Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

NYCB Goes to the Movies -- with Balanchine's Nutcracker


Recommended Posts

It looks like the "live" event will be tape-delayed in the Mountain and Pacific zones to 7:30 pm. That gets pretty late for a school night with young children.

http://www.fathomeve...nutcracker.aspx

No information yet about pricing, but their Sleeping Beauty was $15.

I'm still optimistic that people who do go will be motivated to see a local company, if not their Nutcracker, then something in the spring. People struggling in this economy will likely wait for the free PBS version the next night. I'm surprised Fathom agreed to this deal with the back-to-back PBS show. What's the advantage to going to a movie theater - just the bigger screen?

I live in New York City and don't own a television. I go to live performances and films of ballet. I already bought a Balanchine's Nutcracker ticket the other day on fandango, not on fathom. I believe it is at the Union Square multiplex.

Link to comment

.... I'm surprised Fathom agreed to this deal with the back-to-back PBS show. ...

Bingo. This is amazing.

Happy to read that these appear to be two separate & distinct events, with totally different casts. If both casts are fascinating, I am inclined to see both events!

Link to comment

well, which warhorse would you prefer?

well, which warhorse would you prefer?

Bucephalus. No, maybe Traveller. :)

I'm perfectly willing to leave that to the company, Jayne. I just question the decision to go with Nutcracker, not from NYCB's point of view but from that of other companies. I hope there's no reason to worry.

Link to comment

I'm still confused about the correlation between the Dec 13 'live in cinema' Nutcracker and the Dec 14 'live from Lincoln Center' TV edition. Are we talking about the exact-same cast and performance, shown twice...or two separate & distinct performances?

Somebody above seems to think that the Dec 14th TV showing will be a tape of the previous night's cinemas showing. That concerns me because (a) it's not the 'live' performance that PBS has been promising TV viewers and (b) there's no guarantee that the TV public may see the entire ballet uncut and unedited, e.g., what's to keep the Balanchine Trust from judiciously snipping and re-editing portions so that TV viewers cannot tape the entire experience. Between the 13th & 14th, will dancers be able to re-film flubbed portions (although I would not expect the need for that with top-flight dancers)?

On the other hand...

If the Dec 13 performance will be only for the cinema public AND the Dec 14 performance, with a different cast, will be also TOTALLY LIVE and UNCUT/UNEDITED for the TV public, then it would be a WIN-WIN situation. However, I still find it amazing that, after so many years of NYCB not showing live uncut performances, they would allow the airing of TWO separate and distinct performances -- with, say, Bouder leading on the 13th and Reichlen on the 14th -- to be shown live via two different media. Miracles could come true. Let's see what transpires.

re. Watching Live in a Theater vs via media/YouTube, etc. - I agree with dirac that there's absolutely no substitute for being in the theater. For ex., I would never trade my recent experience of having been inside La Scala seeing the Raymonda live had I known ahead of time that it would soon be available on YouTube/TV. No matter how sharp the picture and well filmed, YouTube/TV/DVD do not convey the energy of the moment...sitting in that red-and-gold box...looking out into the auditorium...witnessing a 3-dimensional live spectacle...being in Milano! TV, cinemas, DVDs, YouTube do not come close to being in a grand theater, no matter how wonderful it is to be able to see the ballet without having to spend round-trip int'l airfare, hotel room, and 180 Euros-a-show ticket, not to mention planning the wardrobe, etc. I would not be worried about TV/DVDs/cinemas keeping people away from wanting to experience the same ballet in the grand theater...because going to the theater is so much more than just 'viewing' a show. It's great to have seen the Bolshoi Reopening 'live in cinemas' but, if I could have, I would have much prefered to have been there in person.

I can barely watch ballet on youtube. Even compared to a dvd of the same production, not even a live performance, the youtube excerpts are fuzzy and uncomfortable to watch.

So is anyone in NY going to do a triple play of NYCB (movie, pbs, and live performance), and then a comparison of ABT, NYTB, Eglevsky, and other local productions? I am still trying to decide what to do.

Link to comment

I think this is such a good idea because it may be way to capitalize on the recent interest in dance in general (ballroom, modern) and woo them to the ballet. You probably have to start with the Nutcracker in order to get people into the theater but if it proves successful, you can move on to Sleeping Beauty, then maybe less traditional (i.e. Robbins, Balanchine) fare. If it works, you'll develop more balletomanes which will be good for all companies, regional or otherwise.

