The Texans of yore apparently could lasso tornadoes, use rattlesnakes as whips and ride atop mountain lions. Or at least these were several of the legendary accomplishments of Pecos Bill
, who is celebrated in appropriately dramatic, flamboyant fashion in
Pecos Bill, a Stanton Welch number that the Houston Ballet presents today in a mixed repertory program called
Pecos. Focusing on Pecos's romance with Sluefoot Sue and set to an original score by Matthew Pierce, the ballet features a cast of characters in gaudy, cartoonish Wild West costume (yes, there are chaps), leaping, strutting and spinning their way through mock battles and other larger-than-life encounters of the idealized West.
After Pecos, the relative minimalism of Mark Morris's Sandpaper Ballet - which features ultramodern costumes by Isaac Mizrahi - might be something of a relief, and ballet classicists will savor Ballo della Regina, a George Balanchine classic set to operatic tunes. Hey, you can't say the company doesn't have range. 7:30 p.m. today. Through June 6. For information and a full schedule, call 713-227-2787 or visit www.houstonballet.org. $18 to $145.
Thu., May 27; Sat., May 29; Sun., May 30; Fri., June 4; Sat., June 5; Sun., June 6, 2010