Prologue: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, the good King Florestan and his Queen had their first child, Princess Aurora. To celebrate this happy occasion, they hold a grand christening ceremony to honor the baby princess.
Among the guests are six fairies, each offering the child wondrous gifts: sincerity, prosperity, generosity, vivacity, and passion. The last fairy to offer her gift is the most powerful fairy of them all, the Lilac Fairy. Before she can give her intended gift of wisdom, darkness falls over the palace. Escorted by fearsome minions, the evil fairy Carabosse arrives in a rage and demands to know why she did not receive an invitation to the celebration.
Frank Borg as Carabosse / Into Dust Photography
Blame is quickly assigned to Catalabutte, the master of ceremonies who was in charge of the guest list. Carabosse exacts her revenge upon the poor man, but the evil fairy’s temper is still not satisfied. Thus, Carabosse places a curse upon the baby princess: Aurora will indeed grow up to be a beautiful young woman with all of the virtues gifted to her, but on the day of her 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on a spindle, and die.
The Lilac Fairy consoles King Florestan and the Queen and gives a different magical gift to the baby princess—while the curse cannot be completely undone, the princess will not die. Instead, she will fall into a peaceful sleep that will last a hundred years until she is awakened by a true love’s kiss. The court is mostly comforted, but to protect his daughter, King Florestan makes it forbidden by law for anyone in the kingdom to own a spindle.
OBS Students / Into Dust Photography
Act I: The years have flown by; it is now the day of Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday. Despite concerns from the king, the townspeople hold an elaborate celebration for the lovely princess. The king and queen introduce Princess Aurora to four noble suitors; the princess and the four princes dance a famously difficult sequence, the Rose Adagio.
Yuka Oba-Muschiana as Princess Aurora and Ryan Sims / Into Dust Photography
Afterward, a cloaked stranger approaches the princess, offering an unusual gift: a spindle. Having never seen one before, the princess curiously examines the strange object. As foretold 16 years ago, Aurora pricks her finger on the spindle and falls lifelessly on the ground. The stranger reveals herself as the evil fairy Carabosse, returning to fulfill the curse upon Princess Aurora. Everyone is devastated, but the Lilac Fairy reassures the panicked crowd that the princess is not dead but merely asleep.
Yuka Oba-Muschiana as Princess Aurora / Into Dust Photography
After the princess is carried to bed, the Lilac Fairy casts a spell of slumber over the entire kingdom to ease their grief. Everyone will sleep until the princess is awakened by a true love’s kiss.
Act II: One hundred years have passed, and the forgotten kingdom remains in slumber. Deep in the forest, Prince Désiré is among a hunting party of close companions and his betrothed, the duchess. The prince is depressed, feeling unsatisfied with his engagement. The prince’s friends attempt to cheer him up with games of “Blind Man’s Bluff,” but their efforts do not succeed, and eventually they respectfully leave the melancholic prince alone.
Nicholas Schultz as Prince Desire / Into Dust Photography
The Lilac Fairy appears before Désiré, as she has chosen him to break the curse. When she shows him a vision of Aurora, the Prince immediately falls in love and asks to be taken to the Princess. The Lilac Fairy guides Désiré through the winding woods, past thorny brambles, and into the long-lost castle. Upon finding the princess, Désiré kisses her and breaks the spell on Aurora and the entire kingdom. As the court awakens, the prince asks Aurora to marry him, and, with the support of her parents, the princess happily accepts.
Act III: The royal wedding between Aurora and Désiré is underway. Many extraordinary guests attend the wedding, including the Precious Jewel Fairies; Puss in Boots and The White Cat; Princess Florine and the Bluebird; and Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The betrothed couple performs a grand wedding Pas de Deux, and the Lilac Fairy blesses the union, ensuring that the couple shall live happily ever after.
Yuka Oba-Muschiana and Nicholas Schultz / Into Dust Photography
OBT’s The Sleeping Beauty is on May 13 & May 14 at Edmonds Center of the Arts. Tickets at Here is a link to https://www.olympicballet.org/tickets/.