The New Year is often a time for British families to head to the theatre for a bit of a mid-winter treat. Whether you like to take the kids to see the local pantomime, or head to London’s West End for a musical, there is plenty of choice when it comes to live theatre.
However, in recent years theatrical events have been gaining wider audiences because of live link-ups to cinemas across the country. And now even the world famous Bolshoi Ballet company is now getting in on the action.
This January Cineworld – which has screens the length and breadth of the country – will be presenting Jewels by the Moscow based dance troupe in a special event called Bolshoi Ballet Live.
Following on from their success with Sleeping Beauty, Jewels will be shot in high definition for the big screen event.
This is the fourth consecutive year that the Bolshoi Ballet will have presented one of their productions on the silver screen in a live cinema format.
One of the new films out in 2014 at Cineworld that has been most anticipated by dance lovers, the concept is designed to introduce ballet to many who may never seen it before as well.
Whether you are entirely new to ballet or have never had the opportunity to see it performed to a high standard, the cinematic version of Jewels will make for an excellent New Year alternative to a traditional theatre trip.
And, depending on where you live, it may well mean that you don’t have to travel to London or another major city to enjoy it. Older kids in particular – who may have outgrown pantos – will enjoy the drama that is played out in dance.
Inspired by the famous jewellers of New York’s Fifth Avenue, the production is presented in three parts. Jewels is designed to represent a kind of tribute to the cities of Paris, New York and St Petersburg. Each of the three sections has music written by different composers. Featuring music by Gabriel Fauré, the emerald section of the piece is representative of the French romantic school.
Later, the ruby section is more dynamic with a score by Igor Stravinsky that echoes modern Broadway musicals. Lastly, the diamond section utilises Pyotr Tchaikovsky well-known music to evoke the grandeur of Imperial Russia.
Jewels is presented at Cineworld on 19th January only so it is advisable to book ahead to ensure that you don’t miss out on a truly unique cinematic experience. The running time is a little over two hours and the production is rated as 12A.