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- Yesterday
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Here's a more comprehensive review of the Nut I attended: https://bachtrack.com/review-nutcracker-balanchine-new-york-city-ballet-december-2019
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What are some of your favorite (and least favorite) arts performances of 2019? I made my own list here: https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/12/best-and-worst-of-2019.html -
Those are great clips, Deflope, thanks. How do people feel about adding music with vocals to the competitions? Is that working out for you?
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Thanks for posting, abatt. -
I remember reading somewhere that Robbins, Bernstein, and Sondheim regarded Laurents' book as the most underrated contribution to the success of the show.
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The thing is, she's inconsistent. In some performances her expression is fine, in others it's really a problem, I think. So that suggests to me that there is an opportunity there for better control. A professional stage performer should be more on top of that; it would take training and practice. I know in some ways it's more cosmetic than integral, but it does have an impact (as does every visual element) on a performance.
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I saw her as Dewdrop last year and her dour facial expression took all the joy out of the Waltz. I know there's little she can do about her facial features, but I think over-smiling would do wonders for her.
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JR did a stunning job a few years ago in creating photographic art for the Arts Series at NYCB. The Brooklyn Museum is hosting an exhibition of someof his work. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/arts/design/jr-brooklyn-museum.html -
It does sound like he’s leaving ballet, but staying in the arts in some capacity. Interesting plug at the end for the AD spot at the Joffrey.
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As much as I don't want to believe it, this does sound like he's moving into a new field, not just changing locations.
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I miss him too. Hope all is well.
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I remember reading his Rise and Fall and Rise of Modern Dance back when I was first trying to orient myself in the field.
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Correct. It was Martin’s that was pushed dancers forward fast, promoting in just a few years like a marketing push. Balanchine had a few too but dancers owned roles. Most companies - it takes years to get a lead. City ballet has a different rep and needs the dancers to fill in at times. But I disagree with skipping over the mid-level corps de ballet and taking a 2-year corps dancer and giving them soloist/principal roles. I fear Stafford is going to drive Nadon like that and she is definitely not ready. I don’t see the technique - she has potential but they ALL do. And I think those mid-level corps deserve the opportunity to be coached to fulfill their potential. They certainly paid their due by waiting while the principal owned the role.
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I agree. She has a hard time completing a turn by the end of a variation. Like she runs out of gas or gives up. Martin’s liked the opposite of the “Balanchine body”, as well - which is LeCrone.
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Thank you for letting us know, RG. Sad news indeed. Don was very important as a writer and editor for such a long time.
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I haven't seen this posted elsewhere, but in case you missed it Fabrice has announced on Instagram that he's leaving Joffrey and heading to LA. It sounds to me from his wording that he's leaving ballet as well? Or am I reading it wrong?
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The audience reviews from the first previews of Van Hove's WSS are being posted on Broadway forums. Bearing in mind that the show is still in rough shape, and cast members are still developing their roles, in the main the response is very positive. I Feel Pretty has not (yet?) been restored and neither has Robbins' choreography. The show currently runs about an hour and forty-five minutes, with no intermission, so there have been cuts. Van Hove seems not to trust women to hold the stage. WSS was already a male-centric show. But by cutting I Feel Pretty, eliminating female dancers from Cool, and adding men to America (which the film did as well), he's guaranteeing that his production is not going to pass the Bechdel Test*. There is also a rape scene so graphic that several audience members walked out. The only cast performance mentioned by name is Isaac Powell's as Tony, a role that in my opinion is the weakest in the show and difficult to make memorable, but he's getting absolute raves from early viewers. However there is a segment of the Broadway audience that absolutely despises Amar Ramasar, to a degree that borders on irrational. They are accused of hijacking every discussion about the show. They are even urging people to boo him at his curtain call. They are touting female performers who claim to feel "unsafe" just knowing he's in the building, and they aren't even in the cast. Alexandra Waterbury popped up in the NY Post yesterday (described as a "city ballerina") declaring that Ramasar should be on a sex offenders list. From many years working on Broadway and in professional theater, I can assure these snowflakes that however egregious you believe Ramasar's behavior has been, it's very small beer compared to the transgressions of many others, including some highly-celebrated figures. Their protests seem way out of proportion, especially considering the fact that the main culprit never seems to be named or shamed. *A scene passes the Bechdel test if there are two or more women having an earnest discussion that is not about a man. -
According to my friend who has been at NYCB forever -- no, generally not. Unless someone caught his eye. See Gelsey Kirkland who was dancing Dewdrop when she was a teen. But first cast was usually a veteran couple. He did allow all his principals to guest a lot during Nutcracker season so there were opportunities. But back then NYCB was in some ways more rigid. Certain dancers "owned" roles. For instance if Jewels was cast Suzanne was Diamonds, Patty was Rubies, Violette was Emeralds.
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A friend of Don McDonagh and the late Leslie Getz has sent word that Don died yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Manhattan.
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Makes sense. Thanks for the details; I skip Nutcracker, so I'm not generally aware of how nearly sold out the run gets. Out of curiosity, did Balanchine tend to give a lot of new casting opportunities for Nutcracker, rather than sticking with the most common leads?
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I honestly can't understand the casting of Megan LeCrone as SPF. This has been since Peter was AD. For whatever reason she was a Martins favorite and is a Stafford/Whelan favorite. I do not get it.
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I believe there is impact. Obviously with the new Marie this year, NYCB will see a sales jump, especially for her shows. I believe its why they added the Children's Casting to the website for the first time. I also believe New Yorkers are very loyal to the arts and there are many ballet lovers - dancers like Mearns, Bouder, Peck ... they all draw a following. I would not say casting is a deal-breaker. But it's definitely an incentive for some ticket buyers That's why NYCB posts casting in advance - lassoing in the fans who know who is who. Martins was, if nothing else, very business savvy.
- Last week
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Are Nutcracker ticket sales very casting-dependent?
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Yes McGill was really on last night. I often dislike the Marzipan variation because I feel like even the strongest technicians can struggle with this solo but McGill made it look very charming and easy last night.
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I'd add that I like seeing debuts, and also I'd like to see more of the lesser-used pairings. For example, why not give Sara Adams and Harrison Ball a few more shows? Or give Lauren King or Unity a few more SPFs. I guess I've seen Nut so many times, and I've seen the principals in general so many times (not just in Nut), that to really be drawn in I want to see something new.
