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ABT Met Season 2009


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It seems very possible that "La Sylphide" of June 19 may be cancelled. But since ABT is on tour in London the information is just being late.

The Osipova saga continues.....I just took a look at ABT's website. The Sylphide for Fri Juen 19 is now listed as TBA/Hallberg. So it looks like Osipova is out of the June 19 performance. Typical of ABT to bait and switch on casting. It's happened numerous times in the past, and so now I expect it all the time.

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It seems very possible that "La Sylphide" of June 19 may be cancelled. But since ABT is on tour in London the information is just being late.

The Osipova saga continues.....I just took a look at ABT's website. The Sylphide for Fri Juen 19 is now listed as TBA/Hallberg. So it looks like Osipova is out of the June 19 performance. Typical of ABT to bait and switch on casting. It's happened numerous times in the past, and so now I expect it all the time.

and in the greatest of ironies--i switched my tickets from the 17th to the 19th because originally the 17th was the date that she was double booked....

argh!

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[and in the greatest of ironies--i switched my tickets from the 17th to the 19th because originally the 17th was the date that she was double booked....

argh!

I feel your pain aurora! I anticipated that ABT would pull this kind of stunt, so I purchased tickets to both the 17th and the 19th just in case. It turned out to be a wise move, but I now have to go through the inconvenience of standing on line again. Moroever, since I cannot get to the box office this weekend due to other commitments, I will now have to wait unti Apr. 12 to do the exchange. Yes, one of the perks of being an ABT subscriber (and giving them money way in advance for your subscription purchase) is that they don't allow you to exchange tickets during the first week of public single sales. I will ultimately exchange the 19th tickets for something else at a future time. Note to ABT: If you're going to base your season on star casting, you should stick to the casting that you've published. Doesn't ABT realize that this kind of stunt turns off its most loyal customers???!!!!

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[and in the greatest of ironies--i switched my tickets from the 17th to the 19th because originally the 17th was the date that she was double booked....

argh!

I feel your pain aurora! I anticipated that ABT would pull this kind of stunt, so I purchased tickets to both the 17th and the 19th just in case. It turned out to be a wise move, but I now have to go through the inconvenience of standing on line again. Moroever, since I cannot get to the box office this weekend due to other commitments, I will now have to wait unti Apr. 12 to do the exchange. Yes, one of the perks of being an ABT subscriber (and giving them money way in advance for your subscription purchase) is that they don't allow you to exchange tickets during the first week of public single sales. I will ultimately exchange the 19th tickets for something else at a future time. Note to ABT: If you're going to base your season on star casting, you should stick to the casting that you've published. Doesn't ABT realize that this kind of stunt turns off its most loyal customers???!!!!

Well, ABT has some fallout for how it has handled some recent casting changes but I wonder if this one was really beyond their control. As I understand it,

their agreement with Osipova was for the three dates they announced months ago and didn't her own website reflect that?

I'm wondering if in this case the Bolshoi has acted high handedly and dictated that Osipova will dance to THEIR schedule, never mind any agreements that

have been made with others. And who knows what their motivation was? It certainly doesn't appear that their was much spirit of cooperation.

Maybe, maybe not.

But I agree that in any event it's lousy for the subscribers.

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I've also noticed these additional bits of information on the ABT website, which was just updated. Stella A. is out of Corsaire and Giselle. (I'm guessing that Ricetto will get the Giselle matinee. Also, I would guess that Sarah Lane would make a good Gulnare.) All of Stella's roles are now TBA. Very disappointing. I really liked her and wish her all the best. Also, the Allegro Brilliante roles listed as tba for the Wed and Sat matiness are now Reyes/Simkin.

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Your complaints make me envious, since in the Bolshoi there is no practice of changing tickets at all. One can return the ticket in case the title of the performance is changed, but not the cast. Taking into account that the prices are VERY high nowadays early booking becomes rather risky financially.

It's a great pity that Osipova's guesting caused troubles to devoted balletgoers. My guess is that the wind blows from the Bolshoi, just because I've faced their way of planning more than once. :(

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Your complaints make me envious, since in the Bolshoi there is no practice of changing tickets at all. One can return the ticket in case the title of the performance is changed, but not the cast. Taking into account that the prices are VERY high nowadays early booking becomes rather risky financially.

:(

Ticket exchange is commonly a privilege here in New York for subscribers for the ballet, opera, and the symphony. I think that these organizations know that the only way people will pay for tickets in advance is to permit exchanges. I'm surprised that the Bolshoi doesn't allow this. I presume that they sell out most of the time, right?

