A week before the london premiere of the peter schaufuss ballet s midnight express, its star sergei polunin left the. Peter schaufuss, director and choreographer for midnight express, said hes disappointed that the 23yearold has left the show. Freed of london are presenting an evening with the stars of peter schaufuss midnight express. Director vows the show must go on as ballet star polunin. The peter schaufuss ballet company said understudy johan christensen would take over the main role in the show. I saw him on tuesday evening and he said he really wanted to dance. Danish dancer peter schaufuss to open fulltime ballet. Sergei polunin, who so dramatically resigned from the royal ballet earlier this year, is to take the lead role in the uk premiere of peter schaufuss dance production of midnight express at the london coliseum in april 20 adapted from the book by billy hayes that later became an academy awardwinning film directed by alan parker and starring brad davis, the dance version of midnight. During his time with the company juan danced numerous ballets and created variety of roles for the company repertoire also guest work with the royal ballet, manon royal opera house, k ballet, tokyo, rhapsody, frederick ashton, lincoln centre new york, peter schaufuss ballet midnight express, london coliseum. Midnight express and headline stars part company londondance. Almost everything else is down to danish choreographer peter schaufuss. Atg offer 50% off dress circle and upper circle seats. Browse billy hayess bestselling audiobooks and newest titles.
Well, the set is spectacular, by the everresourceful steven scott. Peter schaufusss midnight express rolls into the london coliseum in april 20. Billy hayes is an american writer, actor, and film director. Without polunin, whats left is a possibly illadvised ballet based on the billy hayes book midnight express, about a young man jailed in turkey in the 70s for drug smuggling later made into a. An evening with the stars of midnight express at freed of. Midnight express peter schaufuss olivier and evening standard awardwinning dancer, director and choreographer peter schaufuss presents the uk premiere of his acclaimed ballet midnight express, an original production based on billy hayess bestselling 1977 book. Peter schaufuss ballet performs midnight express at the london coliseum till sunday. Schaufuss, peter was born on april 26, 1950 in copenhagen, denmark. Midnight express at the london coliseum a patchily performed jailsentence of a show, writes mark monahan. Locked up abroad, the national geographic series, shared hayes story in 2010 with a new worldwide audience, and in 20 peter schaufuss presented his powerful ballet version of midnight express at the london coliseum, reaching yet another audience. Midnight express, a ballet dance show by peter schaufuss at london coliseum midnight express, alternate title of the album oh, boy. Perhaps igor zelensky and sergei polunin had simply seen stills of peter schaufusss midnight express when they agreed to appear in the ballet. Tickets for the danceballet performance midnight express in london here. Peter schaufuss, danish ballet dancer, producer, choreographer and artistic director.
Adapted from the book by billy hayes that later became an academy. Famous pieces include the tchaikovsky trilogy swan lake, sleeping beauty and the nutcracker. Peter schaufuss ballet midnight express london dancetabs. Peter schaufuss presents the uk premiere of his acclaimed ballet midnight express, an original production based on billy hayess bestselling 1977 book. Johan christensen steps into sergei polunins tights in. Anyone familiar with billy hayes book, written in 1977, and alan parkers awardwinning film that came a year later, even if not with peter schaufuss ballet which he made in 2000, will be aware of the scenes of graphic violence, including one of attempted homosexual rape. Midnight express definition by babylons free dictionary. The character of hayes originally to be played by polunin is. The dance worlds most original choreographer partners with its most outspoken young star in an adaptation of billy hayess smash hit book. Schaufusss midnight express with sergei polunin at london. Midnight express, a 1977 book by billy hayes and william hoffer.
Ballet dancer quits midnight express on eve of premiere cbc. Midnight express, peter schaufuss ballet, london coliseum. Olivier and evening standard award winning dancer, director and choreographer peter schaufuss presents the uk premiere of his acclaimed ballet midnight express, an original production based on billy hayess bestselling 1977 book following the controversial and widely debated tchaikovsky triple bill, midnight express. Former dancer of scottish ballet, birmingham royal ballet, royal danish ballet. Sergei polunin pulls out of peter schaufusss midnight express. Peter schaufuss ballet, london coliseum easy to see why sergei polunin and igor zelensky wanted out. His other books include the midnight express letters, and the sequel, midnight return. Sergei polunin to dance in peter schaufuss midnight express. Browse peter schaufuss ballet tour dates and order tickets for upcoming theatre shows near you. The problem lies not in his concept but in the outcome. It is on this film that the peter schaufuss ballet is primarily based, and much of the original soundtrack is used. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Peter schaufuss ballet midnight express london, coliseum 10 april 2011 well, the set is spectacular, by the everresourceful steven scott.
