Photo by Zaire Kacz
When Jimmy Orrante was approached to choreograph The Great Gatsby for its 2009 premiere, he said he was reluctant.
“How do you put it on stage, with the same characters, and give them each equal time?” he asked a group of audience members who stayed for a post-show dialogue on Feb. 6.
Orrante would, of course, go on to accept the challenge. But between 2009 and 2015, he said, the show evolved.
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“Some things that made sense back in 2009 didn’t make sense now,” he said, adding that changes to the show’s music helped the flow and transitions of certain scenes.
Choreographing scenes that moved along the plot – “conversations” between Daisy and Gatsby, or the love affair between Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson – were the most challenging. Orrante said he was worried the characters’ scenes would overlap while they were on stage, distracting the audience.
Ensemble numbers, like Gatsby’s extravagant parties, were easier, he said. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s uses of symbolism, like the blinking green light at the end of Daisy’s East Egg dock or the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg staring down at the characters in judgment, were also a simple addition to the set.
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Casting the iconic characters wasn’t a difficult process, and Orrante said he wanted to give his dancers the opportunity to explore their roles in their own way, rather than by his direction.
“The films helped me more than the book,” said David Ward, who danced the role of Gatsby.
Caitlin Valentine-Ellis, who danced Daisy, said she also looked to the book as well as the film adaptations to inspire her performance. But in the end, she said she strove to make it her own. Gatsby marks the first time the duo has danced together. The 2014-2015 season is also Valentine-Ellis’ first season performing with BalletMet.
The Great Gatsby runs until Feb. 14 at Capitol Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.
