24 replies to this topic

[Chocomel]

sandik, on May 6 2009, 07:08 PM, said:

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Lindsi Dec

The tallness thing would be interesting here.  So far the Romeos they've fielded have been medium sized.


I'm thinking that Mara Vinson might get a turn at this.

Karel Cruz with Lindsi Dec?  Should be good chemistry there.  

And Kaori has been so strong lately.

[sandik]

Thinking about the whole ballet, there are several good female parts, and with Louise N and Jodie T leaving, they'll have to replace them (Lady Capulet and Nurse) as well as find a (couple?) new Juliettes.  Sounds like juicy opportunities all round!

[SandyMcKean]

I too am excited by the prospect of seeing this R&J again.

I think sandik has findered the "sensible" choice with Mara Vinson, but for a long time now I've been hoping against hope that Rachel Foster gets it.  The contrast in personality and style btwn Carla and Rachel would be a joy to watch.  I too like the idea of Dec and Cruz......and let's not dismiss the fabulous marketing potential of leaking out the juicy story of a real live couple in love, playing the most famous love couple in literature (not to mention the appeal such a story line would have with the younger audience).  My list is pretty much like Chocmel's.  Ever since I saw Sarah Orza in Emeralds,  I've been thinking how how terrific Sarah would be as Juliette.  (OK, again...then do you go nutz and make Seth Romeo too??  Pretty cool I'd say.)  Chapman certainly deserves it, and would do a great job, but somehow I wonder.  She could be a sleeper and blow all our socks off.  Then of course I have to put a plug in for my very special Leslie Rausch, but as much as I consider myself her numbero uno fan, I don't think she's right for this role.

[sandik]

Well then, who would you like to see as the Nurse of Lady Capulet (besides the dancers who've already performed the parts.)

Nurse:  If she doesn't dance Juliette, I think Vinson might do well here -- she has a sunny aspect to her dancing that could work well in the humorous sections.  Kari Brunson might also shine here, especially in the scene with Juliette in the bedroom (I'm thinking of that long and loopy pointing gesture "you come here!")

Lady Capulet:  After watching her Odile again, I'd like to see Kaori Nakamura in this -- she could be quite avaricious and predatory.  Or maybe Mirnda Weese (that's just intuition talking, I can't put my finger on what I've seen her do that makes me want to see her do this...)

And who should play Tybalt?

[SandyMcKean]

Good questions sandik .  I'll take a whack.

The 1st person that comes to my mind for the nurse is Chalnessa Eames, but she was cast as the nurse last time.  So who will replace Jodi?  (One can't replace Jodi in this role......she will always be the best nurse ever I think.)  I'd like to see Jordan Pacitti do it.....but of course that doesn't work either.  Laura Gilbreath would be great IMHO, but is she too tall?  I like your suggestion of Mara.  I also think Foster would be terrific as the nurse if she doesn't do Juliette.  If I had to decide today, I'd go with your excellent suggestion of Kari Brunson.

I like your idea of Kaori for Lady Capulet.  Her performance in Tharp's "Afternoon Ball" as a woman of power was unforgetable.  I think her character comes more to the surface the more wild the character she plays is.  Arianna already does it of course.  If I were Peter Boal, I'd attempt to talk Louise Nadeau into a "guest" performance for Lady Capulet.  It fits her like a glove.  Failing that, I'd go with Carrie Imler, or your suggestion of Miranda Weese (how much longer will Miranda be dancing tho?).  This would be a good one for Kari Brunson too.

Tybalt?  To be honest I was never a big fan of Casey Herd (a fan to be sure, but not a big fan); but he was fantasic in this role.  After seeing Casey, I would want someone equally menacing.  Jeffrey Stanton might pull that off.  Olivier Wevers could, but if anyone dares to suggest that anyone but Olivier play the Friar, I will picket outside the opera house!  How about Barry Kerollis?  And wouldn't it be interesting to see either William Lin-Yee or Sokvannara Sar as Tybalt?

And I'd like to see apprentice Sean Rollofson in one of the macho roles.

[Helene]

There was a note in the latest program that next year's "Coppelia" will be a redesign by Roberta Guidi do Nagno ("The Merry Widow"), and sets and costumes are already under construction by PNB's shops.

There was also a note that the PNB Box Office will be closed from June 15-July 19th, reopening for summer hours (M-F, 9-5) on July 20, resuming regular hours on Tuesday, 8 September.

[tutu]

Though there's nothing I can find on the PNB website to confirm, according to the Joyce website, PNB will perform in New York on January 5-10.

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Pacific Northwest Ballet, now under the direction of Peter Boal, makes its Joyce debut with East Coast premieres recently choreographed for the company by Twyla Tharp and Benjamin Millepied. Tharp's Opus 111, set to a Brahms string quintet, effuses vivacious folk flavor, while Millepied's 3 Movements features a large ensemble performing to a driving minimalist score by Steve Reich. The program also includes Marco Goecke's volatile solo Mopey and Edwaard Liang's Für Alina, an episodic duet created in 2006.

[sandik]

Well, Millepied is going to be in town later this year, and I don't imagine it's just for the seafood.  Perhaps he'll be refreshing their production of his work...

[Helene]

According to Carla Korbes' latest blog entry on "The Winger", she and Seth Orza performed the Balcony Pas de Deux from Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette" at Vail.

[Helene]

Seattle Metropolitan magazine interviews Lucien Postlewaite about Romeo in the season opener, Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette".

http://www.seattleme...-juliette-0909/

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For a dancer, what distinguishes this Roméo et Juliette from more conventional story ballets?

When the stagers were here working with us they kept telling us to shed our ballet postures. And usually there’s a lot of pantomime and gesture in traditional story ballets. But it’s about the acting here—as opposed to gesturing I love you, I have to act it. The choreography is infused with so much emotion that it doesn’t require a really obvious and overt kind of gesture.