ABT Casting -- Weeks 1 and 2

[Alexandra]

This just in:

Casting announced for the first two weeks of

American Ballet Theatre’s 2004 spring season

At the Metropolitan Opera House

Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Marcelo Gomes to Perform

Leading Roles in United States Premiere of Raymonda Friday, May 21 at 8 P.M.

Guest Artist Svetlana Zakharova to Make ABT Debut as Nikiya

in La Bayadère on Monday Evening, May 17

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director.

American Ballet Theatre’s spring season opens Monday, May 10 with a special opening night gala. The program will include highlights from the season’s repertoire including the first movement of Ballet Imperial with Paloma Herrera, Gennadi Saveliev and Stella Abrera, the pas de deux from Act I of Manon with Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca, the pas de sept from ABT’s all-new Raymonda with Nina Ananiashvili, Jose Manuel Carreño and Marcelo Gomes, George Balanchine’s Tarantella with Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel, and David Parsons’ Caught performed by Angel Corella. The opening night gala will also feature a Piéce d’Occasion performed by violin virtuoso Sarah Chang. A second Piéce d’Occasion, A Sweet for Freddie, will celebrate choreographer and ballet master Frederic Franklin, who celebrates his 90th birthday this June.

The United States premiere of Raymonda on Friday, May 21 will feature Irina Dvorovenko as Raymonda, Maxim Beloserkovsky as Jean de Brienne and Marcelo Gomes as Abderakhman. Choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes and conceived and directed by Holmes and Kevin McKenzie, Raymonda is set to the music of Alexander Glazunov, with sets and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Steen Bjarke. Xiomara Reyes, Ethan Stiefel and Herman Cornejo will dance the leading roles at the Saturday, May 22 matinee and Nina Ananiashvili, Jose Manuel Carreño and Gennadi Saveliev will perform that evening.

Nina Ananiashvili, Julio Bocca and Gillian Murphy will perform the leading roles in the season’s first performance of La Bayadère, on Thursday, May 13. On Monday evening, May 17, Principal Guest Artist Svetlana Zakharova will make her debut with American Ballet Theatre in the role of Nikiya opposite Jose Manuel Carreño as Solor and Michele Wiles as Gamzatti. The cast will repeat their roles on Wednesday evening, May 19. On Friday evening, May 14, Principal Guest Artist Roberta Marquez will make her New York debut with ABT in the role of Nikiya opposite Ethan Stiefel as Solor and Irina Dvorovenko as Gamzatti. Ms. Marquez made her ABT debut in the role in February at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. Ms. Marquez, Mr. Stiefel and Ms. Dvorovenko will repeat their roles in La Bayadère at the Wednesday, May 19 matinee.

The first of two repertory programs will be performed May 11 and May 12. The program will include Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze, Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, and Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison, choreographed by David Parsons, Ann Reinking, Natalie Weir and Stanton Welch.

Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre and Cole Haan is a Leading Benefactor. Graff Jewelers is ABT’s season sponsor of the 2004 Metropolitan Opera House season. ABT’s 2004 spring season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2004 spring season are on sale at the Metropolitan Opera House box office or by calling 212-362-6000. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org <http://www.abt.org/> .

Complete casting follows.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

Metropolitan Opera House - Spring, 2004

FIRST WEEK

Mon. Eve., May 10, 6:30 P.M.

GALA

BALLET IMPERIAL (First Movement) – Herrera, Saveliev,

Abrera

MANON (Pas de Deux from Act I) – Ferri, Bocca

A SWEET FOR FREDDIE (Variation from Coppélia) – Tuttle;

(Pièce d’Occasion) – Company

CARMEN FANTASY (Pièce d’Occasion with Sarah Chang) –

Reyes, E. Cornejo, H. Cornejo, Molina, Copeland, Pavam

LA BAYADÈRE (Act II entrance)

RAYMONDA (Pas de Sept) – Ananiashvili, Carreño, Gomes,

tba

TARANTELLA – Murphy, Stiefel

LE GRAND PAS DE DEUX – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky

CAUGHT – Corella

RAYMONDA (The Galop) – Ananiashvili, Carreño, Bystrova, Saveliev

Tues. Eve., May 11, 8 P.M.

REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE

PETITE MORT – Company

SECHS TÄNZE – Company

PILLAR OF FIRE – Murphy, Molina, Gomes

WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU:

A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON - Company

Wed. Mat., May 12, 2 P.M.

REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE

PETITE MORT – Company

SECHS TÄNZE – Company

PILLAR OF FIRE – Wiles, Hallberg, Torres

WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON – Company

Wed. Eve., May 12, 8 P.M.

REPERTORY PROGRAM ONE

PETITE MORT – Company

SECHS TÄNZE – Company

PILLAR OF FIRE – McKerrow, Saveliev, Corella

WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU: A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE HARRISON – Company

Thurs. Eve., May 13, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Ananiashvili, Bocca, Murphy

Fri. Eve., May 14, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Marquez+, Stiefel, Dvorovenko

Sat. Mat., May 15, 2 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Tuttle, Corella, Abrera

Sat. Eve., May 15, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Ananiashvili, Bocca, Murphy

SECOND WEEK

Mon. Eve., May 17, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Zakharova**, Carreño, Wiles

Tues. Eve., May 18, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Herrera, Corella, Murphy

Wed. Mat., May 19, 2 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Marquez, Stiefel, vorovenko

Wed. Eve., May 19, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Zakharova, Carreño, Wiles

Thurs. Eve., May 20, 8 P.M. LA BAYADÈRE – Herrera, Corella, Murphy

Fri. Eve., May 21, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA (COMPANY PREMIERE) – Dvorovenko,

Beloserkovsky, Gomes

Sat. Mat., May 22, 2 P.M. RAYMONDA – Reyes*, Stiefel*, H. Cornejo*

Sat. Eve., May 22, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Ananiashvili*, Carreño*, Saveliev*

[kiki]

Does anyone know if standing room tickets are usually sold for the ABT gala? And are they still only $20 or $25???

[carbro]

Standing room costs the same as Family Circle Seats, so that would be $30 for opening night, $20 thereafter, and I think (you might want to check), a couple bucks less for Wed. Mats.