The Macao Cultural Centre will host the Shanghai Ballet this Friday and Saturday for a sumptuous production of The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas fils.
The younger Dumas (not to be confused Alexandre Dumas père, the author of the Three Musketeers) wrote his famed romantic tragedy in 1848 and adapted it for the stage himself. Often called simply Camille in English, the story revolves around the relationship between a consumptive courtesan and her middle-class suitor.
The Lady of the Camellias has gone through several iterations as a ballet, most notably in 1963, when it was produced by the choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton as Marguerite and Armand, specifically for Rudolf Nureyev and prima ballerina assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn.
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The Shanghai Ballet’s production, which premiered in 2019, has been created by artistic director Derek Deane and features a score by the American composer Carl Davis.
The two-hour performance is being staged in the Macao Cultural Centre’s Grand Auditorium, with tickets available from Kong Seng ticketing service outlets, Macau Ticket, or the venue itself.
Tracing its origins back to 1966, the Shanghai Ballet is known for its repertoire of both Chinese and Western dance styles. Its dancers have won 58 medals in international ballet competitions.
