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ABT 2016 DC Tour 1/27-1/31


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Well, Copeland is charming. The lovely Abrera dances as Lilac in Act 1 then does a character role in an 1890's [god]mother of the bride get-up. Do Murphy-Stearns and Seo-Gomes do the fish dives?

All casts in NY except for Lane/Cornejo (the cast I missed) did the fish dives. Seo was dancing with Stearns in NY and Murphy with Whiteside, but I expect DC will see some fish dives.

Boylston/Gorak (both excellent dancers) performed them so awkwardly at the performance I saw that I could wish they had chosen to do the alternate 'original' choreography.

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If you read Krysta's post, you will see that the dates for Misty's shows have, so far, not sold better than the other SB shows. So the increase was not based on demand (which is what dynamic pricing is all about) but on anticipated demand. That is what Krysta and I find "sickening". If the Ferri show is selling so well that they increase the price, okay, that's dynamic pricing. The Misty price increase, however, was NOT based on dynamic pricing. That's the point.

I respectfully disagree. If Misty's shows are selling comparably to the other shows at double the price (which is what it looks like on the Kennedy Center site), they are basing it on demand. That means that the number of her fans willing to pay double the price = the number of fans willing to pay normal pricing for the other shows so they have moved the price point to where supply and demand meet which is just higher for Misty's shows than other ones. That is dynamic pricing doing its job.

If Misty's shows were selling out, it would be an indicator that supply and demand cross at a higher point on the graph, and price could probably be set even higher i.e. revenue is being left on the table.

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I fully expect the Ferri/Cornejo R&J to be dynamically priced and more expensive than the other R&J's of the season. Is that "sickening"? Or is it "sickening" just because it's Misty? :icon8:

Apparently, it's sickening because Misty's fans are poor and uneducated masses who don't understand that they're scraping together their last pennies to glimpse Misty in a ballet.

(BTW, according to Forbes in 2015, the Washington D.C. area is home to one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the country. The median income of African-American households in the Washington D.C. metro area is $64,896 and home ownership is at 49.2%, so there is certainly a middle-class, upper-middle class, and upper class population who aren't going to be starving in order to buy tickets.)

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I respectfully disagree. If Misty's shows are selling comparably to the other shows at double the price (which is what it looks like on the Kennedy Center site), they are basing it on demand. That means that the number of her fans willing to pay double the price = the number of fans willing to pay normal pricing for the other shows so they have moved the price point to where supply and demand meet which is just higher for Misty's shows than other ones. That is dynamic pricing doing its job.

If Misty's shows were selling out, it would be an indicator that supply and demand cross at a higher point on the graph, and price could probably be set even higher i.e. revenue is being left on the table.

If you look at the Friday night Misty performance it is selling far under the Saturday non-Misty matinee (and the Sat matinee is still half the price of Misty's two shows) That is not supply and demand. That is taking advantage of a marquee name to maximize profit.
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Apparently, it's sickening because Misty's fans are poor and uneducated masses who don't understand that they're scraping together their last pennies to glimpse Misty in a ballet.

(BTW, according to Forbes in 2015, the Washington D.C. area is home to one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the country. The median income of African-American households in the Washington D.C. metro area is $64,896 and home ownership is at 49.2%, so there is certainly a middle-class, upper-middle class, and upper class population who aren't going to be starving in order to buy tickets.)

No, it's sickening, because a lot of Misty's fans are young, both black and white. And bringing a family to the ballet at 120.00 bucks to sit in the top tier at the opera house is difficult for even middle class folks. And to charge double the other shows, when Misty is performing a whole 8 minutes is crazy. She's not dancing Aurora. And with that, I'm done discussing this.
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When was the secondary casting announced, and when was the price hike put into effect? It appears that both events occurred very recently, perhaps nearly simultaneously? If that's what happened, then the price hike was not driven by ticket sales. All performances were selling at about the same rate, but then a sudden price hike was instituted once the additional casting came out.

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If you look at the Friday night Misty performance it is selling far under the Saturday non-Misty matinee (and the Sat matinee is still half the price of Misty's two shows) That is not supply and demand. That is taking advantage of a marquee name to maximize profit.

What do you think is the difference?

