Fairy Tales

Meet the fairy queen of Houston Ballet's enchanting A Midsummer Night's Dream

Several of William Shakespeare's most famous quotes are from his play A Midsummer Night's Dream: “Though she be but little, she is fierce,” “The course of true love never did run smooth," and “Lord, what fools these mortals be," for example.

But at Houston Ballet, words aren't even needed to tell this fanciful tale of love, magic, and hilarity. The choreography of dance legend John Neumeier is more than enough to transport audiences into the enchanted forest along with the young lovers, rehearsing actors, and mischievous fairies.

Houston Ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream

Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2014), courtesy of Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet principal Karina González as Titania and former soloist Aaron Robison as Oberon in John Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Houston Ballet was the first North American ballet company to perform Neumeier's work, first created in Germany in 1977, and today's audiences get the fresh chance to experience it, with Neumeier once again at the helm.

A Midsummer Night's Dream runs September 8-17 at the Wortham Theater Center, and tickets start as low as $25.

CultureMap recently caught up with principal dancer Jessica Collado, who plays the dual roles of Hippolyta and Titania.

Hippolyta is a young maiden set to marry the duke Theseus; Titania is a fairy queen who battles with her estranged husband Oberon and falls victim to a love potion.

CultureMap: Is this your first experience with A Midsummer Night's Dream?

Jessica Collado: I played Hermia when Houston Ballet performed it in 2014 — she's the young woman who runs off into the forest with Lysander, only to have him fall in love with her best friend after the fairies use their love potion on him.

Hermia made perfect sense for me at the time, with where I was in my career, but she's more "one note" whereas my characters now have much more of an arc.

CM: What is it like dancing as two such different characters this time?

JC: I love a challenge! John gives each character a different style of dancing, so Hippolyta — this young woman on the verge of getting married — has very contained emotions and classical movements. After she drifts off to sleep and enters the Fairy Realm, she basically becomes the person she always dreamed of being: full of power, lust, and sensuality as Titania.

John's attention to details with his characters is so specific and genuine. His choreography paved the way to story-tell with ballet, and it blows my mind how much he's willing to keep playing with his choreography.

See Karina González rehearsing as Hippolyta below:

CM: How incredible is it that John Neumeier is able to be with Houston Ballet again for this production?

JC: It says a lot about him as a person that he's ever-evolving. He's rehearsing with us now, trying different movements and transitions, always creating the best version of his choreography on the dancers he's working with right now. It keeps everything fresh for both us and the audience.

CM: Some audience members might be familiar with Shakespeare's play or the 1999 film version with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer. How does the ballet differ? What if someone hasn't ever encountered A Midsummer Night's Dream before?

JC: This is a very approachable ballet, very easy to follow with lively characters.

Each set of participants also has their own unique style of music. Hippolyta and those at court dance to Mendelssohn, the fairies get Ligeti, and the "mechanicals," or amateur players who are rehearsing for the big wedding, are set to traditional organ music that's almost circus-like.

It's a great "first" ballet, too, for those who might find classical ballet too intimidating. The characters and themes are based on real feelings that people can understand and have a connection with, like jealousy, lust, and betrayal, and there's lots of playful humor.

CM: Can you share any sneak peeks of the production?

JC: You're all going to be blown away by the Fairy Ream. It's not all sparkly wings and garland headpieces like you might be imagining — it's dark and smoky, and very modern in a way. You definitely know you are entering another world. It's fairies with an edge.

See Karina González rehearsing as Titania below:

---

Houston Ballet's production of John Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream runs September 8-17 at the Wortham Theater Center. Visit here for tickets or call the box office at 713-227-ARTS(2787).

An onstage dinner honoring Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch AM will be held on September 8. Tickets are limited and will go fast.

dance interview q&a video promoted

welcome to houston

Musical theater veteran joins prominent Houston company

Courtesy of Stages

Stages has named Valerie Rachelle as its new associate artist director.

A Houston theater company is adding an accomplished artist to its ranks. Stages announced that Valerie Rachelle will be the company’s new associate artistic director beginning in January 2026.

For more than a decade, Rachelle has been artistic director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon, where she oversaw artistic vision and operations. That theater specializes in musical theater performances offered in a cabaret setting.

Rachelle comes to Houston with a career spanning nearly 30 years as a director and choreographer. She has extensive experience in developing new musicals and plays for regional theaters and opera companies across the United States, including the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Sierra Repertory Theatre. She was appointed to her position at Stages following a nationwide search.

“I’m beyond thankful for this opportunity to join this incredible company, and I’m excited to be a part of a creative entity that has a strong mission and vision as Stages,” Rachelle said in a statement.

In her role with Stages, she will support artistic director Derek Charles Livingston with season planning and casting; liaise with artists, press, and staff; and coordinate day-to-day operations for the artistic department. She will also assist with crafting educational materials, direct and choreograph productions, and serve as the primary liaison with theatrical unions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Valerie to Stages in this role,” said Livingston. “I have seen her work as a director and director choreographer — she's excellent. Those skills combined with her experience as a theatre artistic director and manager only further fortify Stages' commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement.”

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Rachelle began her career as a dancer and apprentice ballerina with the Eugene Ballet Company before earning her BFA in acting from California Institute of the Arts. She received her MFA in Directing from the University of California, Irvine. She has held teaching and directing positions at numerous institutions, including the University of Southern California, Southern Oregon University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and others. She has also served as a mentor through Statera Arts, an organization dedicated to gender equity in the arts.

Rachelle teaches musical theater, auditioning, and singing at Southern Oregon University when she isn’t on the road as a freelance director and choreographer. She’s also a classically trained singer and toured the world with her parents and their illusionist show as a child.

“Joining the team that has a long-standing reputation of excellence in theater is an honor,” Rachelle added.

performing-arts stages theater