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Giselle May 30-31; June 5-8


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I thought I had already created a "Giselle" thread, so sorry for the lateness. Here's the press release:

“Pacific Northwest Ballet’s renovated Giselle…sparkled with details that re-contextualized this story in surprising and satisfying ways.” -- DANCE Magazine

SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal’s radiant reconstruction of Giselle drew international accolades when it premiered in 2011. (“A Giselle of exceptional interest. The production is rich in detail, both intelligent and eloquent. Pacific Northwest Ballet has made Giselle live anew.” --New York Theatre Wire) PNB’s production marked the first time an American ballet company had based a production on Stepanov notation as well as the first use in modern times of the rare French sources for Giselle. Now, to close PNB’s 41st season, Giselle reappears newly adorned in luxurious 19th century costumes and scenery, conceived and designed by Jérôme Kaplan (Don Quixote, Roméo et Juliette). Giselle runs for eight performances only, May 30 through June 8 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org.

A masterpiece of the Romantic era, Giselle tells the story of a beautiful peasant girl wooed by a duke disguised as a villager. When the duke’s identity and real betrothal to a noblewoman is revealed, the deception causes Giselle to die of a broken heart. In Act 2, her spirit is called from the grave to join classical ballet’s most iconic apparitions – the Wilis – a ghostly sisterhood of maidens doomed to haunt the night in their bridal gowns.

In collaboration with Mr. Boal, who has overseen the entire staging, Marian Smith concentrated on the French sources and their use for the action of the ballet, and Doug Fullington reconstructed choreography using the Stepanov notations. Mr. Boal has also taken into account the rich performance history of Giselle in fashioning a production that both honors the past and appeals to today’s audience.

“Comparable to an epic film for its sweep, character development, story lines and visual stimuli. The outstanding Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, conducted by Emil de Cou, brought newfound beauty to the score.” -- Los Angeles Times

“Marvelous. The most striking thing about Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new Giselle is how it teems with life. The world of Giselle and her tragic story comes newly and vividly alive.” -- Dancing Times (UK)

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Libretto: Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier
Music: Adolphe Adam, with additional music by Friedrich Burgmüller, Ludwig Minkus, and Cesare Pugni
Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, with additional choreography by Peter Boal
Staging: Peter Boal
Choreography Reconstruction: Doug Fullington
Historical Adviser: Marian Smith
Scenic and Costume Design: Jérôme Kaplan
Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli


Original Production Premiere: June 28, 1841; Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (Paris), choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
Petipa Production Premiere: February 5, 1884; Imperial Ballet (St. Petersburg), choreography by Marius Petipa (after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot)
PNB Premiere (Peter Boal Production): June 3, 2011; new production May 30, 2014


Running Time: Two hours and 10 minutes (including one intermission)

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The first related events are this coming weekend:

Friday Preview:

Friday, May 16, 6:00 pm

The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer Street, Seattle

[indent=1=Join us for an hour-long preview led by Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB artistic staff, featuring Company dancers rehearsing excerpts from Giselle. PNB’s popular Friday Previews offer an up-close view of the Company preparing to put dance on stage. Tickets are $12 each and may be purchased through the PNB Box Office. (These events usually sell out in advance.) Friday Previews are sponsored by U.S. Bank.

SEMINAR: Giselle: New Designs for PNB’s Stellar Production

Saturday, May 17, 3:00 pm


The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer Street, Seattle


Peter Boal has commissioned Jérôme Kaplan (Roméo et Juliette, Don Quixote) to design new sets and costumes to complement PNB’s unique staging of Giselle. Hear from Boal and PNB’s team of artists about the process of designing and building the scenery and costumes for this historically-informed production, while viewing a selection of sketches, fabric swatches, costumes, scenic models, and props. Tickets are $25 ($20 for PNB subscribers) and may be purchased through the PNB Box Office.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER:

Jérôme Kaplan was born in Paris and studied scenic design at L’Ecole de la Rue Blanche. In 1991 Mr. Kaplan met the choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot and discovered the world of dance. He went on to design sets and costumes for numerous Les Ballets de Monte Carlo ballets including, L’enfant et les Sortilèges, Roméo et Juliette, Cendrillon (Cinderella), Casse-Noisette Circus, Œil pour Œil (Eye for Eye), and Scheherazade. He also created the costumes for Raise the Red Lantern for the National Ballet of China in Beijing. He has also worked for Opera of Strasbourg, Shanghai Ballet, National Ballet of Finland, National Ballet of Korea, Royal Opera of Stockholm, and Northern Ballet. In 2010, Mr. Kaplan created sets and costumes for Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote for Dutch National Ballet and Christopher Wheeldon’s Tornerose (Sleeping Beauty) for the Royal Danish Ballet. In 2011, he designed sets and costumes for the world premiere of Ratmansky’s Lost Illusions (Les Illusions Perdues) at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, winning the 2012 Golden Mask award for Best Costume Designer.

