Leigh Witchel Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I'm curious who intends to go or not. Is anyone boycotting, is anyone thrilled? Tell us why! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Leigh, this might be a good opportunity to do a Ballet Alert Group Night. Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted May 13, 2004 Author Share Posted May 13, 2004 Where? In the theater or at a bar (or house of worship, depending) nearby? Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted May 13, 2004 Author Share Posted May 13, 2004 And by the way - please go ahead and state your reasons if you'd like! You don't have to just vote yes or no. Link to comment
Marga Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I won't vote since there's no category "I'd go if I could", but that would indeed be my response! My daughter's teacher, who trained under Alla Osipenko at the Vaganova school, has told us many times that Eifman is absolutely brilliant. I'd love to go see for myself. Link to comment
lampwick Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Is there a valid reason to boycott? I haven't heard rave reviews of his work, but I'll probably see the ballet anyway. Link to comment
charlieloki Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 i make it a point to go to every new production, whether i think i'll like it or not you never know -- Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Yes, I'm planning to go because it's on one of my subscriptions, Series 6 on Friday nights. This subscription also includes Wheeldon's Shambards on May 21 and the new Martins ballet on June 4. The Eifman is on June 18. I'd probably go anyway, because how could I resist seeing Maria Kowroski as Suzanne? Link to comment
oberon Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I'm going...what would be the reason to boycott? Is Eifman a Republican? There are very few ballets at NYCB that I have not seen, one glaring exclusion has been WEST SIDE STORY...I never liked the show or the movie and though I have been at many performances where WSS is the closing piece, I always leave before it starts. Other ballets I don't care for are LA SONNAMBULA, I'M OLD FASHIONED, STABAT MATER, HARMONIELEHRHE, VESPRO, INTERPLAY and ORPHEUS. I always try to see every new ballet, twice if possible... Link to comment
bobbi Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I've never seen his work, so I'll give it a try. It should be an interesting event. I was not expecting much from the Stroman Double Feature and that turned out to be quite fun. So I will keep my expectation level low (very low) and hope for the best (but sincerely hope no one gets dragged along the floor). Link to comment
carbro Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Voted yes, because as I stated on the other Eifman thread, it's all everyone will be talking about for a v-e-r-y long time. Don't want to stand there mute. Link to comment
Paquita Posted May 31, 2004 Share Posted May 31, 2004 Marga, the Eifman company is coming to Ottawa in April 2005. They will perform "La Giselle Rouge" at the NAC in their first Canadian tour! Too bad Toronto isn't included on their schedule... Here's the link: http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/whatson/results.cfm?EventID=4077. Link to comment
oberon Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 After reading Wendy's comments in the NY Times today I am feeling both apprehensive and curious. I suppose we need to give the piece a chance. At least I get a beautifully-cast TCHAIKOVSKY SUITE 3 on my programme, so no matter what Eifman comes up with, I'll have already gotten my money's worth. Still...Wendy as Mourka??? Sounds pretty zany... Link to comment
carbro Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I suppose we need to give the piece a chance. John Lennon would have agreed. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 The Eifman ballet is being shown on July 17 at the annual gala of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (along with The Four Temperaments and Barber Violin Concerto). Given NYCB's continued tenuous condition in Saratoga, will this help or hurt? Link to comment
rkoretzky Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Hi FF. Good question, and thanks for the attention to our precarious situation here. This is disastrous programming for the SPAC gala, imo. The SPAC gala is completely different from galas at State Theater--the only commonality is the name of the event. Our gala begins with dinner and lots of alcohol, so that the gussied-up attendees are several sheets to the wind before they even take their seats--that is if they even sit down. Many prefer to continue the party up on the lawn, where it is noisy, smoky (lots of cigars--lovely), and raucous. Most of the diehard fans stay away in droves. The saving grace is that if the weather cooperates, a fair amount of cash is raised. Every year at least one ballet is performed only once in the season, at the gala. This year we will have our only chance to see and hear the glorious Barber Violin Concerto--one of the few Martins works that I really love, and the music is my favorite among the contemporary violin concerti. The majority of the audience will not watch, listen or care about this piece--a true waste of the efforts of the concertmaster, orchestra and dancers. Even worse was the decision to open a program with 4Ts. If I ruled the world, or the NYCB, I would never choose Ts as a curtain raiser. I love it, but it requires so much concentration that I wouldn't expect a knowledgable audience, much less the gala crowd, to fully grasp it at the beginning of the program. I find that I need to sink into it--if that expression makes any sense here. It isn't easy music for an unfamiliar ear to hear. I wouldn't put it on the gala at all. That's why Balanchine made Vienna Waltzes, Stars, Union Jack, and the like--and I do expect to get an argument over that, but it's my opinion. So by the time we get to the Eifman, the vast majority of the audience will be inebriated, many of the husbands who were dragged will be snoring, the staff will be out of patience, and hopefully SPAC will have raised some money. FF, I'm more concerned about the Eifman on the other performances, when the audience that cares will be there. It will be interesting, to say the least. Link to comment
Juliet Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 You're absolutely tight---this was the time they should have programmed Stars & Stripes, Who Cares?, I'm Old Fashioned, etc., instead of on other nights. Last year they did full lengths. This year they do tepertory, and Eifman, at that. Go figure. It's as if they weere cooking up recipes for disaster. Actually, I've enjoyed the Galas in years past! The merrymakers on the lawn don't bother me and it's fun to see all the picnic regalia! Living with years of Wolf Trap picnics (now those are Picnics!) has given me an appreciation for ingenuity in the face of some of the weather disasters I've seen...... The fireworks at SPAC are a highlight, but after Eifman I wonder if anyone will care. Maybe they ought to distribute vodka...... By the way, Save the Ballet was offering things on eBay....now's your chance, folks!!!!! Link to comment
Ari Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 So by the time we get to the Eifman, the vast majority of the audience will be inebriated, many of the husbands who were dragged will be snoring This might be the best possible condition in which to watch the Eifman. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 I also like Juliet's "you're absolutely tight," perhaps anticipating the event..... Link to comment
Juliet Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Ha!! Now I'm not about to edit that!!! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 No, please don't. It's too good. Link to comment
Balanchinomane Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Well, you folks had me so depressed just thinking about SPAC and the grim future for Dance in America. I took a walk to Bryant Park to see Broadway Under the Stars. While the orchestra played a medley they showed a big screen montage of clips from movies based in New York City. The two scenes that got the most applause and cheers - now this is a crowd of about 10,000 people -were the Jets from West Side Story and the 3 sailors from On the Town. So at least our pal, Jerry Robbins is appreciated by the Masses. So now I feel a lot better. Good Night. Link to comment
Juliet Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 Oh, you lucky!!!! Such a great note to end the day--thanks so much! Link to comment
chiapuris Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Yes, the June 22 performance, because I have read about, but never seen an Eifman work. Link to comment
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