26 replies to this topic

[Helene]

I just received Pacific Northwest Ballet's newsletter, announcing that Principal Dancer Patricia Barker will make guest appearances in The Sleeping Beauty on 5-6 May (tonight and tomorrow), dancing the role of the Lilac Fairy.

Other major role casting (as of now) is:

5 May
Aurora:  Lorna Feijoo
Desire:  Nelson Madrigal
Carabosse:  Jennifer Glaze

6 May
Aurora:  Larissa Ponomorenko
Desire:  Roman Rykine
Carabosse:  Viktor Plotnikov

Full cast list for the two performances is posted to the Boston Ballet site at:

http://www.bostonbal...tingmay5_6.aspx

[sandik]

Has anyone here seen either of those performances?

[fendrock]

We saw the Saturday matinee, with Romi Beppu as Aurora and Reyneris Reyes as her Prince.

I believe this may have been Beppu's first performance as Aurora, at least for Boston Ballet.

Melanie Atkins was the Lilac Fairy.

[its the mom]

I saw opening night with Lorna and Nelson.  I have to say that Lorna did the best Rose Adagio I have ever seen.  It was amazing.  Someone in the audience commented that it was as though she could have "read a newspaper during her balances."  The whole performance was very good.  I also saw Romi do her debut, and she was wonderful - a little shaky, but a very commendable performance.  Highlights for me - costumes and scenery were amazing, choreography as a whole was great, the first cast fairy variations (opening night), Melanie Atkins as Lilac Fairy on Saturday afternoon, my own daughter as the White Cat on opening night and Saturday night, Ben Griffith as Bluebird on Saturday afternoon, Jennifer Glaze as Carabosse and Lorna and Nelson as Aurora and the Prince.  I am going back this weekend, hopefully to see Larissa this time.  I am quite sure she makes a beautiful Aurora, maybe not quite as strong as Lorna, but beautiful nonetheless.

[Herman Stevens]

its the mom, on May 11 2005, 03:37 PM, said:

my own daughter as the White Cat on opening night and Saturday night

That's lovely. Did she get a lot of laughs? Does she wear a mask in this production, or does she get to show her face?

You probably know Tchaikovsky hand-picked the original White Cat, Maria Anderson, after having spotted her in another ballet. So he must have had special feelings for this episode.

Maria Anderson later wrote a memoir, and the bit about Tchaikovsky and Petipa discussing Beauty on the stage of the Mariinsky during rehearsals and asking her to step closer so as to be introduced to the composer  -  just imagine!  -  is translated in R.J. Wiley's Tchaikovsky's Ballets, p.158-159.

[bbfan]

We saw the Saturday evening performance, and were blown away by the beauty of the production and the dancing, especially Lorna.  Mom - I wonder if you sit in Orch Left close to the front?  We do and the people behind us seemed to know the Cat.  We enjoyed her in the role!

We are also going back this coming Saturday night, and as much as we enjoyed Lorna are hoping for a different cast.

[fendrock]

Kelley Potter danced The Cat at the Sat. matinee and did get a lot of laughs.

Puss N' Boots, the White Cat, the Wolf and the Beast all wear masks in this production.

We were sorry not to see Pollyana Ribeiro as Princess Florine. How did she do?

Also, the peasant dance with garlands was performed by company dancers in this production. Isn't this generally performed by children?

[its the mom]

bbfan - Believe it or not, I bought a ticket at the box and sat in the artistic staff's row - Row P.  I got two of those this weekend.  We'll be there this Saturday evening also.  I'll have my daughter's two brothers in tow - they look just like her, so you probably won't miss us.  Herman - she did get a lot of laughs.  Thanks for the historical info.  I'll pass that on.  It's such a sweet part, and my daughter has always wanted to dance it.  She was lucky enough to dance it with her very best friend, James Whiteside.  fendrock - Pollyana was a beautiful Princess Florine.  She is such a seasoned performer.  I am sorry that she is not doing Aurora this time around, as I think I would have enjoyed her in that role.  It really is a beautiful performance and the reviews have been very positive.  I heard some long-time Boston ballet-goers commenting that it was their favorite Beauty ever done by the company.  I can't comment on that, but I did love this production.

[Ari]

fendrock, on May 11 2005, 02:32 PM, said:

Also, the peasant dance with garlands was performed by company dancers in this production. Isn't this generally performed by children?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was choreographed for company dancers and children.  Many companies, especially those without schools of their own, omit the children entirely.

I think the inclusion of children in this ballet is especially appropriate and sweet, given that it's about hope and the future.  (They wouldn't be right in Swan Lake, for the opposite reason.)  And the sight of a full company joined by students from the school at all levels -- the youngest kids as pages and garland dancers, older children as supers and ensemble-swellers -- emphasizes the continuity of the classical tradition.  I love it.

Were there any children in this production?

[Joseph]

I was in the production of Sleeping Beauty at Boston Ballet in 1993 as a garland boy. Same scenery and costumes...but different staging, etc.  

[fendrock]

There was quite a listing of Boston Ballet school students in the program, but the only obvious use of them was as pages (carrying the train and the pillows for the fairies).

I think I may have recognized one of the older students as a (non-dancing) lady-in-waiting in the wedding scene.

Does anyone else have the impression that Pollyana Ribeiro is dancing less these days than before Nissenen's arrival?

She's one of my favorites, and I'm worried that she won't get to do enough dancing and will leave.

[bbfan]

Pollyana is leaving.  There was a brief blurb in the Globe today that mentioned that.  I suppose that is one reason she received flowers after her performance as Princess Florine last Saturday night.  I've enjoyed her also....

[fendrock]

A search on www.boston.com didn't turn up the blurb.

Did it say where Pollyana was going?

[socalgal]

Its weird that they haven't announced this properly yet.....

[bbfan]

Sorry I didn't post a link, but it was just a few sentences in the "names" column, and today I can't access yesterday's. I have a print copy.  It says Nissinen is keeping Boston Ballet's roster mostly intact.  One principal, Pollyana Ribeiro who joined in 1992 will leave.  Company gave no details.  Balletomanes say it speaks to BB's strengths with new principals from within - Romi Beppu and Karine Seneca are being promoted from soloist to principal.  I've paraphrased but this is probably copyright Boston Globe etc.