Before spinning wheels got a bad name, there was the original story of Sleeping Beauty, where Princess Aurora pricked her finger on a needle hidden in a tapestry by an evil sorceress named Carabosse, not Maleficent. In case your cultural horizons are limited to the Disney-fied version with Flora, Fauna and Merrywether gallivanting around with toe-tapping forest creatures, treat yourself to the fancy footwork of The American Ballet Theatre's The Sleeping Beauty led by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Tchaikovsky's score, composed in 1889, gives depth to the tale of a beautiful princess who naps for 100 years only to be awakened only by her true love's kiss in a way that “Once Upon a Dream” — although memorably sung by Mary Costa — could never equal.

Thu., July 15, 2010

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