Treefrog

A more detailed answer to your question is that certain areas of BT4D have been made accessible only to registered members, and still others are accessible only by admission after a member reaches a certain criterion (30 posts and 2 weeks, I believe). Others are available to the general, unregistered public.

That's the one I was stuck in, Cliff. It was gridlock in there. I heard various stories, most of which suggested that the gates weren't accepting exit cards and the attendants were not taking any initiative to solve the problem -- or maybe didn't know what to do. I agree with you about the garage across the street, I NEVER go in there. Huge lines always while the attendants retrieve cars.

And it provides SUCH comfort for youngsters (like mine) who forget to take off their warmup gear before going on stage. "You know, Kevin McKenzie did that once ... You've made it to the Big Time!"

I have a question -- in the backdrop, there is a drawing that could, possibly, maybe, be seen as evoking Hitler. What I'm thinking of is the "eye" on the right side, with something that might call into mind a moustache below it. Anyone else see this? OTOH, it is also reminiscent of Joe the Camel, so it's possible I'm reading too much into it.

Natalia, this is an incredibly complete review. I am in awe. I really have nothing else to add, except that it was captivating. I loved the combination of classical and ... I don't know, Art Deco? The arm positions and movements were stunning. You are not the only one for whom Fate evoked the Swamp Thing. I said the same thing to my companions. The similarities with Death were also striking -- thank you for pointing out that Massine may well have seen The Green Table. I particularly noticed the "double clutch" cocked leg movement they both used. I saw John Gluckman as Fate in the Sunday matinee. He was fabulous. The sinewy Mauro Villanueva did not cheat the landings on Sunday except once that I saw (but my eye is not well trained -- others may disagree). I thought he was well-suited to the role of Temptation, as was Gluckman to Fate. I did not know about Massine's other symphonic ballets. I would love to see them now, especially Beethoven's Seventh.

I loved it too! But I am unlikely to write a review for several days due to pressing work. (Leigh, I have a transportation story to add to yours: it took us nearly an HOUR to exit the underground garage )

It's actually a very pretty snow, at least where I am slightly south of the Loop. Leigh, that sounds awful! I do hope you can get some rest in time to enjoy tonight's performance. And that the performances overall justify the journey.

Okay, so I was wrong. More snow.

I expect to be at the Sunday matinee. What's the secret BT handshake, again? Looking forward to reading everyone's reviews. Leigh, do you have casting information?

Well, I guess at this point it's pretty safe to say it won't be 50 degrees. In fact, it will be pretty much the weather you were fearing/expecting. It doesn't look like we will get much more snow, but what we have won't melt either. Dress for cold weather (currently showing in the 20's F), and it's always safe to assume some wind chill. Streets and sidewalks should be thoroughly passable, but you might still want warm boots. I always find the atmosphere of the magnificent Auditorium Theatre to be cheerfully warming. Caution: if you get coffee at intermission it will be blisteringly hot and you will only be able to sip a tiny bit before the lights flash.

re: why Siegfried falls for Odile. In this thread from 2002 Alexandra explains that it's his Fate, his Destiny. In the modern context, it's hard to understand it as a tragedy unless Siegfried knowlingly betrays Odette, but apparently the fact of betrayal is sufficient tragedy in the Classical interpretation. For the record, I represent mid-level ballet-watchers and I like the 32 fouettés. And I'm with Mel; if the dancer can't do them, she ought not be cast.

Honestly, it's really hard to say. Some years, we get a snowfall and then it stays cold and the snow/ice hang around for weeks and weeks. Other years, we get almost no snow -- or we get a nice thaw that melts any accumulated snow. So far, it has been a pretty mild winter with one or two really nasty days (cold/windy) and one appreciable snowfall (which melted pretty quickly). I think it is safe to say that we don't usually spend the winter blanketed in snow, and recurrent major snowfalls would be highly, highly unusual. Could we have a storm that weekend? Absolutely. But, it could also be 50 degrees. No use trying to predict now. If you are staying downtown, the sidewalks tend to get cleaned and salted pretty quickly. And of course, Leigh, I'll be happy to provide mittens and hats, and even scarves, for anyone who needs them.

Ooh, I am hoping for one of our milder February weekends, for all of your sakes. Failing that, perhaps I should offer hot chocolate, mulled wine, and a roaring fire ....

Over the last couple of years, my husband has pretty consistently been able to book the Waldorf-Astoria for something like $130 or $140 on Hotwire. He's able now to pick out the description pretty reliably. Not in the budget range, of course, but a very good price on a very nice hotel.

Oh come now, Chicago in February is not so bad. Not always, anyway.

This is the model used by the Joffrey in Chicago -- a fall performance, Nutcracker, a mid-winter performance, and a spring performance. The same program is danced 3-4 times per week for two weeks (Nuts has a different, more extended schedule). It's definitely a different model from the multi-week, multi-program "season" that other companies use. It seems to work well for a culture in which people would not go to the ballet several times in a week to see different programs (although people DID do this when NYCB came through, and on the occasions when Bolshoi or ABT offer different programs in the week they are here, so maybe things are changing). It also seems to me the only sensible schedule for a small company that hasn't the depth to keep several programs in production at once. What proportion of the audience in NYC are visitors to the city?

