The second star to the right will shine above the Overture Center this weekend when the Madison Ballet's production of 'Peter Pan' soars above the stage, sprinkling pixie dust over young and old viewers alike.
Heading the production is W. Earle Smith, Madison Ballet's artistic director and choreographer for the past nine years. New to the Madison Ballet's gamut, Peter Pan"" stands in sharp contrast to the typical ballet, calling on the director to pay attention to acting and storytelling as opposed to just endless sprees of unpronounceable maneuvers. It's this difference that attracted Smith to the project in the first place.
""I chose to do 'Peter Pan' basically because it's a little more of a guy's ballet as opposed to, you know, that real kind of fluffy story,"" Smith said, adding he wanted to direct a ballet that was ""a little more action-packed and more swashbuckling."" With sword fights, ornery pirates and epic battles, ""Peter Pan"" offers plenty of both. Still, its most ground-breaking departure from traditional ballet is ... well, getting the dancers to leave the ground. Unfortunately for Smith, finding a way to make his dancers fly required more than just telling them to ""think of a wonderful thought.""
Choreographing graceful movements for his dancers to perform 20 feet in the air was tricky enough, but the real challenge Smith faced was coordinating a system of wires and pulleys so complex that, from backstage, it seems more spectacular than the fairy magic it imitates.
When it comes to the dancers themselves, flying can be a little intimidating at first. Nikki Wilson, who plays Peter Pan, was a bit unsure about hooking up to the high-flying, whizzing wires when she started training.
""I thought I would be more apprehensive about it or little bit afraid, but once you get up there it's so much fun,"" she said. Airborne twirling might sound thrilling, but you can't just strap in and fly off to Neverland in one try. Instead, Wilson and the cast trained 19 hours in just two days to practice their gravity-defying stunts.
All that practice is crucial because things don't always go smoothly right away, and the dancers constantly deal with the threat of being tossed into set walls, furniture and other cast members like kites in a carwash drying cycle.
Jennifer Tierney, who plays Wendy, said this production was unique for her because of the relationships she formed with the backstage crew.
""The stage hands were our dance partners,"" Tierney said. ""After a flying sequence, you look offstage to give the little 'air high five' to the people who are really doing it for you."" The stage hands must also be even more attentive than usual, according to Smith.
While the element of flight makes ""Peter Pan"" different from other ballets, Smith's production is distinct from other versions of ""Peter Pan"" as well. For instance, while most versions of ""Peter Pan"" portray Tinker Bell with some sort of luminescent gadget, Smith decided to cast the role out. According to Smith, the additional dancer (Beth Heneghan), gives the ballet ""more texture,"" and a chance for him to choreograph the whirlwind speed of a fairy.
Fans of the story will be glad to hear the ballet rarely deviates from the usual plot. The entire cast is represented, including a dancing version of Nana (Quinton Guthier)-to watch over Michael (Sam Taylor) and John (Ted Ballard) - as well as the hungry crocodile (Elyse Snyder) to chase after Captain Hook (Bryan Cunningham).
Whether you're in search of dazzling effects, brilliant music (performed by the Madison Symphony Orchestra) or just don't want to grow up, ""Peter Pan"" should have something for everyone.
