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What great unofficial news Josette! 🎉

I agree totally with Josette. Murphy or Seo would be my choices going forward. I found Murphy unexpectedly very moving and soft--similar to Boylston who I am not always drawn to. I thought the role suited Boylston perfectly in both acts, but especially in Tuesday. She was very natural and soft, again, for lack of a better word, which is not my usual sense of her dancing. I feel like the casting of Peter has been a little off--I thought Stearns and Forster (who played Richard Dalloway in their respective casts) would have been more natural fits for the role (over Bell and Ahn), especially given the partnering involved. Bonelli, the originator, was not a young buck so I'm not clear on ABT's choices there. I didn't find much connection between any of the main pairings which was a disappointment--though not very surprising given I don't think any of them are regular partners--and I think Stearns/Forster would offer the emotional maturity needed to give Seo/Murphy more to work with. The other slight miscast for me was Carmago as Septimus--he is a beautiful dancer but too beautiful and whole, I think, for Septimus. Royal and Gonzalez (my favorite) captured the hollowness and anxiety of Septimus more. Carmago was a wonderful partner though and I look forward to seeing him in more. I don't usually go in for pieces like Becomings but it was really incredible. Like I said above, the combo of the lighting, smoke, music, and dancer intensity (you can tell they are all completely committed and invested in this section) was riveting, for me. Hurlin and Misseldine were alien-esque in the same role--like rubber bands at the peak of tension. The casting for this act was excellent for both casts; all the dancers were really well suited to the extremities and brashness of the choreography. Forster was someone who was surprising--he seems like such a pure dancer noble, but really showed his range. Frenette, Roxander, Trenary, etc.--all stunners. My strong recommendation would to familiarize yourself with the main points of Mrs. Dalloway, particularly. The plot of Orlando only matters in so much as you know it's about gender fluidity and there is almost nothing significant about The Waves besides the literal wave setting which is mirrored, beautifully, by the choreography (also wonderful). The program notes have literally nothing about queer elements of Mrs. Dalloway, which is the primary part McGregor focuses on, and people around me seemed perplexed. However if you had read the book or have a passing familiarity with these conflicts/issues, the narrative is crystal clear through the dance (which I also loved). Why there can't be some basic plot points spelled out in the only real narrative section, I don't know, but that is the choice made. I would have seen more of the shows if I had time this weekend; I was never bored or found my attention wandering in any of three performances. There's so much going on stage you need to see it multiple times to follow what's occurring, really.

And the Saturday afternoon cast. I don't believe there is a third Becomings cast, so the two casts (led by Hurlin and Misseldine) are rotating between the 3 first act casts--there is something lost when the selected Dalloway characters (young Clarissa, Sally, Septimus, Rezia, and Evans) don't transform into more abstracted, liberated versions of not-themselves, but I'm guessing it's not a major point that they cared about if McGregor approved of the change and I don't think McRae ever danced the Evans role so maybe it was always more coincidence than explicit plan. I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway) Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Gillian Murphy Richard - Thomas Forster Young Clarissa - Sierra Armstrong Peter - Joo Woo Ahn Sally - Erica Lall Septimus - Carlos Gonzalez Rezia - Kanon Kimura Evans - Melvin Lawovi Becomings (Orlando) (using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast) the Osipova role - Chloe Misseldine the McCrae role - Patrick Frenette the Lamb role - Isabella Boylston the Underwood role - Michael de la Nuez the Hayward role - Skylar Brandt the Watson role - Patrick Frenette Other dancers: Jacob Clerico, Breanne Granlund, Melvin Lawovi, Joao Menegussi, Andrew Robare Tuesday (The Waves) Gillian Murphy, Joo Woo Ahn, Boylston (in the Lamb role) Corps de ballet I thought these were great character roles for Gillian Murphy and Carlos Gonzalez--both really emotionally clear.

Friday evening casting information. I think we should have one more new cast this afternoon: I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway) Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Hee Seo Richard - Cory Stearns Young Clarissa - Fanqi Li Peter -Aran Bell Sally - Skylar Brandt Septimus - Calvin Royal Rezia - Breanne Granlund Evans - Patrick Frenette Becomings (Orlando) (using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast) the Osipova role - Chloe Misseldine the McCrae role - Patrick Frenette the Lamb role - Isabella Boylston the Underwood role - Michael de la Nuez?? This is who I thought it was during the show but Boylston bowed with Andrew Robare (I think) which confused me; though looking back at a curtain pic, de la Nuez is in the same costume that Forster was in on opening night so that suggests my initial thinking was correct. Feel free to correct me if someone is more certain! the Hayward role - Skylar Brandt the Watson role - Patrick Frenette Other dancers: Jacob Clerico, Breanne Granlund, Melvin Lawovi, Joao Menegussi, Andrew Robare Tuesday (The Waves) Hee Seo, Aran Bell, Boylston (in the Lamb role) Corps de ballet

Thank you. I was sure it was him by the mid point of the ballet, but my initial confusion (but with all the eyebrow makeup/decoration and slicked back hair) made me second guess myself.

