The Joffrey Ballet’s ‘Anna Karenina’ opens at the Lyric Opera House

A few protestors didn’t dim the enthusiasm or excitement for The Joffrey Ballet’s opening night performance of “Anna Karenina” on Wednesday, February 15. It was a full house at the Lyric Opera House for this haunting, sensual, romantic and tragic story based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel about an affair between a married woman and a dashing count in late 19^th century Russia.

Yuri Possokhov’s adaptation of this Tolstoy story, with original composition by Ilya Demutsky, opened with a quote by Tolstoy: "Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness."

An announcement followed: “Tolstoy's compelling words still ring true. He reminds us that the more thoughtful we are, the more compassion we can find in others. The Joffrey Ballet holds all Ukrainians in our hearts as we hope for a better world and an end to oppression for all people. We dedicate this performance to the people of Ukraine.”

The performance then began with the Lyric Opera Orchestra playing “Melody” by Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk.

On this night, the magnificent Victoria Jaiani played the lead role as Anna Karenina. Now that we’ve seen her, we couldn’t imagine another playing this role. She is from Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia and her haunting looks and fluid movements make you wonder if she even has a skeleton. She was perfectly partnered by Dylan Gutierrez (as Alexey Karenin, her husband) and Alberto Velazquez (as Count Alexey Vronsky, her lover).

The stage designs were striking and spare but still dramatically portrayed the settings where the story took place: a train station, racecourse and a field in the countryside, replete with ‘haystacks.’ The dancers were dressed in burnt orange, red and dark shades of blue by designer Tom Pye.

The ballet’s choreographer, Yuri Possokhov, was born in Luthansk, Ukraine, and trained in Moscow before joining the Bolshoi Ballet. His beautiful, spare version of Tolstoy’s epic tale is a jointly commissioned production by Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and the Australian Ballet.

Seen on the seen were George Jewel, Ken Norgan, Marina and Dr. Arnold Tatar (who were live music sponsors), Bill and Shelley Farley, Dia Weill, Anne Kaplan, John P. Walcher, Cheryl Tama-Oblander, Harriet and Irwin Ross, Rob LoPrete and David Germaine-LoPrete, Bill Drendel, Lesley and Bob Zentner, James Kinney and Brian White, Pierre Desy and Michele Desjardins and former Joffrey dancer Temur Suluashvili, who was in the audience cheering on his wife Victoria.  

On opening night, the production received four curtain calls, and deservedly so. Scott Speck, the Joffrey Ballet’s Music Director (who conducted the Lyric Opera Orchestra) presented Victoria with flowers before their bows.

(“Anna Karenina” at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker, now through February 26, Joffrey.org, 312.386.8905. Tickets start at $36) (All photos by Candid Candace Jordan)

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