Mme. Hermine Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 And, look at this close up of the Silver Fairy's crown posted by Lauren Post: https://instagram.com/p/zyaZ-0s-OU/?modal=true It's the Silverware Fairy! Link to comment
themor Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 I don't know if I've seen Christine Trenary before, but she was a beautiful and charming Princess Florine. Her name is CASSANDRA Trenary. A name we will remember Link to comment
Josette Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks for the correction as to the lovely Ms. Trenary's first name. Link to comment
mussel Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks ksk, Josette and Andre for your wonderful reports. I felt joy just reading them. ABT finally has a production it can be proud of. May is such a distant future, I am not sure how I'll survive the wait. So Cabinet des fées characters that actually dance the variations are Cat & Puss, Florine & Blue Bird, Red Hood & Wolf, Cinderella & Prince Fortune, Ogre/Ogress and Hop-O-My-Thumb in addition to the Precious Stones. While Bluebeard & Ariana, Porcelain Princesses, Mandarin, Scheherazade, Shah & bros. are walk-through characters. Correct? This production has more act 3 variations and walk-thru characters than RB's, which many considered as the Western production the closest to the original one. Link to comment
sandik Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 So Cabinet des fées characters that actually dance the variations are Cat & Puss, Florine & Blue Bird, Red Hood & Wolf, Cinderella & Prince Fortune, Ogre/Ogress and Hop-O-My-Thumb in addition to the Precious Stones. While Bluebeard & Ariana, Porcelain Princesses, Mandarin, Scheherazade, Shah & bros. are walk-through characters. Correct? This production has more act 3 variations and walk-thru characters than RB's, which many considered as the Western production the closest to the original one. Well, look at it this way -- Aurora has been asleep for a long time, so she had a lot of scope for dreaming. Link to comment
sandik Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 And, look at this close up of the Silver Fairy's crown posted by Lauren Post: https://instagram.com/p/zyaZ-0s-OU/?modal=true It's the Silverware Fairy! Considering that in the original story, Carabosse was left off the guest list because they only had twelve gold plates, and she was the 13th fairy, I suppose that the silver part of "Gold and Silver" could be the cutlery... Link to comment
choriamb Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks for the reports, Josette and ksk04! It's so good to hear that this version might be an audience winner AND good for the company's growth. I agree, Cassandra Trenary and Leann Underwood are both rather special: I'm glad you think so too. And any time I'm reminded that Vishneva and Gomes are at the top of their game (in one of the harder ballets in the canon, no less), this little balletomane sleeps a little more soundly. Link to comment
Natalia Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 The more I hear or read about this production, the more I want to see it. A friend who attended last night called after show to tell me that Murphy and Abrera were far-stronger Aurora and Lilac, respectively, than the first cast. The goofy airs described by the LA Times and OC reporters were no longer in evidence. The designs look beautiful in the photos of bows. No 'El Cheapo' here! Link to comment
atm711 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 How I wish ABT would film it with the original cast! My real fear is that LaScala will do it with Zakharova Link to comment
abatt Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 There are many ballets I would like to see filmed with Vishneva, but Sleeping Beauty isn't one of them. That ship has sailed. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Professional reviews in "Writings on Ballet," please. Please post your impressions here. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 How I wish ABT would film it with the original cast! My real fear is that LaScala will do it with Zakharova There are many ballets I would like to see filmed with Vishneva, but Sleeping Beauty isn't one of them. That ship has sailed. Vishneva was filmed as Aurora more than a dozen years ago, at La Scala in Nureyev's production with Roberto Bolle. The telecast was never released on DVD, and it really wasn't her finest hour. But if La Scala thinks it can do better with Zakharova... Link to comment
mussel Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Premiere slide show: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-abt-sleeping-beauty-review-20150305-story.html#lightbox=82975904&slide=1Cross-pond coverage: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/dance-blog/2015/mar/03/alexei-ratmansky-sleeping-beauty-american-ballet-theatre Link to comment
abatt Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Osipova works with La Scala too, right? She may end up in the mix for the performances at La Scala with Sarafanov. Very odd that Bolle's previous casting with Herrera in SB for her farewell is listed as "TBA". It will be a shame if Herrera, after 20 years at ABT, ends up doing her farewell with Nedak, who has zero previous relationship with her and virtually no relationship with ABT. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 That's assuming La Scala has the rights to film as part of the package. Zakharova sells DVDs in Europe, NA, and Japan. While she might not not be ideal, at least there's a lot more to "Sleeping Beauty" than Aurora's solos, and who knows the extent to which she will be committed to the style. From descriptions here and professional reviews, it sounds like Vishneva's style on Tuesday was a lot different than her style in Berkeley when she toured with the Mariinsky in the 00's. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 At the moment La Scala has scheduled nine performances in the autumn, of which four are to be danced by Zakharova and Hallberg, assuming he has returned to performing by then. No other guest artists are listed at the moment, so presumably the plan is to give the other performances to La Scala's own dancers. (Incidentally, La Scala has not yet announced who will replace Hallberg in Giselle opposite Osipova in April.) Link to comment
