23 replies to this topic

[Dale]

Official release:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER
RETURNS TO BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE
DECEMBER 14-31, 2011

Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes to lead Opening Night Cast
Box Office Opens Monday, September 12


American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker will return to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House beginning December 14, 2011, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.  The holiday classic will be given 22 performances through December 31 at BAM.  Tickets go on sale Monday, September 12, 2011.

The Opening Night cast on December 14 at 7:00pm will be led by Veronika Part as Clara, the Princess and Marcelo Gomes as the Nutcracker-Prince.  The evening will also feature an Opening Night Celebration at the BAM LePercq Space, hosted by
Co-Chairs Nancy Havens-Hasty and Dozier Hasty.  Tickets begin at $250.  For more information, please call the Special Events Office at 212-477-3030, ext. 3245.

The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.  This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010, led by Gillian Murphy as Clara, the Princess and David Hallberg as the Nutcracker-Prince.

David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker. Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker. Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker. A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek. Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker. ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.  The Nutcracker has been made possible through public funds from the National Endowment of the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in conjunction with the City Council.

American Ballet Theatre gratefully acknowledges Avery and Andrew Barth for their sponsorship of the corps de ballet in memory of Laima and Rudolph Barth and in recognition of former ABT corps dancer Carmen Barth. J.P. Morgan is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Make a Ballet program at American Ballet Theatre. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. Mandarin Oriental, New York is the Preferred Hotel of American Ballet Theatre.

The BAM box office opens Monday, September 12 for advance ticket sales.  Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, beginning at $25, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org.  The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.  For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

[nanushka]

Are they not going to release the full schedule of casting before the tickets go on sale?!  It's awful enough they haven't yet released the casting for City Center in November, but to make people start buying tickets for a full-length ballet without casting...I can't believe it.  This is ridiculous.

[bingham]

nanushka, on 09 September 2011 - 06:47 PM, said:

Are they not going to release the full schedule of casting before the tickets go on sale?!  It's awful enough they haven't yet released the casting for City Center in November, but to make people start buying tickets for a full-length ballet without casting...I can't believe it.  This is ridiculous.

       When the box office opens and there are no buyers,  you can be sure they will release the casting.

[angelica]

bingham, on 09 September 2011 - 08:58 PM, said:

nanushka, on 09 September 2011 - 06:47 PM, said:

Are they not going to release the full schedule of casting before the tickets go on sale?!  It's awful enough they haven't yet released the casting for City Center in November, but to make people start buying tickets for a full-length ballet without casting...I can't believe it.  This is ridiculous.

       When the box office opens and there are no buyers,  you can be sure they will release the casting.

Except that they haven't. Only the cast for opening night has been released, and the good (to me) seats are already sold (or held back from the public). Is it that ABT is behaving like a repertory company for both its City Center and BAM engagements, rather than a star-studded company? Or are they awaiting confirmation from potential guest artists? In any event, I'm not buying tickets until the casts are released and if all the good (to me) seats are gone I simply won't go.

[dancemom101]

Official Release:
PRINCIPAL CASTING ANNOUNCED
FOR ABT'S THE NUTCRACKER
AT BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE
DECEMBER 14-31, 2011



Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes to Lead Opening Night Cast

Sarah Lane, Hee Seo, Joseph Gorak and Eric Tamm
to Debut in Leading Roles


9/26/2011 - Principal Dancers Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes will lead the opening night cast of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 14, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. Choreographed by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, the holiday classic will be given 22 performances through December 31 at BAM.

Hee Seo will debut as Clara, the Princess and Eric Tamm will debut as the Nutcracker Prince on Thursday, December 15. Sarah Lane and 2011 Erik Bruhn Prize winner Joseph Gorak will dance these roles for the first time at the matinee on Wednesday, December 21. Additional casts will be led by Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo, Maria Riccetto and Daniil Simkin, Yuriko Kajiya and Alexandre Hammoudi, Gillian Murphy and David Hallberg, and Paloma Herrera and Cory Stearns.

Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010, led by Gillian Murphy as Clara, the Princess and David Hallberg as the Nutcracker Prince.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, beginning at $25, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org. The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

View Casting


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker.

Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker.

Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker.

A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek.

Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker.

ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.

The Nutcracker has been made possible through public funds from the National Endowment of the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in conjunction with the City Council.