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I had a subscription for a while and after having all the cast changes for whatever reason, I told the ABT that it wasn't working for me because I has seen all the ballets and was now more interested in see specific dancers perform which I how I tried to select the subscription. The exchange thing didn't solve the problem so I told them that there was no benefit to me to be a subscriber and I would simply purchase tix for the castings/performances I wanted to see and if they were sold out, so be it and good for them and they didn't need my butt to fill an empty seat.

I sent ABT a small donation and told them I would no longer be a subscriber and so the story ends.

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I subscribed for the first time ever this year. Since I come from out of town for a few days of ballet going each year it does not usually make sense to do so but this time I plan to see three Giselles in one week so why not do the "trio" series where you pick your performances?

Well I will tell you why not. The tickets are slightly to considerably worst than anything I have ever gotten in the same (high end) price range buying them over the phone a couple of weeks after the box office had already opened. And I really am comparing apples to apples -- star casting in ninetenth-century chestnuts. Somehow subscribing did not get me better seats or even equally good seats--even in a year when I think one can assume subscriptions and box office may be down.

I guess I complain a lot on this website about the vagaries of ballet travel, and trying to buy tickets when you can't walk up to the box office and "mull over" the different seats on offer, so I should at least express gratitude that (so far, knock wood, throw salt, etc.) Osipova's Giselle is still 'on.' In any case, I'm counting on at least one of the performances I plan to see turning out as hoped!

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I let my subscription lapse this year. About a week ago I got a call from ABT. A very well-mannered gentleman said that they wanted to keep me as a customer and offered to get me better seats that what would be available through the box office for 'make your own series'. I eagerly agreed, confirmed that I wanted prime Orchestra seats and he asked me what dates I was looking for. "June 13 evening," I said. "OK, you got it." "June 9," I said. "OK, you got it." "June 17."

"OK, he said, I can see where it's going. We sell subscriptions, and you are very particular about what you want to see." After that he refused to help me any longer, said good bye and hung up. :o

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"OK, he said, I can see where it's going. We sell subscriptions, and you are very particular about what you want to see." After that he refused to help me any longer, said good bye and hung up.

As opposed to us subscribers who will go see any old cast?

This is outrageous!

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"OK, he said, I can see where it's going. We sell subscriptions, and you are very particular about what you want to see." After that he refused to help me any longer, said good bye and hung up.

As opposed to us subscribers who will go see any old cast?

This is outrageous!

I know, I was left speechless. Somehow it felt offending to me too :o

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I received oodles of calls from the ABT reps who were very polite and to whom I explain what I wanted to see and why their subscription thingy doesn't work. They offered better seats and so forth but they concept that some people simply want to select precisely which casts to see and not just see the ballet doesn't seem to sink in.

You would think that there would be some sort of quid pro quote when you buy a subscription as in discounted seats or 4 for the price of 3 type of thing. There is no inducement or value in a subscription to the purchaser. None.

My conclusion is that these work for the blue haired ladies who need to feel a bit of culture on a regular basis and to have something to tell their friends over lunch.

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There is no inducement or value in a subscription to the purchaser. None.

My conclusion is that these work for the blue haired ladies who need to feel a bit of culture on a regular basis and to have something to tell their friends over lunch.

I have the same impression and don't find any value in subscriptions, either. But isn't the whole point of 'make your own' series to be able to select particular perfs/casts and to avoid being stuck with whatever's just happens to be playing on your subscription's day of the week? :o

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My favorite ticket fiasco, was the year I became a "Golden Patron" (I think it cost my entire annual salary) so I could access the "Special GP Reserve" tickets, which I thought might be better seats than usual. And then I found out there were NO exchange priveleges at all, because I wasn't considered a subscriber!? So when I had to switch the nights I attended due to work commitments (or being unable to do that 4hr drive to/from the City) I had to "donate" my great (expensive) seats, and get whatever was leftover for the night I needed. You also don't get to attend any of the "events" free, but pay for them like everyone else. So what perks do you get?--The invitation to said events to hang on your wall.

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It seems very possible that "La Sylphide" of June 19 may be cancelled. But since ABT is on tour in London the information is just being late.

The Osipova saga continues.....I just took a look at ABT's website. The Sylphide for Fri Juen 19 is now listed as TBA/Hallberg. So it looks like Osipova is out of the June 19 performance. Typical of ABT to bait and switch on casting. It's happened numerous times in the past, and so now I expect it all the time.

and in the greatest of ironies--i switched my tickets from the 17th to the 19th because originally the 17th was the date that she was double booked....

argh!

