PicksInSix Review: Liliom - The Joffrey Ballet
‘Liliom’ - Striking, Surreal and Exceptionally Human!
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Kaitlyn Linsner
The Joffrey Ballet opened its 2026-2027 season on Thursday night with a captivating and evocative performance of John Neumeier’s “Liliom.” Known for its fantastical surrealism and emotional depth, Neumeier created this narrative ballet for the Hamburg Ballet in 2011 drawing inspiration from Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár’s 1909 play of the same title. “Liliom” also became the basis for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s second musical “Carousel.” Who knew such a tragic story of love, loss, redemption, generational trauma and domestic violence would fuel multiple theatrical adaptations!
The Joffrey Ballet’s ten-day run of “Liliom” marks both the Chicago premiere and the first time a North American ballet company has performed the full-length piece. While all aspects of the premiere dazzled at the Lyric Opera House on Thursday, the live music performed on stage by the 16-piece Rob Parton’s Jazztech Big Band in concert with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Koo, stood out as uniquely invigorating. Together the on-stage band and the orchestra create a layered interplay of classical, jazzy and almost circusy-type music that well suits the dramatics of a complex ballet staged at a Depression-era American amusement park. The sweeping score often feels cinematic which makes sense given French composer Michel Legrand, known for his work on film scores, composed the music.
The set design by Ferdinand Wögerbauer and lighting design by Jim French and Neumeier also deserve high praise. At nearly every moment of the performance, one could snap a photo and capture a stunning visual conveying one of the many complicated themes of “Liliom.” Take for example lovers on an isolated bench with a single balloon, devils sitting at a long-table in heaven, a man with heaps of balloons slowly inching toward a framed cloudscape, and the coming and going of a star-lit sky. These visuals invite you to grapple with things like life’s purpose, moral ambivalence, grief and the courage of vulnerability. As the backdrop of a physically demanding and at-times confusing ballet, the set also provides an imaginative surrounding where the plot line matters less than the visceral experience.
And now, the dancing. What a brilliant performance by the Joffrey company that showcases such versatility in storytelling and the artform itself. “Liliom” tells the story of a carnival barker and self-saboteur, Liliom (José Pablo Castro Cuevas), who falls in love with Julie (Victoria Jaiani) and ultimately meets his demise after turning to crime when he cannot obtain “good, honest work” during the Great Depression. Along this journey, he also abuses Julie, leaves her to raise their son alone and, in my opinion, totally botches his one chance of redemption when allowed to return to Earth. Castro Cuevas dances this title role with great charisma and strength spending nearly the entire runtime on stage. He performs with exquisite control, sensuality and grit to portray Liliom’s multifaceted character.
I also particularly enjoyed the sexy duets of Liliom and Mrs. Muskat (Amanda Assucena) because the artists conveyed so much passion, chemistry and heat in ways I have not seen before in a ballet. Relatedly, the choreography features sharp, sometimes unsettling movements, to portray struggles, manual labor and fighting along with more syncopated rhythms and Broadway-like flair to animate the carnival experience. The numbers feel a bit busy at times, but ultimately, this theatrical style, blended with classical ballet techniques, lends itself to a distinctive danced emotion in each scene and through each character. One of the best moments of “Liliom” features all the jobless men on stage dancing through their frustration. Jaiani’s beautifully poised and deeply poetic performance as Julie also embodies a vast array of feelings. Most notably, her magnificent portrayal of grief after Liliom dies. Through dance, Julie and Liliom’s son Louis (Reed Henry) act out with the same anger as Liliom, showing the devastating cycles of violence, and the Balloon Man’s (Evan Boersma) steadfast and expertly controlled movements guide us through it all.
One of the many draws of “Liliom” is that it effortlessly demonstrates how dance can communicate deep emotion. The company does a remarkable job with visual storytelling through leaps, gestures, postures and pairings. Dance, as a universal language, takes us places, and trust that wherever the Joffrey Ballet wants to take you through the exquisite movement, striking set design and lush soundtrack of “Liliom,” it will absolutely be worth it.
GUEST CONTRIBUTROR | KAITLYN LINSNER serves as an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Utilities Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
PHOTO|Cheryl Mann
The Joffrey Ballet
presents
Liliom
Lyric Opera House
20 N Wacker Drive
through September 27, 2026
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