Jacob's Pillow preview

[sandik]

The company is running a studio preview today (Thursday 18 August) of some of the the work they're taking to Jacob's Pillow in a few days, including Jessica Lang's new work for the company.  5:30, at the Phelps Center.

[Helene]

Due to a change of plans, I got to attend the preview.  At least half the company was in the studio to perform Kiyon Gaines' "Sum Stravinsky," a five-minute excerpt of Benjamin Millepied's "3 Movements," and Jessica Lang's new work "Her Door to the Sky," set to Benjamin Britten's beautiful "Simple Symphony" -- I can't wait to hear the PNB Orchestra play this next March, when the work gets its Seattle premiere -- with costumes by Bradon McDonald.

It was wonderful to see the dancers and to be reminded how James Moore owned last season, from "Prodigal Son" to "Emergence" to Romeo to "Little Mortal Jump" to the shy sailor in "Fancy Free" to the lead in "Waiting at the Station."  I wish I had seen him in "The Calling."  He and Leta Biasucci looked terrific together in the first movement of "Sum Stravinsky" today.

Lindsi Dec is back!  And not a moment too soon.

I don't think Matthew Renko has an "off" switch when he's moving.

Casting for Jacob's Pillow is in the program; I hope I've transcribed it correctly. As always, it's subject to change. (Madison Sugg is now Madison Taylor.)  Boal said that the outgoing director of Jacob's Pillow did the programming for this season and selected PNB as her final planned program, and that PNB's season-ending run is sold out!  to the Company,

3 Movements (Millepied/Reich-Three Movements for Orchestra, 1986):

Sum Stravinsky (Gaines/Stravinsky-Dumbarton Oaks):

Her Door to the Sky (Lang/Britten-Simple Symphony):

Downloadable version:

August 2016 Jacobs Pillow Casting.xlsx

[sandik]

During a section of the new Lang, Renko had a long turning sequence -- he's still got the summer hair (longer and shaggier than the performance mode) and was wearing a bandanna to keep it in place.  As he spun, it must have felt like it was getting loose, so he reached up and took it off, and danced the rest of the long and spinny phrase with it in his hand.  The audience in the studio was transfixed.