BALLET PREVIEW — FREE

Tuesday, May 27, 12:00 noon

Central Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle

Join PNB for a free lunch-hour preview lecture at the Central Seattle Public Library. Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington will offer insights about Giselle, complete with video excerpts. FREE of charge.

PNB LECTURE SERIES & DRESS REHEARSAL

Thursday, May 29, 2014

6:00 pm Lecture, Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall

7:00 pm Dress Rehearsal, McCaw Hall

Join Artistic Director Peter Boal and guests during the hour preceding the dress rehearsal to discuss PNB’s new production of Giselle. Attend the lecture only or stay for the dress rehearsal. Tickets may be purchased through the PNB Box Office.

LISTEN TO THE BALLET!

PNB partners with 98.1 Classical KING FM to bring listeners some of the world’s most popular ballet scores, featuring the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra live from McCaw Hall. Tune in to KING FM (98.1 fm or king.org/listen) for an opening weekend performance of Giselle on Saturday, May 31 at 7:30 pm.

PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES

Join Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design and the process of bringing ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders.

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Gary Tucker graciously has sent us Principal casting for Week 1 and Giselle/Albrecht casting for Week 2. (It's not yet up on the website.) As always, this is subject to change.

Kaori Nakamura, Lesley Rausch, and Carla Korbes reprise Giselle. Sarah Ricard Orza and William Lin-Yee debut as Giselle and Albrecht in a single performance on Thursday, June 5. Jerome Tisserand debuts as Albrecht, partnering Nakamura. Batkhurel Bold, who partnered Lesley Rausch in 2011, will be Korbes' Albrecht this year; he will also dance Hilarion (with Nakamura/Tisserand). Rausch's Albrecht is Seth Orza, who partnered Rachel Foster in 2011. Lin-Yee is cast Wilfride, Hilarion, and Albrecht

In the three performances for first weekend, the three Myrtha's reprise their roles: Imler (with Nakamura/Tisserand), Dec (with Rausch/Orza) and Gilbreath (with Korbes/Bold). Lin-Yee and Moore are new to Hilarion; Moore was injured in 2011.

Jonathan Porretta is back and dancing Peasant Pas de Deux with Leta Biasucci.

Kaori Nakamura dances Opening Night, and her second and last Giselle will be the June 7 Saturday matinee.

Giselle Performance Casting (Partial).xls

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Full Principal casting is up for both weeks, and Moyna and Zulme have been added for both weeks.

Sarah Ricard Orza and William Li-Yee will perform twice: they are now scheduled for the Sunday matinee final regular season performance on 8 June as well as their debuts on Thursday, 5 June. Chelsea Adomaitis makes her main stage debut as Myrtha on Sunday afternoon. Also making debuts second weekend are Margaret Mullin and James Moore in the Peasant Pas de Deux on Friday, 6 June and Angelica Generosa and Kyle Davis in the Peasant Pas de Deux at the Saturday matinee 7 June (2pm).

http://www.pnb.org/Season/13-14/Giselle/#Casting

Giselle Performance Casting Wks 1 & 2.xls

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Boy I'd love to see this version of Giselle. I'd also love to see Carrie Imler live. The first won't happen for me, being a New Yorker, so I rely on reports from Helene and everyone else. I'm hoping to see Imler at the Joyce. Anyone know if she's coming. She is a dancer I've longed to see for a while.

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The Joyce program is listed as "Tide Harmonic" (Wheeldon) and Alejandro Cerrudo's "Memory Glow," which was created with the Nureyev Prize awarded through the Joyce. Imler and Leah Merchant shared a role, and they both gave different and dynamic interpretations of it. I wish they were in the same cast, because there's a pas de trois for two women and a man that I think they'd have been fantastic in.

Rachel Foster, who had the most prominent female role in the Cerrudo and was one of the four couples in the Wheeldon, is having a baby that's due sometime in September, and October sounds too early for her to be back. (I wouldn't be surprised to see Generosa in the Cerrudo after her tour de force in Molissa Fenley's "State of Darkness.") I don't think Imler would take Foster's place in the Wheeldon; although she'd be dynamite in it, she's probably too tall for James Moore.

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The Joyce program is listed as "Tide Harmonic" (Wheeldon) and Alejandro Cerrudo's "Memory Glow," which was created with the Nureyev Prize awarded through the Joyce. Imler and Leah Merchant shared a role, and they both gave different and dynamic interpretations of it. I wish they were in the same cast, because there's a pas de trois for two women and a man that I think they'd have been fantastic in.

