2014 Nutcracker BAM Season

[mussel]

Date announced: 12/12 - 12/21/14, but no casting information yet. This will be the last BAM Nutcracker season, the production will move to West Coast afterwards.

[sandik]

Is this the shortest run they've had for this production?

[Dale]

The official release:

GILLIAN MURPHY AND JAMES WHITESIDE TO LEAD OPENING NIGHT CAST OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER

AT BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE,

DECEMBER 12-21, 2014

SEASON TO MARK FINAL NEW YORK PERFORMANCES PRIOR TO WEST COAST ENGAGEMENT

SEASON DEBUTS TO INCLUDE

STELLA ABRERA AND MISTY COPELAND AS CLARA

Box Office Opens Monday, August 18

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker will return to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for 13 performances beginning Friday, December 12, 2014 for its final New York season, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 18 online, by phone and at the BAM box office.

Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside will lead the Opening Night cast on December 12 at 7:00pm as Clara, The Princess and the Nutcracker Prince, respectively. Debuts for the engagement include Stella Abrera in the role of Clara, The Princess on Sunday afternoon, December 14 and Misty Copeland in the role of Clara, The Princess on Sunday evening, December 14.

The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010, led by Gillian Murphy as Clara, The Princess and David Hallberg as the Nutcracker Prince.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2014 season of The Nutcracker will be the final performances of the ballet at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Beginning

December 2015, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Ballet Theatre will co-present annual engagements of The Nutcracker at Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, California. The 2015 performances will mark the production’s West Coast Premiere.

The BAM box office opens Monday, August 18 for advance ticket sales. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, beginning at $20, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org. The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker.

Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker.

Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker.

A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek.

Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are

Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker.

ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from

The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.

Additional support has been provided by Ed Fox, Theresa Khawly,

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and The National Endowment for the Arts.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre.

Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the

American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs,

in partnership with the City Council.

[Dale]

Here's the casting:

[abatt]

Abrera as Clara! I must go.

No Hallberg. Drats

No Gomes or Part?? No Reyes, Cornejo or Simkin? Strange. I guess their absence left room open for more soloists to get lead roles.

Also, the loss of Yuriko and Jared left open the possibility of role debuts for some other soloists.

[nanushka]

Too bad it's Abrera with Hammoudi and Copeland with Tamm, rather than the reverse.

[fondoffouettes]

Hmmm...I can't think of a time when Part has skipped any ABT engagement, whereas Gomes has sometimes been missing due to guesting engagements. I hope for her sake that she has been offered some exciting guest opportunities at another company, though it makes me very sad to miss her in ABT's last BAM Nutcracker season. She and Gomes were pure magic in it.

Still, it makes me very nervous to see Part's name missing from the casting. I hope she's not seeking permanent greener pastures.

[ABT Fan]

I'm not thrilled that Lane and Abrera only get 2 performances but Copeland gets 3.

[ABT Fan]

Also interesting that casting has been announced for Nutcracker but still not for the Fall season.

[abatt]

Hmmm...I can't think of a time when Part has skipped any ABT engagement, whereas Gomes has sometimes been missing due to guesting engagements. I hope for her sake that she has been offered some exciting guest opportunities at another company, though it makes me very sad to miss her in ABT's last BAM Nutcracker season. She and Gomes were pure magic in it.

Still, it makes me very nervous to see Part's name missing from the casting. I hope she's not seeking permanent greener pastures.

Maybe she just want to spend Christmas with her family instead of doing ABT Nutcracker for a change.

[fondoffouettes]

Hmmm...I can't think of a time when Part has skipped any ABT engagement, whereas Gomes has sometimes been missing due to guesting engagements. I hope for her sake that she has been offered some exciting guest opportunities at another company, though it makes me very sad to miss her in ABT's last BAM Nutcracker season. She and Gomes were pure magic in it.

Still, it makes me very nervous to see Part's name missing from the casting. I hope she's not seeking permanent greener pastures.

Maybe she just want to spend Christmas with her family instead of doing ABT Nutcracker for a change.

I like that idea, abatt! And maybe Gomes is treating himself to that well-deserved vacation to St. Tropez that we were all talking about.

