SCOOP: The Kennedy Center revives the Stuttgart Ballet with Onegin
"The beauty of Onegin takes you into a fantasy world," Marisela Ramirez told the Washington Reporter about the show's history return to D.C.
The Kennedy Center added a new crown jewel to its repertoire of classic restorations with the highly anticipated return of the Stuttgart Ballet’s Onegin.
From Les Misérables to The Sound of Music, the Kennedy Center is on a crusade to bring iconic masterpieces back to its stages — and the return of the Onegin is another triumphant testament.
“The last time the Stuttgart Ballet actually came on tour [at the Kennedy Center itself] was 33 years ago and so we’re very excited to be here and to perform one of the best, actually one of the jewels from John Cranko,” Stuttgart soloist Fabio Adorisio told the Washington Reporter from the red carpet kickoff.
Onegin has been a cornerstone of the Stuttgart Ballet’s identity after its 1965 premiere in Germany, and it is considered one of Cranko’s masterpieces. The story is based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel, Eugene Onegin, which tells the tragic tale of love at the wrong time — through endless twirls of tulle and pinpoint pirouettes.
“Onegin [is remarkable],” Tamas Detrich, the show’s artistic director, told the Reporter. “You don’t need to read a program, read the story, or understand Pushkin. You go into the performance, sit down, curtain goes up and you will get the whole story and you will cry at the end. It’s beautiful, it’s a masterpiece.”
Detrich, a renowned veteran of the ballet world, danced in the Kennedy Center’s Onegin debut in the 1970s. He said it’s a dream come true to see Onegin back on the Opera Stage.
“I wish it would have been 10 years ago, 20 years ago, to be honest,” Detrich said. “I just wanted to bring the company back to the United States, where I grew up, where I’ve seen the most magnificent performances as a child.”
“Everyone’s been so generous and so gracious, welcoming us here back in the Kennedy Center,” a glowing Detrich said of his homecoming. The Detrich-helmed three-act drama spans approximately 2 hours and 17 minutes, with two 20-minute intermissions.
“It’s such a beautiful experience to be here and it’s such a blessing, it’s such an iconic stage and being able to bring one of the most iconic ballets also from our company is such a treasure,” Rocio Aleman, who dances the star role of Tatiana, told the Reporter. “I feel John Cranko — who created our company — has such a special way of telling stories.”
Kari Lake, one of the event’s VIPs, walked the Kennedy Center’s red carpet in anticipation for Onegin’s opening night.
“I’ve been a fan of the ballet and my husband surprised me and bought me tickets to the performance tonight and I said I can’t miss it,” Lake said. “The arts should be all inclusive, not only one party, one politics, one ideology and so I think it’s really wonderful they’re bringing in the classics.”
The event was made possible in part by the CEO of SyberJet Aircraft, Trevor Milton, who added to the Reporter that “what’s been really awesome about Ambassador Grennell and Donald Trump is they’ve really pushed to bring this center back to be the number one place to attract talent — and Syberjet is that way too…we’re all about innovation and speed and talent, and it’s the same thing here.”
Milton also revealed that the Kennedy Center’s Opera Circles Lounge will be renamed as the SyberJet Lounge for the next five years. “Our goal is to try to bring as much change for the good for the next five years,” Milton vowed. “With the sponsors now we can attract the best talent and that’s what’s been really cool about the Stuttgart Ballet, which has some of the best ballerinas and ballets in the entire world — and without great sponsors they can’t come…so that’s why we jumped in to help.”
The show’s limited run received rave reviews from fans, many of whom told the Reporter that it was their first time at a show like it.
One, Marisela Ramirez, remarked that “the beauty of Onegin takes you into a fantasy world.” Ramirez added that “the sets are reminiscent of a Rembrandt painting, and the choreography is more powerful than words. The Stuttgart Ballet executed the tragic story of an unrequited love and regret irresistible to artistic interpretation.”
Ramirez was far from alone in her praise of the show. “Onegin made me wish I went to the ballet more often,” one said. “Incredible storytelling, talented dancers, gorgeous sets, and moving score.”
The show succeeded in doing what Grenell and his colleagues work tirelessly to do: attract new attendees to the Kennedy Center. One, who has never seen a ballet there before, told the Reporter that while she doesn’t “have a deep understanding of ballet, I have a new appreciation for it after Stuttgart. Beautifully performed and powerfully conveyed.”
“The ballet was simply beautiful,” another attendee told the Reporter. “No other way I can describe it. I was mesmerized by the performance, the costumes, and the music. It felt like I was in New York City watching the show on Broadway. Thanks to Ambassador Grenell, I truly believe that D.C. is becoming a hotspot for the arts.”
It wasn’t just Grenell who attendees thanked for the historic performance. “I’m so impressed with Donald Trump’s attention to detail and his commitment not only to making the world a better and safer place, but also for celebrating the beauty of it through the arts,” another added.