106 replies to this topic

[vrsfanatic]

Did anyone see Boylston's Met premiere?

[fondoffouettes]

My apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere, but the ABT website calendar shows Part dancing in place of Vishneva tomorrow evening:

May 25
Metropolitan Opera House
New York, New York

7:30 PM
La Bayadère
V. Part
M. Gomes
N. Osipova

[cubanmiamiboy]

I can not believe this.  All this trip arrangement to end up with such change?

[Ceeszi]

Oh No!!!!


Gutted

[Ceeszi]

Can I just add that this was THE performance I was looking to the most the whole Spring season?

[California]

Very disappointing -- but at least you all know in advance. I was reminded of the endless cancellations by Gelsey Kirkland in the 70s/80s -- but we typically didn't find out until the lights went down in the theater.

The NY Times review of Part on Tuesday suggests it will be worthwhile nonetheless:
http://www.nytimes.c....html?ref=dance

[abatt]

This is one of the performances in which ABT hiked up the price of the tickets due to high demand  (dynamic pricing).  ABT is laughing all the way to the bank on this one.   I actually feel sorry for Part, since most of the audience will not know that Vishneva is replaced until they get to the Met tomorrow. Performing for an angry/disappointed audience as the replacement is a tough job.

[angelica]

I saw Part in the opening performance, and she was ravishing.

[mimsyb]

Yes, ravishing, and the combo with Osipova may prove quite interesting.

[Ceeszi]

So what is the story - injury? illness? or are they just toying with our emotions?

[FauxPas]

vrsfanatic, on 24 May 2012 - 05:38 AM, said:

Did anyone see Boylston's Met premiere?

I was there last night. Hee Seo danced a really fine and very promising Nikiya. She has a creamy upper body epaulement and lots of lyrical elegance in the feet and legs. The upper body flows and the footwork in Act I was quite proficient with delicacy and precision. Seo's face is very expressive and her Nikiya shone with a serene radiance. The duet with Solor in the first temple scene was full of passion and she threw herself into the poses with a little more naturalness than Part did on Tuesday. The harem pants solo in the Betrothal Scene was very well danced with easy extensions and smooth transitions from standing stretched upward on pointe to deep penchée with the leg extended back and upward. In the Kingdom of the Shades, Seo started out very well but then seemed to freeze up in the Scarf Solo variation with the unsupported pirouettes (Part has trouble with that section too). She lost smoothness and control and got a bit wobbly. However she recovered for the coda with a whiplash series of chainé turns (much faster than Part on Tuesday). The last act, Seo had nicely light quiet jetés. All in all, Seo was lovely but needs to get a bit more physical strength in turns, stamina in the "Shades" section and develop just a bit more dramatic authority. Last night Seo seemed well on her way.

Vadim Mungatirov (product of the Perm Academy and the Royal Ballet School) is a fine young dancer (only 22). Long elegant body, beautiful smooth turns and a beautiful light high jump. Beautiful lines and lovely arms. His mime is clear without the passion and authority Gomes has. His solos got big applause. I would say he would be a fine acquisition if the English National Ballet would be willing to give him up or share him with ABT.

Isabella Boylston danced Gamzatti very, very well with exciting attack and strong technique. She did have one or two tentative moments (a tiny inconsequential flubbed traveling step in the "Pas de Venus" Gamzatti solo in the Pas D'Action in the Betrothal Scene PDD and a passing bit of initial stiffness in the Makarova choreographed solo in Act III). After that little flub Boylston turned in a bravura prima ballerina performance in the coda showing off excellent Italian fouettés finished by a solid set of regular fouettés. Her Gamzatti is a bit of the spoiled petulant princess without the grandeur Murphy brings to the part. However, Murphy only recently developed full dramatic authority in this role and Boylston is just starting out. A bit more experience and she will be more than fine.