American Ballet Theatre gratefully acknowledges Avery and Andrew Barth for their sponsorship of the corps de ballet in memory of Laima and Rudolph Barth and in recognition of former ABT corps dancer Carmen Barth.

J.P. Morgan is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Make a Ballet program at American Ballet Theatre.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre.

Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre.

Mandarin Oriental, New York is the Preferred Hotel of American Ballet Theatre.

MasterCard is the Official Card of American Ballet Theatre.

[angelica]

dancemom101, on 26 September 2011 - 07:16 AM, said:

Sarah Lane, Hee Seo, Joseph Gorak and Eric Tamm
to Debut in Leading Roles

Really looking forward to seeing debut performances, especially Sarah Lane, who just gets better and better all the time. We got snowed out by the blizzard last year, so it will also be a first for me to see the Ratmansky production--although I did get a whiff at the Guggenheim Works and Process program last year.

[vipa]

angelica, on 28 September 2011 - 04:47 PM, said:

dancemom101, on 26 September 2011 - 07:16 AM, said:

Sarah Lane, Hee Seo, Joseph Gorak and Eric Tamm
to Debut in Leading Roles

Really looking forward to seeing debut performances, especially Sarah Lane, who just gets better and better all the time. We got snowed out by the blizzard last year, so it will also be a first for me to see the Ratmansky production--although I did get a whiff at the Guggenheim Works and Process program last year.

The Lane/Gorak pairing is the only reason I'm going this year.

[cobweb]

I'm looking forward to Hee Seo and Eric Tamm. She was scheduled to do it last year, but something (an injury, I assume) kept her out. Looking forward to seeing Eric Tamm in a major role. He seems so promising. I also find the Lane/Gorak pairing intriguing. I guess we are getting a sense of the men who are being considered for moving up and filling the holes in the male ranks!

[spinning2night]

cobweb, on 28 September 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

I'm looking forward to Hee Seo and Eric Tamm. She was scheduled to do it last year, but something (an injury, I assume) kept her out. Looking forward to seeing Eric Tamm in a major role. He seems so promising. I also find the Lane/Gorak pairing intriguing. I guess we are getting a sense of the men who are being considered for moving up and filling the holes in the male ranks!

i unfortunately will not be able to make it to new york this christmas season to try and catch a show...that being said, Eric Tamm in a leading role is really intriguing me. He's shown promise for a while, I can't wait to hear back on how he's developed and how he does!

[aurora]

It has been a while since I've been to BAM, so I was hoping for some feedback regarding seating
I am on a budget so my options for nutcracker seats are a bit limited.
of the moderately priced tickets, which is the way to go? I was thinking of the front row of the Balcony but those are listed as partial view...Anyone have any experience or opinion on these? They are still the priciest of the Balcony tickets...

Otherwise I'm limited to the very back of the mezz, which seems pricey for what one gets there, or the back of the balcony. I'd rather not go off too far to the side.

Thanks in advance

[abatt]

There is a bar running all along the front of the balcony.  It ends up being directly in you line of vision.  I would avoid the first row of the balcony.

[nanushka]

I sat in the second row of the balcony last year, which was really great considering the price.  Would have loved to have been closer, but it really didn't detract from my enjoyment of the performance.

[MRR]

It looks like Hee Seo is out of Nutcracker again.  The site lists Gillian Murphy as her replacement.

[flipsy]

Opening night was the first time I'd seen Ratmansky's Nutcracker, and I couldn't resist writing a compare-and-contrast essay about ABT and NYCB.   Here's an excerpt:

"If I were a judge on the 'Battle of the Nutcrackers' playing this week on cable TV,  I would have to give Act Two to Balanchine's version, for its unhurried, distinct delights, its sense of repose in action.  But I would give Act One to ABT for pure energy and drama."

To read the whole piece go to http://www.danceview...m/tom_phillips/

[bart]

Thanks, flipsy, to that link to Thom Phillips excellent review in Danceviewtimes.  I found the following analysis especially helpful:

Quote

Basically there are two kinds of Nutcrackers. In form, Balanchine's is an old-fashioned "suite ballet," a string of set pieces attached to a story that's not taken too seriously, and never resolved. It ends with the heroine still dreaming. Ratmansky's is more of a symphonic drama -- the story of a girl's awakening to romance and sexuality, with all its anxiety and danger. Here the story never goes away, and it ends in a literal awakening, back to adolescent angst and anticipation.

Looking forward to reading our members' thoughts about the Ratmanasky.