Ticket Information
| Mitchell Performing Arts CenterOriginally built as a meeting facility and gymnasium in the early 20th century, the 439 seat Mitchell Performing Arts Center was renovated in 1999 and provides modern facilities for staging a variety of theatrical, musical, and other performances. |
Coppelia Story
Marilyn Budzynski, a former dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet, is the artistic director for the company. This will be the fifth time they’ve staged “Coppelia” since 1980. She loves this ballet the most.
“It’s kind of like an old friend,” she said. “I enjoy stories that center around hilarious characters and misunderstanding.”
“Coppelia,” a classic first performed in 1870, is set in a village that houses the mysterious workshop of Dr. Coppelius, a lonely
inventor. He’s crafted a beautiful life-sized mechanical doll named Coppelia and treats it like a daughter.
Franz, a villager, does not realize that Coppelia is a doll and is mesmerized by her beauty. Swanhilda, the girl who loves Franz, grows jealous of her rival, so she breaks into the doctor’s workshop with her friends. Dr. Coppelius finds the intruders and throws them out.
Swanhilda impersonates Coppelia and pretends to come to life, dancing a Scottish reel and Spanish fandango. Then Dr. Coppelius is saddened to find out his doll hasn’t actually turned into a real girl. But the story ends happily-ever-after with the wedding of Swanhilda and Franz and a village celebration.
The lead guest artists, Alexandra Kochis and Christopher Budzynski, principals of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, are Budzynski’s daughter-in-law and son. Performing runs in the family and this is the fifth year in a row the duo returns to star in Dance Theatre’s spring production. Kochis will dance the role of the inquisitive Swanhilda, with Christopher playing her clueless suitor, Franz.
Marilyn Budzynski performed the role of Swanhilda when she first started Dance Theatre. She was stunned with the scope of the character.
“It was delicious to perform that role,” she said.
In addition to Kochis and Christopher Budzynski, the ballet features others from the Pittsburgh Ballet and performers from BalletX and formerly of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Tara Keating, a principal dancer with BalletX who formerly performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet, takes on two roles in “Coppelia.” The first is the lead mazurka girl who dances with Franz, a role she also performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet (a mazurka is a Polish folk dance usually with a lively tempo). The second role is a pas de deux (a dance with a male partner) in the third act titled “War.”
In the mazurka, Keating’s flirty and fun character tries to win Franz over by dancing with him. She interacts with much of the cast who are onstage in that scene, which makes it easy to get into character, she said. The pas de deux is dramatic, with the couple representing two strong individuals.
“There are some great pirouettes and jumping in that piece,” she said.
Budzynski is eager to see Keating take the stage.
“It’s astounding to see the transformation of her personality, from a calm, down-to-earth person, to a fiery performer,” she said.
In addition to dancing as a guest with companies and with BalletX, the resident dance company of the Wilma Theater, Keating teaches around the region, including at Budzynski Studios. She also assists choreographer Matthew Neenan in the setting of his works at Pennsylvania Ballet. Keating, of Philadelphia, received her BFA in dance from Juilliard and has danced with the American Repertory Ballet, Twyla Tharp and the Pennsylvania Ballet as a soloist for 10 years.
Dance has been her life, as it has been for Budzynski, who performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet and as a principal dancer of Ballet Repertory, Inc. She created Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania 32 years ago.
She’s excited to see this production of “Coppelia” come to life onstage the way she envisioned it when she hired the guest artists, oversaw the lighting design and costumes and the other components needed. This version features all new sets and scenery, including three-dimensional houses onstage. Adding new touches to a classic was exciting for her, she said.
She hopes audiences will enjoy seeing the production as much as she enjoyed putting it together. She feels it’s a good vehicle to introduce new fans to ballet, as anyone of any age can understand the story.
“This ballet is warm and fuzzy, and funny from start to finish,” she said.
By Tara Lynn Johnson
Correspondent
Montgomery Newspaper
“It’s kind of like an old friend,” she said. “I enjoy stories that center around hilarious characters and misunderstanding.”
“Coppelia,” a classic first performed in 1870, is set in a village that houses the mysterious workshop of Dr. Coppelius, a lonely
Franz, a villager, does not realize that Coppelia is a doll and is mesmerized by her beauty. Swanhilda, the girl who loves Franz, grows jealous of her rival, so she breaks into the doctor’s workshop with her friends. Dr. Coppelius finds the intruders and throws them out.
Swanhilda impersonates Coppelia and pretends to come to life, dancing a Scottish reel and Spanish fandango. Then Dr. Coppelius is saddened to find out his doll hasn’t actually turned into a real girl. But the story ends happily-ever-after with the wedding of Swanhilda and Franz and a village celebration.
Marilyn Budzynski performed the role of Swanhilda when she first started Dance Theatre. She was stunned with the scope of the character.
“It was delicious to perform that role,” she said.
In addition to Kochis and Christopher Budzynski, the ballet features others from the Pittsburgh Ballet and performers from BalletX and formerly of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Tara Keating, a principal dancer with BalletX who formerly performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet, takes on two roles in “Coppelia.” The first is the lead mazurka girl who dances with Franz, a role she also performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet (a mazurka is a Polish folk dance usually with a lively tempo). The second role is a pas de deux (a dance with a male partner) in the third act titled “War.”
In the mazurka, Keating’s flirty and fun character tries to win Franz over by dancing with him. She interacts with much of the cast who are onstage in that scene, which makes it easy to get into character, she said. The pas de deux is dramatic, with the couple representing two strong individuals.
“There are some great pirouettes and jumping in that piece,” she said.
Budzynski is eager to see Keating take the stage.
“It’s astounding to see the transformation of her personality, from a calm, down-to-earth person, to a fiery performer,” she said.
In addition to dancing as a guest with companies and with BalletX, the resident dance company of the Wilma Theater, Keating teaches around the region, including at Budzynski Studios. She also assists choreographer Matthew Neenan in the setting of his works at Pennsylvania Ballet. Keating, of Philadelphia, received her BFA in dance from Juilliard and has danced with the American Repertory Ballet, Twyla Tharp and the Pennsylvania Ballet as a soloist for 10 years.
Dance has been her life, as it has been for Budzynski, who performed with the Joffrey Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet and as a principal dancer of Ballet Repertory, Inc. She created Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania 32 years ago.
She’s excited to see this production of “Coppelia” come to life onstage the way she envisioned it when she hired the guest artists, oversaw the lighting design and costumes and the other components needed. This version features all new sets and scenery, including three-dimensional houses onstage. Adding new touches to a classic was exciting for her, she said.
She hopes audiences will enjoy seeing the production as much as she enjoyed putting it together. She feels it’s a good vehicle to introduce new fans to ballet, as anyone of any age can understand the story.
“This ballet is warm and fuzzy, and funny from start to finish,” she said.
By Tara Lynn Johnson
Correspondent
Montgomery Newspaper