American Ballet Theater Performs ‘A Winter’s Tale’ A West Coast Premiere At Segerstrom Center April 3-6

March 14, 2025

By Lydia E. Ringwald

Shakespeare’s enigmatic ‘The Winter’s Tale’ performed by the American Ballet Theater whirls from a play into a mystical ballet on the Segerstrom stage April 3 – April 6.

Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon in ‘The Winter’s Tale’ creates another danced masterpiece to rival his elegant ‘Woolf Works’ performed at the Segerstrom Center last year and his energetic and high-spirited ballet version of the musical ‘An American in Paris’.

The bitter-sweet Shakespearean ’tale’ of an insane jealousy that devastates a family but then mystically twists towards reconciliation is told through an intricate series of dramatic choreographies danced by American Ballet Theater’s top ballet stars.

Set in Sicily, Leontes, a jealous king, falsely accuses his pregnant wife of infidelity, indicting his loyal friend Polixenes of Bohemia as the culprit. Polixenses flees, and Leontes’ wife, Hermione, while incarcerated, gives birth to their daughter Perdita in prison.

Leontes rejects his daughter and demands that the baby be abandoned. Hermione pleads her innocence, but Leontes refuses to believe her. In the insane emotional turmoil of Leontes’ mistrust, their son Mamillus collapses and dies. Distressed by the loss, Hermione also appears to perish.

Hermione’s Lady in Waiting, Paulina, and her husband, Antigonus, take the daughter, Perdita, to an island and leave her there with a treasure, an emerald once given to her mother, Hermione, by Leontes.

Perdita is raised as a Shepherdess until the age of 16 when she meets Florizel, the son of Polixenes. They fall in love and want to marry but Polixenes, believing  that she is a lowly Shepherdess does not approve. The truth of her identity is revealed, however, when he sees the Emerald and realizes that she is the long lost Perdita, Princess of Sicilia.

The palace then celebrates the wedding and the two kings are reunited. However Leontes is still deeply remorseful at the loss of Hermione. Tortured by  his grief, as Leontes dances in front of the statue or Hermione, it miraculously comes to life and Hermione, who has been kept in hiding, is alive again. They dance in joy as the family is reunited.

The ‘tale’ reveals a truth. These are the the tragic consequences that result when love is not trusted, valued, and nurtured with understanding and compassion.

Although tragedy overcomes the characters in the beginning, there is an opportunity for redemption at the end.  Ultimately, forgiveness, compassion, and understanding overcome the limits of jealousy and mistrust.

With commissioned score by Joby Talbot, scenery and costumes designed by Bob Crowley, lighting design by Natasha Katz, and special stage effects designed by Daniel Brodie and Basil Twist, this co-production of the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada was first presented at the Royal Opera House, London in April 2014. 

The North American premiere of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ was performed by The National Ballet of Canada in 2015 and again in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario. Canada. In 2016, ‘The Winter’s Tale’ premiered in the United States at the 

John F. Kennedy Center and later that year in New York at the Lincoln Center.

American Ballet Theater premieres the first West Coast performance of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ at Segerstrom Center on opening night April 3 danced by Aran Bell as Leontes, Devon Teuscher as Hermione, Catherine Hurlin as Pedita, Carlos Gonzalez as Florizel, Cory Stearns as Polixenes and Christine Shevchenko as Paulina.

Stellar ballet artists Skylar Brandt, Hee Soo and other dancers, who have also appeared in shows in Orange County in the past and have a following here, also have lead roles in ‘The Winter’s Tale’ performances.

Subsequent performances are danced by the inspiring cast of talented American Ballet Theater stars in matinee and evening performances April 3 – 6.