Spring 2015: Romeo and Juliet

[vipa]

I think ABT needs to stop the international touring for the next 5 years and instead tour in smaller US cities, to allow the soloists (and home grown principals) to have more performances. With more coaching and seasoning, they will be ready for the MET's demands. But right now the focus is on touring to Japan, Australia, etc.

They'd be better served by a 2 month residency in Anchorage in the fall and really develop their own dancers.

I love this idea. Back in the day ABT did so much touring dancers could have a shot at principal roles and therefore be ready to go in for injured dancers.

[aurora]

Did no one go to Gorak's debut? I really wanted to see him, but had tickets to 4 RJs and was feeling over loaded.

I did! I just got home (had something to do after).

There were a few partnering glitches (minor) but more importantly, they didn't let it throw them, and in fact the partnering got stronger (the upside down lift in the balcony pas, which is such a torment to many and is so often not as vertical as it should be was excellent and done without hesitation).

His solos were gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I say promote him immediately. He is already a stronger partner than David was (or Herman, or Daniil) on their promotions and he really is the most beautiful male dancer I've seen since David.

His emotions were good, not large scale, but good (not early Cory flat).

Misty was also very good. She didn't seem too "large" for him, she looked young, believable as a teenager. The emotions at time were a bit overdone but it was quite satisfying. I went primarily for Gorak, not thinking this was a role particularly suited for her, and she sold me that it should definitely stay in her rep.

It was a real pleasure to see Calvin Royal as Benvolio, he was good and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

I had mixed feelings about Arron Scott as Mercutio--His dancing in the ball was meh. Not bad, but pretty low key. I was not impressed and thought him by far the worst of the three Mercutios I've seen (Craig, whose characterization is such a joy, and Daniil, whose dancing is so stunning). But he redeemed himself thoroughly in act II. He did a very very nice Mandolin dance (by the way he too "skipped" the final leapfrog, as has almost every dancer I've ever seen). And his death scene was glorious. The impish personality was there, but it was a death scene of real pathos, not as schizophrenic as it often seems. By far the best of the three.

Lastly (for now anyway) Devon Teuscher as Lady Capulet was even worse than on Thursday. On Thursday she just had little emotive power, certainly nothing to compare to Stella Abrera in the role. But then again considering how long Stella has been doing the role it seemed an unfair comparison. I did notice that at several points she seemed to not know how to handle her dress, nearly tripping over it. Well today she did, as she returned to the body of Tybalt after her dramatic gesture up the stairs she stumbled all over it. This is after, when she was doing her "mourning" she kept hiking it up to show her thighs. I know she is distressed at that point, but no one in Renaissance Italy would be practically stripping except the Whores. Someone needs to remind her who she is playing...

Oh, maybe the orchestra got a talking to after their horrific showing on Thursday. If not a glorious performance (it is the ABT orchestra after all) there was not a cringe-inducing note the whole afternoon. A dramatic turnaround.

[Mazurka]

There is vast chasm between high brow and lowbrow and the expectation and experience it carries.

[aurora]

There is vast chasm between high brow and lowbrow and the expectation and experience it carries.

to what are you responding?

[Mazurka]

You may be right - you can experience equal amount of disappointment in each case.

However one may hold highbrow art to higher standards.

[Mazurka]

Why? The idea is seeing an actor who will move you is equally valid to a pianist, singer, dancer.

this certainly is a spirited conversation!

[rkoretzky]

Yes it is, and I plead guilty for starting it. Sometimes I should just read, digest and keep my mouth shut. But since I didn't.......

I apologize for any offense. I admit I was a bit surprised to hear about blowing a ticket off. I wouldn't do it but I do hear why some of you do. Your money, your time, your choice.

I don't believe I questioned anyone's lack of respect for the art form.

[Mazurka]

Aurora thank you for the report - glad Gorak is fulfilling what was a promising beginning.

Disappointing that AAaron Scott did not shine.

[Mazurka]

rkoretsky - please don't - I feel like that too, and often, but it is good to talk it always can bring us more towards a more balanced view

[rkoretzky]

However I do think there is a significant lack of respect for some of the artists among some posters on this board.

[alexL]

I had mixed feelings about Arron Scott as Mercutio--His dancing in the ball was meh. Not bad, but pretty low key. I was not impressed and thought him by far the worst of the three Mercutios I've seen (Craig, whose characterization is such a joy, and Daniil, whose dancing is so stunning). But he redeemed himself thoroughly in act II. He did a very very nice Mandolin dance (by the way he too "skipped" the final leapfrog, as has almost every dancer I've ever seen). And his death scene was glorious. The impish personality was there, but it was a death scene of real pathos, not as schizophrenic as it often seems. By far the best of the three.

