26 replies to this topic

[anin]

I live in Washington,DC area and intend to attend Mariinsky's Don Quixote. Kennedy Center doesn't have the cast for performances yet. They have to get it from Mariinsky's management. There's nothing on Vishneva's website for January 2009. At this point her schedule ends in December 2008. Is there any way to find out when the Mariinsky will announce the cast for their January 2009 Don Q performances at the Kennedy Center ? Will appreciate any ideas.
Thanks

[Natalia]

It should be coming any day now, as the casting is normally announced soon after the single tickets go on sale. The Vishneva website is usually accurate, so I would wager some money that DC will NOT be seeing Vishneva, unless some last-minute deals are struck.

Here is my guess as to casting for DON Q. It will be fun to see if I end up being correct or if I bomb:



1. Novikova/Sarafanov (the Mariinsky's Golden Pair in DQ a couple of years ago, when the yet-to-be-released DVD was filmed)

2. Tereshkina/Korsakov (VT is quickly supplanting ON as the Mariisnky's top Kitri, so she may end up getting opening night)

3. Somova/Ivanchenko

I wouldn't be surprised if those three pairings -- or a mix within them -- are all we see in DC, alternating performances.

Obraztsova/Shklyarov would be the most delightful pairing of all but they are presently being ostracized and left out of major tours, for whatever nasty reason, although EO was recently in London (I think), which gives us hope that she will be allowed to come to DC in January.

Wild-Card Kitri:  tall, glamorous Anastasia Kolegova is a huge star in Russia & Japan, especially as Kitri; she is one of the recent 'transplants' to the Mariinsky from the Maly Theater

Irma Nioradze made a VERY RARE touring appearance in the recent Ardani Tour of the US. She gets to tour about once every 10 years...so her 'quota' for the decade has been fulfilled.  I would be really surprised if she shows up in DC.

Ekaterina Osmolkina used to dance Kitri quite a bit until about 2005/2006. Perhaps she will appear in the Act 4 variation or Dryad Queen?

I fully expect that we will see 'Big Red' Kondaurova as either Street Dancer or Dryad Queen but absolutely not as Kitri.

We might see one of their newest female soloists -- Elena Evseyeva (another Maly Theater transplant) in the A4 variation.

Wild-Card Basils: Igor Kolb...but usually partnering Vishneva and she is not coming, most likely...or Mikahil Lobukhin, who sometimes dances with Tereshkina (including in California, recently)

The Espadas should be either Alexander Sergeev (husband of Pavlenko...wouldn't it be great if she would debut a Kitri in DC?) or new sensation Konstantin Sverev. Ilya Kuznetsov was their greatest Espada until 2006 or so but I don't think he's danced the role in a while. Ditto the fabulous character-dancer Islom Baimuratov, who rarely gets to show-off his Espada outside of Russia.

We SHOULD see the KING of Mariinsky Character Dancer-Actors, Vladimir Ponomaryev, as Don Quixote. He graduated in 1964 and represents the End of an Era. It won't be the Mariinsky Ballet if he ever retires...so let's admire him as long as we can.

[Alexandra]

Thank you for that, Natalia (and if you "bomb," it's only because the casting is so unpredictable and likely to change at 1 minute to midnight!)  Maybe we should do an online betting pool on casting!!!

[Mme. Hermine]

[Natalia]

Love the idea, Alexandra. One year ago, I would have bet Somova for opening night but...but...there seem to be tiny signs of Common Sense setting in at the Mariinsky. Heck, I'll wager something on opener of: Tereshkina - Sarafanov (not her usual partner) - Zverev as Espada - Big Red as Street Dancer/Dryad. I think that the Mariinsky will go for what they think will be the most positive reviews from Eastern-US critics.  That's the safest bet.

My WISH BET would be Obraztsova - Shklyarov - Zverev - Big Red...but y'all know that just aint gonna happen. If that happens, I'll jump into the Potomac River and post a link to the photo, to prove it...and I live only one block from the river and work ON the river, so it's ten steps from my desk. I'll be so happy I would not feel the cold.

[Natalia]

Ha! As soon as we began discussing it, the casting is up...including VISHNEVA for the opener + Sat night...and -- gulp! -- OBRAZTSOVA/SHKLYAROV have been released from captivity and are scheduled for one Sat matinee performance.

I so hope that Obraztsova/Shklyarov at the Saturday matinee comes to pass; no nasty last-minute switches.

CASTING  (from the Kennedy Center web)

Tue., Jan. 13 & Sat., Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Kitri: Diana Vishneva
Bazil: Evgeny Ivanchenko

Wed., Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Kitri: Olesya Novikova
Bazil: Leonid Sarafanov

Thu., Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Kitri: Viktoria Tereshkina
Bazil: Andrian Fadeyev

Fri., Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Kitri: Alina Somova
Bazil: Anton Korsakov

Sat., Jan. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
Kitri: Evgenya Obraztsova
Bazil: Vladimir Shklyarov

Sun., Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m.
Kitri: Viktoria Tereshkina
Bazil: Leonid Sarafanov

Of course, things can & will change. I trust Vishneva's website and this is not on her schedule yet. Let's hope for the best.

[Cygnet]

Quote

Here is my guess as to casting for DON Q. It will be fun to see if I end up being correct or if I bomb . . .

LOL!  Great call Natalia!  I'd book for Thursday night, and the weekend matinees !  But, there's probably
not one available plane ticket or hotel room in Washington DC for that week.  If you're lucky enough to book
the trifecta, (performance, round trip flight and hotel), no doubt, there'll be alot of price gouging.

Quote

Of course, things can & will change. . .

I have a feeling that if Dina (and/or Genichka) do not come, Alinashka will somehow get opening night at Kennedy.  
Novikova opened Chicago and Orange County.  Somova is overdue; plus it's the capitol.

[Natalia]

Cygnet, on Oct 28 2008, 04:56 PM, said:

Quote

Here is my guess as to casting for DON Q. It will be fun to see if I end up being correct or if I bomb . . .

LOL!

Hey, it may still end-up being what I predicted -- only three Kitris (Novikova, Tereshkina and Somova). Bets are still on the table until the curtains part and we really-TRULY see Vishneva or Obraztsova jete onto the stage. Even the printed playbill can't be trusted with the Mariinsky casting folks.  That said, I hope that the announced casting will remain.

With my luck, my three performances -- Tuesday night, Sat matinee & Sunday matinee -- will end up being Three Somovas!   Come to think of it, I will most likely get Somova at least twice as Dryad Queen, even if she is not one of my Kitris. Fingers and toes are crossed.

p.s. to Cygnet - Don't taze me, sis!  

[Cygnet]

Natalia, on Oct 28 2008, 09:08 PM, said:

Cygnet, on Oct 28 2008, 04:56 PM, said:

Quote

Here is my guess as to casting for DON Q. It will be fun to see if I end up being correct or if I bomb . . .

LOL!

Hey, it may still end-up being what I predicted -- only three Kitris (Novikova, Tereshkina and Somova). Bets are still on the table until the curtains part and we really-TRULY see Vishneva or Obraztsova jete onto the stage. Even the printed playbill can't be trusted with the Mariinsky casting folks.  That said, I hope that the announced casting will remain.

With my luck, my three performances -- Tuesday night, Sat matinee & Sunday matinee -- will end up being Three Somovas!   Come to think of it, I will most likely get Somova at least twice as Dryad Queen, even if she is not one of my Kitris. Fingers and toes are crossed.

p.s. to Cygnet - Don't taze me, sis!  

LOL !  Natalia, you'll probably get The Dryad three times LOL!

Slightly   Obratzova recently added "Raymonda" to her resume Sept 19, with Shklyarov and the Ufa Bashkir State Ballet in Bangkok.  The Queen of Thailand was in attendance, no less .  Obratzova was in London, danced  one "Tchaikovsky Pdd," then rushed back to Petersburg for the Oct 18 "Cinderella" at the MT.  So, Genichka and Shklyarov continue to make lemonade from lemons, in spite of the "Maryinsky Whatever Nasty Reasons" you mentioned earlier .

[Paul Parish]

What you WANT is Ponomarev as the Don --

ALl the stars can do the leads well enough; Novikova/Sarafanov would be my choice --

SOmova is not bad in it -- darling, in fact. Sarafanov is technically thrilling and also hilarious.... They were just here in Berkeley, I reviewed them here: http://www.ebar.com/...amp;article=129
Don Q worked just fine no matter who was the star -- it's an ensemble ballet, kinda Robbins-y -- everybody in the background is vivid, and "real." Ponomarev was great.

[Quiggin]

Nioradze and Korsakov were in the cast I was fortunate to see in Berkeley, and after you’d get used to the discrepancies in age and style  -- in 1930’s film terms it would be like Dickie Moore partnering Marlene Dietrich – everything went like a dream--the dream that Don Quixote would puncture from time to time with his lance.

