45 replies to this topic

[Batsuchan]

Colleen Boresta, on 22 June 2011 - 03:19 AM, said:

And can't ABT get Ashton's Cinderella?  Is it a problem with the rights?  Every Cinderella I have ever seen ABT dance I have not liked.  I saw the Royal Ballet dance Ashton's Cinderella during the Ashton festival in 2004 and I just loved it.  I would also love to see Onegin return.  It's a beautiful ballet, perfect for a dancer like Julie Kent.

I saw Ashton's "Cinderella" with the Royal Ballet in April, in London, and I thought it was only okay.  Perhaps I would feel differently if I saw it danced with ABT's stars, but I personally wouldn't care to see that version over the current Kudelka one.  I did not particularly care for the stepsisters in drag (whereas I love the Kudelka ones), and it bothered me that Cinderella's father would allow her to be treated as a servant.  To me, the story seems better when she has an evil (or indifferent) stepmother.

If ABT produces a new "Cinderella," why not Ratmanksy's version?  (I actually have only seen bits of it, so I'm not sure that would necessarily be better.)  Or perhaps he could stage a new one for them?

As for "Onegin"--if ABT does it next year, I bet Kent, Vishneva and Dvorovenko would all be tapped to play Tatiana.  Polina Semionova also has it in her rep, so she could potentially dance it too (and Cojocaru too, I think).

[vipa]

While we are all playing AD, I have two more thoughts.

How about Tudor's "Gala Performance"  Two casts - 1st cast Principals or Guests maybe Kent, Dvorovenko, Osipova and 2nd cast Soloists maybe Seo, Boone, Lane.

Also, it would be fun to see the early Eliot Feld works, Intermezzo & At Midnight.  I remember them fondly.  

I know my ideas are not realistic.  Oh - one more - Osipova as the cowgirl in Rodeo.

I really believe that ABT has a lot of great works from the past that could be re-explored and sell tickets.  Who wouldn't want to see Gomes as Billy the Kid?

[richard53dog]

Batsuchan, on 22 June 2011 - 02:49 PM, said:

I saw Ashton's "Cinderella" with the Royal Ballet in April, in London, and I thought it was only okay.  Perhaps I would feel differently if I saw it danced with ABT's stars, but I personally wouldn't care to see that version over the current Kudelka one.  I did not particularly care for the stepsisters in drag (whereas I love the Kudelka ones), and it bothered me that Cinderella's father would allow her to be treated as a servant.  To me, the story seems better when she has an evil (or indifferent) stepmother.

I've seen the Ashton over the years, I've seen the Kudelka, and a couple of other versions(plus more on video) and I don't think any of them really rings the bell. The Ashton has some beautiful parts, the seasons sections as well as the Cinderella/Prince pdd, but it gets horribly bogged down with the stepsisters. WAY, WAY, too much of them, they hog the show. The Kudelka has some things about it that I like but it's sort of light on the choreography and I think the plot meanders. However, Kudelka includes the around the world sequence in act 3 which I like.

I wonder if the problem is based on the score. I think it's actually sort of weak, Prokofiev tried to be really creative in Romeo and Juliet and got slapped down for it and I think he plays it much safer (and much duller) in Cinderella.

If we are going to bring back a full length Ashton, I say revive Fille.

[richard53dog]

vipa, on 22 June 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

I really believe that ABT has a lot of great works from the past that could be re-explored and sell tickets.  Who wouldn't want to see Gomes as Billy the Kid?

Good point about rep. ABT has a lot of problems, many of which have been discussed recently in various threads. But their repertory history is staggering. Over the years I've seen a breadth of repertory with them that's been wider and more varied than any other ballet company that I've seen. I wish they would play to that strength, I think it's a tremendous asset.

[vipa]

richard53dog, on 22 June 2011 - 05:29 PM, said:

vipa, on 22 June 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

I really believe that ABT has a lot of great works from the past that could be re-explored and sell tickets.  Who wouldn't want to see Gomes as Billy the Kid?

Good point about rep. ABT has a lot of problems, many of which have been discussed recently in various threads. But their repertory history is staggering. Over the years I've seen a breadth of repertory with them that's been wider and more varied than any other ballet company that I've seen. I wish they would play to that strength, I think it's a tremendous asset.

