1. "As discussed over my bleeding body, FALL RIVER LEGEND on DVD"
Posted by Bob Gutowski on Aug-14th-02 at 12:28 PM

The Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Agnes de Mille's ballet FALL RIVER LEGEND is now available on DVD.  Previously, it was only available on VHS, with the other ballets TROY* GAME, THE BELOVED, and JOHN HENRY.  If you don't already own the complete ballet score on CD (be aware that the "suite" version contains some music that was trimmed from the score at de Mille's request, including an alternate section for Lizzie's childhood), purchase of either the VHS or the DVD will take care of that.  Virginia Johnson (whose debut in this role I was present at) is wonderful as "The Accused."  If the rest of the company is not quite up to her (the otherwise excellent stepmother is lacking subtlety; she mouths "She's going CRAZY!" when she discusses Lizzie with Andrew in the mime sequences), and if the direction and camera work get a bit bizarre (in the post-murder dream sequence reuniting Lizzie and her dead mother, the dancers obviously had to perform the whole section at a faster tempo, which was then slowed down, so that the music is playing as written while the dancers are in slow motion - why?), this is currently the only full-length production available for home purchase.  My research and collecting has availed me bits and pieces of older performances, and I live in hope that the OMNIBUS TV program featuring a shortened version of the ballet starring the dancer for whom it was choreographed, Nora Kaye, will someday be in the stores.  I'm going to call Anna up at the FRHS to see if they're aware of the release, as I'm sure they'd want to carry it!

*As Victoria Lincoln reminds us, Fall River was once called "Troy."  Hmm!          

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