Golden Idol

22 hours ago, Fleurfairy said:

Why is ABT hitching its wagon to Millepied's star? Is it because his wife is a famous actress? Because frankly, I have no interest in his works and I know many people share my opinion. 

Follow the money.

Hello, it's 2017. Acocella wrote about Vishneva's farewell, not Croce.

The public has spoken. Well, ABT's loss is the Royal's gain.

Okay, I'm greedy, but I would like to see her return, in whatever would suit her current abilities. I saw her do Marguerite and Armand in London in June with Bolle, and she sold it, absolutely, in ways that neither Natalia Osipova or Zenaida Yanowsky (her farewell performance), for all their merits, could. I guess when the level of artistry is Ferri's I tend to be forgiving to a senior ballerina, in ways I could never be to, say, Julie Kent. 

Given the list, I'd doubt it, but does anyone think that there's a possibility Ferri could return again next year? Maybe Nikita...maybe?

Was Whipped Cream so well attended this year that it had to return next spring? (I skipped it.) ABT might want to take a leaf from the Metropolitan Opera's book: when introducing a new production or an entirely new opera, they wait a season or two before returning it to the stage. They learned this lesson some years ago when The Ghosts of Versailles was repeated the season after it debuted, and attendance was poor--everyone who wanted to see it had already done so and it was too soon for a revisit. Just as there was no compelling reason to repeat Golden Cockerel this year, I suspect Whipped Cream may sell poorly unless ABT markets it aggressively as a summer children's ballet event. Good luck, because I don't see it happening. As far as the McGregor/Firebird double-bill, well, I hate to say it, but that Firebird should be destined for the ballet graveyard. Let ABT amortize the cost of it with a few more performances (and cast MC in it; her fans will buy tickets to see her in anything), and then quietly let it slip away. One final sigh from the depths: no Ashton next spring. How depressing.

He's in The Red Shoes.

Thanks to maps, birdsall and kbarber for your advice. As I said, I don't drive, and I'm a New Yorker, so busses don't frighten me a bit. I walk everywhere, keep my wits about me, and if you mess with me: Pow! Right in the kisser! Now, whether I do come down to Sarasota this season is up in the air, but I suspect I'll get there eventually.

REQUEST FOR TRAVEL ADVICE: As a non-driving New Yorker, I'm wondering about travel to Sarasota from the Tampa airport. It seems that one has to take a taxi to the Greyhound Station, then a one-and-a-half-hour bus ride to downtown Sarasota. Is anyone familiar with Sarasota able to make recommendations? Many thanks in advance. 

I am a little surprised that everyone is still discussing whether or not Veronika's capabilities had diminished. To me, that is not the point, and completely secondary to HOW she was treated. The way she was dismissed was inexcusable, unforgivable, and I don't care whether there may have been a lack of money in the budget to promote three dancers to principals, and those funds had to come from another principal's salary. Even if that was the case, her firing was handled horrifically. And the last-minute, second-rate send-off she was given on stage was shocking. Either a lot of the dancers don't like her personally or else they were too scared to show their affection or respect for her at her farewell. Weren't any of you there at Vishneva's farewell, a mere few weeks earlier? It was glorious. What they did for Veronika was the bum's rush. To repeat: the ABT administration must really dislike her to have treated her this way, with such public, thinly veneered disdain.

I regret being the bearer or a negative impression of the tribute given to Veronika. It was short, slapdash, and frankly it shocked me. Company personnel were hastily assembled in a semicircle behind her, some of the principals hanging toward the back (Hallberg was one). K. McK. walked out onstage very quickly, gave V a kiss, and withdrew to the sidelines. But from among the dancers only Marcelo and Blaine personally saluted her. Blaine presented her with a bouquet himself. Marcelo urged her forward to take more solo bows. One of the ballet mistresses (was it Kolpakova?) gave V. a bouquet. I saw no retired dancers she may have danced with having returned to join the throng, as I've seen at other farewells. As for Veronika herself, after having given a beautiful performance, she was utterly professional. No tears I could see through my binocs, no stray expressions of rancor either. To repeat: an absolute pro. I don't know how she did it.

