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Discover what critics and our opening night patrons had to say about this prestigious American Premiere!
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| Tue, Oct 3, 8 pm |  | 
| | Thu, Oct 5, 8 pm | |
| | Fri, Oct 6, 8 pm | |
| | Sat, Oct 7, 8 pm | |
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"Mr. Morris has taken a rather fustian drama and turned it into a lovely, witty, sexy, moving vaudeville revue...the wit is deepened by abundant charm and an unstoppable generosity of spirit. This is a semi-opera, or dance, about joy, and it made me and a lot of other people in Berkeley joyful indeed."
— John Rockwell, The New York Times
(full article; please note that accessing this article might require free registration and is time sensitive.)
"Morris conjures up a suite of freestanding entertainments that fuse dance and music into a single weave. With Jane Glover leading a magnificent performance by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus, a cast of seven splendid singers and members of the Mark Morris Dance Group collaborate on a spectacle that is every bit as multimedia as the original "King Arthur," but a good deal more entrancing."
— Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle
(full article)
King Arthur "arrived at Zellerbach Hall on Saturday night, and it's a triumph. Opera lovers, dance fans and anyone else who enjoys an exhilarating evening in the theater will love the English National Opera staging"
— Georgia Rowe, Contra Costa Times
(full article)
Additional reviews >>
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OPENING NIGHT PATRON COMMENTS
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(gathered via email immediately following the Sept 30 American premiere performance)
Great music, wonderful spectacle.
Fabulous in every way! The highest quality performers ALL performed with a verve, spirit and style that one doesn't often experience in the theatre.
A true delight — we are still smiling.
We loved it! The entire production was just wonderful. The way Mark Morris uses music is unique and just perfectly suited to whatever type of music he chooses. The orchestra was great as were the singers whose acting skills were well utilized. As always the dancers were wonderfully expressive and beautiful to watch. The contrast between writhing couples in one scene and the graceful Maypole in another and the humor throughout make this the Mark Morris piece we've come to expect. We loved Mark's wackiness wherever it showed up — a man in a freezer, a giraffe a duck and a Monty Python lady with a handbag, paper airplanes. The costumes were perfect. The whole production was beautiful, lyrical, wacky genius. Thanks to all involved for a great evening.
It was delightful, irreverent. Great performance by all involved, inventive and entertaining!
As usual, Mark Morris is surprising. When I walked in and saw the chairs on the stage, any preconceived notions vanished. The production made me shake my head in amazement and made me say "Wow" repeatedly. There's too much going on to take it in one night. I look forward to going at least two more times. Bravo to everyone involved, and, of course, to Morris' genius. The production gives new meaning to the term "Morris dance."
This performance of King Arthur has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. By removing the spoken text, Purcell's music is heard in all its splendid glory.
The seven principal singers are first-rate. Andrew Foster-Williams' bass-baritone resonated through out the hall and especially in the refrigerator scene. One would hope to hear him sing in Handel's Semele. The UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus singing from the pit provided a full complement of vocal support for the performers on the stage. The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra playing on period instruments created the sound of how the music might have been heard by Charles II at its premiere in 1691. And yet there is more. These three components (singers, chorus and orchestra) combined to give the choreographer Mark Morris an opportunity to create one of the most elegant and personal ballets for his company of dancers. The principal singers and dancers were fully integrated in the drama and action on the stage. At times serious, and then humorous, the dances paid homage to the human condition and spirit. The sets and lighting were simple in design yet powerful in effect. The costumes were wonderfully theatrical and evoked all sorts of styles and periods. This production is an absolute gem and deserves a much longer run and a return visit to Berkeley. Bravo!
A wonderful performance. Intensely satisfying mix of musical score, orchestra, chorus, choreography and marvelous quality of the dancers. Thank you Mark Morris and all concerned. My one wish would have been a number that brought more gravitas, tenderness, awareness, if only brief, of the tragic dimensions of love and humanness. Like Shakespeare does, even in the comedies. The comparison to Shakespeare indicates how highly and deeply I praise this lovely performance.
It is always a pleasure to be in the presence of excellence, especially excellence in concept, creativity and performance. While the title, King Arthur, seems to have little if any relation to the goings-on on stage, that merely frees the audience to marvel at the intricate and flawlessly performed choreography, and to welcome the occasional giddy moments — the artificial snowfall, the giraffe and duck careening around the stage. The orchestra was divine, the singers superb, and the intricate dance — like mists drifting across the stage were to be savored while marveling at the memories and practice hours that made them possible.
