Dracula, February 9, 2013, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

Atlanta's Ballet's production of Michael Pink's Dracula was largely ok. I was not blown away by Philip Feeney's music, but it did the job. The sets and costumes were quite nice. The dancers were both technically very good and committed to their characters, but the choreography was only rarely compelling. 

One of the highlights was supposed to be the duet between Dracula (Jonah Hooper) and Jonathan Harker (Jesse Tyler). Mr. Hooper's Dracula was suitably creepy, although it was unclear to me what exactly he was after with Mr. Harker. He dominates him, but to what end? His intentions with Lucy (Alessa Rogers) and Mina Harker (Tara Lee) were more clear, and his duet of near-seduction of Mina to the vampire lifestyle was powerful due to the clear character transition made by Ms. Lee. His duet with Lucy was upstaged by the escape of his wig from his head, which slithered down Ms. Rogers back and onto the floor at one point. 

The program notes were extensive, but it was still somewhat difficult to follow the complicated story. Best Freudian slip in the program notes: "Only Harker is sensitive to the impending dancer (sic)." The shows dragged a bit at the beginning of the second act as we waited for Dracula to appear for tea at a hotel in England, but the surreal slow-motion of the background dancers as he appears to Lucy was a nice touch. The work of the vampire ensemble in the final scene, led by Ms. Rogers, was more exciting than the final vanquishing of Dracula. Mmm, steak.