New York City Ballet: Ocean Kingdom, by Martins/McCartney.
http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/ballet/new-york-city-ballet-trouble-in-the-kingdom/1821/
Robert Fairchild and Sara Mearns in "Ocean's Kingdom." Photo by Paul Kolnik.
Critics have been ripping into the Paul McCartney/Peter Martins’ ballet, Ocean’s Kingdom,at New York City Ballet, like bears after their first post-hibernation meal. Is it that bad? I found this love triangle ballet pleasant enough and aesthetically bland, like Muzak, although troubling for other reasons (like Muzak). McCartney’s music has its moments, and is uncomplicated and melodic. The choreography—a vacuum—is the most basic and rote of ballet steps, with some heightened macho interest for the Terra Punks, led by Amar Ramasar, but the many duets between stars Sara Mearns (profiled earlier this month by SundayArts) and Robert Fairchild instantly vaporize from the mind after watching, with only their phantom desire and potential for better roles left to linger. Georgina Pascoguin, one of the company’s best actors, made the most of a baddie-with-a-heart-of-gold role, but you could feel Daniel Ulbricht’s abject resignation while sailing and spinning through yet another of a series of gee-whiz solos that have come become a trap for him in his young career.
