Lincoln Park Opens ‘Tom Sawyer: A Ballet in Three Acts’ (Thurs., 2/20/25)

TOM SAWYER: A BALLET IN THREE ACTS by William Whitener and Maury Yeston, adapted from the novel by Mark Twain. Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. February 20 – 23.

“Golly, Aunt Polly, is it possible to turn my story into a ballet?” Tom Sawyer didn’t actually ask that question in the classic 1876 novel by Mark Twain. But years later, a couple of contemporary dance-and-music artists decided to look into it, and their answer was “Yes!” Tom Sawyer: A Ballet premiered in 2011 at Kansas City Ballet, with choreography by William Whitener—then the company’s artistic director—and score by composer Maury Yeston. If the latter name is familiar, he also wrote the score for the film Titanic. And unlike that ill-fated ship, the ballet didn’t sink. The co-creators conceived a rollicking show that combines ballet with folk dancing, comedy, and storytelling. There is even a dance that demonstrates how to get a fence painted. Now you can see a production of Tom Sawyer: A Ballet near Pittsburgh at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 1 Lincoln Park, Midland. (M.V.)

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