Barbee was again the High Brahmin with Hammoudi rather bland and goofy looking as the Rajah Dugamanta. Christine Shevchenko danced the happy 1st shade solo, a somewhat stiff Devon Teuscher danced the difficult 2nd shade and a fine Simone Messmer danced the 3rd shade solo very well. I wonder what is up with Leann Underwood who often dances the shade solos and other soloist roles? She is very fine. I also think Gemma Bond would have done a better job than Devon Teuscher. Craig Salstein had an amazing night as the Golden Idol - very high and tight and fast turns and jumps. He was an explosion of energy up there.

The sets look much better from the orchestra level where the light hits them better and the painted perspective is at the correct angle. I told my companions after Act I that if this is the future of ABT, then it will be fine. I was a little less enthusiastic after Act II but still found it a very fine evening. Evidently Corey Stearns did well at the matinee (I was at work but heard first-hand reports).

[Colleen Boresta]

I'm really enjoying reading all the La Bayadere reviews.  I have never seen Herrera dance Nikiya.  I saw her as Gamzatti years ago (1996 - Amanda McKerrow was Nikiya and Julio Bocca was Solor.  All were fantastic!)  I'm going to see Gillian Murphy at the Saturday matinee in the part of Nikiya.  I've seen her dance Gamzatti a few times and she excels in that role.  Has anyone seen Murphy as Nikiya? I'm most concerned about Denis Matvikeno as Solor.  I've only seen him in a couple of gala performances and I wasn't that impressed.  Has anyone seen him as Solor or in any other full length role?  I'm thinking Simone Messmer will be a very good Gamzatti because she's always wonderful, no wonder what she's dancing.  I agree with Abatt that Stella Abera should be a principal.  But I'm afraid it's not going to happen at this point in her career.  Four years ago Stella was supposed to dance Giselle, but then she got injured. She never get the opporutnity to dance Giselle again.  As wonderful as she was as Myrta, I still would love to see her as Giselle.

[angelica]

Colleen Boresta, on 24 May 2012 - 01:52 PM, said:

I agree with Abatt that Stella Abera should be a principal.  But I'm afraid it's not going to happen at this point in her career.  Four years ago Stella was supposed to dance Giselle, but then she got injured. She never get the opporutnity to dance Giselle again.  As wonderful as she was as Myrta, I still would love to see her as Giselle.

I couldn't agree more. Stella is now at the pinnacle of her career and it's sad both for her and her potential audiences that she hasn't been given the opportunity to dance the major principal roles. Maybe if she were to change her name to Abrerova....

[Batsuchan]

Ceeszi, on 24 May 2012 - 12:21 PM, said:

So what is the story - injury? illness? or are they just toying with our emotions?

Diana posted on her official Facebook page (no login reqired to view):
http://www.facebook....252826048061382

Quote

Dear friends.
I deeply regret that I won't be able to perform tomorrow night at the MET. I've been quite sick last few days. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time to prepare for much awaited "La Bayadere". I am very sorry.
I wish all very best to my dear Marcelo, Veronica and Natasha!
Look forward seeing you all at my next performance: "Onegin" on June 4th.
Yours,
Diana

I'm definitely crushed...CRUSHED!!  But am looking forward to seeing you all there!
And I hope Diana recovers soon--she did seem quite sick when I saw her on the stage door on Sat night...

[Ilya]

Stellar performances from both Cojocaru and Vasiliev in tonight's Bayadere (Thursday night).  Great rapport between the two.  The strangest part of the performance was the Gamzatti-Solor pdd.  Pairing Misty Copeland and Vasiliev was an odd decision which did not do either of them any favors and put both in untenable positions.  There was a great contrast between his great elevation and her complete lack thereof, despite his visible efforts to dial it down and her efforts to do her best.  This incongruency didn't allow me to fully enjoy his variation, even though it was spectacularly performed.  On the other hand, both the duet with Cojocaru in the first scene and the entire Shades act were fantastic.  Cojocaru is very musical and technically superb.  She and Vasiliev are dramatically convincing, both on their own and during their duets.  His double assembles are truly unbelievable---I've seen him execute them several times before, but I am still stunned every time.  Just like last year in Coppelia, he ran out of real estate towards the end of his variation.

Among the other performers, Stella Abrera stood out as the third Shade.