164 replies to this topic

[California]

abatt, on 23 July 2012 - 07:36 AM, said:

At these prices I will need to know casting before I plunk down money for tickets.

If you think these prices are bad, in Korea it cost $350 for the best seats in the house for the ABT Giselle!

Quote

The renowned American troupe’s Seoul run created a lot of buzz even before the opening, for its notoriously expensive ticket prices (400,000 won for a VIP seat), as well as Seo’s sudden promotion to principal dancer just weeks before the company’s arrival in Seoul.

http://view.koreaher...722000298&cpv=0

[vipa]

abatt, on 23 July 2012 - 07:36 AM, said:

At these prices I will need to know casting before I plunk down money for tickets.

I agree.  I'll take my chances and wait for casting.

[Birdsall]

puppytreats, on 23 July 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Has anyone ever worked with ticket brokers?   I really did not want to buy a thousand dollars worth of tickets without casting info.

I totally agree with you. I find it quite unbelievable that companies don't show casting info, yet ask for your money. They must have some idea who they plan to put in there! I think we are all okay with the fact that things happen and casting changes at the last minute, but we do want a general idea of who we might get. Same with opera companies. It is crazy how some expect you to purchase a subscription without knowing who is going to sing a major role like Norma, for example. You know they have to know who they have pencilled in for a role like that. You don't just choose to put that on the schedule and then go to the local bus stop looking for a singer to sing the most difficult role in the entire repetoire.

[Helene]

Birdsall, on 24 July 2012 - 10:09 AM, said:

puppytreats, on 23 July 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Has anyone ever worked with ticket brokers?   I really did not want to buy a thousand dollars worth of tickets without casting info.

I totally agree with you. I find it quite unbelievable that companies don't show casting info, yet ask for your money. They must have some idea who they plan to put in there! I think we are all okay with the fact that things happen and casting changes at the last minute, but we do want a general idea of who we might get. Same with opera companies. It is crazy how some expect you to purchase a subscription without knowing who is going to sing a major role like Norma, for example. You know they have to know who they have pencilled in for a role like that. You don't just choose to put that on the schedule and then go to the local bus stop looking for a singer to sing the most difficult role in the entire repetoire.

Since opera companies usually have to book at least two years in advance, in my experience, the companies I've gone to almost always show casting by subscription time, apart from the occasional TBD, usually because someone had to pull out.  However, ABT is one of the few ballet companies that announces principal casting well in advance.  Ballet companies might have dancers rehearsing roles eight months before a premiere, especially when a choreographer or stager is only available to start then, but more often, the subscription deadline has passed before the choreographer/stager even sees the dancers and chooses them.  Ballet also deals with so many injuries that it's impractical to announce casting early:  if someone has to be replaced, people feel that they've been sold tickets on false pretenses.  

Multiple cast juggling is fairly common in ballet, and I've only seen it a few times in my experience of opera.  Once was in 2002 when Sondra Radvanovsky didn't sing in a Santa Fe "La Traviata," and the scheduled Elvira in "L'Italiana in Algieri," Madeleine Bender sang Violetta, and one of the apprentices, Meredith Barber, sang Elvira.  (The performance in between, of "La Clemenza di Tito," was the first time I'd every heard Kristine Jepsen [Sesto], Joyce diDonato [Annio], and Isabel Bayrakdarian [Servilia] live.)  Another was a Wagner opera where a cover sang the lead, and someone else came in for the cover's smaller role.  I remember performances at NYCB, especially late in the Spring season, where the list and explanation of substitutions seemed longer than the cast list.

[California]

For the Met spring 2012 season, casting of principals was announced in the subscriber information and on the web site in October 2011. In comparing the print-out I made back then with actual casting 7-8 months later, surprisingly few changes were made. Casting for the City Center fall season seems to be an issue every year, but perhaps that's because they have so many one-act ballets in such a short time.

I do remember in the mid-late 70s that Kennedy Center single tickets would go on sale before casting was announced for ABT. There was a frantic guessing game to try to figure out when Baryshnikov would be dancing and it wasn't unusual for tickets to sell very well before anything was announced -- people were so anxious to get a chance to see him.

[Birdsall]

Helene, on 24 July 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

Birdsall, on 24 July 2012 - 10:09 AM, said:

puppytreats, on 23 July 2012 - 08:05 AM, said:

Has anyone ever worked with ticket brokers?   I really did not want to buy a thousand dollars worth of tickets without casting info.

I totally agree with you. I find it quite unbelievable that companies don't show casting info, yet ask for your money. They must have some idea who they plan to put in there! I think we are all okay with the fact that things happen and casting changes at the last minute, but we do want a general idea of who we might get. Same with opera companies. It is crazy how some expect you to purchase a subscription without knowing who is going to sing a major role like Norma, for example. You know they have to know who they have pencilled in for a role like that. You don't just choose to put that on the schedule and then go to the local bus stop looking for a singer to sing the most difficult role in the entire repetoire.

Since opera companies usually have to book at least two years in advance, in my experience, the companies I've gone to almost always show casting by subscription time, apart from the occasional TBD, usually because someone had to pull out.  However, ABT is one of the few ballet companies that announces principal casting well in advance.  Ballet companies might have dancers rehearsing roles eight months before a premiere, especially when a choreographer or stager is only available to start then, but more often, the subscription deadline has passed before the choreographer/stager even sees the dancers and chooses them.  Ballet also deals with so many injuries that it's impractical to announce casting early:  if someone has to be replaced, people feel that they've been sold tickets on false pretenses.  