I'll have more to say later but I had a great time last night and am so looking forward to the other shows. Here is the full casting from opening night. As you can see, it is jammed with exciting choices, so I wouldn't let the stated casting of the two "main" dancers direct your choice too much, if that is a worry: I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway) Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Devon Teuscher Richard - Roman Zhurbin Young Clarissa - Lea Fleytoux Peter - James Whiteside Sally - Cassandra Trenary Septimus - Daniel Carmago Rezia - SunMi Park Evans - Jake Roxander Becomings (Orlando) (what incredible lighting designs; I don't think you can appreciate these properly in the filmed production) (using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast) the Osipova role - Cate Hurlin the McCrae role - Jake Roxander (like 97% sure though I wasn't absolutely clear at the start) the Lamb role - Shevchenko the Underwood role - Thomas Forster the Hayward role - Cassandra Trenary the Watson role - Daniel Carmago Other dancers: Sierra Armstrong, Jarod Curley, Carlos Gonzalez, Joseph Markey, SunMi Park, Jose Sebastian Tuesday (The Waves) Teuscher, Whiteside, Shevchenko (in the Lamb role) Corps de ballet I think there are some casting choices where dancers need to grow into the depth the role requires (particularly for I now, I the--though it's hard to follow Ferri, Watson, etc.) but the company looked strong and really invested overall.

We'll understand more about the ordering after the first night. I'll try to fill us in on who is actually who with what we get in the program notes!

If anyone has been holding out on buying, it looks like SCFTA has cut prices for the whole run $20+ per seat band (no code needed, I just notice the prices are different since I've been checking to see if they would open the Orch Terrace for more shows). Still not selling well, unfortunately.

ABT has been busy today, thankfully; I checked in the morning and the SCFTA casting was not up, but it is now! Thursday, April 11 – Devon Teuscher*, James Whiteside* Friday, April 12 – Hee Seo*, Aran Bell* Saturday, April 13, 2 pm – Gillian Murphy*, Joo Won Ahn* Friday, April 13, 7:30 pm – Devon Teuscher, James Whiteside Sunday, April 14 – Hee Seo, Aran Bell (I would just like to note SCFTA's continuing idiotic strategy of withholding some of the best seats in the house, the Orchestra Terrace, is still in effect a month before the performances. I still haven't bought any tickets as I hate sitting in the orchestra except in the front, and I'm not buying 3 performances worth of $149 tickets to do so. Excellent business strategy. The small amount of tickets sold so far suggest others are playing the same game).

Wonder if we in California could be so lucky to get Ferri for the Woolf Works premiere? I honestly don't think a lot of the ABT ballerinas cast have the dramatic depth for the role. I assumed, like many, Trenary would be cast but I guess they want literally more "mature"/older dancers (all of them are 30+ with Teuscher being the youngest, I think) which is how the Royal Ballet has cast the role as well which make sense but ideally you'd want to combine mature+dramatic depth. I'd guess Brandt and Trenary would be cast in the original Osipova role in Orlando section??? Wish they'd post the casting for SCFTA since they obviously know who will be rehearsing each role!!

I got tickets to the two casts with debuts: Seo/Carmago and Park/Stearns. I'll wait for other parts of the theater to open (since we are still doing this gradual release irritation, also why I haven't bought tickets to Woolf Works) to consider other casts (or a promo code).

I like the idea of the fugue des wilis dance-wise but I do not like the music--agree that it is "jarring." Yesterday afternoon, Shevchenko arrived! And with a verbal announcement of the cast change from the program (but not an announcement for her poor partner Tutunnique or any of the other questionable cast listings). She was wonderful and I was glad to get to see her. She had at least two bandages on one side of her face and several on her hands and upper arms, so the fall must have been pretty serious but it was not noticeable in her dancing. She added a video on her Instagram of the Act 2 if anyone wants to see some. I emailed SCFTA about the cast changes from program to the stage and this was the response: "Thank you for contacting Segerstrom Center for the Arts and for taking the time to express your concerns. I checked with our front of house team and to the best of our knowledge there were no casting changes that differed from what was listed. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns." 😂

