MCB at Gala for opening of new Ziff Ballet Opera House

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Dirac's LINKS column today posts a Sun-Sentinal article about the Gala performance fore the opening of the new 2,400-seat Ziff Ballet Opera Hosue, one of 2 large theaters at the new Carnival Center. Apparently accoustical difficulties limited the impact of Florida Grand Opera, but MCB's version of Act III of Sleeping Beauty fit the new theater perfectly.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifes...tures-headlines

Was anyone there to see them?

Press releases mention that this is the "first time in its history" that the company has performed this? Is this true? Have they ever attempted even a part of Sleeping Beauty? I wonder if Villella is building towards another full-length (like this year's new Don q) down the line?

Here's what the reviewer thought about it:

Sharing the bill, Miami City Ballet made a much more impressive debut with a majestic staging of Act III from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. Unlike Florida Grand's shallow Boheme set, David Walker's epic scenic design opened up the vast Ziff stage spectacularly and showed the potential scale for future productions. And with its cavalcade of danses caracteristique, Aurora's Wedding proved an inspired vehicle to display the talent and depth of the company's corps.

As Princess Aurora and Prince Desire, Haiyan Wu and Yang Zou were well-matched physically as well as stylistically, with their symbiotic poise and delicacy most manifest in their pas de deux.

Renato Penteado and Katia Carranza made a similarly simpatico duo as Bluebird and the Princess Florine, spotlighted by Penteado's athletic solo. Jeremy Cox and Kyra Homeres brought feline grace and piquant humor to Puss in Boots and The White Cat.

The new Florida Classical Orchestra was in the pit. All south Florida performances this year (longer than that in Miami, and possibly longer in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale if the money is raised) will have live orchestra after a number of years of recorded music.