I keep thinking that the ballet world has to be better at connecting the dots for people. When shows like "So You Think You Can Dance?" are so popular, I can't help but think that exposure to truly wonderful dancing and choreography might convert the public to ballet.

Link to comment

Kfw, they just went on sale today in the DC area...I suspect that 'high arts markets' like NYC started earlier. Anyway, the link for my area's theaters went 'active' just this morn, so I had no trouble obtaining tix for my family @ Ballston Commons Mall, where hubby will have an ice-hockey game late at night, after the ballet. It should be an interesting evening.

Link to comment

Kfw, they just went on sale today in the DC area...I suspect that 'high arts markets' like NYC started earlier. Anyway, the link for my area's theaters went 'active' just this morn, so I had no trouble obtaining tix for my family @ Ballston Commons Mall, where hubby will have an ice-hockey game late at night, after the ballet. It should be an interesting evening.

Yeah, that should make for quite the combination. Someone remind me not to post before I've had my coffee. I should have said I bought tickets last week despite the posted date of the 18th.

Link to comment

Peter Gelb of the Met Opera was recently asked about the issue of diluting the in house audience in an interview. He noted that ticket sales in house declined last year, but he intends to proceed with HD broadcasts of the operas. Personally, I don't think that the HD broadcasts of the opera are the reason for generally declining ticket sales at the Met. I think it has more to do with weak casts and poor productions. Tickets for operas with "A" list cast members still sell very well.

I think you're right that the casts are the important thing regardless of HD presentations, although I find myself planning fewer trips to NY now that the Met transmits a lot of their operas into movie theaters. Of course, live opera with performers in the same room is always the best, but when you add up the cost of flight, hotel, possible cancellations by singers, possible flight delays, etc......well, unless it is a really good cast and one of my favorite operas I am not planning to fly up. I think I would have still flown up to see two Anna Bolenas this year if I had not had a personal conflict. I wanted to compare and contrast Anna Netrebko and Angela Meade in the role. I also would attend the Ring Cycle but I hate the new "machine" so far from the transmissions. So I decided to save money and stay home. Anyway, my point is that I am not sure if the HD transmissions have kept me home and I don't know if I actually would make more of an effort to fly to NY if there were no HD transmissions. I didn't mean to go on about opera, but I think this all applies to ballet. Are these live in movies performances keeping people at home or helping the art form overall?

I am torn about my feelings about ballet in cinema. I am so glad that I can see Bolshoi performances live as they are happening, but if many ballet companies started transmitting live, I think it might keep me at home instead of traveling to NY or Russia to see anything. I do think seeing actual performers in the same room is the best and most ideal and most exciting, but when it comes to ballet you tend to get basically everything in the movies unlike opera. In opera you can not tell how big or small the voice is at the movie theater. Everyone sounds the same level of loudness in the movie theater. So there is a bigger incentive to see singers live in an actual opera house as opposed to dancers. I imagine some dancers might have a charisma on stage that doesn't always translate to a movie screen. Not sure.

This is all fascinating to try to figure out if these movie transmissions are good or bad for business for these companies. I suspect there will always people who want to make the pilgrimage to the Bolshoi, the Mariinsky, La Scala, etc. On the other hand I have talked myself out of flying up to see things the past few years since the Met transmitted what I wanted to see into the movies.

With all that said I have a subscription to my local ballet company. So I think there are no easy cut and dry answers. I think companies are probably feeling their way through these new technological advancements and how to profit from them.

Link to comment

Bart, your concerns are valid, but I wonder how many tourists make up the audience of the ballet? More specifically, how many tourists who are in town specifically to see that particular ballet, with that cast? My point is that the majority of season ticket holders for NYCB live in the great metropolitan area of NYC. Yes, tourists who will be in NYC anyway will still purchase tickets, and if they are planning a trip to NYC, they might check the dates of NYCB's performances to make sure the vacation dates include an NYCB or ABT performance or two (or the Opera, etc). But I think the goal is to expose NYCB to new audiences of children and adults, so that when they *do* plan to visit NYC, they think "oh, while we're there, let's try to go see NYCB live, since we enjoyed the cinema performance so much." Same thing with the opera.

