81 replies to this topic

[Haglund's]

SanderO, on Oct 9 2007, 01:32 PM, said:

Hagland,

Just what ARE the variables you refer to?

I'm thinking I run a company of professionals and I call in the AD and set the program and select the dancers.  Then call them up or send them an email and tell them when they are expected to dance, organize rehearsal schedule as necessary and publish it on the web site.

Did I miss something?

I was referring, as Aurora points out, to the two new works on the bill that seem to hold the casting hostage for so much else.  And then there is that odd set of circumstances wherein the brochure clearly showed Stiefel and Dvorovenko as performers, yet Stiefel has lined up his Kings of Dance gig for all but the first few days of the City Center season, and he, as well as Irina, are no where to be found on the schedule.  

It's really very stingy and consumer-unfriendly of ABT and/or City Center not to allow for a free exchange.  Honestly, how much of a problem would that really cause them?

[SanderO]

Hagland that seems to be my point here.  In this day and age of email and blackberries and  email enabled cell phones... oh and I forgot the telephone it would seem that making schedules mesh is something we should have learned in being in business 101.

You have a email contact list and you broadcast the schedule and anyone with a conflict needs to RSVP immediately.  OK 24 hrs.  How do people set up business meetings today?  And it's not as if these principals are not IN THE COMPANY and ON THE PAYROLL.  It's as if no one knows that they are doing.  Is this possible?

When you examine the number of people involved in a MetOpera production, it must number up to 1,000 with the stage hands, costumers, singers, dancers, orchestra and so on. Yet the MetOpera issues a schedule / program and unless their is a health related matter the show goes on as listed.  Why can't the ABT do this?  And the Met DOES new and challenging productions each season.

I really don't get it.

[4mrdncr]

Like the original post on this thread, I too pay double (sometimes triple) every time I go to NYC to see ABT because I have to factor in 8-hr transportation and hotel costs in addition to my ticket.  And because of work schedules (and distance) I usually can only attend on weekends, which makes chances to see X or Y more limited as well.  So I try to second-guess casting, or wait till it's announced.  When I had exchange priveleges, it was nice, but not lately.

Once, though, what started off bad eventually turned out ok...
I had just purchased a ticket (and being last-minute, it wasn't cheap)at the CCtr b.o. to see a dancer perform , and as I was leaving, bumped into that same dancer on the street, where I was informed they had just cancelled. (Nice of the b.o. to forget to inform me!) But perhaps seeing my disappointment, I was assured that they were dancing the next night (unscheduled of course)--and luckily I also had a ticket for that performance.  So as someone posted, it may not be what you expected, but sometimes it works out ok.

Unfortunately, this past MET season, I lost the price of three center-GTier tickets due to last minute cast changes, or cast changes that occurred and then were reversed at the last minute, and consequently AFTER I had already "donated" my tickets back to ABT.  Now I'm just wondering if those "donations" are also tax deductible or am i really out the $$$?  An instance of NOT ok.

[SanderO]

4Mr..

I can get my but down to the Met lickity split..usually, so think of selling those tix to me perhaps rather than turn them in to the Met.  There may be other BTers who would pay you for a ticket on short notice.

The problem may be the actual transfer of the ticket unless the BO can facilitate it.  I tried like crazy to get Netrebko I Puritani Tix and located a good pair in Rhode Island!  No way could I get them in time.  I got a balance seat from a scalper on ebay who met me at the door.

I don't bail when I find out about a cast change, but I do get disappointed.  Perhaps BTers need to have their own ticket exchange?  Is that legal?

[aurora]

Haglund, on Oct 9 2007, 02:26 PM, said:

It's really very stingy and consumer-unfriendly of ABT and/or City Center not to allow for a free exchange.  Honestly, how much of a problem would that really cause them?

I would hazard a guess that it has to be City Center, not ABT, as the ABT season at the MET allows ticket exchange.

[aurora]

SanderO, on Oct 9 2007, 03:50 PM, said:

I don't bail when I find out about a cast change, but I do get disappointed.  Perhaps BTers need to have their own ticket exchange?  Is that legal?

Maybe someone else knows for sure, but I think as long as one doesn't sell a ticket for more than face value (ie, trying to turn a profit on the ticket) you can do it.

[carbro]

aurora, on Oct 9 2007, 04:07 PM, said:

. . . as the ABT season at the MET allows ticket exchange.

For single tickets?  I know they do for subscriptions (which City Center doesn't offer, at least not formally) but was under the impression that non-subs were final sales.

aurora, on Oct 9 2007, 04:10 PM, said:

I think as long as one doesn't sell a ticket for more than face value (ie, trying to turn a profit on the ticket) you can do it.

As a matter of fact, New York's scalper laws have recently changed.  There is no limit on what you're allowed to charge for a ticket, but you are not allowed to sell within 1500 (?) feet of the venue.  I don't know if it's illegal to sell at face value smack-dab in front, but my guess is that as long as no one complains, it's not a problem.

[aurora]

carbro, on Oct 9 2007, 05:28 PM, said:

For single tickets?  I know they do for subscriptions (which City Center doesn't offer, at least not formally) but was under the impression that non-subs were final sales.

you know, you are probably right, I've done subscriptions (+ additional tix) for the last bunch of years so I wasn't even thinking that they might not allow it for non-subs.


woops!

[aurora]

SanderO, on Oct 9 2007, 02:36 PM, said:

When you examine the number of people involved in a MetOpera production, it must number up to 1,000 with the stage hands, costumers, singers, dancers, orchestra and so on. Yet the MetOpera issues a schedule / program and unless their is a health related matter the show goes on as listed.  Why can't the ABT do this?  And the Met DOES new and challenging productions each season.

