‘Completely captivated’: the rousing return of musicals’ dream ballets

From Oklahoma! and Singin’ in the Rain to The Big Lebowski and Maestro, these showstoppers give a blissful hit of dance. A Rodgers and Hammerstein triple bill at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre reawakens the tradition‘They’re annoying and stupid and slow everything down. Nobody likes a dream ballet!” That’s a quote from Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!, the musical theatre parody that could only have been made by people who absolutely love (almost) all things musicals. Drew McOnie is having none of it. “Maybe we should put that on the poster,” he jokes, since he has commissioned a triple bill of dream ballets for his inaugural season as artistic director at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre.What’s a dream ballet anyway, you may ask. It’s the bit in a musical where the dialogue and songs stop and dance takes over, often to delve into the psyche of a character at a crossroads. Agnes de Mille’s original dream ballet for 1943’s Oklahoma! was called Laurey Makes Up Her Mind – she had to decide between two suitors – and it was a major moment for dance on Broadway. Other famous dream ballets include in the 1951 film An American in Paris, where Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron spend 17 minutes dancing through elaborate painted stage-sets of Paris, or Singin’ in the Rain’s Broadway Melody, a film within a film. Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

Most ‘unpredictable’ horror movie of the decade is now streaming on Netflix

Metro

Comments

Similar News

How to Train Your Dragon to Neil Young: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

The Complete List Of 2025 BET Awards Winners

Jimin and Jungkook complete military service to pave way for BTS reunion

A Murdered Journalist’s Unfinished Book About the Amazon Gets Completed and Published

The completely free streaming service that’s ‘like DIY Netflix’ with 25,000,000 users

K-pop group BTS set to reunite as two more members complete military service

Tony Awards 2025: The complete list of winners

From Ballerina to the return of Pulp: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

Addison Rae’s debut album proves her evolution from influencer to pop heavyweight is complete

The biggest complaint about Race Across The World misses the point completely

The completely free streaming service with 25,000,000 users that’s ‘like DIY Netflix’

All-electric aircraft completes flight with passengers from Long Island to New York City

It’s been 5 years since one of the best LGBTQ+ shows and I’m still completely obsessed

Gotham Television Awards 2025: The Complete Winners List

Completely free streaming service adds ‘bingeable’ new drama perfect for Pride Month

Ex-EastEnders favourite makes big soap return – but in a completely different show

Mountainhead to Nintendo Switch 2: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

TV fans are left ‘completely traumatised’ over bizarre phone sex scene

Béla Bartók: Complete Piano Concertos album review – Tomáš Vrána rises to the challenge

A journalist was killed while writing a book on the Amazon. Here's how friends completed his work

Culture

Most ‘unpredictable’ horror movie of the decade is now streaming on Netflix

WMATA train operators arrested, accused of healthcare fraud scheme

Bonnaroo 2025 cancelled after just one night due to severe storms days after co-founder’s death

Marlee Matlin reveals how she relied on mentor Henry Winkler after tumultuous relationship with William Hurt

Skins star unrecognisable as he reunites with cast 12 years after show ended

Eerie sci-fi series dubbed ‘freshest British drama in years’ launched 10 years ago

'Wait Wait' for June 14, 2025: With Not My Job guest Chris Perfetti

Pope Leo's video address to be played at Chicago's White Sox ballpark

The National Weather Service issues Alaska's first ever heat advisory

Mexico's president calls for no ICE raids during Mexico-Dominican Republic soccer match

Rylan Clark says he begged Celebrity Gogglebox editors to cut out risqué ‘career-ending’ remarks

Love Island star jailed for 14 years after role in huge drug smuggling ring exposed

2 Men Are Sentenced in Theft of Golden Toilet

Made In Chelsea star pays tribute to ‘lovely friends’ killed in Air India crash

Australian man shot to death at a villa on the tourist island of Bali

How Prime Video's 'Burn Bar' is changing the way we watch NASCAR

King Charles III marks Air India tragedy with moment of silence during annual birthday parade

David Beckham, Gary Oldman, Elaine Paige and others honored by King Charles III

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to spotlight Venice's artisanal heritage during upcoming nuptials

‘We’d hold hands and cry’: Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers’ wife opens up about his final months for the first time

Keira Knightley reflects on negative consequence of Pirates of the Caribbean role

Star Wars boss Kathleen Kennedy addresses concern over ‘illegal’ screening of original film

The degrading moment the ‘best TV show’ crossed a line and never looked back

Watch: Idris Elba unveils celebratory stone at old college

Mood swings fuelled Heston Blumenthal's genius. But the highs got higher and the lows got darker

Gary Oldman and Strictly hosts join Beckham in honours

I made Sleep Token's masks on my mum's kitchen table

Love Island’s Georgia Harrison: 'I re-read my MBE letter three times'

One student reflects on how their dad inspires them

Molly Recommends 2 Very Male New Novels

Pop star Robbie Williams named as new Fifa Music Ambassador

Jarvis Cocker is Britpop’s ultimate comeback king in scintillating Pulp show

Tess Daly almost missed MBE after error in letter

Churchill won the war but lost the peace - was that inevitable?

30 years on, I watch Braveheart for first time. It would bring a tear to a glass eye

10 exhibitions to see next - including work from a top Scottish sculptor

Top Chef finalist Shuai Wang cooks Chinatown BBQ with a Lowcountry flair

10 years after the deadly church shooting, a new history of 'Mother Emanuel'

Pop star Robbie Williams named as new Fifa Music Ambassador

Reëxamining Victimhood in Guatemala

A Very Elon Father’s Day

Lessons of Later-in-Life Fatherhood

EastEnders to hold back release of next episode as new boss shares statement

Eamonn Holmes says he has worked with ‘so many horrible’ co-stars

Rylan says Celebrity Gogglebox editors had to cut out ‘career-ending’ conversations

What if being Mr. 305 was a state of mind?

I played the new Resident Evil — and a whole lot more. Here are my thoughts

Book Review:

Trying to Sell a Conservative Book? Go on a Podcast.

A Decade of Bruising Labor. A 6-Mile Work of Land Art.

At National History Day, Students Get Competitive About the Past

Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Busy Caring for a Pony, Pig, Donkey and Malamute

Lenny Henry fights back tears reflecting on mother’s death during tour

No more Edinburgh Book Festival for me – where did it all go wrong?

Noel Gallagher gave me his Oasis Wonderwall guitar - after Liam smashed up mine

Abbott Elementary's Chris Perfetti talks getting notes from mom and loving Wait Wait

The Grammys tweak rules to create two new categories for 2026