Exactly my thought.  I don't know how expensive it would be to set some pieces from the past, but I truly believe that a program of great choreography could be put together that could sell tickets.  The Met rep program was anemic.

[Batsuchan]

richard53dog, on 22 June 2011 - 05:25 PM, said:

I wonder if the problem is based on the score. I think it's actually sort of weak, Prokofiev tried to be really creative in Romeo and Juliet and got slapped down for it and I think he plays it much safer (and much duller) in Cinderella.

I think you're on to something here!  As nysusan pointed out to me, the music is rather dark, but most productions don't really address the darkness of the score and try to pass it off as a light, bright fairytale (suitable for children).

I like my music dark and minor, but even I am not a huge fan of the score, and I'm sure there are people like the lady sitting behind me at the dress rehearsal, who remarked at the end of Act II, "well, I liked the pas de deux music and that was about it."

Somehow I doubt that anyone will be commissioning a new score for "Cinderella" any time soon though...

[Waelsung]

Batsuchan, on 19 June 2011 - 09:16 PM, said:

Hmm, interesting!!
An interview with Vishneva that came out last week seems to have her saying that she "plans to dance Tatiana in 'Onegin' next year," at least that's what Google Translate suggests.  (Any Russian speakers can verify?)

I can only hope that this means she'll be doing it at ABT next year, and hopefully with Gomes!  If the two of them get to dance "Onegin" and maybe "Manon" together next year, I might die of happiness (after seeing them, of course. )!

I just read the interview and can confirm that Vishneva said she's planning to dance Tatiana next year. Didn't mention the theater, though. Would be great if it's ABT.

[RUKen]

Batsuchan, on 22 June 2011 - 06:47 PM, said:

Somehow I doubt that anyone will be commissioning a new score for "Cinderella" any time soon though...

Why not use the score composed (mostly) by Johann Strauss--"Aschenbroedel"?

(Aschenbroedel is the German name for Cinderella.)

[Drew]

I have not seen the Kudelka Cinderella and can't evaluate it--it's been interesting and fun to read a defense of it on this board since the critics rather seem to dislike it.  

I do love the score of the ballet--dark as it is!--and although I know most people are somewhat bored by Ashton's Stepsisters (though they don't seem to have been bored when the roles were danced by their creators--Helpman and Ashton), I think Ashton's version as a whole is very fine:  much of it a kind of light-handed twentieth-century translation of Sleeping Beauty. Actually at times in the second act it almost seems mere Sleeping Beauty pastiche to me: but not the first Act Seasons sequence where he really creates a wholly new classical vision from deep within the tradition.

However, I really started to think that it could be a good choice for ABT  after seeing the company dance Sylvia -- three performances in a row with three completely different casts, every performance lovely. As with Bright Stream, ABT really looked like a company dancing Sylvia (even if the dancers did not all look like Ashton dancers!). That's the context in which the Ashton version makes sense for me (and, please, a revival of Fille).

I do see, though, that now that Ratmansky is with the company it might make sense to get his version (which, however, I have not seen, so it's hard for me to have an opinion)...

P.S. When Darcy Bussell's Cinderella made a tender farewell to the 'sweeter'of the two Stepsisters towards the end of Ashton's version--that moment alone made the whole stepsister shtick worth it.

[Batsuchan]

Thanks Waelsung for the clarification!  I'm going to try not to get my hopes up too much, because otherwise if the 2012 spring season is announced and there is no "Onegin," I will be very disappointed!

RUKen, on 23 June 2011 - 04:17 AM, said:

Why not use the score composed (mostly) by Johann Strauss--"Aschenbroedel"?

(Aschenbroedel is the German name for Cinderella.)

I was not aware there was another score for "Cinderella"! Hmm...interesting.

Drew, on 23 June 2011 - 07:30 AM, said:

I do love the score of the ballet--dark as it is!--and although I know most people are somewhat bored by Ashton's Stepsisters (though they don't seem to have been bored when the roles were danced by their creators--Helpman and Ashton), I think Ashton's version as a whole is very fine:  much of it a kind of light-handed twentieth-century translation of Sleeping Beauty. Actually at times in the second act it almost seems mere Sleeping Beauty pastiche to me: but not the first Act Seasons sequence where he really creates a wholly new classical vision from deep within the tradition.