I saw Arron Scott's Mercutio on Wednesday matinee and have exactly same opinion. Seems like he usually under performs in act 1 then redeems himself in 2nd.

Hernan doesn't skip the leaps in the mandolin dance... I've seen his Mercutio multiple times and he always does the last leap. Maybe I've been very lucky.

[aurora]

Aurora thank you for the report - glad Gorak is fulfilling what was a promising beginning.

Disappointing that AAaron Scott did not shine.

Well as I said, Arron Scott was a bit of a mixed bag.

While he started off somewhat disappointingly, he really was excellent in act II, with my favorite death of the Mercutios I saw.

I wouldn't be sorry to see him scheduled to do it again, that is for certain!

[Helene]

rkoretzky, I think a more apt analogy would be having tickets to a favorite concert pianist, whose interpretation is transfixing,

and finding out you will be listening to a pianist whose interpretation does not move you.

Recitals are one of the few art forms in which refunds are granted if the specific artist or group does not show up. If your favorite concert pianist does not show up for a recital, if it's rescheduled, you're most likely offered a ticket to the new date or a refund. Otherwise, you'd get a refund.

If your favorite concert pianist is scheduled to perform with the XYZ Orchestra and is replaced, you likely won't get any compensation. That pianist is likely on the first half of the program, though, so that you can leave after the first half, like the people who are only there to see the soloist and leave before the big symphonic piece. That is because the orchestra is marketing a performer, but selling you a ticket (contractually) to a performance on a specific date and time in a specific venue.

I think ABT needs to stop the international touring for the next 5 years and instead tour in smaller US cities, to allow the soloists (and home grown principals) to have more performances. With more coaching and seasoning, they will be ready for the MET's demands. But right now the focus is on touring to Japan, Australia, etc.

They'd be better served by a 2 month residency in Anchorage in the fall and really develop their own dancers.

I don't know how practical Anchorage is, but touring/more performances are the best way to give the dancers experience before they appear in NYC and face evisceration.

Re the question about opera, to my knowledge and experience there are no refunds or adjustments no matter who was scheduled versus who appears.

Opera companies, like ballet companies, are also selling performances. I'm trying to remember if I've known an opera company to change which opera is performed at the last minute -- I know that an opera can be marketed as part of a subscription, but be replaced -- but ballet companies do change the ballets on occasion, and I've never been offered a refund when this happens. I suspect that most people who bought tickets to an ABT mixed bill for a night in July 1974 who got Baryshnikov's (American) debut in "Giselle" weren't unhappy.

The issue of entitlement is an interesting one: we all know that contractually -- it's on the ticket and in the ads and brochures -- the company can do what it wants in terms of content and casting, and we can play or not. I'm sure someone with a ticket in July 1974 saw the schedule and thought, "Ugh, not another 'Giselle.' I may have paid [today's equivalent of $125], but I'm not paying the babysitter, gas, and parking and spending the time to see that again. I really wanted to see [ABT legacy work] on that mixed bill. Maybe I'll just stay home and watch the Mets." If NYCB had changed the matinee program the day Balanchine died, which they considered, I'm sure there were parents who might have left, since they were bringing their children to see "Mother Goose" and, if I recall correctly, "The Four Seasons."

The issue becomes the trust relationship with the company and performers. For those interested in specific performers, or in "Anyone-but-[dancer(s)]," if the company has a track record of what can be interpreted as bait-and-switch, then people will do the cost-benefit calculation and decide whether or how to do business with them. You can hate on company policy, whether it be casting, dancer development, marketing, and/or exchange and pricing policies. The Metropolitan Opera made subscribers very angry when they liberalized ticket exchange policies when attendance was low, but then went back to a rigid policy for the couple of years that houses were getting fuller again. Many subscribers felt used, instead of being considered loyal during the hard times. Even with a liberal policy, if the last week is all "Merry Widows" with a singer that you cannot bear, there may not be anything for which to exchange your ticket when Jonas Kaufmann canceled. When NYCB's Fourth Ring Society was discontinued, many people were very, very unhappy.

If the performer is unreliable or injury-prone -- or even has the reputation of being unreliable or injury-prone -- people can put it on the company for hiring that performer, or they can decide when and whether to risk the money to see that performer. There's nothing a company can do when a dancer has a last-minute injury or illness, except the best they think they can, but if people's nerves are frayed because of the frequency of disappointments, they have the right to their feelings. What they don't have is the legal right to get a refund or have any control about whether that dancer should be forced to perform.

