Columbia City Ballet is bringing this Shakespeare masterpiece to the Koger Center

Even if you’re not exactly a Shakespeare connoisseur, it’s worth taking the leap for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” On Saturday, Jan. 27, Columbia City Ballet will bring the classic tale to the Koger Center for the Arts, backed by the full South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Morihiko Nakahara.

Felix Mendelssohn’s well-known score – which includes the “Wedding March” you’ve likely heard at a few weddings – the ballet weaves a tale of four lovers and a troupe of amateur actors caught in a quarrel between Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies. Performing the ballet for only the sixth time in 41 years, the Columbia City Ballet employs a blend of comedy, classical dance, and modern-day storytelling.

Once again leading the company in the ballet that originally brought him to Columbia in 1977, artistic director William Starrett shared with GoColumbia what makes this production “magical.”

Q. How did this partnership with the Philharmonic come about?

A. It’s always a goal to have the finances to afford live music with the productions. I worked for two years to schedule Maestro Nakahara to be able to accompany our full-length “Swan Lake” production in 2017. That was such a success, and so many city leaders and patrons were inspired to work toward having live music for this season’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Q. What are the advantages or challenges of performing with an orchestra?

A. The challenge is affording it financially. The advantages are numerous. The audience can experience the art form as it was designed – the dancers expressing the exact music as the musicians are performing it at that exact moment. The experience is completely live, unique and never the same. To experience the music and the movement live is profound. The conductor can lead the technical aspect of the production so that everything is synchronized cohesively.

Q. Do you have plans to continue this collaboration for future productions?

A. Yes! We have plans for live music every spring for the next five years.

Q. Tell us a little bit more about Columbia City Ballet’s history with this production.

A. We first performed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 1977. Our founding director, Ann Brodie, created a brand new production when she first returned from sabbatical. That was my first performance with the Columbia City Ballet. I was a guest artist coming to Columbia while I was dancing for the American Ballet Theater in New York City. We have produced the ballet five times since then, 10 years later in 1987, then again in 2000, 2008, 2011, and now 2018.

Q. Why is CCB bringing Midsummer Night’s Dream back this year, in particular?

A. We brought a Midsummer Night’s Dream back this season because the Midlands hasn’t seen it since 2011. Also, it is such a respected score for our partnership with the full SC Philharmonic.

Q. Last year’s “Nutcracker” boasted snow, golden costumes, and celebrity appearances! What special features should the audience watch for in Columbia City Ballet’s first big production of 2018?

A. Flying donkey heads, caves that open magically and the full South Carolina Philharmonic orchestra playing live, conducted by Morihiko Nakahara himself. This is a Shakespearian comedic classic, produced in our grandest theater, accompanied by a full symphonic orchestra, a truly rare even for a city our size.

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 2:46 PM.