Melody Mennite News

The Houston Ballet's season opener MAYERLING Brings Drama to Life at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

Due to Hurricane Harvey, Houston Ballet is unable to perform the opening two productions at the company's home venue. However, Houston Ballet is pleased to report that select performances of fall programming have been rescheduled at THE HOBBY CENTER - SAROFIM HALL. For a limited time from September 22-24 at The Hobby Center, Houston Ballet presents Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling, and will be the first North-American company to perform this compelling production. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show below!

From March 16 - 26, Houston Ballet offers up a mixed repertory program Director's Choice: Legends and Prodigy, featuring three company, dancer and audience favorites.

In this retelling of the beloved fairy tale, pretty much everything is thrown out the window for a darker, edgier story of an independent woman fighting against her circumstances for a chance at a better life.

From March 2-12, Houston Ballet presents Stanton Welch's staging of Cinderella, which was originally created for The Australian Ballet in 1997. A fresh new take on the familiar tale, Cinderella features lavish scenery and spectacular costumes by the late New Zealand designer, Kristian Fredrickson.

Snowflakes. Sword fights. Dancing dolls. And a Christmas tree that reaches the sky. Stanton Welch's opulent new production promises everything you love about THE NUTCRACKER, brighter and more splendid than ever.

As re-imagined by Artistic Director Stanton Welch, the holiday classic pulses with new life and over-the-top theatrics reminiscent of 19th century production at its peak, but brought into the 21st by cutting-edge technology.

From February 25 - March 6, 2016, in celebration of Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson's 80th birthday, Houston Ballet will revive his spectacular staging of The Sleeping Beauty. The ballet is a flagship work for the company and a piece that is recognized as one of the supreme achievements of classical ballet. The Sleeping Beauty is based on the classic French fairy tale by Charles Perrault: a beautiful princess is cursed by an evil fairy and doomed to sleep for 100 years - only to be awakened by the kiss of the handsome prince who loves her. Desmond Heeley's spectacular designs beautifully evoke the magic, drama and whimsy of this great work. Houston Ballet will give nine performances of The Sleeping Beauty at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org.

BWW Review: Houston Ballet Gives A Luxurious Experience With THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Houston, Texas – Houston Ballet will participate in World Ballet Day, Thursday October 1, 2015. This incredible event brings live broadcasting from some of the world's leading ballet companies and audiences with a chance to catch behind the scenes looks at what goes on inside a ballet company. Houston Ballet will provide a 30 minute pre-recorded segment to be aired from 7:00 – 7:30 PM CST, October 1, 2015 for the event.

Houston Ballet will participate in World Ballet Day, Thursday October 1, 2015. This incredible event brings live broadcasting from some of the world's leading ballet companies and audiences with a chance to catch behind the scenes looks at what goes on inside a ballet company. Houston Ballet will provide a 30 minute pre-recorded segment to be aired from 7:00 - 7:30 PM CST, October 1, 2015 for the event.

BWW Review: Principal Dancer Melody Mennite Brings Down The House In A Stunning Performance as MANON

Just in time for the opening production of the Houston Ballet 2015-2016 season, the sensuous romance MANON, BroadwayWorld.com releases its discussion with Stanton Welch. In the interview, Welch talks family, career, and love. Family, career, and love at the Houston Ballet, of course.

Melody Mennite, who portrays Katherina in Houston Ballet's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, was given the responsibility of bringing emotional content to senseless violence and etching butt kicking into your memory. As you'll see in our discussion, she worked very hard before she delivered.

William Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW is a comedic, character-driven piece about the courtship of volatile Katherina and obnoxious Petruchio. Character pieces require great characters, naturally, and great performers. In his ballet adaptation, John Cranko delivers. In the Houston Ballet production, so do the dancers.

Summer is coming and luckily for you, here in Houston there is no shortage of nice, air-conditioned theaters for you to choose from. With so many choices it can be a daunting task, so let the BWW Houston editors give you their picks for the upcoming summer season.

Three years and millions of dollars in the making, Stanton Welch's take on ROMEO AND JULIET is magnificent. This is not empty praise for the Houston Ballet's artistic director. Plot complexities aside, ROMEO AND JULIET is a simple story: two teens are in love in a world where their love is impossible. And for all of the spectacle, Welch trusts this simple story.

Join Mercury for the world premiere of 'The Crimson Prince of Venice' at the Wortham Center, Cullen Theater, on Saturday, January 10, 8 PM. Artistic Director Antoine Plante takes up the role of Maestro in an exciting new staged work featuring costumed Mercury musicians and dancers from the Houston Ballet. 'The Crimson Prince of Venice' is a dazzling duel of musical virtuosity incorporating music by Antonio Vivaldi and Niccolo Paganini. Adapted by Denis Plante from a short story by Edgar Allen Poe and with choreography by Oliver Halkowich, this multi-faceted concert experience promises to deliver a dramatic punch. To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.mercuryhouston.org or call 713.533.0080. Photos and bios available upon request.

Houston Ballet presents its eleventh annual Jubilee of Dance, a special one-night only performance tonight, December 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm. This year's program will feature the great American ballerina Julie Kent, a principal dancer with New York's American Ballet Theatre, who will make a special guest appearance. Ms. Kent will perform the leading female role in Stanton Welch's Clear (2001), a role she created at the work's premiere in 2001 in New York. Houston Ballet will also pay tribute to beloved first soloist Kelly Myernick, who is retiring after 14 years with the company. The Jubilee of Dance will close the evening with an excerpt of Stanton Welch's high-speed Velocity (2003), a ballet that pays homage to classical conventions in a contemporary manner. The Jubilee of Dance will be held at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org.

Houston Ballet presents its eleventh annual Jubilee of Dance, a special one-night only performance tonight, December 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm.