By Dave Begel Contributing Writer Published Oct 24, 2014 at 11:26 AM

Michael Pink, the artistic director of the Milwaukee Ballet, is an artist who has a great respect and affection for the literary and musical giants of past, just has he has a diligent commitment to encouraging and producing new works.

But more than anything else, Pink is a storyteller, a man in love with a good yarn that tells a tale of romance, adventure and the forces of good and evil.

It is his storytelling and his respect for history that drive the remounting of "Don Quixote," the ballet he created in 1987 for the respected Northern Ballet in England and introduced to Milwaukee audiences almost a decade ago.

Pink calls the Don and his sidekick Sancho Panza "the Laurel and Hardy of ballet."

"The situations they find themselves in in the story seem to always result in some comic outcome," he said. "I guess having one who is delusional and one who is chasing the next beer and nap makes for good humor, a little like visiting the relatives."

I sat through a rehearsal of "Don Quixote," and the excitement was palpable with a floor filled with soloists and couples flying through the soaring choreography that seems to fit like a glove over both the story and the music.

Pink’s relationship with "Don Quixote" goes back almost 30 years when he created a new version of the Russian ballet under the guidance of Christopher Gable, a famed British dancer and actor who was artistic director of The Northern Ballet.

"It was my first full length commission," Pink said. "At the time, I was just beginning my quest to try and bring more depth and narrative to my work. The challenges of the Don Q ballet story and music score are that they represent 19th century balletic convention. Lots of individual pieces/songs that were designed to showcase the many dancers in the original Russian companies.

"I took a few extra narrative episodes from the epic Cervantes' novel," Pink continued, "and added additional music by Glazunov and Philip Feeney to support the added material."

Some of the finest dancers in the company are in the ballet. On opening night, Denis Malinkine, ballet master, will dance the Don, and Valerie Harmon will dance Dulcinea. Under Pink, there is more of an emphasis on the Don and his partner than in earlier versions.

Perhaps one of the most interesting story lines is the budding love affair between Basilio, danced by the always exciting Davit Hovhannisyan, and Kitri, danced by the always enchanting Luz San Miguel. Their moments together are full of the kind of passion and wariness of any new romance.

For Pink, this must be like visiting with an old friend. It may well have been his first major commission but it also must have a special place in his heart, especially since his ballet has been performed by some prestigious companies since he developed it.

This is s a great, great story, and it makes most lists of the 100 greatest novels. At nearly 400 years old, it has spawned dozens of iterations, not the least of which was the film "Man of La Mancha" starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren.

This ballet doesn’t have O’Toole or Loren, but it does have the same kind of excitement, intrigue, humor and romance that is true to the story and is well recommended for your October entertainment.

"Don Quixote" runs at the Marcus Center from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. Information on showtimes and tickets is available at www.milwaukeeballet.org.

Dave Begel Contributing Writer

With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.

He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.

Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.