All this "yadda, yadda about Ms. Osipova and when she does or does not dance is amazing. My guess is that most of us have seen her only at YAGP or on Utube, so that there's much anticipation about seeing her live in a complete ballet. Scheduling is very difficult. Many dancers and companies make arrangement months if not years in advance. But the deal is that if she's good, which she is, and if she sells seats, which undoubtedly she will, she'll be baaaaak! To think otherwise would assume ABT doesn't have a clue commercially speaking. This is about good business. It would be splendid if Ms. Osipova left the Bolshoi and became a permanent member of ABT now that her friend, Alexi Ratmansky is here. I admire Veronica Part for making her break. It has taken her awhile, but she is now dancing better than ever (and probably more often) than when in Russia. Meanwhile, there are so many other splendid dancers to choose from in all the roles, so if I miss Ms. Osipova this season, I'm sure there will be other seasons. At ABT there's always a wealth of talent to look forward to seeing. A great ballet company is made up of more than just it's stars. To me, the corps and secondary roles are all equally as important, or else the ballet doesn't work as a total package. The glory of ABT's corps is always such a pleasure: I often find myself training my opera glasses on many of them rather than the leads. So, my advice is, try for her performances, but if you're unlucky there, open yourself to all the other possibilities that make the ABT Spring Season such a joy!

mimsyb

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I think the frustration re the Osipova casting arises from two issues. First, while all the ABT principals are good dancers, theirs is a star system. We balletomanes are making specific decisions about which casts to see. ABT knows this. (As someone noted above, there are many people who will go to ABT without knowing who they are seeing. Most of the people who follow this board are very sophisticated and experienced, and have specific casts they are looking to see.) That's why they advertise casting so far in advance. They bring in a ton of money way in advance by advertising advanced casting. Not every principal at ABT is an international star. It's no mystery why performances by Nina A. Diana V. and a small handful of other dancers sell out quickly. As a consumer, I expect that the product that is offered to me is the one that will actually be delivered. The same is true with respect to casting the leads in a ballet at ABT. It's understandable that people get injured, and sometimes that requires a change in cast. However, this casting controversy arises because the parties can't seem to get their act together regarding where Osipova is contractually bound to perform during the time period in question. They have had months to work this out. It's very inconsiderate to the ticket buying public to conduct business in this manner. Also, I think the frustration also stems from the fact that ABT in the past has been less than truthful and forthcoming in providing accurate casting info on a timely basis. I hope you're right that Osipova appears in future seasons with ABT. (I had the same hope when they invited Cojocaru a few years ago, but no permanent relationship materialized from that engagement.)

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[ADMIN BEANIE ON]

We're a discussion board. What is "yadda, yadda, yadda" to one poster may be important to someone else.

Ballet Talk policy is that "discussing the discussion" is off-limits.

Any discussion that doesn't appeal is one that can be skipped.

[ADMIN BEAN OFF]

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My question in this whole Osipova casting thing is when did ABT find out that Osipova was not going to appear on what appears to be the dates they had contracted with her?

If they had known for a while, then they were wrong to leaving the casting on their site and sell tickets.

If however this was recently determined when the Bolshoi got around to announcing their casting for their Kennedy Center Season and Bolshoi/Osipova told ABT that her availabilty had changed, then ABT is only at fault for not negotiating a more

ironclad contract and also for bending to what remembers from Soviet days as rather "highhandedness" from the Bolshoi, a sort of "you will take what we decide to allow you" arrangement.

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One irony is that Osipova is not listed to appear in any leading roles during any other portion of the Bolshoi's US Tour, which runs for several weeks prior to reaching the Kennedy Center. Apparently, they could do without her for all those weeks, but suddenly they need her at the exact same time she's scheduled to appear w. ABT. Go figure.

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[ADMIN BEANIE ON]

We're a discussion board. What is "yadda, yadda, yadda" to one poster may be important to someone else.

Ballet Talk policy is that "discussing the discussion" is off-limits.

Any discussion that doesn't appeal is one that can be skipped.

[ADMIN BEAN OFF]

Apologies to anyone I may have offended with my words regarding the Osipova saga. My teeth were (and are still) knashing over the date changes, etc. like everyone's. Until it was pointed out to me by my friend in subscriptions to read the "fine print" at the bottom of all brochures about "all casts and programs are subject to change". That said, I agree that if ABT knew of this conflict it might have been better to have left the dates TBA until everything was cleared up. Happy customers come back. Alas, it's an imperfect system. Again, apologies if my words were misconstrued.

mimsyb

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Since I complained above about my disappointment in the subscription series seats I got, I will say that the ABT marketing office and the Met have been trying to help me with my woes. Assuming everything works out, I plan to make the company and even the Met a small donation...(can't afford a big one: I'm spending too much on the tickets).

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