Amal Choucri Catta greets Kazantzakis's hero Greeting the great Greek Zorba , music by Mikis Theodorakis, Cairo Opera Ballet, choreography Lorca Massine, Cairo Opera Orchestra, conductor Nader Abbassi; A Capella Choir, choir master Maya Gwineria, artistic director Erminia Kamel, Cairo Opera House Main Hall, 28-29 March; 5-6 April, 8pm When he came on stage, he was greeted with deafening ovations and shouts of joy. Young and old stood up to wave and scream their admiration. Few were ever as boisterously acclaimed as Zorba, the great Greek on opening night, after his performance at Cairo Opera's Main Hall. He has his way of appearing regularly, once or twice a year, to a full house. Audiences may have applauded him several times, yet they never fail to return and submit to the thrill: the extraordinary beauty of the spectacle and the perfection of the performance. This time, the Cairo Opera Orchestra under Maestro Nader Abbassi's ardently impassioned baton, granted Mikis Theodorakis's wonderful music particularly expressive colour while giving the audience all the vivid emotions of the human kaleidoscope: from heartbreaking grief to exuberant elation. Lorca Massine's ravishing choreography harmoniously encompasses Nicos Kazantzakis's novel and Michalis Cocoyannis's film of 1962, starring Anthony Quinn, while avoiding all such complicated or unnecessary sequences that might mar the fluidity of the plot. With Hani Hassan in the title role, the show is bound to be smashing. He is the most fascinating danseur-etoile of Cairo's ballet company and the best Zorba the company has had. Hani Hassan is not only a brilliant dancer but also an extraordinary comedian. He was the first Egyptian dancer invited to perform at the Russian Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre, where he participated in Romeo and Juliet. In 2003 he performed in the Four Seasons ballet as well as the role of Don Jose in Carmen, in Italy, with the Renato Greco Company. In 2005 he was invited by the Athens Opera to perform the role of Zorba. Hani Hassan has successfully danced main roles in most of the Cairo Opera Ballet's repertoire: lately he was a marvellous magician in The Nutcracker, an excellent Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and a spectacular Shahriar in A Thousand-and-One Nights. Zorba opens on a grave note, with the men's choir dramatically introducing the musical prelude, foreshadowing the tragic events to follow. As the curtain rises, we discover a sun-bathed village on one of the Greek islands, where Yorgos, the handsomest village boy, gives us an impetuous solo, while his fellow-villagers join him. Young Ahmed Saleh in the role of Yorgos is a promising dancer of the new generation. He obtained his diploma from the Higher Ballet Institute in 1997, joined the Cairo Ballet Company and participated successfully in many of the company's performances. In his interpretation of Yorgos, he seemed to be representing every base and wicked sentiment; and when he tried to seduce Marina, the beautiful young widow, he was evil incarnate. There is masculine strength and youthful joy in Yorgos's first dance, and when the village girls join their male counterparts in their lovely wide gowns, there is romance in the air. But there remains an undercurrent of impending disaster, mainly with the arrival of John, the tall, young, handsome American, captivatingly performed by Ahmed Nabil, fabulous danseur-etoile. He graduated in 1999 from the Academy of Arts and obtained a Bachelors in choreography and directing from the Higher Ballet Institute in 2004 -- one of the main performers in the Cairo Ballet Company. With his impeccable white costume, snow-white shoes, impressively refined manners and vivacious pirouettes, he tries to win the villagers' friendship, but is greeted with hatred by Yorgos. Zorba, the unselfish, happy-go-lucky, freedom-loving, debonair Greek, who loves the world as much as he loves beautiful women, and who never stops darting, bee-like, from one "flower" to another, is the only one who accepts John's presence among the villagers. He makes fun of the foreigner and shows him the right way to move, to dance and to take life in his stride, accepting destiny as it comes. John has a hard time learning but he does forget everything when he meets Marina, Cairo Opera's new Prima Ballerina, Katia Ivanova, a phenomenal performer who danced her part brilliantly. She is a young widow, sharing feelings of love with John, though the villagers, headed by Yorgos, do not have sympathy for their affair. Yorgos desires Marina, and pretending she belongs to him, he tries to chase John away. Marina and John's pas-de-deux at the end of Act I, which introduces Act II, makes up one of the most captivating themes of the ballet: the lovers meet in their very own paradise, dreaming their dream of happiness, while buzukis play and the female choir sings one of its beautiful melodies. Night is falling, when out of the shadows comes Hanan El-Guindy in dramatic black attire, singing her moving tune to Marina, telling her to beware and warning her of the evil that surrounds her. First mezzo- soprano of the Cairo Opera House, Hanan El-Guindy's fascinating voice carries as much sadness as passion. She is joined by the choir and as the lovers' dance comes to an end, she slowly walks away. As the music soars and percussions rumble on, the villagers return, separating the lovers and killing Marina. John seeks revenge, but Zorba stops him. The dance goes on and so does the music. Darkness sets in and Madame Hortense's nostalgic melody returns. She appears in three separate sequences: the first time as an introduction to herself, the second time when Zorba gives her a lovely wedding ceremony, and the third time when he takes her to her last resting place. Madame Hortense is an old lady, a foreigner who dreams of her glorious past. As a star of the stage, she never gave a thought to the future until destiny brought her to the Greek village where she realised her youth was gone and no one cared for her any more -- until she met Zorba. He loves her and leaves her to go around flirting with easy girls in the city's cabaret; and when he returns, he discovers her agony. Deeply moved, he carries her to her tomb, realising how much he had loved her in his own, strange way, while suddenly feeling the impact of his loneliness. This time, Madame Hortense was gracefully interpreted by the beautiful Zeinab Mohamed, who is rather young for the role. She did her best, but the somewhat difficult part does require a mature dancer. In the end John and Zorba decide to take life in their stride, sorrow and grief included. They dance the Sirtaki with all villagers, while the fabulous Maestro guides orchestra, choir and dancers to a glorious ending followed by several encores while the house yelled with delight. This was indeed a phenomenal show.