Rachel Foster, who had the most prominent female role in the Cerrudo and was one of the four couples in the Wheeldon, is having a baby that's due sometime in September, and October sounds too early for her to be back. (I wouldn't be surprised to see Generosa in the Cerrudo after her tour de force in Molissa Fenley's "State of Darkness.") I don't think Imler would take Foster's place in the Wheeldon; although she'd be dynamite in it, she's probably too tall for James Moore.

Thank you Helen any updates would be appreciated

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Not according to the schedule. I thought there was a third piece, because I think I remember Peter Boal saying in a Q&A that the new Justin Peck would get its first performances at the Joyce and their Seattle premiere in November. I don't know if Peck has decided on the structure or how many dancers he'll use or which ones, but the composer on the PNB website is listed as George Antheil.

It would be great to get good reviews from NYC to sell the November "Director's Choice" program, especially since mixed bills don't sell as well as full-lengths.

Edited by Helene
Lame phone typing
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A lovely photo of Giselle's friends in their brand new costumes tweeted by PNB:

https://twitter.com/PNBallet/status/471417451880542208/photo/1

I wish there were captions, because I'm only sure of four of six, with a guess at a fifth: From left-to-right:

Jahna Frantziskonis, Liora Neuville, Elizabeth Murphy? (or one of the PD's I sometimes think is Elizabeth Murphy at first), Amanda Clark, Angelica Generosa, and a dancer I can't recognize from this photo (apologies. Elle Macy has a similar smile and dark hair, but think she's even more taller than Generosa.)

The comment on the third photo identifies the two dancers as Murphy and Macy:

https://www.facebook.com/PNBallet/photos/np.237690132.688777437/10152238686438952/?type=3&theater

(All three photos have the same URL.)

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I’ve meant to post a little something about the education events the company has been presenting leading up to their production of Giselle. I went to the open coaching session a couple weeks ago, which was very interesting. Despite having ‘grown up’ at NYCB, where ballet mime is generally confined to Nutcracker and a few other works, Peter Boal has been working hard with the material, and had a very musical sense of timing as he demonstrated what he wanted in the first act moments with Giselle and Albrecht. He also narrated some of the mime passages for the audience as they were being run, so that we got several iterations of “lord with a sword” as Wilfred tried to dissuade Albrecht from pursuing Giselle. William Lin Yee was very effective in this – you could see him consider how best to approach Jerome Tisserand as Albrecht.

Kaori Nakamura and Carla Korbes were both very charming in their act 1 excerpts. Some Giselles come out of their house already dying, but these two were much more lighthearted. This made the contrast with their moments of weakness truly vivid, and their response to Berthe’s prediction very clear. Boal spent time with both of them on Romantic era distinctions in port de bras and upper body position.

Most of the session was devoted to act 1 – the new set by Jerome Kaplan has a slightly different layout than the set they borrowed from Houston in 2011, so it requires a little logistical adjustment. But Boal did have Nakamura and Tisserand run the second act pas de deux, I think in part as a treat for us in the audience. They were very lovely, with great phrasing and articulation – it was a pleasure to see them.

Along with this studio session, the company presented a seminar on the new sets and costumes, with Mark Zappone and Larae Hascall discussing costume design and construction, and Norbert Herriges talking about the sets. We got to look at several of the costumes up close (and one inside-out, which was particularly interesting), leaf through the designs themselves and look at the model of the set. There are several short videos on the PNB website about the designs and their construction – Herriges talked at length about the scene painting process, where they transfer designs from the artist’s renderings to actual backdrops. Hascall and Zappone spoke about sourcing fabrics for the costumes – between the two of them working in Seattle and Kaplan working in Europe the costumes include fabrics from all over the place. Taking inspiration from the work that Boal did with Doug Fullington and Marion Smith to recover as much of the original choreographic text for the production as they could, Kaplan looked to the year that the ballet was premiered for his designs – the artists are dressed as people from the 1830s might have been. The designs are lovely, but they are also much more realistic than ballet costumes often are. As of a couple weeks ago, they were still trying to decide if Albrecht would wear tights, or if he would wear a close-fitted version of the narrow pants that were fashionable in male clothing at the time (Boal referred to them as “pights.”)

PNB has been working to develop these education programs, and I think their efforts have really paid off. Part of the goal is just to get people into the theater, by taking away some of the uncertainty that comes with a new experience, but beyond that, by giving us this view of the inner workings and backgrounds of the art form, they give us a chance to look deeper. They take the work seriously, and they take their audience seriously. And so we return the favor.

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