Did anyone see...

[oberon]

...if anyone saw COPPELIA, please report.

Thanks,

Oberon

[canbelto]

I saw Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes.

I loved the production, the dancing, the choreography. Murphy used what are normally "weaknesses" (and I put quotations around that because she is really remarkable) and turned them into strengths. Her occasionally stiff upper body became doll-like, her fierce attack and crystalline precision gave Swanilda much-needed spunkiness. You dont want to mess with her!

Marcelo Gomes is not ABT's showiest dancer, but he is perhaps the finest. He is of course strikingly handsome.

[carbro]

I did and was planning to post when I caught up with some other things. But here goes.

Ashley's Monday night Swanilda was lovely, if not particularly distinguished. Her dancing was consistently classical, her acting and mime perhaps a tad on the broad side, which in this ballet is preferable to underdoing it. This Swanilda's characterization was more immature than most I've seen, so if you want to quibble, you'd wonder what she was doing getting married.

I'll expand on the rest of my Coppelia experiences soon, but as far as Monday goes, there was no sign of trouble in the performance, if that's what you're asking.

[oberon]

Thanks, carbro...I like Tuttle and wanted to go on Monday but I couldn't get anyone to cover me at work. I was thinking it would be a good role for her.

[Colleen Boresta]

I saw the June 26th matinee of "Coppelia" with Ashley Tuttle and Angel Corella. I thought Tuttle was very good, especially in the second act when she was pretending to be the doll Coppelia. Corella didn't have a lot to do, but what he did was sensational. During his solo in Act III, he seemed to hang suspended in the air for a moment or two.

As Carbo has already mentioned, the humor was somewhat broad. I prefer NYCB's "Coppelia", where the humor is more subtle, but it's it's still just as funny (if not funnier) as ABT's version. In fact, I prefer NYCB's production of "Coppelia" over all. (Though ABT's "Coppelia" is still very good.) It may seem like a little thing, but I thought the costumes for the women were very dowdy. Swanilda's wedding dress was rather ugly (and the wedding dress in NYCB's "Coppelia" is quite beautiful.)

I found the main difference in the two productions to be the character of Dr. Coppelius. In ABT's production he's a buffoon (at least as portrayed by Victor Barbee). In the third act, after receiving money from the mayor, Coppelius kisses Swanilda in forgiveness, and proceeds to watch the wedding ceremony from his balcony (with Coppelia by his side). In NYCB's "Coppelia", Coppelius is a more tragic figure. When his attempt to play God fail, and he realizes that Coppelia is not alive, but only Swanilda playing a trick on him, Coppelius is devastated. In the beginning of Act III, Coppelius holds the naked, bald Coppelia doll like a dead child. He does take the mayor's money, but he's not happy about it. And NYCB's Coppelius certainly doesn't kiss Swanilda on the cheek, or watch the wedding festivities.

[Leigh Witchel]

Actually, I prefer the buffoon approach to Coppelius myself. If you make Coppelius an aggrieved genius, then who is Swanilda? If he forgives her and gets assimilated into the finale, Swanilda doesn't come off as such a Luddite.

[Alexandra]

Well, if you look at it another way, this poor Genius tries to kill a boy so he can steal his heart, soul and senses and give it to a doll. He's trying to create a doll-female who will do his every bidding. (early Stepford Wife) Swanilda takes him down a peg or two. Go Swanilda!!