Danceworks london 8week absolute beginners ballet course. Peter schaufuss ballet midnight express london coliseum. The russian ballet star sergei polunin has dropped out of his role in peter schaufusss midnight express at the coliseum due to unforeseen circumstances. Peter schaufuss and luke schaufuss in darceys ballet heroes. Rarely has a dance production attracted so much gossip and speculation as peter schaufusss midnight express, which last week looked as.
Midnight express is the term given to a prisoners attempt at escape and hayes successful bid at freedom after four years incarceration was later depicted in alan parkers oscarwinning 1978 film adaptation. Taking place on wednesday, april 3, freed of london will be holding the exclusive event at their flagship store in st martins lane, covent garden. Midnight express, a ballet dance show by peter schaufuss at london coliseum. Well, a few days ago, it was announced that hell play the lead in the uk premiere of choreographer peter schaufuss midnight express next april. Gelsey kirkland mentioned a tiff she had when he was her partner in her. Midnight express peter schaufuss tour dates and concerts. Peter schaufuss peter schaufuss ballet london coliseum 9 to 14 april 20.
A week before the london premiere of the peter schaufuss ballets midnight express, its star sergei polunin left the production. Tickets for midnight express will be on sale from 12th december. Peter schaufuss born copenhagen, denmark, 1949 is a danish ballet dancer, director and choreographer he is the son of ballet dancers frank schaufuss 19211997 and mona vangsaae 19201983 schaufuss trained at the royal danish ballet school from age seven, and then joined the royal danish ballet. When star dancer sergei polunin went awol last week, it looked like the nail in the coffin for peter schaufusss midnight express.
Midnight express, a 1978 film dramatization of the book. The russian ballet star sergei polunin has dropped out of his role in peter schaufusss midnight expr ess at the coliseum due to unforeseen circumstances. Perhaps igor zelensky and sergei polunin had simply seen stills of peter schaufuss s midnight express when they agreed to appear in the ballet. No, its not a night at the royal vauxhall tavern, its the coliseums latest ballet, midnight express. He is best known for his autobiographical book midnight express about his experiences in and escape from a turkish prison after being convicted of smuggling hashish. Luke schaufuss principal dancer at sarasota ballet. Perhaps igor zelensky and sergei polunin had simply seen stills of peter schaufusss midnight express when they agreed to appear in the. Darcey bussell visits the royal ballet school during preparations for the nutcracker duration. Midnight express the dance worlds most original choreographer peter schaufuss presents an adaptation of billy hayess smashhit book. Midnight express, the soundtrack album to the film midnight express by giorgio moroder. The onstage drama cant compete with the goingson behind the scenes. We are told at the beginning of the show, in an unusual address to.
Peter schaufuss ballet ballet company directed by danish dancer and choreographer peter schaufuss. Peter schaufuss is bringing his production of midnight express based on the book by billy hayes to the london coliseum from 9th14th april 20. Olivier and evening standard award winning dancer, director and choreographer peter schaufuss presents the uk premiere of his acclaimed ballet midnight express, an original production based on billy hayess bestselling 1977 book. The idea of turning midnight express into a ballet fits exactly into the style of whacky narratives, often verging on the surreal and at the cusp of controversy, for which peter schaufuss is renowned. Despite the lastminute departure of maverick prodigy sergei polunin, this dance adaptation of hayes autobiographical tale of his. Peter schaufusss midnight express is on at the london coliseum from the 9th 14th april, 20. Danish ballet dancer and choreographer peter schaufuss has revealed plans for a fulltime ballet school in edinburgh at his two citycentre venues. Billy hayes midnight express the book, the movie, the. The nutcracker by the peter schaufuss ballet tucked away in an outlying danish ferry port, the latest take on marius petipas seasonal classic, created in 1892 for the russian imperial court. In peter schaufusss new version of the ballet, odiles method of seduction is to drop to her knees and slowly pull down the princes trousers. The work is based on the truestory book by billy hayes about an american stuck in turkish prison after hes been convicted of drug smuggling.
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