The dance part was a fabulous, fanciful, fantastical coupling of classico-modern dance with Purcell's lyrical music of King Arthur's court. The choreography was technically precise and measured, but affectively unpredictable. Whimsically pointed. Counterbalanced. It was visual music: visceral, dizzying, suggestive, mathematical, dreamlike, mesmerizing. Wonderful. The music and chorus were impeccable and organic; fused. It took an act of consciousness to separate the music from the dance. The set design, the costume design, all non-moving elements in the production, though minimal and stark were rich, added texture. Now, how can that be? I loved it! Bravo!
Great fun, wonderfully performed.
The production was delightful, the music sublime!
From what I'd read of the London performances, I didn't quite know what to expect. I was enthralled. The score was beautifully sung and played, the staging was imaginative, and the dancing of the Mark Morris group was delightful. I loved the use of doorways in the chorus "Hither this way;" and the weaving of red, white and blue ribbons around a maypole in the final scene was nothing short of brilliant. The business for both singers and dancers is at times very funny. Only once did I think the humor missed. There was so much laughter during the lovely trio "For folder flocks" that it was difficult to hear the music. This, however, is a minor quibble. If you attend one of the subsequent performances, expect lots of colour, movement and fun.
Delightful. I came away very cheerful. Playful, imaginative, full of life & joy in being alive. I think Morris's King Arthur is typical of a gay sensibility in that the work respects and delights in something whose conventions are simultaneously being burlesqued--it's not 'camp' in that it is not hostile/satirical in intent or performance; rather it holds the two poles together. I'm thinking of seeing it again.
I've been going to Mark Morris' performances since the early '80's when I lived in NY. I think he has a wonderful ability to "use" any music he chooses and I enjoy the humor and joyousness of his choreography. King Arthur was no exception--it is funny, happy, so-well-choreographed. I am not fond of Baroque music, but he made it SO enjoyable! I appreciate the supertitles; I would now like to return and concentrate only on the stage itself. Thanks to all concerned with the performance.
Wonderfully entertaining and whimsical-Mark Morris at his very best. His reverence for Purcell's music shown through the production-he let it take top billing, as well it should. What amazing voices from the cast! The dancing was restrained yet evocative. I left wishing for more, and my companions, some of whom were very knowledgeable about music, and some of who were not, all felt the same way. It's truly genius to be able to make this accessible to people who are not necessarily knowledgeable about dance or music, yet still please the connoisseur. I can't think of a better way to expand the classical music and dance fan base. Kudos to Mark Morris for the best evening of entertainment I've experienced in many years.
We loved the King Arthur performance! Brilliant all the way around. Glorious voices and orchestra and Mark Morris at his height of creativity. Lucky to live around here.
Great balance between music, singing and dance. Brilliant, spectacular performance, though not so sure about the fairy's cardi!
Mark Morris never ceases to amaze, entertain and surprise me. King Arthur was no exception. But, having said that, I found the singing somewhat distracted from the dancing, at least in the beginning. Bravo.
It was an absolutely delightful evening! The music was beautiful and expertly performed, and the singers and dancers were outstanding. The costume designs were also excellent, and the whole concept created by Mark Morris was incredibly witty and inventive. It all seemed very incongruous, but really worked! Thanks so much for sponsoring this creation and bringing it to the Bay Area.
Once again, Mark Morris has taken an esoteric piece of music and transformed it into a modern, fun romp. The music was so delightful I did not want it to end. The costumes were so amusing and when the scene with the snow and refrigerator and dancers in blankees ended I just wanted to shout out, BRAVO! So clever. Oh, I loved the May Pole ala..called square dance. You name it, Mark had it! P.S. I am not sure why it was called King Arthur.
We thought it was wonderful. The dancing "was" the music.
My daughters and I were totally enthralled with the whole performance. The orchestra, chorus and soloists along with the dancers and the choreography all blended so beautifully together.
Delightful and innovative. Music, voices and dance complemented each other.
This is music I've loved for years and never expected to see it performed. Gillian Keith and Mhairi Lawson, Andrew Foster-Williams and William Berger were delightful. I'm thrilled to have seen King Arthur at Cal. We were put off by the dancers seeming to copulate on stage — a little creepy. The minimal costumes somehow worked for us, especially with the closing scene tying the colors and props of the earlier scenes together.