That is funny!  That was precisely my reaction when I saw Ashton's "Cinderella"--"This looks just like "Sleeping Beauty," but the story is different!"

Though I fear Ashton's "Cinderella" might end up Disney-fied at ABT, and I'm not sure I could handle that...

**

On a different note--it occurred to me today that we've discussed a lot about what ballets we'd like to see, and what would make financial sense, but I wonder what the dancers themselves would like to dance, and how much that should influence the ultimate decision.  (And of course, what the corps would like to dance may be different from what the principals would like to dance.)

For example, I find it very interesting that the NYC critics all absolutely hated "Lady of the Camellias," and several viewers did too, yet Marguerite seems to be a coveted role for the ballerinas.  Vishneva says it's one of her favorites; I remember reading that Hee Seo wanted to play Marguerite, and at some point Polina Semionova had said she wanted to dance the role.

I wonder what ballets the dancers themselves would want to do, if they could pick...

[RUKen]

Batsuchan, on 23 June 2011 - 07:43 PM, said:

RUKen, on 23 June 2011 - 04:17 AM, said:

Why not use the score composed (mostly) by Johann Strauss--"Aschenbroedel"?

(Aschenbroedel is the German name for Cinderella.)

I was not aware there was another score for "Cinderella"! Hmm...interesting.

It was choreographed not too long ago by Renato Zanella for the Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper (and is available on DVD).  ABT would no doubt want it re-choreographed if they were to produce it, and it is hard to imagine Alexei Ratmansky choreographing to Strauss rather than Prokoviev, so this is very unlikely to happen.  That won't stop me from hoping for it...

[Natalia]

RUKen, on 24 June 2011 - 05:01 AM, said:

....It was choreographed not too long ago by Renato Zanella for the Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper (and is available on DVD).  ABT would no doubt want it re-choreographed if they were to produce it, and it is hard to imagine Alexei Ratmansky choreographing to Strauss rather than Prokoviev, so this is very unlikely to happen.  That won't stop me from hoping for it...

The Strauss 'Aschenbroedel' was also used by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba for a version that toured City Center/NYC in the late 1990s (Alihaydee Carreno and Lorena Feijoo alternated as Cinderella, if memory serves). I only remember a very funny scene during the dancing lesson in Act I when Cinderella performs a traveling arabesque across the stage...dragging along a piano, to which she had been tied by the ugly stepsisters!

[bingham]

Batsuchan, on 19 June 2011 - 09:16 PM, said:

Hmm, interesting!!
An interview with Vishneva that came out last week seems to have her saying that she "plans to dance Tatiana in 'Onegin' next year," at least that's what Google Translate suggests.  (Any Russian speakers can verify?)

I can only hope that this means she'll be doing it at ABT next year, and hopefully with Gomes!  If the two of them get to dance "Onegin" and maybe "Manon" together next year, I might die of happiness (after seeing them, of course. )!

        Diana confirmed, in the contact section of her website, that she will dance "Tatiana" in Onegin with ABT next year. She is also hoping for Marcelo.
       Now, if ABT will revive La Fille... next season,it will make me (and probably AM-NYT) very ,very happy

[Batsuchan]

bingham, on 27 June 2011 - 07:12 AM, said:

        Diana confirmed, in the contact section of her website, that she will dance "Tatiana" in Onegin with ABT next year. She is also hoping for Marcelo.

GASP!  I nearly jumped out of my chair when I read this!  Hooray!  

Thanks for the info, bingham!

[mussel]

Bright Stream
La Bayadere
Onegin
Firebird mixed reps
Corsaire
Giselle
Swan Lake
R&J

The list is not my wish list, the info came from current & future company members.  I expect to see Vishneva/Gomes in Onegin and pairing of O/V.  So the only room left for wish list is the Firebird mixed reps program and castings.  FB could be paired with a longer ballet like the Dream or Ballet Imperial or 2 shorter ones like T&V, Dumbarton, 13 Diversions or both with rotation of different pieces with FB as the closing ballet or may be an all Stravinsky program....