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MONDAY, MARCH 3 0 , 2 0 0 9 PAGE   1 3

[ THE WEEKENDER ] Mariinsky ballet stages sublime ‘Sleeping Beauty’

by Diane Baker Staff Reporter

I was all set to see prima ballerina Diana Vishneva as Princess Aurora in Mariinsky Theater Ballet Company’ Sleeping Beauty on Friday night at the National Theater but the fates were against us. ohnLone Rich plops into a chair, asks for two bottles of Withstar the new disc, he revisits the traditional country he Vishneva was ill/injured, forcing a readjustment of the cast lists. water and downs them both. remembers growing up the eldest of four kids in a First soloist Anastasia Kolegova, after a somewhat unsteady “I’m trying to recover from a trip I just made to doublewide trailer in Amarillo, Texas — a twist start, was everything a fairy-tale princess ballerina should Los Angeles that was insanity, 36 hours of absolute since Big & Rich give traditionalists fits with their be: beautiful, sparkling and light, with flawless 180-degree J insanity,” he says, then goes into a story about fusion of rap, rock, pop and country. extensions. As her prince, Evgeny Ivanchenko didn’t really have drinking with actor , who appears with Kris “What I bring to the Big & Rich equation all that much to do, but he was nobly grand all the same. Kristofferson in the video for Rich’s latest hit, is country, straight-ahead, hard-core The most memorable were those in the supporting roles. Shuttin’ Detroit Down. It’s no secret that . I wanted to make a Prima ballerina Irma Nioradze was captivating as the Lilac Fairy. Rich, half of the duo Big & Rich, likes Country record like that,” he said. “I had a lot Islom Baimuradow was pure slime as the evil Carabosse Fairy; to play hard and work hard. His latest singer John of subjects I wanted to talk about he simply oozed wickedness. And Aleksey Timofev stole the project is a solo album, Son of a that are personal to me that would wedding party divertissements as the Bluebird. He was only on Preacher Man, out this week. Rich is charging never have found their way on a Big stage for a few minutes in the final act, but he made every minute, “That’s who I am,” says Rich, who ahead with a new & Rich album.” The record isn’t as every jump, every turn, count. grew up a preacher’s kid in West old school as Rich makes out. He The other scene stealers were the local youngsters recruited Texas. “I’ve got a King James in one solo album closes with a quirky big band nod to for the garland dance at the beginning of Act One. Ranging in age hand and a Crown and coke in the Frank Sinatra called Drive Myself from 6 or so up to 12, clad in blond wigs, they were incredible cute, but also performed well. Eight additional, slightly older other. I think we all know Jesus didn’t by JOHN GEROME to Drink about a guy who puts a turn the water into Dr Pepper.” Shuttin’ AP, Nashville bar in his car. youngsters played the part of court musicians. All 24 were Detroit Down may be the fastest-rising song “You’re probably talking to handpicked by Taipei Royal Ballet director Wu Ching-yin, of his career, currently No. 13 on Billboard’s one of the biggest Frank Sinatra who trained them for more than a month before a Mariinsky country chart after seven weeks. It expresses his frustration fans on earth,” he says. “One record I balletmaster arrived to do the final coaching. with Washington’s bailout of Wall Street. want to make before I die is Let Me Lavish sets “I think it’s a way for people to vent,” Rich says. “It Be Frank.” Rich has written hits for shows what they are thinking so clearly and accurately and Aldean, produced hits The Sleeping Beauty sets were extraordinary, especially the huge that they crank that volume knob.” The idea came to him for Jewel and , and silver filigree and flower gates to Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom. backstage at a concert with ZZ Top. He was thinking that sung hits with Big & Rich (Save You knew you were in for a magical evening as soon you saw fans — not the CEOs and politicians — are the ones who a Horse, Ride a Cowboy, Lost in the gates. The autumnal glade in the opening of Act Two was a represent the real America. This Moment). symphony of russet reds and golds, the perfect setting the 18th- “I turned to my friend right before I walked on and said, century court ladies and gentlemen. And the forest that grows up ‘Remember this line: In the real world they’re shutting On the Road again behind the castle gates looked so realistic that one friend swore Detroit down,’” he recalled. Throw in his gigs as a he thought the branches were moving. judge on The costumes were equally amazing. Almost everyone aside ‘unique personality’ and host of Country from the two leads was bewigged, with long, curly hairstyles