49 replies to this topic

[Helene]

I don't know what the contract says, so I don't know if the company is prohibited from posting the casting ahead of those 10 days, but why would they if they could?

There are companies like ABT, which has already posted casting for their late spring/early summer performances at the Met.  ABT is on a union contract, but it's not the same union, and probably not the same contract, as PNB's.

[SandyMcKean]

Quote

.....but why would they if they could?

My interest was not from the company's POV, but rather from my own selfish wish to know casting sooner than is currently done.

[Helene]

Read Manes' book, and you'll see why it wouldn't be a good thing from the company's point of view.  (Plus, you'd want to give Paul Gibson, champion scheduler, a knighthood.)

[SandyMcKean]

Speaking of casting.....

In that video you posted earlier today of Rausch and Bold, it's fun to see the 2 dancers in the back of the room.  It's clear to me that they are there to rehearse this same PdD (note the woman in the back of the room marking the steps at the very beginning of the video).  The woman seems to me to be Sara Richard Orza (mostly by the way she moves).  The man seen at the end is likely James Moore, but that doesn't look quite right.......I wonder.......could it be Ryan Cardea??

[Helene]

That's definitely Sarah Orza in pink, but the man in the corner looks to me like Karel Cruz. I didn't mention them, because it's possible that this was filmed during rehearsals for "After Petipa", in which Orza danced the reconstruction of the "Bluebird Pas de deux" with Jerome Tisserand, and in which Cruz danced the reconstruction of Prince Desire's "Wedding Pas de deux" variation.

[SandyMcKean]

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"After Petipa"

Unfortunately, I was out of town and missed that.

[Helene]

You were right, Sandy -- casting is out, and Sarah Ricard Orza and Karel Cruz are dancing the leads in "Aurora's Wedding" on the first Saturday matinee (4 Nov) and second Saturday evening (12 Nov) .

Here's the grid in Excel
 Love Stories Casting as of 25 Oct 11.xlsx   59.63K   23 downloads
-- as always, schedule and casting is subject to change:

Please note that Sarah Ricard Orza is listed as "Ricard" in the grid.  "Orza" = Seth Orza.

There's an excellent mix of experienced and younger dancers in the PNB premiere of "Divertimento from 'Baiser de la fee'":  Kaori Nakamura/Jonathan Porretta -- he will be great in Tomasson's solo -- and Rachel Foster/Benjamin Griffiths with multiple performances, and single performances with Liora Reshef/Matthew Renko and Leta Biasucci/Kyle Davis.  Davis recently performed the reconstructed Cavalier solo from "Black Swan Pas de deux" in Doug Fullington's "After Petipa" lecture-demo.

For "Afternoon of a Faun", also a PNB premiere, Carla Korbes/Batkhurel Bold, Foster/James Moore, and Leslie Rausch/Seth Orza each have two, with Kylee Kitchens/Jerome Tisserand in the last performance.

For "Romeo et Juliette 'Balcony Pas de deux'", Rausch/Tisserand join Korbes/Lucien Postlewaite and Nakamura/Moore, who danced those roles the last time the work was performed.

Lindsi Dec/Bold and Laura Gilbreath/Karel Cruz perform "Black Swan Pas de deux" with Carrie Imler and Postlewaite.

Lots of opportunities in "Aurora's Wedding", with newcomers, debuts, second chances, and veterans.  Sara Ricard Orza dances Aurora with Cruz.

[sandik]

Helene, on 25 October 2011 - 12:32 PM, said:

(Plus, you'd want to give Paul Gibson, champion scheduler, a knighthood.)

Absolutely -- it's a gigantic job, full of pitfalls.

[SandyMcKean]

Helene said:

You were right, Sandy -- casting is out, and Sarah Ricard Orza and Karel Cruz are dancing the leads in "Aurora's Wedding"

NOPE........I was wrong, you're the one who got it right!  You guessed that the "other couple" in the video was Ricard/Cruz, and it seems you called it perfectly (not me).

There is a new development here tho.  If my memory serves, this is the first time casting for both weeks has been announced at the same time.  In the past, we always got week one first, and then some time later we got week two.  I strongly applaud this new procedure.  For those of us that go to multiple performances to see the various casts, for the 1st time we are now able to make ticket purchasing decisions across all the casts for the entire run......no more guessing!  I am pleased a punch.

It's going to take me a while to digest this casting sheet....as you imply Helene, so many opportunities with dancers at all levels getting exposure.  I love it.  I am particularly pleased to see Jessica Anspach get some more solo exposure.  She captures my attention more and more.  I'm looking forward to the combo of Rausch/Orza....they both get into character so well IMO. And Imler/Postlewaite!!!....I will die and go to heaven with that one......Carrie will shoot Siegfried one of her seductive "knife into your heart" glances, and Lucien will swoon with naive emotion.  They are the greatest.  My only disappointment is that I would have liked to have seen Ezra Thomson's name in one of the character roles in Sleeping Beauty

[Helene]

The casting for both weeks of "Giselle" was announced at the beginning, but to get two weeks is an exception and a bonus for which I'm grateful.

[Helene]

I just saw an article on the "Tuscon Weekly" website that explains Margaret Mullin's absence from the roster:  she, a native of Tuscon, and Kiyon Gaines, who is also not on the current cast lists, were to dance at Ballet Tuscon's opening gala this weekend, for Mullin, on her way to NYC to be honored for her Princess Grace Award.  Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz will dance the "Esmeralda Pas de deux", choreographed by Ben Stevenson, in their place.

I hope she has a speedy recovery.

[sandik]

Helene, on 26 October 2011 - 11:20 PM, said:

...  she, a native of Tuscon, and Kiyon Gaines, who is also not on the current cast lists, were to dance at Ballet Tuscon's opening gala this weekend, ...

Fiddlesticks!  I thoroughly enjoyed the two of them in the last rep, especially in Wheeldon's Carousel.

[SandyMcKean]

Helene, I was a bit confused by your post until I read the actual article.  You appear to have left out the phrase:

"....but was sidelined by an injury"

from the article when it mentioned Mullin.

[Helene]

Sorry, I was editing and accidentally edited it out.  I think it is denial.

[Helene]

This article mentions "injuries", unlike the first which notes that Mullin is injured.