19 replies to this topic

[DeborahB]

Although I am not a true fan of story ballets, I am anxious for the winter season to start. I will miss the first week (will be in London. Will see The English National Ballet and Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake this time. ), but will catch the last "A Midsummer's Night Dream."
That said, I had to exchange nearly all of my tickets (4 subscriptions) to get around  the story ballets that I'd like to avoid. I understand, of course, that the story ballets bring in money, and younger audience members (a good thing), but I do wish that the programming
was more diverse. I certainly hope that the spring season doesn't follow this pattern. Thoughts Ballet Talkers?

[miliosr]

I do think it's interesting how ABT is now doing all Balanchine evenings and NYCB is now moving heavily into multi-act story ballets.  Maybe they should merge into one mega-company!  

[RUKen]

DeborahB, on Dec 28 2009, 06:34 PM, said:

I certainly hope that the spring season doesn't follow this pattern. Thoughts Ballet Talkers?

From a press release last August on the NYCB 2010 season:

"The spring season, which will feature performances of 40 different ballets, will open on Tuesday, May 4, and be highlighted by an extraordinary celebration of New York City Ballet’s unparalleled commitment to new choreography featuring world premiere ballets by Melissa Barak, Mauro Bigonzetti, Peter Martins, Wayne McGregor, Benjamin Millepied, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon. During the course of the eight-week spring season, seven of the weeks will feature a world premiere.

"Four original scores have also been commissioned for the new ballets from: Bruno Moretti, who will work with Bigonzetti, his long-time collaborator; French composer Thierry Escaich, who will work with Millepied; young American composer Jay Greenberg, who will create the score for the Barak ballet; and Esa-Pekka Salonen, who composed a violin concerto for Martins’ spring season world premiere which has been co-commissioned by NYCB, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where the score premiered in April.

"In addition, the acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava will also collaborate with NYCB during the 2010 spring season festival of new choreography."

I infer from this that the spring season will be much different than the winter season.

[DeborahB]

RUKen, on Dec 28 2009, 08:01 PM, said:

DeborahB, on Dec 28 2009, 06:34 PM, said:

I certainly hope that the spring season doesn't follow this pattern. Thoughts Ballet Talkers?

From a press release last August on the NYCB 2010 season:

"The spring season, which will feature performances of 40 different ballets, will open on Tuesday, May 4, and be highlighted by an extraordinary celebration of New York City Ballet’s unparalleled commitment to new choreography featuring world premiere ballets by Melissa Barak, Mauro Bigonzetti, Peter Martins, Wayne McGregor, Benjamin Millepied, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon. During the course of the eight-week spring season, seven of the weeks will feature a world premiere.

"Four original scores have also been commissioned for the new ballets from: Bruno Moretti, who will work with Bigonzetti, his long-time collaborator; French composer Thierry Escaich, who will work with Millepied; young American composer Jay Greenberg, who will create the score for the Barak ballet; and Esa-Pekka Salonen, who composed a violin concerto for Martins’ spring season world premiere which has been co-commissioned by NYCB, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where the score premiered in April.

"In addition, the acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava will also collaborate with NYCB during the 2010 spring season festival of new choreography."

I infer from this that the spring season will be much different than the winter season.

Good news! Thanks for the info RUKen!

[SingerWhoMoves]

Deborah, I totally agree- I don't have a subsciption, but I am not really interested in seeing the story ballets- and after seeing the new Martins at the Gala, I don't want to sit through that again... leaving not much for me to see this winter.  I guess casting might draw me to certain performances- we'll see.

[jsmu]

DeborahB, on Dec 28 2009, 07:34 PM, said:

Although I am not a true fan of story ballets, I am anxious for the winter season to start. I will miss the first week (will be in London. Will see The English National Ballet and Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake this time. ), but will catch the last "A Midsummer's Night Dream."
That said, I had to exchange nearly all of my tickets (4 subscriptions) to get around  the story ballets that I'd like to avoid. I understand, of course, that the story ballets bring in money, and younger audience members (a good thing), but I do wish that the programming
was more diverse. I certainly hope that the spring season doesn't follow this pattern. Thoughts Ballet Talkers?

Deborah, I couldn't agree more. Worst NYCB season I've ever seen advertised, by light-years. So many
things NYCB doesn't (and probably can't, given the current regime) do well, and so few of the things it
could shine in...and, yet one more time, audiences suffering through Kistler as Titania and who knows what
else...