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No, it's sickening, because a lot of Misty's fans are young, both black and white. And bringing a family to the ballet at 120.00 bucks to sit in the top tier at the opera house is difficult for even middle class folks. And to charge double the other shows, when Misty is performing a whole 8 minutes is crazy. She's not dancing Aurora. And with that, I'm done discussing this.

To you it may be an 8 minute PDD, but I suspect that at least some of people buying tickets to Misty's performance would say they're coming for much more than an 8 minute PDD. They're coming to see history.

This is very much a "You need to see it to be it" moment, and if I were an African-American parent, of course, I would go out of my way to try and take my child. Because the next opportunity to take my child to see an African-American female principal in a major ballet company would be....? There are very few comparable role models.

By the way, just taking a quick look around at the research out there, whoever is setting the ticket price seems to have a very good handle on what pricing for Misty's performances looks like. When she joined the revival of On the Town earlier this year, ticket sales more than doubled from what they were selling with Megan Fairchild, selling out the 2,000 seat Lyric Theatre ($395,000 vs. $915,000). Secondary market pricing also jumped more than 20% to an AVERAGE ticket price of $170, and yes, weekend tickets averaged nearly $200 on the secondary market.

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I don't see what the problem is. The parents who paid for Misty performances are seeing an excellent production of a very classic ballet. They're seeing Misty in a brief but showy part.

Right now, at the KC, they're expecting people to pay top dollar prices for the Mariinsky Raymondas, and there's not a hint of casting. At BAM, they are doing the same without giving anything but a vague description of who's dancing. No program, nothing. Just buy at top prices, because it's the Mariinsky. I suspect Uliana Lopatkina will be doing some version of the 5 min Dying Swan + 10 min Rose de Malade program she's been doing all over the world for the past few months. I actually find that way more unethical and arrogant but no one here is calling it "sickening" or making assumptions that people who are paying for these tickets are poor and can't afford them.

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Just to update: everything seems to be selling quite well, especially when Misty is performing. Prices have been raised across the board for all weekend performances except Sunday evening ($129 side orchestra for Sat Mat. without Misty). Kennedy Center released 60 tickets through its MyTix program this morning for Hee Seo's Thursday Eve. show and they sold out within in 10 minutes (but I got a ticket!!! :D:D:D ) Clearly I'm excited!

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There was much discussion last season about how Stella Abrera was so well-suited to the style of dancing in Ratmansky's reconstruction. Scroll down to the bottom of this article, which ABT posted to their Facebook page, for video evidence:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/stellas-star-turn

I wish there were more video clips out there of this production (dare we dream of a DVD someday?).

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Stella was my favorite in the Bluebird pas de deux last Spring (I saw three casts). I'm very excited for her Aurora. I also thought the choreography really suited Sarah Lane.

I do dream of a DVD, foundoffouettes. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if another company like Teatro alla Scalla gets to it first.

In the meantime, have you seen the excerpts from the Guggenheim series? It's more rehearsal style, with piano and a small stage, but they do wear the costumes. Precious Stone Fairies are at the beginning. Bluebird with Trennary and Shayer is at 1:15, followed by the Puss-n-Boots and Cinderella variations.

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It may be more cost effective for La Scala Ballet to be filmed for a DVD (unions and such). If it is La Scala, then the Aurora may be Svetlana Zakharova. :)

Would be wonderful to see La Scala in DVD or at the cinema! :)

Stella was my favorite in the Bluebird pas de deux last Spring (I saw three casts). I'm very excited for her Aurora. I also thought the choreography really suited Sarah Lane.

I do dream of a DVD, foundoffouettes. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if another company like Teatro alla Scalla gets to it first.

In the meantime, have you seen the excerpts from the Guggenheim series? It's more rehearsal style, with piano and a small stage, but they do wear the costumes. Precious Stone Fairies are at the beginning. Bluebird with Trennary and Shayer is at 1:15, followed by the Puss-n-Boots and Cinderella variations.

I believe this video was a combined from a three day event, if my memory serves me right, I was there for the interviews and enjoyed seeing the Jewels danced by Brandt, Waski, DeGroft and Post. Glad to see Works & Process on Youtube so I can catch up on missed programs! :)

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Last minute discount for tonight's performance.