I don't really see the comparison is an apples to apples one.
It isn't like the MetOpera lists all those 1000 people on a schedule/program.
They list the top performers, no?
Which is what ABT does, and they switch them out if someone is sick or injured, and the schedule needs to be adjusted accordingly.


I'm not disagreeing that it is REALLY frustrating when you want to see performer A and get stuck with performer B; it is!
But part of the reason ABT's schedule changes more is due to the fact dancers are injured with a greater frequency than Opera Singers, and also that ABT, especially when doing mixed bill programming is having to do a more complicated balancing act.

Furthermore since they are listing a greater number of performers per evening, there is an increased likelihood  that someone will be unable to perform.

[SanderO]

Aurora,

Point well taken about injuries.  Are these the kind of injuries that can be very temporary and then the dancer is good to go perhaps in a day?  I don't know because I don't know the nature of dancer's injuries and what causes them.  I would hope that they have the good sense not to "over do" something right before a performance which could lead to an injury. If that's the main cause of the cast changes - injury, we need to cut the company some slack... and pray that they don't happen.  How vulnerable these strong dancers are.

[carbro]

Every injury is different.  Some require a few days of rest, but a dancer needs a few more days to make up for lack of conditioning while recuperating.  It's not like laryngitis where once the singer's voice comes back, they're ready to perform immediately.  More like a pitcher.  Once he returns after an injury, he starts by throwing a few balls with the pitching staff, then a few games in the minors to really pull it together before he's back in the rotation.  Same with dancers.  They come back gradually.  A serious sprain can take six weeks before a dancer can take a full class, but they won't be in performance shape for a while yet.

[sz]

If there is plenty of time to post, at minimum, I can't think of one good reason ABT wouldn't list a TBA on public Internet or newspaper casting, knowing one dancer is out due to injury (not last minute) and another dancer is rehearsing/planning to perform the part.

[4mrdncr]

carbro, on Oct 9 2007, 09:32 PM, said:

Every injury is different.  Some require a few days of rest, but a dancer needs a few more days to make up for lack of conditioning while recuperating.  It's not like laryngitis where once the singer's voice comes back, they're ready to perform immediately.  More like a pitcher.  Once he returns after an injury, he starts by throwing a few balls with the pitching staff, then a few games in the minors to really pull it together before he's back in the rotation.  Same with dancers.  They come back gradually.  A serious sprain can take six weeks before a dancer can take a full class, but they won't be in performance shape for a while yet.

Oh yes, don't I know that, having dealt with torn ligaments, "frayed" tendons, ankle sprains, and possible stress fractures.  Six weeks is good, 4-6 months seems to have been my average.  And then, the weakened joint, ligament, tendon can be prone to re-injury of lesser or greater severity, until finally surgery may be necessary, requiring an even longer recovery period. (Ethan Steifel a case in point.)  So yes, pray for minor injuries with minor recovery times.

Note to SanderO:  I once offered my unused ticket on BT, and was willing to overnight mail if necessary.  But I don't "bail" just because my favorite dancer is not dancing as originally scheduled--I don't come because I am saving myself the extra $300 it costs me (in addition to my ticket) EVERY time I come to see an ABT/NYCB performance in NYC other than a matinee.

[SanderO]

What sz said.  

I think they just don't care and cynically think it doesn't matter to the general audience and don't want to refund any money.

I like to be a fly on the wall of some of the meetings of these company honchos.

[Barbara]

Haglund, on Oct 9 2007, 01:02 PM, said:

Barbara, on Oct 9 2007, 10:33 AM, said:

I'm so frustrated and thought I could get some advice from readers that attend more performances than I. I bought tickets for one evening of the fall ABT season based on the pieces being offered and hoping Hallberg was dancing. I bought them as soon as they went on sale before casting was announced. I was prepared to buy another evening if I was unlucky in my wish to see Hallberg. Well no luck, no Hallberg so I bought a second evening of tickets for Oct. 31st after seeing casting listed. Now I see Hallberg isn't dancing that night either. Instead I'll see Meadow twice, both with Kent/Gomes. Not that I don't love them but not twice in the same performance. Now I have to decide if my wallet can handle yet another set of tickets. (My outlay is double since I always buy tickets for my daughter to join me.) If I'd known I was buying tickets for 3 performances I could have purchased them at the same time and saved a little money. Certainly I realize that casting is subject to change but I'm feeling very unlucky. So my question to you all is this: Do you wait until casting is announced before purchasing tickets risking inferior seats? Do you purchase early to get the best seats and don't mind who is cast? And finally - Is the ABT website the best place for casting info? I'm afraid I took as accurate listings I'd seen in the NY Times. Thanks for any advice about strategic ticket-buying!

Hey, Barbara, they haven't announced any casting for the new Millipied piece yet; so there is still that chance that Hallberg may be dancing on Oct. 31st.  With regard to your first performance choice, if it's Oct 25th -- you won't be paying much attention to Meadow anyway, having just spent a half hour watching JM Carreno cavort around in Clear with his shirt off!!  Trust me.

It is frustrating how ABT holds back the casting on the rep performances.  But I guess there are just too many variables to pin it down any sooner.  To make things more difficult for us, there is no longer an exchange privilege that goes with the City Center packages.

Haglund's, I'm going to adopt your positive line of thinking and hope that Hallberg will dance in the Millepied. Also, of course you're right - my mind will probably be reeling from a shirtless Carreno!    I'm still toying with the idea of another set of tickets, maybe Nov 3 to see Murphy/Hallberg in Ballo. Thanks to everyone for your replies. I guess there's no way to see everything/everyone you hope to in a given season. If I won the lottery I'd buy the entire season, fall and spring.