It was not quite Beatlemania revisited, but a large crowd of non-ballet-goers gathered at New York City’s Lincoln Center to gawk and scream on September 22 for the New York City Ballet’s premiere of a new ballet with a score and libretto by Paul McCartney.
Ocean’s Kingdom drew a sold-out audience. The fact that McCartney’s daughter Stella, the high-profile fashion designer, was responsible for the costumes meant that savvy fashionistas were also drawn to the event.
The ballet, conceived by McCartney and choreographed by the company’s ballet-master-in-chief, Peter Martins, is a naïve, meandering tale of good vs. evil, underwater vs. terrestrial. The score has considerably more appeal than the choreography. While not especially sophisticated, the music is richly melodic and features jaunty rhythmic passages, recurring motifs, and notable passages for trumpet, winds and percussion. But the ballet is an unfocused, dutiful affair, with its underwater setting only perfunctorily established – and inviting unfavorable comparisons to much greater ballets such as Ondine and Napoli. The costumes were busy and distracting. Most of the time the women had little to do besides pose prettily and occasionally raise an arm decoratively. Handmaidens, “water maidens” and courtiers filled up space in bland groupings. A dozen men portraying “Terra Punks” got the best part of the deal, bounding athletically in black and tan leotards with intriguing totemic patterns.
But the evening was definitely an Event, with presumably many newcomers to NYCB in attendance. The question is, will they be back? Ocean’s Kingdom was scheduled for four additional September performances and returns to the repertory in January.
- SUSAN REITER