SWAN LAKE
APRIL 28 at 7:00pm
APRIL 29 at 2:30pm and 7:00pm
APRIL 30 at 2:30pm
TOUHILL PAC
Saint Louis Ballet + LIVE MUSIC with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Choreography by Gen Horiuchi
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
A ballet in 3 Acts
Runtime: 2 hours 30 min including two intermissions
Saint Louis Ballet’s most popular program is now enhanced by the lush sounds of live music, courtesy of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. The story of the princess, turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse, is an achingly beautiful tale – now a staple in every major ballet company’s repertoire. First performed by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow in 1877, the ballet is performed to a magnificent Tchaikovsky score that drives the emotional and tragic love story of Siegfried and Odette. “Moonlit” dances that fill the stage, varied and difficult choreography, a live symphony orchestra. If you have but one ballet to see, Swan Lake is the one.
Saint Louis Ballet is grateful to the many individuals who support live music for the ballet through their
contributions.
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DIGITAL PROGRAM
A fairy tale of eternal devotion, evil sorcery, and the triumph of true love.
SYNOPSIS
Prologue:
A young Prince Siegfried is playing with a friend outside the house. It is young girl named Princess Odette. As they play he runs to fetch his mother so she can join in the fun. Suddenly an evil sorcerer named Von Rothbart appears and captures the young Princess Odette. Prince Siegfried returns with his mother and witnesses her being captured by Von Rothbart. He tries to enlist his mother for help, but she did not see what had just happened. Prince Siegfried stands helpless as his friend is taken away into the woods.
Act 1: Scene 1– A magnificent garden before a castle.
Years later, at a garden near the castle, peasants and children await for the visit of courtiers from the royal court. The Tutor and Prince Siegfried, now heir to the kingdom, join the festivities. Later, the Queen passes through and gives her son, Prince Siegfried, a crossbow as a gift and reminds him that he will need to choose a wife at the upcoming ball celebrating his birthday. Upset that he cannot marry for love, Siegfried escapes into the forest. Later that night in the forest he sees a flock of swans flying overhead and sets off in pursuit.
Act 1: Scene 2 – Lakeside
Siegfried aims his crossbow at the swans and readies himself for their landing by the lakeside. When one comes into view, however, he stops. Before him is a beautiful creature dressed in white feathers, more woman than swan. The two dance together and Siegfried realizes she is the Princess Odette who had been captured by Von Rothbart years earlier. A retinue of other captured swan-maidens join Odette in the environs of Swan Lake. Siegfried takes great pity. As they dance, he falls in love with Odette. Siegfried promises to Odette that he will swear his eternal love to her at the upcoming birthday ball —an act that will render the sorcerer’s spell powerless.
Act 2 – An opulent hall in the castle
The Prince returns to the castle to attend the ball. Four Princesses arrive in hopes of being chosen as his wife. Among the guests who hail from Italy, Russia and Hungary, Von Rothbart arrives in disguise with his own daughter Princess Odile, the Black Swan. She appears identical to Odette. The Prince dances with her, mistakes her identify for Odette, and proclaims to the court that he swears to make her his wife. Only a moment too late, the real Odette is revealed to Siegfried and he realizes the mistake he has made.
Act 3 – Lakeside
The swan maidens and Odette sadly gather at the lakeside knowing they are now destined to always be swans under Von Rothbart’s power. Siegfried appears apologizing to Odette for being tricked by Von Rothbart. Odette accepts his apology yet tells him he must leave the lake and never return. Suddenly, Von Rothbart appears. Knowing Von Rothbart will kill Siegfried, Odette stays to defend the Prince. But Von Rothbart overpowers her and sends Siegfried over the cliff. Odette flies over the cliff to save Siegfried knowing now he is her true love. Meanwhile her swan maidens gather together to fight against Von Rothbart and overcome him. With Von Rothbart gone, the spell is magically removed as they all shed their feathers and return to their human form. Odette and Siegfried return together and can now live happily ever after.
SWAN LAKE: CASTING
COMPLETE CASTING
ODETTE/ODILE
Lori Wilson
4/28 7pm; 4/29 7pm
St. Louis, MO
Touhill PAC
Rebecca Cornett
4/29 2:30pm; 4/30 2:30pm
St. Louis, MO
Touhill PAC
Amy Herchenroether
4/22 7:30pm
Springfield, MO Tour
Hammons Hall
PRINCE SIEGFRIED
Mark David Bloodgood
4/28 7pm; 4/29 7pm
St. Louis, MO
Touhill PAC
Michael Burke
4/29 2:30pm; 4/30 2:30pm
St. Louis, MO
Touhill PAC
Matthew Rusk
4/22 7:30pm
Springfield, MO Tour
Hammons Hall
SWAN LAKE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Kyle Wiley Pickett is currently in his 9th year as the Music Director and Conductor for both the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. He formerly held the same posts with the Juneau Symphony and California’s North State Symphony.
In 2023, Maestro Pickett made his company debut conducting the Ozarks Lyric Opera in Don Giovanni and he will make his debut in China with the Zhejiang Orchestra in Guanzhou. In 2019, Maestro Pickett made his Asian conducting debut with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra at the Thailand International Composition Festival. He has also recently conducted the Naples Philharmonic with the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Kansas Ballet, the Montana Ballet Company, and the City of Prague Philharmonic for an acclaimed recording. He has also appeared as a guest conductor with the University of Kansas Symphony at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, the Guanajuato Symphony in Mexico, the York Symphony (PA), the Santa Rosa Symphony (CA), and the Bozeman Symphony (MT), among others.
A native of Los Gatos, California, Maestro Pickett holds a Bachelor's degree in music from Stanford University and a Master's degree in choral conducting from the California State University, Chico, where he studied with William Ramsey. His Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting was conferred by the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore under the direction of Frederik Prausnitz. Pickett is also an accomplished flutist whose teachers include Frances Blaisdell and Robert Willoughby. He lives in Springfield with his wife, Alice, and his two sons, Ned and Grant.
Get Your Swan Lake Shirt at the SLB Boutique Performance Weekend!
Features the falling feathers of the final scene of the ballet.
Seen here modeling it is SLB Dancer Mark David Bloodgood who danced the lead role of Prince Siegfried.
Orders due by Friday May 5! Ordes will take 2-3 weeks to fulfill.