Ballet Fantastique (BFan) immerses Eugene audiences in the mesmerizing world of Edgar Allan Poe with its Nevermore: Stories of Edgar Allan Poe. This grand and enigmatic theatrical experience, inspired by the dark romance and poetry of the Victorian literary genius Edgar Allan Poe (1845-1849), is a spellbinding journey through Poe’s most iconic works: “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” “Masque of the Red Death,” “Cask of Amontillado,” and “Fall of the House of Usher.”

This is the Eugene-based company’s first Hult Center production since its four Emmy® nominations in May 2023.

“The audience is going to be spellbound by this custom, immersive theatrical experience, transporting them to the worlds of Poe,” says Artistic Director and Nevermore Choreographer-Producer Donna Marisa Bontrager. “And I say ‘worlds’ intentionally—Poe creates vivid, haunted spaces that speak to the imagination. We’re taking the next step, bringing these worlds vividly alive.” True to Ballet Fantastique’s innovative approach, Nevermore is ballet like you’ve never seen before. It seamlessly blends new ballet choreography for BFan’s international artists with acrobats, actors, and a spine-tingling live musical accompaniment. Nationally recognized Alastair Morley Jaques, a Poe specialist-impersonator, will guide the audience through each story and poem with selected excerpts from Poe’s texts.

The immersive score includes eerie sound effects like howling wind, hushed whispers, creaking doors, and lightning strikes—all presented in a captivating surround sound mix.

“We’re turning the Hult Center into a haunted house,” remarks Ballet Fantastique and Nevermore Co-Choreographer-Producer Hannah Bontrager.

Ballet Fantastique’s international roster of dancer-actors brings these tales to life in thrilling ways. Gustavo Ramirez (Cali, Colombia) as the haunted lover in Poe’s famed “Annabel Lee” with (his real-life wife) Ashley Bontrager (Eugene, OR) as Annabel. Joshua Webb (London, UK) is the arrogant Prince Prospero fated to die in a doomed ballroom in Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death,” with Raymond Silos (Cirque du Soleil, Miami, FL) as the Gargoyle of the Clock. Preston Andrew Patterson (Atlanta, GA) and Isabelle Bloodgood (Los Angeles, CA) are cast opposite each other in Poe’s “Cask of Amontillado” as Count Montressor and The Contessa. Additionally, in one of her first leading roles since becoming a mother of two, Hannah Bontrager is back on stage as Madeline Usher, buried alive in Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.” In Poe’s “The Raven,” Donna and Hannah cast the title character as a female dancer—Ana Brooks (Salt Lake City, UT).

“Seventy percent of Artistic Directors in America’s leading ballet companies are male, according to the Dance Data Project’s most recent findings,” says Hannah, Co-Choreographer-Producer of Nevermore. “Among choreographers for new work, the percentage commissioned from female choreographers drops further.” In our Nevermore project, I do believe that this (unique) perspective of being a female maker has informed who is dancing on stage and what they have an opportunity to say with their storytelling and their movement.”

“For example, the female birds and ghosts you always see represented in classical ballet—think Swan Lake, Giselle—are wispy and victims/victimized. In our version of Poe’s ‘Raven,’ Lenore isn’t just a memory—she’s part of the nightmare. She does her own haunting, and she dances how she feels. And the Raven is powerful, bold, terrifying, and has something to say—and in our ballet, she’s a woman.”

Ballet Fantastique’s custom Nevermore score is perfectly tailored to capture the energy, rhythm, and emotion of Poe’s poetry. With titles like “The Nightmare,” “Nausea” and “Insanity,” each piece reflects the on-stage action with haunting precision. The score, performed live by Liz Dorman (piano, San Francisco Symphony), Sergei Teleshev (accordion) and Dale Bradley (cello) adds urgency and haunting disquiet to the production.

Ballet Fantastique has also collaborated with international YouTube celebrity composers Peter Gundry and Lucas King, marking their first collaborations with a ballet company. Nathan Farrington (Los Angeles), known for his work with renowned orchestras, including the LA Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony, has arranged the music for Nevermore. This marks his debut Ballet Fantastique project.

Learn more and purchase tickets here.