[abatt]

I think the key to whether this will become a trend at NYCB will depend on ticket sales.  The full length ballets are not what I go to NYCB to see, but I don't fault them for trying something new in these difficult economic times.

[ivanov]

My mother received a postcard offering a 30% discount on tickets to Midsummer, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake if purchased before Jan 5.  All you have to do is use code FLW10 when you order, apparently.  I don't know, maybe this suggests the programming of so many story ballets was not a succès fou?  But I thought I would pass the offer along...

[Helene]

Many thanks, ivanov!

[justafan]

Sales are definitely down for NYCB in general -- I'm not sure it has so much to do with story ballets. It's the economy. Indeed, I think management might have scheduled so many story ballets because of the economy. These usually sell well, if not out, even at NYCB.

This year, my husband is out of work and my business has been down. So I really was determined not to renew my subscription -- not that I wouldn't go, but I just thought a subscription was a luxury I couldn't afford. I don't mind giving up my seats because I usually change them in any case. So I thought "let's just go two or three times this season and resubscribe in the spring." (Also, the number of story ballets didn't appeal to me.) But NYCB offered me a "create your own subscription option" whereby I chose two nights this season and they counted it as a subscription. They've never done that before for me. So I still am counted as a 20+ year subscriber with whatever perks that go with that and I only had to pay for the two subs. I'm not sure they would have done that in years past.

Actually, I congratulate management for being so flexible and thoughtful.

[E Johnson]

For me, this is a terribly programmed season, especially after last spring when they finally broke out of those silly blocks somewhat.  For my family it is good, though; i swapped almost every ticket in my subscription so i can take my 3d grader to Dream and my 5 y.o. to Beauty. So maybe its a good move from the perspective of winning over families/children -- it just seems so much a slap in the face to devoted fans that value what makes NYCB special -- and Beauty and R&J aren't that (putting aside that R&J and the Martins Swan Lake are, in my view, painfully bad ballets).

[balanchinette]

I thought this article in the Star Ledger was an interesting commentary on the programming changes this season.  Spoiler: it's quite the indictment of Martins.

http://www.nj.com/en...01/post_16.html

[miliosr]

It would appear that the story ballets (and the way they are being danced) are not much to Mr. Macaulay's taste either:

http://www.nytimes.c...t.html?ref=arts

[DeborahB]

miliosr, on Jan 18 2010, 09:16 AM, said:

It would appear that the story ballets (and the way they are being danced) are not much to Mr. Macaulay's taste either:

http://www.nytimes.c...t.html?ref=arts

I saw "Fancy Free," "The Prodigal Son," and "Firebird" last night. There's no question that it was too much of a good thing (i.e. too many stories ballets. Even one act ballets). However, since I'm a fan of all three ballets I really can't complain.

Robert Fairchild (in Damian Woetzel's role. Yes, I know it wasn't just Damian's, but he owned it for so long) was delightful.
We know that Daniel Ulbricht can fly around the stage, but he didn't showboat (a good thing); I really enjoyed his performance.
Tyler Angle brought a particular sense of fun, whimsy and even a bit of melancholy to his sailor -- it was just right.

Unlike Macaulay -- whom I usually agree with --  I thought Joaquin De Luz was terrific as The Prodigal Son. Recently I watched a DVD of Baryshnikov performing the role and -- dare I say it? - Joaquin reminded me of Misha! Maria Kowroski's Siren was particularly strong. I always love her in this role, but she brought extra ice -- and a touch of fire-- to the stage last night. It was totally appropriate.

Here's all I have to say about "Firebird" -- Ashley Bouder! If you haven't seen her in this role RUN to the theatre and get a ticket the next time she performs it. I mean it, too! You'll remember her performance for days (weeks, months, years...)

[jsmu]

balanchinette, on Jan 12 2010, 08:44 PM, said:

I thought this article in the Star Ledger was an interesting commentary on the programming changes this season.  Spoiler: it's quite the indictment of Martins.

OUCH! Absolutely true on the subjects of Martins, mangling, programming, Martins ballets, etc, but was he so outraged by the latest Martins premiere, Kowroski as Titania (he should be counting his blessings that it wasn't Kistler!), etc, that he
couldn't even give a good word to the brilliant Scheller and the wildly kinesthetic Hyltin in roles as dazzling as those they danced in 'Who Cares?' Wish someone would inform the reviewer that the turning role in 'Who Cares' is usually neither as clean nor as candid as Ms. Scheller makes it.