In 'Liliom,' making its Chicago premiere at the Joffrey, the soundtrack is as ambitious as the steps

Earlier this week at the Lyric Opera House, the stage was set for the Joffrey Ballet’s “Liliom,” a story ballet receiving its American-company premiere. A small carousel sat, unrevolving, to the audience’s right, and a lonely bench at the left. Upstage from the center-stage dance floor and perched above where the action would unfold, a platform housed a big band of 15 musicians.“This is where the dancers start looking for downbeats,” said Nathan Brock, the conductor. He was addressing not just…
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