The Kennedy Center is offering tickets at the special price of $39 for OrchC and OrchD seating for tonights performance of ABT in the Opera House at 7 p.m.

You can click the link below and your discount will appear automatically. If you call or stop by the Box Office for the discount, be sure to mention Offer Number "." See you at the Kennedy Center!

ABT http://m.kennedy-center.org/home/event/bqbsf?promotionno=219834

American Ballet Theatre: Ratmansky's The Sleeping Beauty

The beloved story of the princess Aurora--cursed to sleep for 100 years by an evil sorceress until awakened by a prince's kiss--is certain to cast a spell with the D.C. premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's monumental new staging.

Opera House

Approx. 2-3/4 hours

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What a lovely opening performance tonight of ABT's SLEEPING BEAUTY starring my favorite couple (among many great ones) from the NY run last year: Isabella Boylston and Joseph Gorak! Both were strong yet charismatic; his A3 solo was fleet-footed fantastic while she delivered a Majestic Rose Adagio and impeccable solos in the three acts! Stella Abrera was simply stunning as Lilac...although I was surprised to detect a little unsteadiness with double pirouettes in the middle of her difficult solo. (It went better in Ny.) Marcelo Gomes was both scary and funny as Carabosse; he seems to really enjoy hamming-up the role. The Prologue's fairies all were superb, with Sarah Lane taking the cake as the 3rd one (Breadcrumb Fairy), caressing the stage with feather-light bourrees...but I also admired the improved, softer, not-so-jerky dance for Fairy Violente, performed by Christine Shevchenko, who was equally brilliant as the Diamond Fairy in A3.

The evening was nearly stolen by the extraordinary Bluebird pdd couple, Cassandra Trenary and Danil' Simkin, who garnered the loudest bravos of the night.

Best of all: this production has been tightened and brightened, with the sets looking richer and more luxurious. They looked dark, flimsy and dreary at the Met; not here. The Prologue's thrones are lighter colored and brocaded...no longer looking like La-Z-Boys, although they're still plopped on the floor & not on a dais, as they are in A3.

None of the dances have been cut since the Met but "tightened" and finessed so that they are performed even more smoothly. The only real change that I could detect was the absence of Lilac's attendants in the little Entr'acte that follows the Panorama music (already excised to about 16 measures-boo!), before The Awakening. Certain variations also seem to have been reworked a bit since NY, such as the aforementioned Fairy Violente.

Lastly, a big shout-out to the dozens of young area dancers - kids and pre-teens - who performed admirably in numerous roles such as attendants to Lilac, Carabosse' goons/rats, the King & Queen's eight guards, and the Garland Waltz. It's admirable how, in the horribly snowy days when the rest of DC was shut, they prepared so thoroughly to become a seamless unit with ABT's corps de ballet. Many hail from "my" dear Kirov Academy DC but also from other fine area ballet schools, I believe. (The program should've listed schools.) Kudos to Rhodie Jorgenson, who oversaw their preparation.

ABT's Music Director, Ormsby Wilkins, conducted the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

- Natalia Nabatova

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Thank you for your report, Natalia :flowers:

In other news, it's official now that Part has been replaced for her second performance as well (Teuscher is taking her place for the Sat. matinee performance; she will be dancing Lilac double duty on Saturday as she's also doing the evening show). I wonder what is happening with her? She was replaced on Nutcracker and now here as well. Whatever it is, I hope it gets resolved soon so she'll be A-okay for the Met season.

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I am one of the courtiers in the prologue and all acts. I also am the understudy for the shah, his brother, blue beard and the mandarin. The snow canceled our Fri Sat and Sun rehearsals. We only had one run through with the company on Monday and a tech rehearsal on Tuesday. The dress rehearsal Wed afternoon was still rough, but we got all problems worked out for the opening performance. Our rehearsal ballet masters were Richard Bowman and Rhodie Jorgenson. There is a private La Scala video ABT let us view since we missed our rehearsals so we could learn our spacing with the company.

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For anyone going to the Thursday performance and planning to park in the Kennedy Center parking garage (as I was forced to by an accomplice who was late getting ready to go), be aware that Virginia Avenue has only 2 lanes in each direction, and that is making getting into the parking garage more time-consuming than usual.

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