \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents the North American Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon\u2019s latest ballet,\u00a0Like Water for Chocolate,<\/em>\u00a0from American Ballet Theatre for six performances from Wednesday, March 29 through Sunday, April 2. Center audiences will be the first in the country to experience this magical Mexican love story, with the stellar dancers of ABT translating this richly layered story.<\/p>\n

Co-presented by the Center and ABT, led by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe, this three-act work is set to an original score by Joby Talbot and inspired by Laura Esquivel\u2019s captivating and best-selling novel of the same name. This family saga set in 19th<\/sup>-century Mexico tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition, unable to marry until her mother dies.<\/p>\n

In the novel, Esquivel writes, \u201cFor Tita, the joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food.\u201d Emotion runs deep, her only form of expression spilling out from the kitchen\u2014 influencing everyone around her in startling and dramatic ways. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her wealthy neighbor Pedro. Their hidden passion has far-reaching\u2014and devastating\u2014consequences.<\/p>\n

Esquivel\u2019s original novel has sold more than 4.5 million copies around the world and has been translated into more than 30 languages, while the memorable film adaptation won ten Ariel Awards (Mexico\u2019s highest film honor), including Best Picture and, at the time of its release in 1992, was the highest-grossing foreign film in the United States and Canada.<\/p>\n

Esquivel said, \u201cHaving Christopher and his team transform my story into a ballet is truly magical for me. It was a great pleasure to have them visit Mexico for extensive research and to develop the scenario together. I am amazed at how Christopher can translate deep emotions into movement, and I can\u2019t wait to see this wonderful creative adventure unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Casting for\u00a0<\/strong>Like Water for Chocolate<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m<\/strong>. –\u00a0Cassandra Trenary* (Tita), Herman Cornejo* (Pedro),\u00a0Christine Shevchenko* (Elena), Hee Seo* (Rosaura),\u00a0Catherine Hurlin* (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns* (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 SunMi Park* (Tita), Daniel Camargo* (Pedro),\u00a0Zhong-Jing Fang* (Elena), Chloe Misseldine* (Rosaura),\u00a0Skylar Brandt* (Gertrudis), Calvin Royal III* (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m<\/strong>. \u2013 Cassandra Trenary (Tita), Herman Cornejo (Pedro),Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Hee Seo (Rosaura),\u00a0Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

Saturday Matinee, April 1 at 2:00 p.m<\/strong>. \u2013 Devon Teuscher* (Tita), Joo Won Ahn* (Pedro),\u00a0Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Betsy McBride* (Rosaura),\u00a0Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Thomas Forster* (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

Saturday Evening, April 1 at 7:30 p.m<\/strong>. \u2013 SunMi Park (Tita), Daniel Camargo (Pedro),\u00a0Zhong-Jing Fang (Elena), Chloe Misseldine (Rosaura),\u00a0Skylar Brandt (Gertrudis), Calvin Royal III (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

Sunday Matinee, April 2 at 2:00 p.m.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Cassandra Trenary (Tita), Herman Cornejo (Pedro),Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Hee Seo (Rosaura),Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns (Dr. John Brown)<\/p>\n

*Debut in the role<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

More about\u00a0<\/strong>Like Water for Chocolate<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Like Water for Chocolate<\/em>\u00a0received its World Premiere from The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Following the North American Premiere engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the New York Premiere will take place Thursday evening, June 22, at 6:30 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House, through Saturday, July 1, during ABT\u2019s Summer season at Lincoln Center.<\/p>\n

Lindsay Winship said in\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>, \u201cNot all choreographers are good directors, but Christopher Wheeldon\u00a0is \u2026 Expertly crafted ensemble scenes are full of buoyant energy, action, and rhythmic dancing. And the pas de deux are playful, with inventive imagery. The solidity of the production and the imagination of Esquivel\u2019s world keep this ballet an engrossing, propulsive, fulfilling watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roslyn Sulcas said in\u00a0The New York Times<\/em>, \u201cIt\u2019s testament to his skills and his team of regular collaborators that Christopher Wheeldon has succeeded in creating a big-spectacle ballet. Joby Talbot\u2019s commissioned score (impressively conducted by Alondra de la Parra, who served as music consultant) is serviceably lush, using guitar, varied percussion, and Mexican instruments like the ocarina. Crowley\u2019s d\u00e9cor, influenced by the Mexican architect Luis Barrag\u00e1n, is spare and ingenious; Natasha Katz\u2019s lighting adroitly suggests changes in time and place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Judy Morr, Executive Vice President for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, shares, \u201cNothing could be sweeter than hosting the North American Premiere of\u00a0Like Water for Chocolate<\/em>\u00a0for American Ballet Theatre\u2019s Spring engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. To give our patrons and ballet aficionados the unique opportunity of being the first audience in the country to see this magical Mexican love story come to life by the extraordinary and talented ABT dancers is exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, commented, \u201cPutting together a production the size and caliber of\u00a0Like Water for Chocolate<\/em>\u00a0have been both an exciting and challenging process. The dancers work so hard and beautifully to bring this deep, moving ballet to life on stage. ABT thanks Laura for sharing her story with Christopher and us for his creativity and partnership during this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Water for Chocolate\u00a0<\/em>is a co-production between The Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre and is Christopher Wheeldon\u2019s latest full-length ballet, marking a reunion of the creative team who delivered the critically acclaimed Royal Ballet productions\u00a0Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland\u00a0<\/em>(2011) and\u00a0The Winter\u2019s Tale\u00a0<\/em>(2014). Wheeldon is celebrated for his expressive choreography and theatricality and has worked extensively with the world\u2019s leading dance companies. In 2014, he directed and choreographed the stage version of the musical\u00a0An American in Paris<\/em>\u00a0and recently directed and choreographed\u00a0MJ The Musical,<\/em>\u00a0winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography.<\/p>\n

Wheeldon worked closely with Esquivel to reshape her story of magical realism into an entertaining and engrossing new ballet with a newly commissioned score by Joby Talbot and designs by Bob Crowley. Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra will lead Pacific Symphony by adding featured Mexican musician Tom\u00e1s Barreiro on solo guitar. Lighting is by Natasha Katz, and video design is by Luke Halls.<\/p>\n

Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre\u2019s\u00a0Like Water for Chocolate<\/em>\u00a0start at $29 and are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787.\u00a0 For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services offices at (714)755-0236.<\/p>\n

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kaiser Permanente,\u00a0its\u00a0Official Health Care Partner.\u00a0Riviera Magazine\u00a0is\u00a0the official media partner for the 22\/23\u00a0Dance\u00a0Series.\u00a0The Center’s International Dance Series is made possible by Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance and the Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances.<\/p>\n

The Center especially\u00a0recognizes\u00a0co-lead production support from Elizabeth Segerstrom and the\u00a0Spenuzza\u00a0Velastegui\u00a0Family Foundation with additional support by\u00a0Mr. and Mrs.\u00a0Eyal\u00a0Aronoff,\u00a0Mary\u00a0and Richard\u00a0Cramer,\u00a0Kling Family Foundation and Jackie Glass,\u00a0Lana and Walter\u00a0Parsadayan,\u00a0Michelle\u00a0Roh\u00e9,\u00a0Mr. and Mrs. George Schreyer,\u00a0Stewart R.\u00a0Smith\u00a0and Robin A.\u00a0Ferracone, and\u00a0Tammy and Samuel Tang.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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