I hope Veronika receives a fulsome and very loving tribute from her colleagues, and that if K. McK. has even a portion of a brain in his head he will not walk out on stage.

I know it's not easy running a large-scale performing arts organization, but I must say it takes a lot to be the most disliked man in American ballet.

Extrapolating from her handle, "seeshevydance," is Christine's nickname really Shevy? As in Chevy? I must admit, that's cute.

Because I never tire of Symphonic Variations, I will go to one performance, whatever else is on the bill. And that's it. Very uninspiring season.

I am more than a little surprised by the lukewarm ticket sales to both of Ferri's Onegins next week; both are now available on TDF. However, it suggests to me that ABT audiences want to see only one performance of Onegin and if that's so, the one they'll choose is Vishneva's farewell. (I'm going to both.)

In related Ferri news: I was in London last week, and saw three performances of the Ashton mixed bill, one of which featured Ferri in Marguerite and Armand. Osipova worked hard, sweat a lot, and gave a bravura performance; Zenaida Yanowsky, in her farewell to Covent Garden, gave an aristocratic, thoroughly professional performance; and then Ferri absolutely sold me. She inhabited Marguerite down to the bone. Totally marvellous.

Well, yes, ABT Fan, that's my concern. Why should I invest in a ticket in advance if I can simply to go Philadelphia (my Bolt Bus is already booked for 3/19) and an hour beforehand buy a rush ticket. (Sorry, Angel, but economy is important--I buy hardcover books half-price at the Strand, too.)

I'm posting this on the ABT thread assuming that New Yorkers (like me) will read it and, I hope, offer advice. The Pennsylvania Ballet thread doesn't seem to attract much attention.

I'd like to go to Philadelphia to see their Corsaire this month. Does anyone know how the rush tickets work? It seems that there are a lot of seats available and it is unlikely to sell out, so the rush seats could be a good deal. Any suggestions?

Overheard on the bus home tonight, a woman on her cell phone talking about the performance: "There were people all around me, clapping, screaming, yelling 'Thank you for coming back!' I held it together, but I had tears in my eyes. It was a surreal experience. I felt like I was reliving my past."

Alas, I cannot relive my past in quite the same way, because I never saw Ferri dance with ABT, only a couple of years ago in Cheri. But I can say that the entire performance was electric from the start, and although I am rarely if ever moved by R&J, I certainly was tonight. Ferri said in the Times she'd consider returning again in Manon ("not quite as difficult" as Juliet, she claimed!). Please let it happen. I'll be there.

Veronika did 28 this evening. Lovely performance in every way, though her Odette is superior to her Odile because she is a natural-born tragedienne.

Sylvia is a first-rate ballet, but if audiences don't materialize for it, perhaps ABT should program it as they recently did Coppelia--a split week, say, Thursday through Saturday. In fact, I wouldn't mind if they played shorter runs to more ballets during the Met season, so we'd get to see a more diverse range of works, but that does mean they'd be paying more trucking costs to move the scenery down from the warehouses (which I think are in the Bronx). Such programming would also relieve some of the predictability of repertoire during each Met season.

Ah, yes. A Stella Odette/Odile would have been a lovely thing to behold. Instead, ABT audience members will be treated to watching Hee Seo be unable to perform those 32 bloody fouettes without falling off pointe and traveling halfway upstage (as happened last year).

Having noticed in the Miami City Ballet program that the costumes for Bourree Fantasque were courtesy of ABT, I wonder when was the last time ABT performed it, and why on earth aren't they doing it again! I was completely overwhelmed by Miami's stupendous performance--so much so I went back to see it again the following night. Frankly, I can't imagine ABT dancing it better, but I'd certainly like to see them try.

Yes, those e-mails to Mr. Timm really worked. Hooray for us.

If, like me, you are frustrated and irritated by ABT's latest diss to subscribers, send them an e-mail and let them know. James Timm is the executive in charge of marketing; it took me a fair amount of digging on the web to find this address, but you should write to jtimm@abt.org.

For the record, "most of us" doesn't include me. But then, I've made my feelings on this subject known before.