[California]

Gomes has been rehearsing Matthew Bournes' Swan Lake for guest appearances in Tokyo:

http://new-adventures.net/swan-lake

Dates are September 6-21, but perhaps he will appear in later performances as well:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/events/2014/07/03/stage-guide/dance-stage-guide/matthew-bournes-swan-lake-tokyu-theatre-orb/#.U9_AWfF0zIU

[abatt]

Would love to see Gomes in Bourne's Swan Lake. Wonder if he will ever do it here in NYC.

[Golden Idol]

Not even to see Marcelo--and that's saying something--would I ever sit through Bourne's Swan again.

[mimsyb]

Would love to see Gomes in Bourne's Swan Lake. Wonder if he will ever do it here in NYC.

Likewise! I'd go in a NY minute! This is great news!

[Barbara]

I would definitely go see Gomes in Bourne's Swan Lake! May be the only male that could rival the power and seductiveness of Adam Cooper, imo. Re Nutcracker - I too am disappointed not the see a repeat of the magic that was Part/Gomes last year. As much as I love Abrera, due to the casting of her partner and if I only could choose one performance, I'd opt for Lane/Gorak. I hope Hammoudi is sufficiently healed by then to be able to tackle the tricky partnering challenges. When I saw Tamm several years ago as a replacement for Hallberg, he had some difficulties.

[Golden Idol]

Yes, I saw Adam Cooper many years ago, and he was a sensation. BUT! That Bourne Swan takes one absolutely terrific idea--all-male swans, sexually ambiguous prince devolving into madness--and drowns it in a mess of vulgar cavortings and puerile sight gags. And yes, I know, I'm so utterly in the minority; at the City Center revival a few years back I must have been the only person not only not clapping, but scowling in sheer dismay. So you see, a Bourne Swan with Marcelo would cut no ice with me at all. However, if it kicked his career up a notch, and somehow turned him into the international household word he deserves to be, then more power to him. He won't care that I didn't buy a ticket.

[nanushka]

Also interesting that casting has been announced for Nutcracker but still not for the Fall season.

That's been standard in recent years. Fall season casting always comes extremely (and annoyingly) late.

[nanushka]

I hope Hammoudi is sufficiently healed by then to be able to tackle the tricky partnering challenges. When I saw Tamm several years ago as a replacement for Hallberg, he had some difficulties.

Unfortunately, with Hammoudi, I don't think it's just the injuries. He doesn't seem to have the technique to manage a principal role. Disappointing, as I had hopes that he could advance.

[Barbara]

Yes, I saw Adam Cooper many years ago, and he was a sensation. BUT! That Bourne Swan takes one absolutely terrific idea--all-male swans, sexually ambiguous prince devolving into madness--and drowns it in a mess of vulgar cavortings and puerile sight gags. And yes, I know, I'm so utterly in the minority; at the City Center revival a few years back I must have been the only person not only not clapping, but scowling in sheer dismay. So you see, a Bourne Swan with Marcelo would cut no ice with me at all. However, if it kicked his career up a notch, and somehow turned him into the international household word he deserves to be, then more power to him. He won't care that I didn't buy a ticket.

Golden Idol, can't say I disagree with you but I'd still buy a ticket to see Gomes in this.

[Golden Idol]

Aww, Barbara, you just wanna see Marcelo in those feathered pants and bare-chested, yes? Don't blush: these are not inconsiderable pleasures!

[mussel]

Box office opens 8/18 Mon.

I am also disappointed that Part and Gomes are not in the roster for the BAM season.

[Tapfan]

...... Marcelo in those feathered pants and bare-chested, yes?

The thought of Marcelo bare-chested is lovely. But those feathered pants aren't flattering on anyone. They make even lean, and very fit young men look like they have birthing hips.

[sandik]

...... Marcelo in those feathered pants and bare-chested, yes?

The thought of Marcelo bare-chested is lovely. But those feathered pants aren't flattering on anyone. They make even lean, and very fit young men look like they have birthing hips.

As they say, your mileage may vary -- I've always thought those costumes were stunning.

[nanushka]

The Nutcracker mailing I received today from ABT indicates several times that this will be the "FINAL PERFORMANCES ever in New York City of Alexis Ratmansky's acclaimed The Nutcracker."

I am (1) sad to hear that they will (apparently) never do this version here again and (2) surprised at the degree of assurance with which they say this. (Obviously this is in part a marketing move, but it seems there must be something substantial behind it.)

I knew this was the end of the 5-year BAM run, and I supposed there were no concrete plans to bring it back to the area in coming years, but I didn't know they had decided against even the possibility of doing so at any point in the future.