I'm wondering if any other Chicago-ans have seen The Pirate Queen? This is a new musical that is in trial runs here before it moves to Broadway next fall (I believe). The story is about the rise and exploits of 16th century Irish heroine Grace (Grania) O'Malley. The show has a promising pedigree -- book and music by the writers of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon , produced by the folks who brought us Riverdance . The show got panned by all reviewers, and after seeing it last night, I have to say I agree. The music is pretty much what you'd expect if you are familiar with Les Mis . You can pretty much pair up the songs ("Boys will be Boys" is the analog of "Master of the House", there's a lovely tribute to a dying person, etc). It's very nice music, very creditably sung, but nothing highly special or creative. The show suffers from much triteness and very little exploration of character or plot. The heroine of the title moves from stowaway on her father's ship (she's not allowed because females on ship are bad luck) to plucky savior during a storm to Pirate Queen within -- I kid you not -- 8 minutes or so of the curtain rise. And four of those minutes were the rousing scene- and mood-setting opening song (a la "Look Down", but upbeat and swaggering). I leave the introduction of Queen Elizabeth I's court in "Rah-rah, Tip-Tip" to your imagination; the best I can describe it is an homage to Gilbert and Sullivan, with all the period-inappropriate stereotypes and none of the acerbic wit. Unless they totally rehab the whole thing, you can save your $90 in my opinion. However, the elderly suburbanites (or possibly, conventioneers) around us loved it. Oh, yeah -- the Irish dancing is all too brief, but nicely done by the eight true Irish dancers (formerly of Riverdance and with the usual gaggle of World Championships and Irish Championships each). The rest is pretty much the usual stage dancing. The choreography in the fight scenes is laughable.

Here in Chicago, we also say, "I'm going to the store. Do you want to go with?" I say this blushingly as an East Coast emigrant, as I use it occasionally myself. My own personal pet peeve: Nu-kyu-lerr for nu-clee-err. Even the presidents can't get that one right! And then there was the fifth grade pal of mine who said, "Ee-or-ka!" when he got something right. It took us a while to figure out he meant "Eureka!"

The mystery for me was about who they are, and why they are dancing. I really couldn't figure out the setting -- where this couple is, why they are listening to this music, what their reaction is, or even what their relationship is. I had an interesting revelation when we attended Thursday night (the program Jack reviewed). We sat just enough closer that the eye was drawn to individual dancers rather than the unfolding tableau. To my surprise, I had a whole different reaction than the one I'd had two nights before! Suddenly, many of the corps movements looked rather silly and abrupt (thinking here about Divert. No. 15). In the Night may be a little trite and not Robbins' best, but we loved it anyway.

I've only been able to attend one tech rehearsal, as the invitations are usually for early afternoon when I am teaching. I do kind of like seeing everyone in rehearsal clothes. But the real benefit for me was having a preview of a piece I'd not seen before. When I subsequently saw it in performance, there were particular things I could anticipate and look for. Plus, I happened to be seated next to a gentleman who was very knowledgeable about ballet in general and the Joffrey in particular, and I very much enjoyed the conversation during the breaks.

Is there a more current link? The one given last January is not working today.

I confess, I didn't read Hedy Weiss' review until after I posted it. She and I seem to have been at different performances! I would not call Duo Concertant the highlight of the evening -- enigmatic and puzzling, yes; highlight, no. And, much as I love the Joffrey, it seems the height of hometown favoritism to remark -- gratuitously, I might add -- Maybe. Frankly, it's hard to compare because the choreography that the two companies customarily perform is so different. However, it seems to me that being able to milk the minimalist drama in Balanchine -- a pause, a movement just on the beat or just off, a rhythmic change, a pose whose impact rests in its mimicry of or counterpoint to what other bodies are doing -- is more challenging than showing individuality in the mish-mash choreography of Arpino and Joffrey. But there, responding to Weiss has led me astray. I don't have time now for a full review, but I'd have to place Serenade as my highlight of the evening, with Symphony in C a very close second. Being a scientist, I'll have to note that there could well be a primacy effect, as Serenade led the evening. Something special is going on when the curtain rises, the dancers aren't moving ... and still your breath catches. It's a little like falling in love for the first time.

I've been waiting for others to open this topic, but since no one has I'll take the plunge. I'm hesitant to offer any sort of critique of these dancers and these works that many of you know so intimately. This performance of four Balanchine dances (Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Duo Concertante, and Symphony in C) tripled my exposure to Balanchine, which heretofore was limited to Apollo and Square Dance as performed by the Joffrey. While I have seen NYCB dance Robbins before, I have not seen them do Balanchine. However, I will offer this: from the moment the curtain rose on the corps in their opening pose of Serenade, I was captivated. I completely understand now why those of you with access go to see this company 2-3 times a week, or more. I could watch them forever. Luckily, I get to see them again tonight! For those who want a more substantive review, see Sid Smith in the Chicago Tribune or Hedy Weiss in the Sun Times.

Thank you, Helene, for that bit of context. It leads me to wonder why he chose this particular story to set to music. Was he deliberately being sarcastic/sardonic, making a commentary? As I was watching, the word that kept popping into my mind was "farce", in the sense of being a mockery. That would certainly fit with Prokofiev's circumstances. There's just no accounting for taste . . .

I'm so excited to have a new and knowledgeable voice in this forum! I hope we'll hear a lot more from you. Clearly, our disagreements are over matters of personal taste. I'm happy to agree that what's your cup of tea may not be mine, and vice versa. Should make for some interesting conversations! For the record, I agree completely that music need not be bland and pretty to appeal to kids. Nor should kids be relegated to the bland and pretty stuff. However, I didn't find this score very accessible, and in fact, it set my teeth on edge. (This was my first time hearing it.) I hope you'll forgive me for imagining that others would not be captivated either.