I have been on two nights and will be at today's matinee--I am hoping to see Shevchenko! I am really annoyed at either Segerstrom or the company itself for not updating cast info--every night the cast list has had glaring errors with no cast change slips or cast change announcements (I've asked ushers and one had no idea what I was talking about and the other said that when she got in they were told no "stuffers" to add). In the program, Shevchenko was still listed for Thursday and they didn't even bother announcing that OPENING NIGHT GISELLE was not the listed Giselle in the program (it was clearly Elizaveta Gogidze). Last night, same thing--Denys Nedak listed in the program as "Albert" and I assume (based on the program picture) that Oleksii Kniakzov was the actual dancer on stage. Really shoddy and unprofessional to the dancers (and insulting to the audience) all around. I could continue with the Saturday night Myrta not being the listed Myrta, Bathilde not the listed Bathilde, Peasant pas etc. The dancers are pretty uneven (though all the women have uniformly beautiful hands) and I find some of the restorations a little unusual (Giselle sinking into a rock formation at the end / the wasted climax for Albrecht when he usually does the entre-chat sixes or brisees) but it's been satisfying overall to see Giselle several times. I enjoyed the dancer who was Myrta on opening night much more in the peasant pas de deux Saturday night (I assume her name is Vladyslava Kovalenko though she was uncredited for the Peasant pas on Sat night) and there is another dancer who did the Peasant pas on the first night (again I am assuming Daria Manoilo?) who has also been Zulmae both nights who has beautiful soft romantic arms. Myrta last night (maybe it was Vasylysa Nykyforova based on the other night's cast listing?) was much stronger overall and I enjoyed her dancing. I feel bad for Gogidze doing 3 Giselles in a row; she has to be dead. She has moments of beauty but other times seems to lose stamina very, very quickly (even on opening night) and sometimes has a frozen face, awkward arm positioning, and neck tension. I found her stronger in Act 1. Alexis Tutunnique on opening night was excellent at conveying Albrecht's exhaustion. After Giselle is over, they have a short ballet featuring a Ukrainian double leg-amputee soldier and then the national anthem.

I got a mailer with 30% for Main Orchestra, Front Orchestra, Front Orchestra Ring, and Main Founders: FRIDA30 - all performances.

Maybe they will take this all as a hint for more classical ballet since it's obviously over-performing their dismal expectations. I bought a ticket for each cast once the terrace was opened for other shows.

They've opened the Orchestra Terrace (or most of it; the last few rows are not for sale) for opening night and the Sun matinee; it seems like they just did it as only a few seats are sold in that section for both shows.

Hot off the email: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago September 29 - October 1, 2023 The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre For 46 years, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance, bringing artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate and change lives through the experience of dance. The company will perform a program of mixed repertory including Coltrane’s Favorite Things, choreographed by Lar Lubovitch. The work is inspired by and danced to John Coltrane’s 1963 “Live in Copenhagen” interpretation of Richard Rodgers’ “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. The Rite of Spring & common ground[s] February 9-11, 2024 The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Pina Bausch’s The Rite of Spring has flourished to become one of the 20th century’s most significant and important works in dance. Faithful to Stravinsky’s visceral score, Bausch’s monumental choreography is given a thrilling new life by a specially assembled company of 34 dancers from 14 African countries. Rite is paired with a new work, common ground[s], created, performed and inspired by the lives of two remarkable women who have each juggled roles as choreographers, professors and grandmothers: Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo. Their tender choreographic response to Rite reflects their shared histories, emotional experiences and common ground. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater March 20-24, 2024 The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The thrilling return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the start of a multi-year Music Center residency! America's most popular modern dance company will expand on its choreographic tradition, adding new choreographers to the company’s repertory with world premieres and beloved classics that illustrate the breadth of Alvin Ailey’s rich catalog, including his signature work Revelations. The Joffrey Ballet's Anna Karenina June 21-23, 2024 The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Joffrey Ballet brings the company's blockbuster, Anna Karenina, which won the 2019 “Oscars of Dance” Benois de la Danse International Prize for Best Choreography. A breathtaking cinematic production with stunning costume design and captivating choreography, this famed psychological drama—set to an original composition—makes its debut at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Ballet Hispánico's Doña Perón July 12-14, 2024 The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Ballet Hispánico, the largest Latinx cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s cultural treasures, brings Doña Perón, an explosive portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón, one of the most recognizable and controversial women in Argentinian history. Colombian- Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa explores these diverging legacies and more in her evening-length work for Ballet Hispánico, and reclaims the narrative of the iconic Latina figure.

In case anyone wants to see more Wheeldon choreography, SCFTA will also have MJ: The Musical in late March 2024 (part of the Broadway series).