But you were also questioning those of us who choose to stay home or leave early and apparently don't have the proper levels of respect for the art or for the value of money to stick it out. I think your original post was painted with a very broad brush when now you're making a much finer point. I for one did not demand my money back, but I still felt implicated in what you were criticizing there.

This is what happens when people discuss each other: there's nothing in rkoretzky's post that says anything about disrespecting the art by leaving.

Questioning behavior, especially group behavior, is not off-limits -- we have this all the time in all of the performance behavior threads -- ad hominem attacks are. There are people here who think anyone who leaves as soon as the curtain hits the ground and doesn't stay to applaud the performers are disrespecting the performers. Similarly, there are people who think that leaving the theater during an intermission is disrespectful to the performers that follow. (Others have expressed feeling sorry for the performers that follow, which is not necessarily the same thing.) If I disagree, and someone thinks I'm disrespecting the performers and this impacts their enjoyment in any way, that's their issue.

A person can have lots of money and decide not to use a ticket, or a person can have scraped every last quarter out of the couch cushions to buy one ticket a year and still walk away from it.

Why does it matter what someone else thinks of our choices? This is a discussion board. There's a lot of disagreement here about everything.

[vipa]

Here's my issue with replacements. A few years about I bought a ticket for Cojocaru in SL. She was replaced be Kochetkova. I thought OK, I've never seen her, it's an opportunity. I went It was fine, not great but I got a to see a new dancer. Next year I bought a ticket to Cojocaru in SL she was replaced by Hee Seo. I was bummed because if I had wanted to see Hee Seo I would have bought a ticket to see her. I would have preferred a first timer (Reyes, Lane, anybody who doesn't usually do the role). That would have given me a reason to go. I went and left after the 2nd act. Seo wasn't awful but I'd seen her before. She was dancing it exactly as I expected and I was bored.

I don't think people are dumping on Hee Seo as much as the idea of being given a dancer you could have bought a ticket for in the first place.

[VanKirk]

Nice to see the few positive comments here. Injuries, cancellations and replacements are inevitable. There are never guarantees when one buys a ticket that the casting is etched in stone. It's certainly easier on the company not to have to accommodate change. I am sad to see the amount of apparent vitriol towards certain dancers not expected to perform but who have been assigned to substitute. Surely, in a cast as large as that in Romeo and Juliet one can find and enjoy other dancers' performances. The sublime MacMillan choreography is worth the price of admission to me. Just one person's opinion.

[Helene]

Really? Was a night at the ballet so horrifying that you were willing to throw $125 down the drain?

That's actually how I feel about Macmillan's "Romeo and Juliet." The only way I would see it again is if I was going with someone who really wanted to see it, or if there was a dancer I really wanted to see, and that's the only thing she was dancing. (In the first case, they'd have to buy me dinner, and in the second, I might need lots of wine. Except for Obraztsova.)

I really don't like it, but I'm in the minority.

I'm also a prime example of Newton's First Law of Motion: If I got to the theater to see a specific dancer, I'd probably go in even with the announced change, and I would only leave only under dire circumstances. If I wasn't there yet and going alone, I likely would eat the ticket, because I wouldn't propel myself into motion to get there.

[Kaysta]

I like MacMillan's choreography for R&j (or at least I love the balcony pas and the score, which makes up for the rest) but I do find some of the acting a bit cheesy and over the top. And I agree the act 1 sword fight is too long.

The good thing about being a relatively new fan of ballet is that everything still brings me joy, even if it's not a groundbreaking performance. Yes, there are some performances I enjoy more than others (Gilian and Whiteside's last rose adagio and Stella's Giselle being the highlights of the Met season for me), but even less spectacular performances make me happy--esp. as I may be moving to the Midwest in the winter, and won't be able to see as much of ABT in the future. I don't want this spring season to end, despite some of the disappointments with casting. I think NYers may take this for granted. I love PA ballet, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable as even a "mediocre" night of ABT. And I think what I will get next year in the Midwest will really make me miss ABT, shady casting policies and all.

