Houston Ballet 9/13
Manon – the swamp is filled with gold

Early Sunday morning Haglund climbed on his auld winged hoss and galloped down to Houston Ballet to witness our own Yuriko Kajiya’s debut as Manon, Prévost’s character as drawn by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, the great 20th Century choreographer.

While all Manons opt for luxury over the richness of love, it’s always interesting to observe whether the interpreter shows any hint of Manon questioning her choice. Over the years, Alessandra Ferri made us shudder at the cold ease with which her Manon wrapped herself in extravagance and turned her back on Des Grieux. Surely, we thought, our Yuriko – the fragile and forgiving Giselle, the one who turned the simple Prayer variation in Coppelia into born-again ballet – would not let her Manon stray far from the moral post without a second thought.

What moral post! At the first distraction of a wide band of bling, this Manon surprised us with her willingness to follow the scent of money. Yes, it’s true. Not even the Apollonian legs and divine charm of Aaron Robison’s Des Grieux, whose Act I pirouette poetically descended to bended knee via a slow, turning plié to reveal the depth of his devotion, were a match for the temptation of fur and diamonds that were soon dangled before Manon.

Through three acts of glorious PdD, tight and energetic ensemble dancing, and superb solos, Houston Ballet brought MacMillan’s masterpiece to vivid life. Every person on the stage was invested in his or her character, whether he or she had a name or was simply anonymously described as a harlot, townswoman, or beggar boy. While there was plenty of indication of the wealthy community's intolerance of the poor, MacMillan’s democratic values yielded some of the richest ensemble choreography for the poor and downtrodden. The beggars and the Beggar Chief, Christopher Gray, danced brilliantly. The harlots who arrived at the penal colony after being deported from France to America were cinematic in their suffering and desperation.

Brian Waldrep from the corps de ballet impressed in his debut as Lescaut. His character’s personality was young and oily and clearly cut from the same cloth as Manon. Sell whatever you have to sell in order to escape poverty – even if it’s your sister. He dispatched the choreography well except for a few early jitters and died dramatically center stage.

Katharine Precourt was a delicious Mistress to Lescaut, bold and saucy. James Gotesky as Monsieur G.M. was Koch-ish in his knowledge of the manipulative power of his wealth. Ian Casady as The Jailer was able to make the PdD with Manon and its climax brutal without too many literal details.

The ballet revolves around the major PdD for Manon and Des Grieux in all three acts with the rapture, the eroticism, and then the desperation all conveyed with daring and musicality that one swears is organic and could never be any other way. Yuriko cast as Manon was against type in much the same way that Antoinette Sibley was cast by MacMillan originally. The viewer could never be prepared for the amoral character that these artists would deliver. The eroticism coming from artists so strongly identified with pristine classicism would be disturbing in itself. But it is the strong classical fundamentals that freed Yuriko to think less about the steps and more about the character. Her first solo upon arriving had a sense of reserve and politeness that one would expect from a girl on her way to the convent as Manon was. Her final desperate steps in the swamp while being consumed by illness conveyed the shocking price being paid for a life filled with wrong choices. She was simply stunning every moment on stage.

Aaron Robison painted Des Grieux with huge brushstrokes that fused the drama and dance. This man’s legs are endless with an uncommon flexibility and purity of line. His jumps are magnificent. His partnering of Yuriko was sensational, particularly those parts that were meant to look like he was losing control. Throughout the three acts his gentle melancholy simmered, then steamed, then boiled over with passion, and finally imploded in grief over Manon’s lifeless body – a riveting performance.

Sunday's audience in the beautiful Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center which had started the afternoon a little bit sleepy was overcome with its own emotions at the conclusion. Having Manon and Des Grieux collapse at the foot of the stage brought the front center section of the orchestra to its feet about as fast as Haglund has ever seen. The ovation was truly deserved. Houstonians know real gold when they see it.

The H.H. Pump Award, trimmed in real gold, is bestowed upon Yuriko Kajiya and Aaron Robison for their rich-beyond-words debut performances of Manon and Des Grieux: