Farrell Fan

Villella Chris d'Amboise or Nilas Martins?

That's the question Mr. B faced.

Birth scene - yes Farrell & d'Amboise, or Farrell & Martins?

"The Seven Deadly Sins" The Met Opera's Chagalls or the NY State Theater's Nadelmans?

Kylian. NYCB conductors: Kaplow or Karoui?

I missed my chance to say "Bravo Bigonzetti!"

Nijinska. Les Noces or A Wedding Bouquet?

Okay, I yield.

Elusive Muse (thanks) Lincoln Kirstein or Michael Kaiser?

Winter Season Roberta Sue Ficker or Iris Cohen?

Part down the middle. "In the middle somewhat elevated" or "Behind the china dogs"?

Sallie Wilson Clive Barnes or Anna Kisselgoff?

Vishneva. ABT or NYCB?

Balanchine. Story or plotless?

"Midsummer Night's Dream" "The Four Seasons" or "The Four Temperaments"?

Okay. I pick "Who Cares?" "Embraceable You" or "The Man I Love"? Did I do that right?

I recently finished "North River," a novel by Pete Hamill. I was familiar with Pete Hamill's journalism, but didn't realize he was such an accomplished novelist. This is not great literature, by any means, but it is what in my book copywriting days I might have described as "compulsively readable." That was a favorite phrase of our clients -- a little fancier than calling the book "a page-turner." "North River" is set in lower Manhattan during the Depression, at the beginning of Mayor LaGuardia's administration. The main character is James Delaney, a doctor who is only marginally better off than his neighbors. Delaney's wife has left him and his daughter has gone in search of her politically revolutionary husband. At the outset of the novel, she deposits her three year old son on Delaney's doorstep. He is furious at her for this, but realizes he must take care of the little boy. The boy, Carlito, is an adorable character, as is the woman Delaney hires to help him care for Carlito. Other characters include gangsters, politicians, and various neighborhood types, and I cared about most of them. By the time the novel ended, it had me in tears, and -- oh yes, it was a happy ending.

I forget when it was exactly, but there was a NYCB Guild event at which Farrell and Martins, after their dancing days were over, were interviewed jointly in the auditorium of the State Theater by Leslie Stahl, followed by a reception. I felt the interview was unsuccessful, largely because of Stahl's inept questions. Peter seemed to be good-naturedly prompting Suzanne in her answers, but she was having none of it. At the reception, as I remember, people congregated in three groups, one around Martins, another around Farrell, and a third around Stahl. I was in the middle group, where I discussed hearing aids with Suzanne's mom. As I've said in the past on Ballet Talk, Suzanne's firing was something I never got over, and I'm truly sorry that the subject has come up again so many years later. She has gone on to a whole new career, one which gives the lie to Martins's preposterous opinion that she couldn't teach.

Suzanne Farrell is not "a cult figure;" she is a great ballet teacher and Balanchine scholar. Just peruse the posts at BT4D from both students and parents who count the time spent under her aegis at either the Kennedy Center or Cedar Islands as the greatest experience of their lives. The fact is she should have been named as NYCB co-director with Peter Martins after Balanchine's death. Martins could have been in charge of fund-raising and glad-handing and Farrell could have seen to the company's artistic well-being. I fear it is too late for such an arrangement now. For one thing, she may no longer be interested.

Well aw reet! Thanks, drb.

Thanks, drb. The mailing follows through on the now familiar black & white NYCB 1950s look. What it doesn't do is tell us what the ballets are during the weekend. Can you believe it?

Last week (March 16) a note from Richard Slate of Brooklyn in response to Alistair Macaulay's March 9 article about NYCB "Off to London, but Not Packing Their Best," suggested that Suzanne Farrell be hired as artistic consultant. This week (March 23) a note from Roger Wilkenfeld of Mansfield, Conn. goes that idea one better: "The solution to the disastrous decline of the New York City Ballet has been obvious since Suzanne Farrell was fired by Peter Martins in 1993: Retire Martins, rehire Farrell." These letters made my heart beat a little faster (and made me wish I had written them). But Farrell is doing good work at the Kennedy Center and Martins is a favorite of the NYCB board, so nothing along these lines is likely to happen. Alas.

Thanks for the link, dirac. I was so impressed by Ms. Kelly's letter yesterday that I read it aloud to whoever would listen. The point of the letter, for those who don't know, was that Times columnist Maureen Dowd, however inadvertently, had insulted the memory of the great Gene Kelly when, commenting on President Bush's bizarre attempt at a soft shoe for the White House press corps the other day, she said that Bush had "turned into Gene Kelly."

She looks like a muse in waiting. Thanks, rg.

Thanks Jim, glad to hear plans are proceeding. After the NYCB Guild stopped going on the weekend trip, I continued to go for a week to Saratoga every summer on my own, but it had gotten too hard for me to do -- especially waiting for a taxi after the performances. So I'm looking forward to getting back on the bus with all the nice NYCB fans.