abatt Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 The last time I saw Vishneva dance SB was with the Mariinsky at the Kennedy Center. I think it was in 2006, and I believe Shkylarov may have been her partner. Her style then was classic, refined and beautiful. There was none of the idiosyncratic interpretation issues that have been mentioned in reference to her performance in the new ABT version. (I also recall that there was a blizzard that night in DC) Correction: I was way off on the date. It was 2010, not 2006. Here was the review of the Washington Post of that 2010 performance. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021003477.html Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 That's assuming La Scala has the rights to film as part of the package. Zakharova sells DVDs in Europe, NA, and Japan. While she might not not be ideal, at least there's a lot more to "Sleeping Beauty" than Aurora's solos, and who knows the extent to which she will be committed to the style. I hope PBS steps up and films an ABT performance, because it's been a long time since the last telecast. On the other hand, RAI broadcasts La Scala's ballet company once a year, and a new production would be a strong candidate for 2015. Zakharova certainly sells DVDs and show tickets. When I elected to pass on the Bolshoi's last visit to New York and put my tickets up for resale, Zakharova's performances were snapped up lickety-split; the others took quite a bit longer. But I'm still mildly traumatized by memories of the cinemacast of Sleeping Beauty from the Bolshoi, a performance I never revisited on video. I cringe every time a clip of her Aurora whacking her legs around shows up in a trailer. A webstream of Nacho Duato's production from the Mikhailovsky wasn't any better. Perhaps I'm not giving her a fair shake. When the Bolshoi brought its production to London I had tickets to her performances, but ultimately couldn't stomach using them, although I did go to see the remaining casts. I would like to hope for the best and the possibility that Zakharova will conform herself to Ratmansky's conception, but I have to admit that the prospect of another film of her Aurora fills me with dread. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Gillian Murphy posted a charming photo from her debut last night: https://instagram.com/p/z2j2ItHVSV/ May is soooo far away. It's going to be hard to decide which cast to see. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 You have to love a photo in which Carabosse is part of the party with Link to comment
Plisskin Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Since Sleeping Beauty is for their 75th anniversary I'm really hoping they put this on DVD/ Bluray. Link to comment
Andre Yew Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Thanks ksk, Josette and Andre for your wonderful reports. I felt joy just reading them. ABT finally has a production it can be proud of. May is such a distant future, I am not sure how I'll survive the wait. So Cabinet des fées characters that actually dance the variations are Cat & Puss, Florine & Blue Bird, Red Hood & Wolf, Cinderella & Prince Fortune, Ogre/Ogress and Hop-O-My-Thumb in addition to the Precious Stones. While Bluebeard & Ariana, Porcelain Princesses, Mandarin, Scheherazade, Shah & bros. are walk-through characters. Correct? This production has more act 3 variations and walk-thru characters than RB's, which many considered as the Western production the closest to the original one. You're welcome! Cinderella and her prince also get their own dance, though they're dancing character steps (ie. not ballet steps). Bluebeard, 18th century Chinese stereotypes, and Persian stereotypes are just in the ensemble. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Since Sleeping Beauty is for their 75th anniversary I'm really hoping they put this on DVD/ Bluray. Let's hope PBS doesn't decide that Ric Burns' documentary is sufficient to mark the occasion. Remembering past accomplishments is important, but if ABT has finally started to snap out of its artistic torpor with this production, that's something worth celebrating. Link to comment
Natalia Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 As part of the creative team for this ABT SB, wouldn't our friend and occasional visitor here, Doug Fullington, know if a telecast and/ or filming be in the offing? It is a milestone production in every respect. Link to comment
FauxPas Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Just a note that the Sergeyev notation does specifically note that Aurora flirts with each of the suitors during the Rose Adagio - so it really is a dramatic scene and not just a technical feat. So Vishneva's kittenish winks and girlish exuberance while she acted up a storm are probably how she was coached. How that manner may look on a dancer who is approaching 40 is a matter of conjecture - I wasn't there. Vishneva now has a certain sophistication that doesn't lend itself to ingenue roles. I agree that most Auroras have that deer in the headlights "please don't let me fall off pointe...or on my butt" look of anxiety and/or terror during that scene. Also, re: La Scala and Zakharova in "Sleeping Beauty" - Zakharova already filmed "Beauty" in 2011 with David Hallberg at the Bolshoi - it is readily available on blu-ray and dvd. Would La Scala want to replicate the Bolshoi's casting and have two commercial documentations of Hallberg and Zakharova in the same ballet? BTW: I saw both Zakharova and Vishneva dance Aurora with the Mariinsky in the 1890 reconstruction. Certainly Zakharova was doing 6 o'clock penchées and developpees back then... Link to comment
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