As Natalia and Paul say, the show is worth it if only for the Don Quixote, V. Ponomarev, who was wonderfully out-of-it, his eyes flaring with various halting schemes. He looked like someone who had strayed from one of Tadseus Cantor’s casts. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him—or Irma Nioradze, whose face, Georgian like Boris Pasternak’s, with high cheekbones and great sculptural modeling, keep changing and weighing its effects. (She could have been Natasha Filipova in “the Idiot.”) The role of Kitri was a comfortable old chair to her. Korsakov’s range is limited to earnestness and a skeptical lift of an eyebrow or corner of lip. But then he draws himself up, gulps up a bit of air, lowers his gaze and suddenly leaps cleanly and brilliantly across stage.

[Mashinka]

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Obratzova was in London, danced one "Tchaikovsky Pdd," then rushed back to Petersburg for the Oct 18 "Cinderella" at the MT.

That's correct but she also danced in the Forsythe programme too.  Actually it was quite an impressive little team they put together for the London week, mercifully Somova-less.

[anin]

Quiggin, on Oct 28 2008, 07:53 PM, said:

Nioradze and Korsakov were in the cast I was fortunate to see in Berkeley, and after you’d get used to the discrepancies in age and style  -- in 1930’s film terms it would be like Dickie Moore partnering Marlene Dietrich – everything went like a dream--the dream that Don Quixote would puncture from time to time with his lance.

As Natalia and Paul say, the show is worth it if only for the Don Quixote, V. Ponomarev, who was wonderfully out-of-it, his eyes flaring with various halting schemes. He looked like someone who had strayed from one of Tadseus Cantor’s casts. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him—or Irma Nioradze, whose face, Georgian like Boris Pasternak’s, with high cheekbones and great sculptural modeling, keep changing and weighing its effects. (She could have been Natasha Filipova in “the Idiot.”) The role of Kitri was a comfortable old chair to her. Korsakov’s range is limited to earnestness and a skeptical lift of an eyebrow or corner of lip. But then he draws himself up, gulps up a bit of air, lowers his gaze and suddenly leaps cleanly and brilliantly across stage.

Don Q ballet has absolutely nothing in common with Servantes's novel, and, though,V.Ponomarev(a grandson of his great namesake) is a good Don Q, it's not a dancing part, and ballet is all about dance and, as such, it does matter who's doing Kitri or Basil. As for Georgian faces, Nioradze does have one as she is indeed Georgian as are Nina Ananiashvili,Nikolai Tsiskaridze, as was Vachtang Chabukiani and George Balanchine(Balanchivadze) and Tamara Tumanova who were both half Georgian.Pasternak was Jewish( a convert to Christianity).As far as Nioradze being N.F.in " The Idiot " I ve never thought about that,but it's Nastasia Filipovna.

[Natalia]

Anin, you are certainly entitled to your opinion but I must differ with you regarding the degree of importance of character actors (mimes) in classical ballets and, in particular, the great artistry of Vladimir Ponomaryev. If you read review after review of the recent California tour, or many reviews in the past about ballets such as Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty, Ponomaryev is often singled-out for kudos. It is impossible to take ones eyes off him when he is on the stage...especially if less-than-stellar classical dancers are sharing the stage with him. Case in point: My greatest comfort in the Somova Bayadere at the Kennedy Center, last year, was seeing the High Brahmin (Ponomaryev) standing beside her. That's when I remembered that good old-fashioned stage personalities still exist.

As to your comment on Pasternak -- I am not sure what prompted your digression into religion. What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Sorry if I am sensitive but I don't get your point.

[Helene]

Natalia, on Oct 29 2008, 09:58 AM, said:

As to your comment on Pasternak -- I am not sure what prompted your digression into religion. What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Sorry if I am sensitive but I don't get your point.

Quiggin's original analogy was "Irma Nioradze, whose face, Georgian like Boris Pasternak’s, with high cheekbones and great sculptural modeling, keep changing and weighing its effects..."  In many contexts in the arts and sports I've heard Russian- and Eastern European-born posters and commentators say that someone looked Jewish vs. ethnic Russian/Polish/Ukranian, etc., and I read anin's comment as a counterpoint to Quiggin's.

I suspect that's why the man at the European Deli, a Russian deli, in Edmonds always tells me that he has kosher pickles and herring the moment I walk into the store