Laughing our heads off at ‘The Naughty Daughter‘

When was the last time you laughed at the ballet? Most probably never, because when you go to the ballet you experience things other than bursting into giggles. You swoon at the sight of 24 pretty ballerinas dressed in white tutus moving in unison across the stage like a flock of swans. You marvel at the gravity-defying leaps and jumps of the premier danseur. You lose count as the prima ballerina executes her bravura fouettés. But to chuckle and double up in laughter? Never.

That’s why Ballet Manila’s recent production of The Naughty Daughter was like a breath of fresh air. Finally, not only were the audience thrilled by fabulous dancing but they were also entertained by the comedy on stage.

The Naughty Daughter is a balletic rarity, with its country maids, cows and chickens. It is one of the few comic ballets; of course, it has a happy ending. The ballet is set in a farm, and the grand pas de deux happens at a picnic. The protagonists love each other, and they end up getting married to each other. It is said that no matter how many times you watch The Naughty Daughter, you’re sure to come out of the theater with a smile on your face. It is virtually indestructible.

Choreographed by Russian choreographer Sergey Vikulov and restaged by BM artistic associate Osias Barroso, The Naughty Daughter follows the efforts of Mother Simone to find a suitable husband for her daughter Lise, the naughty daughter of the title. Unknown to Mother Simone, Lise has been secretly meeting with Colas, her true love. She objects to their relationship because she intends to marry her daughter off to Alain, the simpleton son of Thomas, the wealthy farmer. Through some accident, Mother Simone accidentally drives the lovers into each other’s arms. She has no choice but marry them off.

The secret to a successful staging of The Naughty Daughter is having a really naughty daughter. The ballerina must know how to milk the comedy for all it is worth or else risk being upstaged by Mother Simone. In Ballet Manila’s production, three different ballerinas took on the role of Lise: BM principal ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, senior soloist Sandralynn Huang, and soloist Marian Faustino.

Macuja-Elizalde was supposed to have danced Lise six years ago. However, as Vikulov was completing the choreography, she discovered she was pregnant with her son Manuel (Mac). This was her first assumption of the role for the company.

Of the three Lises, Macuja-Elizalde had her role down pat. This is a really naughty daughter. When Mother Simone suggests Alain as Lise’s husband, she stomped her feet in disgust. Her scenes with Mother Simone (Jonathan Janolo) were pure comedy as they tried to outdo each other. Both Macuja-Elizalde and Jonolo are capable actors; they have the timing to bring out the funny in their scenes. Add to that her bravura dancing. Although she might have announced her imminent retirement from dancing to give BM’s ballerinas a chance to assume her roles, she never lost her energy and verve in putting her best to all her roles. You never feel shortchanged of a good show whenever she’s in a show.

Huang was an able Lise, too. Like Macuja-Elizalde, she had her role down pat. This is a farm girl who knows what she wants. Maybe, she got a little overshadowed by the trio of Mother Simone, Thomas (Marcus Tolentino) and Alain (Niño Guevarra), but on her own and with Jerome Espejo, her Colas, she was in her element. She just lacked that sense of mastery, which comes with dancing a role for years.

Faustino was the weakest Lise in this production. She was too regal to be a farm girl. In her scenes with Mother Simone, she simply got lost in the comedy. You do not sense her disobeying, much less rebelling, against Mother Simone’s wishes. Not naughty at all. Of course, she danced ravishingly and in the pas de deux with Gerardo Francisco, her Colas, she was superb.

Of the two Colases, Espejo was the ideal farm boy. Rugged and dashing at the same time, he was the perfect partner for Macuja-Elizalde and Huang. His leaps were secure and his landings sure-footed. There was nothing to complain about his dancing. Francisco was too princely as Colas, although his dancing was more nimble and dazzling than Espejo’s. He just lacked the stature to fully command the role.

Stealing the show on some nights was Janolo in the tranny role of Mother Simone. He shook his fanny, juggled his boobies with relish, and flashed his lashes with relish that Marian Faustino never had her comic chance. In the clog dance with Tolentino, he delighted in dancing en pointe… er, en clogs. He was simply unbeatable.

As the simpleton Alain, Niño Guevarra managed to bring out the character’s melodramatic nature. Here was a boy who was simply being pushed too early by his father into marriage, when all he wanted was to play with his toy pony. He did an impressive turn in his showstopping solo, and the sight of him flying in the air at the end of Act 1 was simply hilarious. The other Alain, Ricardo Mallari, was more a rogue than a lost little boy. His boyish persona was more a put on to snare Lise. However, his solos were effective and just as effective as Guevarra’s. As Thomas, Tolentino was cast perfectly among the comic characters, his comic turns in tune with Mother Simone and the two Alains.

Completing the cast were Lemuel Capa and Roduardo Ma as the Flautist, Arnulfo Andrade and Kenneth del Rosario as the Rooster, Gia Galvez and Dawna Mangahas as the chickens, Renmark Manawag and Resty Cidamon as the horses, and Jerome Gumayagay as the Notary.