Pasadena Civic Auditorium 11 May 2024 - Firebird & Serenade | GoComGo.com

Firebird & Serenade

Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, USA
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Select date and time
Saturday 11 May 2024
7:30 PM

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Important Info
Type: Ballet
City: Pasadena, USA
Starts at: 19:30
Intervals: 1
Duration: 1h 8min

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Overview

Firebird, the Russian-Slavic folk tale passed down to children to this day, tells the story of a magical bird made of fire. Ivan, a young and boisterous prince, is granted the help of the bird to overthrow the evil magician Tzar named Kaschie and save the beautiful Princess.

​Originally debuted in Paris’s Palais Garnier by Imperial Russian choreographer Michel Fokine in 1910 with a score by Igor Stravinsky, the dance was considered groundbreaking and exceedingly radical compared to other ballets performed at the time. Yuri Possokhov's sensational production of Firebird is both visually and musically dazzling. Audiences of all ages will no doubt enjoy this most entertaining ballet fairytale.

Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory. The ballet is performed by 28 dancers in what are now signature blue costumes in front of a blue-hued background. 

Originating it as a lesson in stage technique, Balanchine worked unexpected rehearsal events into the choreography. When one student fell, he incorporated it. Another day, a student arrived late, and this too became part of the choreography, ultimately reflecting the ebb and flow of the ballet choreographic process. 

Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score is filled with romanticism and hints at classical ballet scores such as Giselle and Swan Lake.

Both Stravinsky's score and Mikhail Fokine's choreography were ground breaking. Fokine shifted from classical ballet towards a more realist and folk-derived style of movement, while Stravinsky incorporated elements of folksong into his music. The role of the Firebird is challenging to dance and mesmerizing to watch - she enters the stage in a flash of movement, and her steps are bold and full of a powerful energy. The strange characters that accompany Kostcheï transform the stage into a spectacular blaze of colour and folkloric detail, and this unique ballet ends with tableau that is as vivid as it is distinctly Russian.

History
Premiere of this production: 25 June 1910, Théâtre de l´Opéra, Paris

The Firebird is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine, with a scenario by Alexandre Benois and Fokine based on the Russian fairy tales of the Firebird and the blessing and curse it possesses for its owner.

Premiere of this production: 01 March 1935, Adelphi Theatre New York City, United States

Serenade is a ballet by George Balanchine to Tschaikovsky's 1880 Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48. Balanchine presented the ballet as his response to the generous sponsorships he received during his immigration to America. The official premiere took place on 1 March 1935 with the American Ballet at the Adelphi Theatre, New York, conducted by Sandor Harmati.

 

Synopsis

The ballet centers on the journey of its hero, Prince Ivan. While hunting in the forest, he strays into the magical realm of Koschei the Immortal, whose immortality is preserved by keeping his soul in a magic egg hidden in a casket. Ivan chases and captures the Firebird and is about to kill her; she begs for her life and he spares her. As a token of thanks, she offers him an enchanted feather that he can use to summon her should he be in dire need.

Prince Ivan then meets thirteen princesses who are under the spell of Koschei and falls in love with one of them. The next day, Ivan confronts the magician and eventually they begin quarrelling. When Koschei sends his minions after Ivan, he summons the Firebird. She intervenes, bewitching the monsters and making them dance an elaborate, energetic dance (the "Infernal Dance").

The creatures and Koschei then fall into a deep sleep. While they sleep, the Firebird directs Ivan to a tree stump where the casket with the egg containing Koschei's soul is hidden. Ivan destroys the egg and with the spell broken, the magical creatures that Koschei held captive are freed and the palace disappears. All of the "real" beings, including the princesses, awaken and with one final hint of the Firebird's music (though in Fokine's choreography she makes no appearance in that final scene on-stage), celebrate their victory.

Venue Info

Pasadena Civic Auditorium - Pasadena
Location   300 E Green Street

A treasure of Los Angeles’s arts and culture scene for more than 80 years, the historic 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium will transform your event with timeless grace.

The Pasadena Civic is one of the most revered performance halls in the nation. The Civic hosts the NAACP Image Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, America's Got Talent, film and television events, cultural performances, musical shows and graduation ceremonies.

Important Info
Type: Ballet
City: Pasadena, USA
Starts at: 19:30
Intervals: 1
Duration: 1h 8min
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