I was ready to be a little disappointed when I arrived at the Harris Theater for the Mark Morris Dance Group’s performance of Dido and Aeneas last night.
There’s nothing uninteresting about Laurel Lynch, who has both lead parts. Statuesque and fluidly expressive, she’s a compelling stage presence—whether as Dido, the angular and elegant Queen of Carthage, or her jittery antithesis, the evil Sorceress. And, if you have a taste for Baroque music, this genre-blending mash-up is a multisensory treat.
Tuesday’s gala performance—followed in the lower lobby by an after-party with champagne, sweets, and a DJ—marked the unveiling of recent renovations at the Harris, aimed at correcting issues that have plagued the venue since its opening in 2003. There are new railings along the notorious stairways in the auditorium, a tall bump-out in the lower lobby, and two more elevators. And, to accommodate those elevators, they’ve torn the staircases out and reversed their direction—they now zig where they once zagged.
