164 replies to this topic

[Hans]

I have to warn, if you are traveling by Greyhound, you will not want to arrive in DC late at night.  The Greyhound station is near Union Station (which contains both Amtrak and Metro) and it's fine during the day, but I would not walk around there alone at night.  If you are going to Union Station at night, it is probably safer to take the train.

[koshka]

Re seating: the first row in orchestra in the center section when the pit is in use is G (my subscription seats are there).  I'm not sure about the sides.  I have to sit up fairly straight to see the feet, but then I'm only 5'4".

[abatt]

Well the Bolshoi management is apparently doing the casting shuffle again, and making everyone's life unnecessarily complicated.  I have already bought tickets for June 18 and June 19. I was looking forward to seeing Osipova on the 19th.  Osipova was listed for June 19 on the Kennedy Center website, the Bolshoi website and Osipova's own website.  I just checked the Bolshoi website and they now have Osipova doing Corsaire on Sat 20 mat and Sun 21 mat.  Osipova's own website still lists June 19 and June 21 as her dates for Corsaire.  Grrrrr!  Make up your mind already, Bolshoi Management. How is Shipulina?  She is now apparently the Medora for June 19.  Also, for those who are Kennedy Center regulars, do they allow any exchanges for non-subscribers?   What are the restrictions?  Thanks.

[Helene]

It was for the 19th performance that Osipova was originally removed from the ABT "La Sylphide".  To their credit, ABT has not yet yanked Seo from that performance, at least to date.

[Natalia]

abatt, on Jun 2 2009, 02:58 PM, said:

....How is Shipulina?  ....

A nice 'house ballerina' - nothing more, nothing less. Absolutely not in the league of Osipova, Alexandrova, etc. I will give-away my June 19 ticket if Schipulina replaces Osipova. I am not interested in wasting my time. The opening night with Alexandrova/Tsiskaridze will suffice.

[abatt]

I don't think Osipova could do Sylphide on the 19th, and then do Medora on the matinees for the 20th and the 21st, unless she has some super-human powers.  It's just the Bolshoi management playing some games, apparently.

[abatt]

Natalia, on Jun 2 2009, 03:08 PM, said:

A nice 'house ballerina' - nothing more, nothing less. Absolutely not in the league of Osipova, Alexandrova, etc. I will give-away my June 19 ticket if Schipulina replaces Osipova. I am not interested in wasting my time. The opening night with Alexandrova/Tsiskaridze will suffice.

I was afraid of that.  Do you know if they permit exchanges?

[Natalia]

Abbatt, I believe not. "All sales are final," they tell single-ticket purchasers.

It is now official:  Schipulina in place of Osipova on the 19th. I will not bother going. The Bolshoi was much more generous with the London Coliseum audience, back in August 2007, when I saw Zakharova and Lunkina, neither of whom is coming to Washington.

http://www.kennedy-c...amp;event=BJBSH

So now it is THREE performances with Schipulina as Medora: the evenings of the 17th, 19th and 20th! As we say in Spanish: "Al que no quiere caldo - tres tazas!" (rough translation:  He who doesn't like the soup gets three servings)  And I have no doubt that we'll also see Schipulina as Gulnare -- her usual role in this ballet -- in the other performances.

[p.s. - Schipulina has long been an 'insider' with the ballet powers in Russia - daughter of famous dancers, always touted in ballet competitions as the 'chosen one' who never quite delivered the goods. When I attended the Moscow IBC in 2001, a medal had been minted for her before she ever took to the stage. Luckily two lesser-known ladies more deserving won the sr gold: Wan Qimin and Oksana Kucheruk. Schipulina had to settle for a shared silver with Roberta Marquez. I wrote about it here:

http://ballettalk.in...?showtopic=3859]

[Ceeszi]

I am not having any luck with Osipova!

I have only seen her dance once live - she danced a solo in Don Quixote when the Bolshoi was at the Met in the Summer of 2005.

I waited too late to get tickets for the YAGP Gala in 2008, so I missed her "Flames of Paris" with Vassiliev.

I bought tickets for this year's YAGP Gala.  She and Vassiliev were lised as performing even though they did not.

I bought tickets for her La Sylphide on the 19th of June (before the casting change).

Then I covered my bases and bought a ticket for the Kennedy Center Le Corsaire on the 19th of June (I was going to drive to DC for that) and now I see she is not doing that either.

I might as well just stay in New York for the 19th!

[abatt]

Ceeszi, on Jun 2 2009, 05:20 PM, said:

I am not having any luck with Osipova!


I bought tickets for her La Sylphide on the 19th of June (before the casting change).

Can you go to the ABT box office to exchange your tixs for Sylphide to Wed June 17 evening, when Osipova will purportedly be performing?  I have found that the ABT exchange policy is very liberal.

[carbro]

I am relieved to find that so far, Alexandrova is still listed for the Tuesday opening.  I implore the ballet gods not to change it.  

[Natalia]

carbro, on Jun 2 2009, 05:48 PM, said:

I am relieved to find that so far, Alexandrova is still listed for the Tuesday opening.  I implore the ballet gods not to change it.  

I'm with you, carbro. This is now the only performance that I'll attend. I've given up the ticket to the 19th and, alas, will be out of town during the weekend, so cannot attend the Osipova matinees at the KennCen.


Ceeszi - What could be worse? OK, I can think of something worse:  If neither Osipova nor Alexandrova show up and are replaced by a guest from the Mariinsky -- Somova!

[FauxPas]

Just a note, the yanking of Osipova from the 6/19 "Sylphide" happened some weeks ago and was at the behest of the Bolshoi's new director who felt that the Bolshoi had first call on Osipova's services and all guest appearances should go through him for approval.  The interview was linked here.

As for Schipulina, what I saw of her during the 2005 Bolshoi visit to NYC I liked.  She did one of the River variations in the "Fille du Pharaon".  Maybe not on the level of Alexandrova but quite good.  Several enjoyed her Aegina and Kitri during that visit.  I can't imagine that her Medora would be a total write-off.

[Helene]

FauxPas, on Jun 3 2009, 09:36 AM, said:

Just a note, the yanking of Osipova from the 6/19 "Sylphide" happened some weeks ago and was at the behest of the Bolshoi's new director who felt that the Bolshoi had first call on Osipova's services and all guest appearances should go through him for approval.  The interview was linked here.

That was very clear at the time, although at the time, it was a direct conflict.

[YID]

Helene, on Jun 3 2009, 01:18 PM, said:

FauxPas, on Jun 3 2009, 09:36 AM, said:

Just a note, the yanking of Osipova from the 6/19 "Sylphide" happened some weeks ago and was at the behest of the Bolshoi's new director who felt that the Bolshoi had first call on Osipova's services and all guest appearances should go through him for approval.  The interview was linked here.

That was very clear at the time, although at the time, it was a direct conflict.

WHoops, sad, there will be no Nikulina - sad....
Well, i might end up watching Osipova & Vasiliev twice.