I am planning a trip to NYC in 2012, to see my best friend and her family. After seeing Don Giovanni earlier this month in the Met Cinema series, the company is fresh on my mind, and I spent several days on email and the Met website last week comparing scheduled performances against my window of time to visit NYC. I doubt I would have been so motivated to include the Met, if not for the cinema presentation.

Link to comment

Bart, your concerns are valid, but I wonder how many tourists make up the audience of the ballet? More specifically, how many tourists who are in town specifically to see that particular ballet, with that cast? My point is that the majority of season ticket holders for NYCB live in the great metropolitan area of NYC. Yes, tourists who will be in NYC anyway will still purchase tickets, and if they are planning a trip to NYC, they might check the dates of NYCB's performances to make sure the vacation dates include an NYCB or ABT performance or two (or the Opera, etc). But I think the goal is to expose NYCB to new audiences of children and adults, so that when they *do* plan to visit NYC, they think "oh, while we're there, let's try to go see NYCB live, since we enjoyed the cinema performance so much." Same thing with the opera.

I am planning a trip to NYC in 2012, to see my best friend and her family. After seeing Don Giovanni earlier this month in the Met Cinema series, the company is fresh on my mind, and I spent several days on email and the Met website last week comparing scheduled performances against my window of time to visit NYC. I doubt I would have been so motivated to include the Met, if not for the cinema presentation.

Jayne,

You are probably right. Your theory makes me happier, b/c it makes sense and means that live HD presentations will not dilute the audience for opera and ballet. I really hope it doesn't. I have gone to NY just for opera and everything else is icing on the cake, same with other trips to other places, but I am nuts! Most people would not plan a trip just to see opera.

Bart

Link to comment

Here's the cast, released by the company:

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKERTM

PRINCIPAL CASTING TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 13, 6:00 PM

(Broadcast live to movie theaters nationally)

AND WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 8:00 PM

(Broadcast live nationally on PBS by Live From Lincoln Center) (Conductor: Otranto)

SUGARPLUM: M. Fairchild; CAVALIER: De Luz; DEWDROP: Bouder; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Hendrickson; MARZIPAN: T. Peck; HOT CHOCOLATE: Scheller, Danchig-Waring; COFFEE: Reichlen; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Ulbricht; MOTHER GINGER: Scordato; FLOWERS: Lowery, Krohn; DOLLS: Lovette, Sell; SOLDIER: Huxley; MOUSE KING: J. Peck; DR & FRAU STAHLBAUM: Muller, la Cour

Link to comment

More info:

RENOWNED NEW YORK CITY BALLET TO BRING

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER™

WITH SPECIAL GUEST HOST KELLY RIPA

LIVE TO MOVIE THEATERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Produced by Lincoln Center for Live Broadcast by NCM Fathom,

Beloved Holiday Classic Arrives in Select Theaters

Nationwide on Tuesday, December 13

New York & Centennial, Colo. – November 21, 2011 – This holiday season, New York City Ballet’s acclaimed production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ arrives in movie theaters across the country for one magical night. New York City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ LIVE featuring special guest host Kelly Ripa of LIVE! With Kelly,will be broadcast to more than 550 theaters nationally on Tuesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. CT/ 7:30 p.m. MT/PT/HI/AK (tape delayed). As host of the live broadcast, Ripa will take audiences backstage for a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of The Nutcracker including interviews with NYCB principal dancers and others who bring this holiday classic to life onstage. This special holiday event will also feature an exclusive visit to a rehearsal at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet and home to the young ballet students who perform in the production each year.

Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“We are thrilled to bring this beloved holiday production to audiences around the country, in what we hope will be the first of many opportunities to present New York City Ballet’s extraordinary repertory in movie theaters throughout the world,” said Katherine E. Brown, NYCB’s executive director. “We are particularly delighted to have Kelly Ripa hosting this landmark presentation, bringing her unmatched passion and energy to this very special event.”

Ripa is co-host of the popular syndicated morning talk show LIVE! With Kelly and recently celebrated her 10th anniversary as co-host of the show. After 10 consecutive Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Talk Show Host with partner Regis Philbin, the duo recently was honored as co-winners of the 2011 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for "LIVE."