for The 35-year-old singer, who recently married his longtime Music Television’s the men, and corkscrew clusters of curls for the women. It’s hard girlfriend Joan Bush, has the coiled energy of the kid at Gone Country, and to imagine any company besides the Mariinsky would have the school that you knew was going to get you into trouble, but it can seem like he’s resources to restage a ballet with this degree of detail. you couldn’t stay away. everywhere. The one weakness was in the storytelling. The mime that “John has a really unique personality. He has a way of “John is an artist, moves the stories along — in Sleeping Beauty, Carabosse’s talking about something and getting you excited about so he’s eccentric. cursing Aurora to die an early death from a pricked finger, or the it,” said singer , who worked with Rich as a He’s a writer, so he’s king’s banning of all needles from the court — are pretty sketchy. songwriter at the same publishing company. “He’s done going to be fiery Ballet mime can look silly, but it is an essential component for things that he’s taken a lot of heat for, and then turned and passionate the narrative classics, even more so when performing in countries around and done things that made him look like a genius.” and full of that don’t have a history of Western fairy tales. Indeed, Rich seems to court controversy. He offended contradictions,” Virtual reality gays by speaking out against gay marriage. He’s stumped said Jewel, who for Republic candidates (in 2008 he released a song for co-produced her Saturday night at the National Concert Hall was all about new Senator John McCain called Raisin’ McCain). He scuffled 2008 album, Perfectly worlds — and the wonderful mind of Austrian digital artist/ with heavy metal bassist Jerry Montano in a Los Angeles Clear, with Rich and choreographer Klaus Obermaier. hotel room. He riled an entire Nashville neighborhood by was a judge with him on His Le Sacre du Printemps — Interactive 3D Media Dance building a huge, incongruous house dubbed the “Villa Rich.” Nashville Star. “I think had dancer Julia Mach moving around a box set to the side of the It doesn’t take long to find bashers if you Google his name writers, especially, tend to orchestra as her avatar danced on the screen suspended above and check the blogs. want to feel their emotions the heads of the National Symphony Orchestra, and thanks to 3D “You find two different kinds of people: People who will because that’s where they glasses, out into the space above the audience. One woman in lay down on the railroad track for me, and people who want write from. He’s certainly front of me reached out to try and touch Mach’s hand as it floated to tie me down to the railroad track,” Rich says. “Hopefully, that way.” This summer, toward her. more people are on my side, and there are. But some don’t Rich and Alphin will return With her cap of white-blonde hair, pale skin and champagne- like it when a guy as loud and raging as I am comes blasting to the road as Big Rich and colored shift, Mach was both a goddess and the perfect sacrificial through town.” Rich’s first solo album, recorded before Big & begin work on a new album. victim for Sacre. Her long legs and arms morphed into even Rich and after five years with the group , was shelved Rich says he’s spent his life wanting longer tentacles, or kept her balanced as she rode a grid through in the late 1990s and released later without much success. to do exactly what he’s doing and has no waves and earthquake rolls. Sometimes she moved as if playing “I was all about the art of it and didn’t realize I was being intention of letting up. a solitary game of twister, but then the fun ended as she crawled too brainy with the lyrics, saying stuff that people didn’t “This is not a hobby. This is not a on her knees and elbows, one arm stretching out into space in care much about,” Rich says. stepping-stone to something else. This is my a mute appeal for help. When her virtual world exploded, her He decided to do Son of a Preacher Man after his partner, destination and all I care to do,” Rich said. avatar was left curled up in tight ball amid a swirling asteroid belt “Big” Kenny Alphin, was sidelined for a year by neck surgery, “The last thing I want to do is take a — until you realize that each asteroid was a small curled Mach. the result of being hit by a drunken driver in 2001. vacation from it.” From the beauty of an exploding galaxy, Mach fragmented into a collection of legs and feet for the sacrificial section of has drawn flak for his ostentatious house Sacre — with a foot at either end of each leg, then just the feet. and statements against gay marriage. photo: AP Obermaier will be back in Taipei at the National Theater in

 early May with Apparition. I can’t wait to see that world.

