New England Ballet Theatre Presents: The Long Black Veil
New England Ballet Theatre (NEBT) presents: The Long Black Veil on Saturday, October 19th at 7:00pm at the Hoffman Auditorium at the University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Ave, West Hartford, CT 06117.
New England Ballet Theatre is proud to present an original ballet based on the country ballad The Long Black Veil. Opening the company’s first performance of the fifth anniversary season, this world premiere runs for one night only. Rachael Gnatowski’s original choreography will enrapture audiences of all ages in a dark but family-friendly homage to all things Americana. The production will feature the company dancers of NEBT as well as guest artists.
The Long Black Veil is set in a rural Appalachian town in the late 1800s. It follows two couples, Frederick and Abigail, and Jackson and Margaret. The town is preparing for a celebration, and Frederick and Margaret, who are secretly in love, sneak away to share a moment together. But all is interrupted when there’s a sudden murder in the town. The mysterious stranger who did the deed has escaped into the shadows of twilight, leaving Frederick looking like the guilty party. This production will feature new costumes by Fiona Burlin (NEBT’s Costume Director), and live music by local fiddle player Cat Lines.
Executive and Artistic Director Rachael Gnatowski says, “The Long Black Veil is a celebration of Americana sprinkled with drama, romance, and suspense. This world premiere features thrilling choreography performed by a cast of high-caliber dancers. The country ballad that inspired this ballet was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry for being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’ Our production intends to pay homage to that American folk tradition, and includes nods to American clogging, sacred harp singing, fiddling, and quilting. We hope to see you at the theater for this special, one-of-a-kind production.”
To purchase tickets, visit neballettheatre.com/the-long-black-veil. All tickets are general admission and cost $30.
NEBT The Long Black Veil, Photo credit NEBT