I'm guessing there is no official casting yet? I haven't purchased tickets yet and was waiting to see.

Totally agree Josette--there are so many companies who perform classical ballet that could be sought after and I have many fond memories of the companies you list at SCFTA. They seem like so long ago at this point. I get the problems with Covid and they are obviously longer reaching than just the immediate theatre shutdowns but there are many other companies I would love to see and who are not Russian--we got San Francisco a few times a few years ago and it was great. I am not clear why ABT can only bring "new" shows to SCFTA ("home at Segerstrom Center with a never-before-seen program"). It seems like it would be better to do the old-style tours for ABT, at minimum: a few days of mixed rep and then a 3 act ballet over the weekend. That would certainly be more attractive. With this line up, it seems like they'll be forced to only open the orchestra.

Grim and limited offerings ahoy:

Thanks volcanohunter; I missed the post over there. And about the seating--I guess? They've long closed the balcony off for many productions which I understand, but to open only the orchestra is baffling. I kind of assumed the ticket prices would be sky high to compensate, but they seemed fairly normal. I don't like to sit in the orchestra so I guess I'm going to play chicken with the possibility of some nights selling out versus will they open. It's especially strange because the Orchestra Terrace has some of the most expensive and coveted seats in the house (and some really nice cheap ones!). I bought one ticket for opening night just to make sure I don't end up without any tickets at all. I also couldn't add more than one night's tickets to my cart without the new tickets replacing the old tickets that I had previously added, so that aided my decision; these are all really, really great ways to get people to buy tickets SCFTA! Keep it up!

Hot off the email: West Coast Debut United Ukrainian Ballet Giselle by Alexei Ratmansky with Pacific Symphony Conductor Gavriel Heine "This performance was like no other." The Times, London "immensely moving ... everyone involved pours so much thought, heart and art into this revelatory project." The Guardian Following historic performances at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and the London Coliseum, The United Ukrainian Ballet will make its West Coast debut with Alexei Ratmansky’s Giselle. This new interpretation of one of the greatest romantic ballets in the classical repertoire was created specifically for the company by Ratmansky, who himself is a Ukrainian citizen. These performances will be the first time Ratmansky’s Giselle is presented in collaboration with Liev Schreiber and his non-profit organization, BlueCheck Ukraine. Thanks to the underwriting support of Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit BlueCheck which was created to vet, verify, and fund Ukrainian-led local and grassroots frontline organizations providing lifesaving humanitarian aid to victims of the Russian invasion. The United Ukrainian Ballet Giselle Choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa New Choreographic version and additional choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Music by Adolphe Adam With Pacific Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Gavriel Heine Costume and Set Design by Hayden Griffin and Peter Farmer Lighting Design by Andrew Ellis Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m. Giselle: Christine Shevchenko Albert: Alexis Tutunnique Friday, June 30 at 7:00 p.m. Giselle: Elizaveta Gogidze Albert: Oleksii Kniazkov Saturday, July 1 at 7:00 p.m. Giselle: Iryna Zhalovska Albert: Denys Nedak Sunday, July 2 at 1:00 p.m. Giselle: Elizaveta Gogidze Albert: Oleksii Kniazkov In continuing annoyance, I went to buy tickets for opening night and only the orchestra is open to purchase. Why are they doing this?! Not even the Orchestra Terrace which has (in my opinion) much better seats in many places!😠

The children aren't Tita and Pedro--they only appear in the last act as the children of Pedro and Rosaura (the girl) and Dr. Brown (the boy); they then get exchanged for adultish versions for their wedding together. The kids were tallish but I am bad at ages so I couldn't tell you! The mature warning is for the rose petal sauce scene with Gertrudis and the final pas de deux neither of which has the child dancers in it.

Last night's cast--Carmago, Park, and Fang--worked a lot better for me. I've never seen Carmago or Park and had no preconceptions about them but they seemed to have more clearly sketched emotional expression throughout (except maybe not the maturity, physically, particularly, in the final pdd that Trenary/Cornejo offered). I felt Fang made more sense as Elena--and Misseldine as Rosaura--than Shevchenko (who I have otherwise appreciated) or Seo. Fang has more experience with character-driven secondary roles like this and I think that was transmitted. I felt Carmage/Park/Fang also had better chemistry between them. First act is still too long and too rushed though! SCFTA did a better job timing-wise though I think they should just cut the stupid video at the start which doesn't convey anything of substance (especially compared to the Royal Ballet insight videos they are excerpted from which I have watched previously and felt were actually insightful). Shouldn't actual program notes convey the same information about production's intent and background? Once more tonight with the opening cast of Trenary/Cornejo.