Posted March 29, 2022
DAYTON, OH (March 20, 2022) – On Friday, April 8, 2022 at 7:30pm, Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 2:30 pm in the Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton, OH, Dayton Ballet is thrilled to present The Great Gatsby, the final ballet in the Dayton Ballet’s 2021–2022 Season.
Dayton Ballet is thrilled to present The Great Gatsby, with a nod to the Roaring Twenties and the era of swing. Dayton Ballet will perform this lavish story ballet at this April on stage at the historic Victoria Theatre, the perfect venue for this classic work.
The Great Gatsby was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third novel and stands as the supreme achievement of his career. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby, his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, and their lavish parties on Long Island, New York, is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.
Choreographed by Ron Cunningham, Artistic Director Emeritus of Sacramento Ballet, this exciting ballet premiered at Sacramento Ballet in February 2013. Cunningham has been choreographer of distinction in the ballet world for decades, having created over sixty ballets for the international stage.
The Great Gatsby will be set to recorded music by Billy Novick and the Blue Syncopators. Novick has had a whirlwind career in music for over 40 years as a performing artist, studio musician, arranger and composer. He created the music for Cunningham’s work, composing, compiling and arranging a score evocative of the 1920s that practically leaps off the pages.
Singer and Dayton local Felita LaRock takes the stage with Dayton Ballet, helping set the mood with her sultry voice. LaRock is the former lead vocalist for the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight, having retired from this role in 2014. She has had an illustrious singing career, performing with artists such as The Miracles, The Coasters, and Lee Greenwood. She often performs the “Star-Spangled Banner” for opening and regular game days for the Cincinnati Reds. LaRock is currently featured on a Children’s’ Jazz album entitled “Jazz Advice” with The Bright Moment’s Quintet and is the guest-lead female vocalist for The Kim Kelly Orchestra. LaRock appeared with Dayton Ballet in their previous production of The Great Gatsby, and she once again dazzles Dayton as the featured singer at Jay Gatsby’s lavish Long Island affairs.
The Human Race Theatre Company veteran Jamie Cordes will be adding his stage expertise to this production as narrator of this stunning piece. Cordes is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Professional Acting Training Program at Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures, where he provides vocal and stage training to musical theatre, acting, dance, and theatre studies majors. Cordes is a versatile theatre artist, educator, director, administrator, and performer, having enjoyed countless performance opportunities in opera, musical theatre, plays, and orchestral works. He has performed several times with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Dayton Philharmonic Concert Band, and Dayton Ballet is honored to have him reprise his role as the voice of Nick Carraway in this production.
The full professional company of Dayton Ballet, along with dancers from Dayton Ballet II and the Dayton Ballet School, cordially invite you to the party of the century, so dust off your flapper dress or grab your top hat and join us at the Victoria for a roaring good time.
A Q&A with Dayton Ballet dancers, along with Felita LaRock and Jamie Cordes, will follow each performance in the theatre, giving audiences the opportunity to learn more about preparation and presentation of this wonderful story ballet.
Safety Protocols
The DPAA is excited to welcome audiences back to the 2021–2022 Season. The health and safety of patrons, performers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. Beginning March 5, 2022, in partnership with DPAA’s venue partner Dayton Live and in accordance with the CDC’s new guidelines, the following new health and safety protocols will be in place at all performances and events:
- Vaccination and Testing – Proof of vaccination or COVID-19 testing will no longer be required to attend performances at Dayton Live venues, including the Schuster Center and the Victoria Theatre.
- Masks – Masks will no longer be required while attending a DPAA performance or event. The DPAA welcomes patrons to wear masks at any performance if they so choose.
Tickets for The Great Gatsby begin at $5 and are available through the box office at (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of the DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. The DPAA offers a wide variety of performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in the Miami Valley. These performances and education initiatives are made possible in part through major support provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County and the National Endowment for the Arts.