[Drew]

I do think this season is anomalous in some ways--those anomalies may bring into relief problems at ABT, but how many seasons lose for the entire season a major male star AND two major ballerinas--all scheduled for multiple performances throughout the season (Hallberg, Semionova, Osipova except for her Giselle) and, in the same season, lose another 'guest' pair scheduled for one performance (Smirnova/Chudin) and then lose one of their biggest stars to illness for an additional evening (Vishneva)? Heck there may even be a Sarafanov fan out there who bought tickets to see him in Sleeping Beauty when he replaced Hallberg only to see that bit of casting change, too, once Osipova was out. (Now that I know the production and have seen what Sarafanov can do when he is on his game, I actually would buy a ticket JUST to see him dance the prince's variation in Act III.)

I find it hard to believe the best run company in the world, with this repertory especially, could have found a way to arrange that much in the way of cast changes without some people (myself included) being disappointed and/or frustrated. Was the original casting in the first place part of the problem? I don't think there is a simple yes/no answer. Think how often people raise the 'Guest Artist' problem at ABT only to acknowledge how much they love this or that guest artist--wish this or that one would be invited more often etc.

For myself, I know she is a guest, and that raises questions about the company's long term health, but in all honesty and given the circumstances, I am very glad Cojocaru was brought in to replace Smirnova in Bayadere--ditto Sarafanov for Hallberg the next evening. (That was a long planned trip to see Bayadere and 'introduce' it to someone-- I wasn't about to cancel.) Of course, I hope the company finds ways to address its long term health issues...They need a 'middle way' so to speak.

[angelica]

Just to add on... I think many subscribers, like myself, take full advantage of the liberal exchange policy. In all previous cases of cast changes that were not in my favor, I've been able to exchange. This was a same-day announcement and I had to make the difficult decision to eat the cost.

It just seems a no-brainer to me that when there is a same-day announcement of a cast change, those who already have exchange privileges as subscribers should be allowed to exercise this privilege on the day of the announcement. It's probably the Met's policy rather than ABTs, and of course they don't want a run on the bank, but exchange privileges should be honored in that instance.

[naomikage]

Ok well I think an issue is that ppl who bought 4 R&J tickets don't actually like R&J the ballet. They like Ferri as Juliet, or Vishneva as Juliet. Which might be a reflection on MacMillan's choreography, or ABT's star system. I do know that when the Royal Ballet does these MacMillan warhorses the runs pretty much sell out whoever is dancing. And I think that stems from a more genuine appreciation/reverence for the ballet itself rather than the ballet as a star vehicle.

FYI

For productions at Royal Opera House, (I thought most of the posters here knew) you can return your tickets to the box office and if the ticket got resold, you can have your money back (with a small amount of handling fee deducted)

But at the Royal Ballet, sales do depend on whoever is dancing.

[abatt]

No, I believe the no same day exchange policy is also ABT's policy. When there was a blizzard a few years ago, ABT instructed BAM representatives to tell all ticketholders that there were no exchanges. (That was when ABT was doing Nutcracker at BAM.) When BAM is presenting its own shows, they have always allowed exchanges in instances when there is a massive snow event. As noted above you are always entitled to a refund if the lead performer in a Broadway show is out, and I have exercised that privilege a number of times over the years.

[laurel]

I did! I just got home (had something to do after).

There were a few partnering glitches (minor) but more importantly, they didn't let it throw them, and in fact the partnering got stronger (the upside down lift in the balcony pas, which is such a torment to many and is so often not as vertical as it should be was excellent and done without hesitation).

His solos were gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I say promote him immediately. He is already a stronger partner than David was (or Herman, or Daniil) on their promotions and he really is the most beautiful male dancer I've seen since David.

His emotions were good, not large scale, but good (not early Cory flat).

Misty was also very good. She didn't seem too "large" for him, she looked young, believable as a teenager. The emotions at time were a bit overdone but it was quite satisfying. I went primarily for Gorak, not thinking this was a role particularly suited for her, and she sold me that it should definitely stay in her rep.

It was a real pleasure to see Calvin Royal as Benvolio, he was good and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

I had mixed feelings about Arron Scott as Mercutio--His dancing in the ball was meh. Not bad, but pretty low key. I was not impressed and thought him by far the worst of the three Mercutios I've seen (Craig, whose characterization is such a joy, and Daniil, whose dancing is so stunning). But he redeemed himself thoroughly in act II. He did a very very nice Mandolin dance (by the way he too "skipped" the final leapfrog, as has almost every dancer I've ever seen). And his death scene was glorious. The impish personality was there, but it was a death scene of real pathos, not as schizophrenic as it often seems. By far the best of the three.