Congratulations to Philharmonia Baroque and Mark Morris Dancers.
The confluence of superb music, impeccably performed by the orchestra with superb singing (solo and chorus) and of course the stylish choreography by Morris was almost too much to comprehend in one sitting. A kind of five- ring baroque circus. One of the few performances I would consider attending more than once.
I thought this dance marked a new height of inventiveness in Mark Morris' choreography. Having the singers on the stage with the dancers and participating in the action created a seamless blending of the dancing with the music. Frolicsome, gentle, bawdy, evocative, exhilarating, startling — these are some of the terms that came to mind. The music of "Come follow me" is marvelous — flashlights and mirrors added to the delightful confusion. In this dance the props also became characters. Some of the staging reminded me of Cirque du Soleil, as rolling platforms evoked different settings and were also woven into the dance. King Arthur has Morris' trademark musicality but here it's used to twist all the elements of a dance production into a vibrant, generous, and integrated whole. This dance is why I always want to see what Morris will come up with next.
Absolutely beautiful! The dresses were luscious! The dancers were perfect with so much precision movement and always we felt engaged (sic the dancers) with the audience.
A thoroughly entertaining and thrilling evening of music, dance and song. The caliber of everything was absolutely world class. Mark Morris is daring and brilliant! My highest recommendation!
The music was wonderful; performances of the orchestra, choir and singers were top-notch, as we have come to expect. The choreography was generally impressive; it was graceful, suited the music, and generally took advantage of each piece's rhythmic vitality. I could have used a little more pageantry and color in the production, given the historical context of the piece. I definitely could have done without some of the cheap gags, which often distracted from the music. I'm not surprised he got a laugh having someone toss paper airplanes during a rousing choral number, but whom did that serve? Not the orchestra and choir. Not Purcell.
We loved the performance, the music was gorgeous, the text was funny the sets were minimal but adequate and the dancing and costumes were fantastic.
It was brilliant as ever, funny, sexy, beautiful, solving the problem of patriotism by invoking fond British images of Margot Fonteyn and Gertrude Lawrence. Morris' capacities of invention are astounding - after each scene you think "He can't top this" and he does. And such amazing music!
What an incredible evening of an unusual combination of music, song and dance! Fascinating to hear Purcell's lovely ancient music (expertly rendered) updated with modern funny lyrics and illustrated by amazing dancers. Wow — everyone involved gave stellar performances! I hear a lot of music — from jazz to 20th Century American "maverick" composers to pop and at times the music so beautiful and heartfelt that I wished I were British. I felt patriotic for them! Mark Morris did a wonderful thing with this production and I had a lovely lovely weekend because of it. Top Drawer, really top drawer! Thanks Cal Performances! UC Chamber Chorus did a fabulous job — just great! All the singers!
I love it! Purcell's music is heavenly and I love choir parts that go with it. The contrast with MM's humorous dance sequences is delightful.
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The music was spectacular. It looked like the performers were having a lot of fun. The audience sure did. Some of the production approached silliness, but overall a very enjoyable evening.
I loved the show! I mean really loved it. I'm sorry that I can't attend more than one performance. It was the perfect combination of beautiful music and the appealing dancing of Mark Morris. My husband hates dance, saying he doesn't have the "dance gene". But because of the Purcell, Philhamonia Baroque, ENO performances, he agreed to go. He loved the music, and he found the dancing "clever". That's a big change from cringing at ballet, even when the ballet is accompanied by great classical music. I'm so grateful that you put on a dance show we could both enjoy. Thanks!
Wonderful, wonderful. Just great to see yet another superb Mark Morris extravaganza.... inspiring to see an artist (all involved) in top form. It's what art should be... beautiful, thought provoking, witty, smart. We were prepared to sit through it again as soon as the curtain fell.
King Arthur was completely wonderful in all respects! I only wish I could see it several more times so that I could see and hear all the nuance and references. Thank you for presenting this production.
King Arthur was superb on every level and for each element: choral music, solo vocals, dance, costumes, sets, and particularly chamber orchestra. Yet each element by itself could not have sustained two hours. In combination, it was a feast for any fan of the arts. How lucky we are to have Mark Morris here, along with the resources (contributors) to fulfill his vision.
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