A young boy overindulges in whipped cream at a Viennese sweet shop where the desserts come alive.
The boy is hospitalized, and the pristine Princess Praline, as well as dancing bottles of alcohol, save him from a sinister drunk doctor.
The boy is subsequently given a golden crown in a sweet dreamland of dessert citizens.
It’s the classic coming-of-age tale.
The American Ballet Theatre performed the surreal “Whipped Cream,” choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, at the Auditorium Theatre this past weekend. Scored by Richard Strauss, the show was a revitalization of a 1924 production in Vienna, pairing the original score with new choreography.
The ballet’s dream-like nonsense was a two-hour escape with its intricate set, fantastical costumes and nonsensical plot exploring childlike dreams.
Designed by pop-surrealist artist Mark Ryden, the costumes and set existed as bizarre facades, developing an aesthetic that was both enthralling and bewildering.
The big-headed priest stands watching the dessert kingdom. Photo by: Kent G Becker/flickr
The doctor, priest and baker had giant heads, making their bodies seem small and movements distorted. “Gumball Lady” was woman wearing a skirt of 159 gumballs that, according to the playbill, weighs 50 pounds. My personal favorite was a colossal puppet of a “Snow Yak” that was ridden by a massive puppet baby holding a flag.
The show featured riveting absurdities like military routines by dessert soldiers, multitudes of white-clad dancers emulating whipped cream as they slid down a giant slide, and nurses dancing forebodingly with giant syringes.
“Whipped Cream” is profoundly family-friendly, a spectacle for children and adults alike.
Though her four-year-old daughter had a fear of giant eyeballs, a problem considering several scenes featured a giant blinking eyeball projected above the stage, retired ballet professional Melissa Mallinson enjoyed experiencing the show with her young daughter.
“It was really original and kind of trippy,” she said, “It’s a new take on the classical ballet, a disconnect from the traditional.”
The escapism in “Whipped Cream” was captivating. It explored what it means to be a child and what it means to be outrageous, using frivolity with intent. Art is often pointedly meaningful, and it was refreshing to seriously contemplate something that was fundamentally meaninglessness.
Though “Whipped Cream” is no longer showing, the Auditorium Theatre, a 7-minute walk from DePaul’s Loop campus, will show several ballets in the next few months. With the discount code GOLDRUSH and a student ID, students can get tickets for $15 instead of the typical $44.
Patsy Newitt 