Lastly (for now anyway) Devon Teuscher as Lady Capulet was even worse than on Thursday. On Thursday she just had little emotive power, certainly nothing to compare to Stella Abrera in the role. But then again considering how long Stella has been doing the role it seemed an unfair comparison. I did notice that at several points she seemed to not know how to handle her dress, nearly tripping over it. Well today she did, as she returned to the body of Tybalt after her dramatic gesture up the stairs she stumbled all over it. This is after, when she was doing her "mourning" she kept hiking it up to show her thighs. I know she is distressed at that point, but no one in Renaissance Italy would be practically stripping except the Whores. Someone needs to remind her who she is playing...

Oh, maybe the orchestra got a talking to after their horrific showing on Thursday. If not a glorious performance (it is the ABT orchestra after all) there was not a cringe-inducing note the whole afternoon. A dramatic turnaround.

Gorak did indeed look wonderful this afternoon. His dancing was head and shoulders above everyone else on stage, beautiful, clean and lyrical. It was obvious that he and Copeland had been thoroughly rehearsed to get through the lifts without major problems and they performed them carefully and without incident. Neither one is a natural actor, though he is somewhat better than her. At least when he smiles it reaches his eyes, and his dancing just sings. For me, Copeland dances without depth or soul. Her emotions may seem overwrought but it’s because she’s posturing, not feeling. She goes through the movements of the dance, exactly as she was shown, but she can’t connect emotionally, and she’s unskilled at moving her face expressively. She’s either blank-faced, mouth open and staring, or, in the final scene, face clenched tight as in a tantrum, her mouth gaping like a giant maw. Perhaps she’ll improve with time but frankly, I’ve been attending her performances for seven years, and she’s never yet failed to disappoint me. She’s about to be promoted to principal and you’d think they’d have provided her with an effective acting coach by now. I wish her well, but this is the last time I’ll be paying to see her. I’ll leave it to others to watch and report on her from now on.

[choriamb]

I do think this season is anomalous in some ways--those anomalies may bring into relief problems at ABT, but how many seasons lose for the entire season a major male star AND two major ballerinas--all scheduled for multiple performances throughout the season (Hallberg, Semionova, Osipova except for her Giselle) and, in the same season, lose another 'guest' pair scheduled for one performance (Smirnova/Chudin) and then lose one of their biggest stars to illness for an additional evening (Vishneva)? Heck there may even be a Sarafanov fan out there who bought tickets to see him in Sleeping Beauty when he replaced Hallberg only to see that bit of casting change, too, once Osipova was out. (Now that I know the production and have seen what Sarafanov can do when he is on his game, I actually would buy a ticket JUST to see him dance the prince's variation in Act III.)

I find it hard to believe the best run company in the world, with this repertory especially, could have found a way to arrange that much in the way of cast changes without some people (myself included) being disappointed and/or frustrated. Was the original casting in the first place part of the problem? I don't think there is a simple yes/no answer. Think how often people raise the 'Guest Artist' problem at ABT only to acknowledge how much they love this or that guest artist--wish this or that one would be invited more often etc.

For myself, I know she is a guest, and that raises questions about the company's long term health, but in all honesty and given the circumstances, I am very glad Cojocaru was brought in to replace Smirnova in Bayadere--ditto Sarafanov for Hallberg the next evening. (That was a long planned trip to see Bayadere and 'introduce' it to someone-- I wasn't about to cancel.) Of course, I hope the company finds ways to address its long term health issues...They need a 'middle way' so to speak.

Agreed. And losing the ability to use three ballerinas (and their final partners) as back-ups so their farewell performances could go as planned must have been an insane scheduling challenge.

[Amour]

I

Hernan doesn't skip the leaps in the mandolin dance... I've seen his Mercutio multiple times and he always does the last leap. Maybe I've been very lucky.

Nope. Saw Herman tonight and he, too, blew off the last leap. But otherwise he was WONDERFUL!!! Finally, a Mercutio who can dance gorgeously and doesn't have to camp up the dying scene (it was very realistic and moving) or otherwise make Mercutio a caricature, cartoonish character. Daniil and Craig need to take note. You can be virtuosic and not make that character a joke. I was also very impressed by Herman's fencing in Act 2. Twice he jumped over Tybalt's sword. Very impressive. He got almost as much in the way of applause and bravos as the leads, Julie and Roberto.

[Amour]

Also the press lifts. Do they now just let every Juliet use her downstage arm to balance on Romeo's shoulder? Every Juliet I saw except maybe Obraztsova (I can't remember) did that. Did the arms lifted skywards die out with Ferri? Macmillan would not be happy methinks.