apper T.I. was The tattoo appears to be a sort who attended the hearing with an The Los Angeles Times said

PLANET sentenced to a year of message to boyfriend Chris attorney, uses the baton as a prop that in the movie Lohan plays a in jail on Friday for Brown, who is awaiting trial on while performing. woman who fakes being pregnant violating federal charges that he assaulted Rihanna Houston police said Thursday in order to avoid getting fired R weapons charges by last month. that security guards at Bush — but then she finds that she has attempting to buy unregistered In other celebrity news International Airport discovered to keep up the pretence for nine automatic weapons and silencers. involving weapons, prosecutors the 61cm baton in her carry-on bag. months and more. The sentence was part of a have charged a man with stalking Wayna released her second The film flop is the latest in a plea deal under which T.I., whose Dancing With the Stars contestant album, Higher Ground, in 2008. lengthy line of failures for Lohan, real name is Clifford Harris, has and Olympic gymnastics champion One song on the album is Billy whose last movies have included already served more than 1,000 Shawn Johnson. Club, a ballad about police abuse. the critically panned Chapter 27 hours of community service. Authorities charged 34-year- She twirls and points the baton and I Know Who Killed Me. T.I., 28, is also starring in an old Robert O’Ryan of Florida on when performing it live. An actor whose career seems MTV reality show called Road to Thursday with one felony count Wayna, who thanked to be moving in the opposite Redemption in which he speaks of stalking and two misdemeanor prosecutors for not pursuing the direction, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, out about the pitfalls of guns, counts of carrying a loaded gun in incident further, said she forgot recently discovered that he has drugs and violence. a vehicle. Authorities say O’Ryan the baton was in the carry-on a four-year-old son, US Weekly On the show, which is to was arrested on Tuesday after he bag, along with CDs, makeup and magazine reported. A source start airing tomorrow, T.I. tells T.I. is sorry he played with guns. photo: AP tried to jump a security fence at “other materials she carries to told the magazine that Morgan, viewers that fear was the reason a studio where the ABC show is performances.” “Obviously, the who starred in the hit movie The he tried to buy the guns. His best taken an interest in firearms of late. filmed. Police say they found a past 48 hours have been life- Watchmen, learned he had a son friend, Philant Johnson, was killed The 21-year-old singer of Disturbia loaded shotgun and handgun in his altering,” she said. “I’m incredibly with his ex-girlfriend, producer

POP following a post-performance and Take a Bow has chosen to car. If convicted, he could face up relieved and grateful that it’s over Sherrie Rose, a few weeks ago party in Cincinnati in 2006. have the image of a handgun to four years in prison. and that justice prevailed.” and has since met the little boy. “Today I would like to say tattooed on her rib cage, according And a judge has dismissed a Lindsay Lohan is going straight “He’s shocked and surprised, thank you to some, and apologize to a photo of her posted online by charge against Grammy-nominated — straight to DVD, that is. but he wants to be in the child’s to all,” the rapper said at the her tattoo artist BangBang. singer Wayna after she was The actress is falling almost life,” the source told US. sentencing, according to MTV. On his blog, the New Yorker arrested at a Houston airport for as fast as the balance in her bank Morgan also had recurring “Everything I learned was through said that Rihanna had flown him trying to bring a collapsible police account, and in the midst of news roles on the TV shows Grey’s trial and error. I’ve learned out to her Hollywood home to ink baton through security. about her excessive partying and Anatomy and Weeds. lessons in my life to put in my the design, which they decided Wayna was charged with overspending, it was reported last — Agencies music so people won’t make the to put on her rib cage rather than possession of a prohibited weapon week that her latest movie Labor same mistakes as me.” her arms to avoid jeopardizing her on Wednesday. The third-degree Pains will not even get a theatrical Rihanna armed herself with a tattoo. Rihanna also seems to have lucrative modeling deals. felony was dropped Friday. Wayna, release in the US. photo: AFP