For Australians living in New York, there’s something particularly special about seeing one of our country’s great cultural institutions arrive on our doorstep. This October, The Australian Ballet returns to New York City with Oscar©, bringing more than 100 dancers, artists and crew, and a distinctly Australian creative voice to one of the world’s great cultural capitals.
From October 8–11, New York City Center will host the US season of Oscar©, Christopher Wheeldon’s spectacular full-length ballet inspired by the life, loves and writings of Oscar Wilde. Drawing on The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Nightingale and the Rose, the production blends biography, imagination and cinematic storytelling to tell a deeply human story of love, identity, ambition and loss.
The story begins in a prison cell, where a physically and emotionally broken Oscar is haunted by memories of the life he has lost. His mind transports him back to happier times: a family picnic with his children, his writing, and his introduction to Robbie Ross, who becomes first, his lover and ultimately, his lifelong friend.
As the memories unfold, Oscar is drawn into a seductive and increasingly dangerous world. His relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, known as Bosie, deepens, while Bosie’s recklessness and his father, Lord Queensberry’s, determination to destroy Oscar’s reputation set the tragedy in motion. In the second act, prison has left Oscar isolated and malnourished, while fragments of Dorian Gray and memories of his past collide with his present. It is a story where the boundaries between life, art and imagination begin to disappear.
For Artistic Director David Hallberg, bringing Oscar© to the US is particularly meaningful. The American-born, former ballet star, is leading Australia’s national ballet company back to the country where he was born.
“As an American-born Artistic Director, it means a great deal to me personally bringing The Australian Ballet back to the United States during my time with the company.”
Hallberg says the story “speaks to identity, love and vulnerability” – themes that reach well beyond the stage.
Don’t miss The Australian Ballet’s performance of Oscar in New York City! Tickets can be purchased here.