Multiple cast juggling is fairly common in ballet, and I've only seen it a few times in my experience of opera.  Once was in 2002 when Sondra Radvanovsky didn't sing in a Santa Fe "La Traviata," and the scheduled Elvira in "L'Italiana in Algieri," Madeleine Bender sang Violetta, and one of the apprentices, Meredith Barber, sang Elvira.  (The performance in between, of "La Clemenza di Tito," was the first time I'd every heard Kristine Jepsen [Sesto], Joyce diDonato [Annio], and Isabel Bayrakdarian [Servilia] live.)  Another was a Wagner opera where a cover sang the lead, and someone else came in for the cover's smaller role.  I remember performances at NYCB, especially late in the Spring season, where the list and explanation of substitutions seemed longer than the cast list.

Helene,
    Thanks for the informative explanation. It makes sense that ballet is somewhat different than opera, although I have endured many cancellations in opera! LOL
    If it were announced that Radvanovsky cancelled I think I might be one of the few who applauds. I think I am the only person, but I just don't understand what people are talking about when it comes to her. I have seen her in Luisa Miller and the size of the voice is impressive but nothing else about it is, in my own personal opinion. I had a friend send me clips of her Norma which is my favorite opera. I hope she was sick when that was taped, b/c it was not good!
    But for some reason people rave about her. I keep trying to hear what they are hearing and I just don't get it. No interpretation and way too much vibrato for my taste. I could not believe her HD Trovatore. Bizarre acting and I thought it sounded like a voice unravelling at the seams.
    Sorry I went off on a tangent. I want so much to like her, b/c we are not swimming in Verdi sopranos, and it was cool that she fought off a mugger in SF, but I have tried (live, HD transmission, a cd of hers) and I have to say I would not cross the street to see her.
    B. Birdsall

[California]

puppytreats, on 18 July 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

Does anyone have info on the Annandale show?

The schedule at Bard for October 5-7 was just posted on the ABT calendar:
http://www.abt.org/c...tdate=10/1/2012

It's the same repertory for all four performances: Moor's Pavane, Leaves are Fading, In the Upper Room

[vipa]

I just noticed that ABT is doing Stars & Stripes pas at City Center.   Seems a little odd.  I wonder who will do it.  My best guess is Simkin with someone.

[onxmyxtoes]

what is the policy on City Center's ADA tickets?  Who qualifies to buy them and when are they released?

[abatt]

onxmyxtoes, the ADA seats are presently available for purchase for all ABT performances.  You will be able to see the ADA seats on the seating charts online. However, unlike  last year, when the ADA seats were offered at a significant discount, this year they are the same price as every other seat in the same vicinity. Thus, there is no financial benefit to purchasing the ADA seats, and you can usually find better seats at the same price than the ADA seats.

[onxmyxtoes]

abatt, on 27 August 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

onxmyxtoes, the ADA seats are presently available for purchase for all ABT performances.  You will be able to see the ADA seats on the seating charts online. However, unlike  last year, when the ADA seats were offered at a significant discount, this year they are the same price as every other seat in the same vicinity. Thus, there is no financial benefit to purchasing the ADA seats, and you can usually find better seats at the same price than the ADA seats.

Thank you, abatt!  There is actually an ADA seat that I am interested in purchasing for myself.  Thanks!

[angelica]

Are we ever going to learn the casting for the City Center Season, or is it supposed to be a surprise? Does anyone know why ABT is holding back on this?

[bingham]

angelica, on 08 September 2012 - 02:52 PM, said:

Are we ever going to learn the casting for the City Center Season, or is it supposed to be a surprise? Does anyone know why ABT is holding back on this?

They just started rehearsing after the summer break. The casting will probably depend on rehearsals of the new productions/revival.

[angelica]

bingham, on 08 September 2012 - 06:32 PM, said:

angelica, on 08 September 2012 - 02:52 PM, said:

Are we ever going to learn the casting for the City Center Season, or is it supposed to be a surprise? Does anyone know why ABT is holding back on this?

They just started rehearsing after the summer break. The casting will probably depend on rehearsals of the new productions/revival.

That's so helpful to know. Thank you, bingham, I feel much better.

[California]

Does anyone remember when casting was announced for the 2011 season?

Surely the principals know when they are dancing. Their names were in the news release 6/28 (Roberto Bolle, Herman Cornejo, Marcelo Gomes, Julie Kent, Veronika Part, Xiomara Reyes, Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns). We've seen several photographs in promotional material (Gomes and Kent in Leaves; Gomes and Semionova in the new Ratmansky; Zhurbin in Moor's Pavane). We have seen a photo of Gomes rehearsing with Ratmansky in the promo for the Works & Processes program for ABT 9/30.

Dance audiences are very used to seeing TBA for some pieces and the ubiquitous "all casting subject to change."

It just seems very strange that we are only 5 weeks out from the performances, and the site still says TBA for all casting. Out-of-town visitors have to take a chance and just buy everything, but locals usually can be more choosy. Perhaps they're worried that a few performances are not going to sell well because of casting, so they're holding out?  Maybe they should make sure there's inviting casting for all performances?