Casting for weeks 3, 4 2005 Met season

[Dale]

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THIRD AND FOURTH WEEKS OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S 2005 SPRING SEASON

AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Veronika Part and Tamás Solymosi to Debut in Raymonda on Wednesday, June 8

Petrouchka to have New York Revival Premiere on Thursday, June 16

Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2005 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The third week of ABT’s Spring Season will be highlighted by seven performances of Raymonda, beginning Tuesday, June 7, with Paloma Herrera, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Julio Bocca in the leading roles. Veronika Part and Tamás Solymosi will debut as Raymonda and Abderakhman at the matinee on Wednesday, June 8, with Marcelo Gomes as Jean de Brienne. Choreographed by Anna-Marie Holmes and conceived and directed by Holmes and Kevin McKenzie, Raymonda features a score by Alexander Glazounov and scenery and costumes by Zack Brown.

The fourth week continues with the Season’s final four performances of the United States Revival Premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia. The Monday, June 13 performance will feature the debuts of Michele Wiles as Sylvia, Marcelo Gomes as Aminta, Danny Tidwell as Eros and Gennadi Saveliev as Orion.

ABT’s celebration of legendary choreographer Michel Fokine, including Les Sylphides, Le Spectre de la Rose, Polovtsian Dances and the New York Revival Premiere of Petrouchka, will begin on Thursday, June 16. The Friday, June 17 performance will feature debuts by Stella Abrera, Misty Copeland and Zhong-Jing Fang in Les Sylphides, Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes as Petrouchka and The Dancer in Petrouchka, Angel Corella and Amanda McKerrow in Le Spectre de la Rose and Carlos Acosta and Veronika Part as the Warrior Chieftain and Polovtsian Princess in Polovtsian Dances.

At the matinee on Saturday, June 18, Maria Riccetto, Gennadi Saveliev, Marian Butler and Kristi Boone will lead Les Sylphides for the first time. The same performance will also feature debuts by Stella Abrera and Roman Zhurbin as The Dancer and The Moor in Petrouchka and by Ethan Stiefel in Le Spectre de la Rose. The evening performance on Saturday, June 18 will be highlighted by the debuts of David Hallberg, and Melanie Hamrick in Les Sylphides, Julio Bocca in the title role of Petrouchka, Carlos Acosta in Le Spectre de la Rose, and Jose Manuel Carreño, Kristi Boone and Luciana Paris in the leading roles of Polovtsian Dances.

Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre and Cole Haan is a Leading Benefactor. Graff Jewelers and Northern Trust are the 2005 Season Sponsors at The Metropolitan Opera House. ABT’s 2005 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 2005 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $22-$92, are available at the Met box office or by phone at

212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org <http://www.abt.org/> .

Complete casting follows:

THIRD WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 6, 8 P.M. SYLVIA – Kent, Saveliev, Lopez, Radetsky

Tues. Eve., June 7, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Herrera, Beloserkovsky, Bocca

Wed. Mat., June 8, 2 P.M. RAYMONDA – Part*, Gomes, Solymosi*

Wed. Eve., June 8, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Murphy, Corella, Pastor

Thurs. Eve., June 9, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Herrera, Beloserkovsky, Bocca

Fri. Eve., June 10, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Reyes, Carreño, H. Cornejo

Sat. Mat., June 11, 2 P.M. RAYMONDA – Wiles, Gomes, Solymosi

Sat. Eve., June 11, 8 P.M. RAYMONDA – Murphy, Corella, Saveliev

FOURTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 13, 8 P.M. SYLVIA – Wiles*, Gomes*, Tidwell*, Saveliev*

Tues. Eve., June14, 8 P.M. SYLVIA – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, H. Cornejo, Gomes

Wed. Mat., June 15, 2 P.M. SYLVIA – Herrera, Corella, Salstein, Pastor

Wed. Eve., June 15, 8 P.M. SYLVIA – Wiles, Gomes, Tidwell, Saveliev

Thurs. Eve., June 16, 8 P.M. FOKINE CELEBRATION

LES SYLPHIDES – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, Kajiya, Riccetto

PETROUCHKA – Stiefel+, McKerrow+, Gomes+

LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – H. Cornejo, Reyes

POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Saveliev+, Abrera+, Copeland+

Fri. Eve., June 17, 8 P.M. FOKINE CELEBRATION

LES SYLPHIDES – Abrera*, Gomes, Copeland*, Fang*

PETROUCHKA – H. Cornejo*, Reyes*, Stappas

LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Corella*, McKerrow*

POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Acosta**, Part*, Hidalgo

Sat. Mat., June 18, 2 P.M. FOKINE CELEBRATION

LES SYLPHIDES – Riccetto*, Saveliev*, Butler*, Boone*

PETROUCHKA – Corella, Abrera*, Zhurbin*

LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Stiefel*, Reyes

POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Radetsky, C. Corella, Hidalgo

Sat. Eve., June 18, 8 P.M. FOKINE CELEBRATON

LES SYLPHIDES – Kent, Hallberg*, Kajiya, Hamrick*

PETROUCHKA – Bocca*, McKerrow, Gomes

LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Acosta** Riccetto

POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Carreño*, Boone*, Paris*

[carbro]

Ethan Steifel has withdrawn from the Fokine program, as has Misty Copeland. Let's hope that both are able to assume their scheduled roles in the Corsaire run.

The silver lining is that Danny Tidwell will be taking Ethan's Spectres. Julio Bocca is taking his Petrouchkas. Laura Hidalgo is slated for Misty's Polovtsian Dances, Yuriko Kajiya for her Sylphides.

You can check casting by going to ABT.org and clicking "View Full Calendar" on the right side of the screen.

[nysusan]

I'm really sorry that Misty Copeland won't be able to dance in Polovtsian Dances and Les Sylphides. Of course, I'll also miss Steifel,but I think these were big opportunities for Misty, I hope this won't be a set back for her. In addition to Tidwell's Spectre I'm looking forward to both Licecia & Fang in Les Sylphides. I am unfortunately going to miss Hallberg & Melanie Hamrick. I really liked Melanie in the studio company, I'm sure she'll do a beautiful prelude. And Hallberg as the poet.. sometimes it really pisses me off the way my job cuts into ballet season!