New York City Ballet presents George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ LIVEis being produced for movie theaters by the award-winning Live From Lincoln Center team that brings live performances to millions of viewers every year. This special holiday presentation will be broadcast to select movie theaters through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

The Nutcracker will transport audiences to a dream-like place filled with visions of Sugarplum Fairies, marching toy soldiers and a glowing one-ton Christmas tree that will grow, seemingly forever, in front of movie theater audiences nationwide. The production will feature NYCB Principal Dancers Megan Fairchild and Joaquin de Luz as the “Sugarplum Fairy” and her “Cavalier” and Ashley Bouder as “Dewdrop,” accompanied by the 62-piece New York City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of conductor Clotilde Otrano.

Other highlights of this enchanting presentation include an onstage snowstorm and hundreds of elaborate costumes including one for “Mother Ginger” that measures nine feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production’s grand finale will also use more than one million watts of lighting – the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky’s glorious score, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley after the original design by Ronald Bates. The production will feature more than 70 New York City Ballet dancers, the 62-piece New York City Ballet Orchestra, and 50 children from the School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB.

“This is an exciting ‘first’ for Lincoln Center and for the New York City Ballet­the first offering of an American ballet company’s live performance in cinemas worldwide,” said Elizabeth Scott, Lincoln Center’s chief media and digital officer.

This production, which premiered on February 2, 1954, at the City Center of Music and Drama in New York City, helped establish The Nutcracker and its score as a perennial favorite in the United States, evident by the countless versions of the ballet now performed all over the country. New York City Ballet’s beloved production has been seen by more than 100,000 people annually and has been performed more than 2,000 times.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™is a holiday favorite cherished by millions around the world,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of NCM Fathom. “Performed live by America’s treasured New York City Ballet, fans will experience this historic holiday performance all in the comfort and convenience of their local movie theater.”

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 176 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 18,300 screens (17,300 digital). During 2010, approximately 700 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of nearly 700 locations in 165 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 42 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About the New York City Ballet

New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of spectacular dancers and an unparalleled repertory. Now under the artistic direction of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins, the Company was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreography George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic, contemporary style, which revolutionized the ballet world. The Company has also been home to Jerome Robbins, who made more than 50 works for NYCB, as well as to countless other choreographers, composers, dancers and musicians. Widely acknowledged for its enduring contributions to dance, NYCB is committed to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers.

About Lincoln Center

With this collaboration, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts launches its newest distribution channel, Lincoln Center Digital Productions. Lincoln Center is a 16-acre campus housing 11 prestigious cultural organizations, including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The other 10 are the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the School of American Ballet.

Link to comment

Here's the cast, released by the company:

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKERTM

PRINCIPAL CASTING TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 13, 6:00 PM

(Broadcast live to movie theaters nationally)

AND WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 8:00 PM

(Broadcast live nationally on PBS by Live From Lincoln Center) (Conductor: Otranto)

SUGARPLUM: M. Fairchild; CAVALIER: De Luz; DEWDROP: Bouder; HERR DROSSELMEIER: Hendrickson; MARZIPAN: T. Peck; HOT CHOCOLATE: Scheller, Danchig-Waring; COFFEE: Reichlen; TEA: Carmena; CANDY CANE: Ulbricht; MOTHER GINGER: Scordato; FLOWERS: Lowery, Krohn; DOLLS: Lovette, Sell; SOLDIER: Huxley; MOUSE KING: J. Peck; DR & FRAU STAHLBAUM: Muller, la Cour

Thanks. So it'll be the SAME cast, two night's in a row? It's a great cast but...same cast, twice 'live' seems a little odd. If you see the NYCB website's casting for the first 2 weeks of Nutcracker, the company is offering various wonderful casts, e.g., Sugarplums by Mearns, Hyltin, Reichlen, Taylor, Peck, etc.

I'm almost willing to bet that the television show on the 14th will not be truly 'live.' If it's a film of the previous day's performance, it could be altered, i.e., mistakes re-taped, portions deleted, etc. I would not be truly 'live.'

Link to comment

To answer your question, it's to accommodate those who don't own televisions. Like me. At least that's how I'd like to interpret it! What would I do if it were only on PBS and I had to miss it entirely? There do exist people who limit their diet to sprouts and organic beans, others who run every morning at 5 a.m., and those whose personal idiosyncracy is to place a huge empty bookcase where ordinarily the huge TV screen would go. I am one of the last group, and my empty bookcase will hopefully fill up quickly with all the books I long to read - in between going to NYCB!

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...