City Ballet of San Diego’s season starts with two dance works that proclaim that “love makes fools of us all.”
In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by resident choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich, the naughty sprite Puck plays pranks on lovers, making them guess at the certainty of commitment.
“Summer Wind” is a premiere by resident choreographer Geoff Gonzalez, danced to an orchestral score of standards that Frank Sinatra made famous.
Both choreographic works launch the company’s 32nd Season of Love and Obsession at the Epstein Family Amphitheater at UC San Diego, an outdoor venue that offers a more casual, summer ambiance, with a sunset that segues into a starry sky and a pre-performance picnic.
The “season of love” theme made Gonzalez recall his admiration of Frank Sinatra’s songbook and the time the song “Luck Be A Lady” brought him good fortune.
He was 15 years old, rehearsing at a “mom-and-pop dance studio” in Arizona and he wanted to compete in the Mr. Dance America competition.
“I had a fedora hat and I wore a tie over a black shirt and black pants,” Gonzales recalled.
“It was my first solo and I won. The funny part of it was my mom was a bedazzler and she put rhinestones on my tie. It threw me off. But it really worked out because I was so angry about this tie that it gave me a lot of energy. I ended up winning and that was really cool back then. It introduced me to Frank Sinatra’s music and I’ve always been a fan.”
Gonzalez spent weeks listening to orchestral renderings of hits such as “Mack the Knife,” “One For My Baby” and “Luck Be a Lady,” imagining the ideas he wanted to convey with specific numbers.
The lyrics of Sinatra’s 1966 hit “Summer Wind” encompassed the bittersweet mood he wanted to capture in his one-act contemporary ballet.
The summer wind came blowin’ in from across the sea /
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me.
“The music is so fantastic that I could hear Sinatra’s voice in my head,” Gonzalez said.
“What I liked about a lot of these songs is that they have a little bit of a lament. There’s an emotional range that tells a story and that helped me structure the choreography.”
Highlights of “Summer Wind” include a duet to the song “Fly me to the Moon,” danced by Gonzalez’s wife, Ariana, and principal dancer Iago Breschi.
“Iago has a huge love for Frank Sinatra,” Gonzalez revealed. “He enjoys theater dance and he’s always wanted an opportunity like this. He’ll also perform in ‘One For My Baby,’ which is a famous Twyla Tharp dance.”
In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” based on Shakespeare’s famous comedic play, Wistrich created a forest setting where the mischievous fairy Puck, played by principal dancer Lucas Ataide, makes two boys fall in love with the same girl.
The season continues with principal dancer Ariana Gonzalez starring in the premiere of “Dracula,” staged at the Balboa Theatre Nov. 9-10 and at California Center for the Arts, Escondido, on Nov. 16 in Concert Hall.
“I’ve been inspired by watching all the vampire movies and my favorite is ‘The Interview with a Vampire,’” Gonzales said.
“I thought — how can I make it more twisted? What if Ariana only turns females and she lures them away from their lovers and uses them as food. Her power is she builds the family. It’s told through this incredible piano music. The music is all works by Chopin and we will have it played live.”
The final show in 2024 will be “The Nutcracker,” staged Dec. 20-23 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
In 2025, shows continue with “Swan Lake Act II” on March 8-9 at Balboa Theatre and March 12 at California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
“Carmen,” concludes the season with live music by the City Ballet Orchestra on May 3-4 at California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Season subscriptions are available at cityballet.org.
“New theaters and new opportunities are a spectacular part of my career,” Gonzalez said. “We are stacked right now with the best company ever.”
City Ballet of San Diego: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9480 Innovation Lane, La Jolla
Tickets: $39-$59
Phone: (858) 272-8663
Online: cityballet.org
A pre-performance picnic is available starting at 7 p.m.
Parking available at the Gilman Parking Structure, 3100 Gilman Drive, La Jolla
Luttrell is a freelance writer.
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