cobweb

Just curious, are you thinking promotions or genuine new hires from outside?

Thank you for that footage, Kathleen! I wonder why Lauren didn't dance this time. PS. I also have great difficulty describing the particular moments in this piece.

So this afternoon's performance of Liebeslieder did not cast the same spell that Thursday and Friday night's performances did. But I'm hopeful that the fact that there is new casting means they might bring this back next year. (I can hope, anyway.) It's hard for me to really pinpoint why the different cast made for such a different performance. The partnering, while not showing glitches that I could see, was perhaps not as fully coordinated, timed on the music, or fleshed out as it should be; I noticed this particularly in the replacement of Joseph Gordon for the stalwart Tyler Angle. Those lifts where he swings the ballerina around from behind, with his outstretched arms held straight under her armpit (sorry for my lack of correct vocabulary here), did not have the amplitude that Tyler gave it. Abi Stafford, who I usually find delightful, looked stiff, heavy, and without a decent arabesque. Even Sara Mearns did not have her usual blaze. I thought the new pairing of Unity Phelan and Taylor Stanley fared best. All in all, I hope they bring it back and everyone gets more rehearsal time. I thought the music and the singers were beautiful, and I hope they bring them back too. In the first two performances, Maria Kowroski was the heart and soul of the piece, with emotional complexity and mystery, not to mention command of every nuance and movement. With her legs mostly hidden under the gown, it was startling and striking when suddenly the shape of her leg became visible through the silk, and then stretched, so it seemed, to the sky. Mr. Cobweb says that he could see Liebeslieder "a thousand times." On the other hand, he is not a fan of Prodigal Son. While much admiring the intense and musical performance of Daniel Ulbricht, he complains that the narrative distorts, if not perverts, the true meaning of the parable of the prodigal son, and instead positively wallows in the lurid. (Similar to Salome, the opera.) True, I think. But, taken on its own terms, so delicious to see!

Thanks, Helene! I watched the snippet that is on youtube last night and intrigued to see the whole performance. The waltzing was so sharp and crisp, somehow different from the recent performances I've seen. Another question re the Goldner essay. She mentions a photograph "above [her] desk," of Farrell and Lavery in Liebeslieder, "... at the concluding moment of her solo. Lavery clasps her wrists with a kiss, and Farrell's head turns sideways from him." Can anyone identify where this photo might be online? In general, I was searching for images of this ballet online and don't find a whole lot. Would love to also find that startling moment in the first section when (so it seems to me) the Verdy character suddenly and beautifully levitates.

In the Nancy Goldner essay on Liebeslieder, she mentions basing her thoughts on the 1961 recording for Canadian television. Does anyone know where this might be available for viewing, and is it in the archive at the Library for Performing Arts? I've been meaning to visit that archive for years. Maybe now is the time.

Another beautiful, beautiful performance of Liebeslieder. Thanks all, and thanks Mr. B.

I find myself a little doubtful about the new leadership arrangement. Having essentially two leaders, when presumably both wanted to be sole leader (my guess only - no inside info here) seems like a recipe for competitiveness, disagreement, and the development of factions. I also can't help but wonder if the delay, along with the end result of choosing not one but two of the most obvious candidates, indicates internal conflicts that never got resolved. In the end, I really don't care about the leadership. I hope it works out. I just want to see great dancing.

I did not see Liebeslieder Walzer back in the day, and I know there are strong feelings about the deficiencies of current casting vs the original. I can't speak to that. But I can say that I find it an overwhelmingly beautiful piece and I am grateful for last night's performance and am eager for tonight and tomorrow. If they are putting together next year's programming, I urgently hope they will put more performances of this on the schedule.

Totally agree!

Good point, I didn't consider that but it sounds right. Lovette's technical difficulties didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the two performances that I saw. I loved her. I used to find her pretty, that is to say merely pretty, but in this run of SB I'm finding her really beautiful.

I too would love to hear any reports about the final performance!

Just in from a final performance of Sleeping Beauty. I saw four performances this run: Tiler & Tyler, Woodward and Huxley, and Lovette and Gordon... and then Lovette and Gordon again, tonight. They were my favorite pair. I loved both Peck and Woodward, but Lauren's way of acting is more natural and fresh, someone up-thread called her endearing, and I agree. She had a difficult time in the final attitude-turning section of the Rose Adagio, kind of stumbling and falling off-pointe during the third turn and appearing quite unsteady; when the fourth suitor, Jared Angle, took her hand, he made the wise decision not to take her on the turn, and just held her there in place to fill the music. Other than that, she was resplendent and radiant, and spellbinding in the Vision scene. And Joseph Gordon, what can I say, I'm really loving him. Miriam Miller was again a fairly bland and tentative Lilac Fairy, and had a few small bobbles as well. However, got a huge response from the audience at curtain call. Harrison Ball has done Gold in three of the four performances I've seen, and he's looking insanely beautiful. MORE PLEASE. Baily Jones did Ruby tonight, probably the most prominent role I've seen her in, and she was very charming and engaging. Alec Knight and Claire von Enck did White Cat and Puss in Boots with a kind of madcap comic fervor that delighted the audience. From what I've seen, Knight appears to enjoy campy roles where he can overact, and while I didn't care for his over-the-top Mother Ginger in Nutcracker, this role was perfect for him. A few notes on the suitors. Most of them stand around looking bland. In the performances I saw, Silas Farley stood out as Africa, making as grand an entrance as one could possibly make, summoning up all his height and dignity with the billowing purple cape behind him. And Andrew Scordato was pleasingly competitive with his fellows, as someone said up-thread he was shooting dagger eyes at the other guys. On a totally different note, I look forward to Liebeslieder!!

Totally agree. This is a mess. It's been over a year - what is going on internally that no new AD has been named?

My thoughts exactly.

I find this whole story baffling and a little ridiculous. Is Bouder really so up in arms over not dancing opening night? Really? And IMHO, this makes Stafford look like a weak leader, if not a complainer.

Agreeing with all on the stunning debut of Indiana Woodward as Aurora. I was touched to see the other dancers onstage watching her intently and eagerly; they seemed to beam in her success. Also loved the refined Anthony Huxley and the elegant and very princely Harrison Ball. Megan LeCrone has her more authority in her Lilac Fairy than the bland Miriam Miller and even Ashley Laracey, but just does not convey warmth and radiance. I'm sorry I missed Lauren King's Lilac Fairy and would love to hear more reports on this. Also I've been glad to see Roman Mejia among the jesters in two of the performances I've seen. More of him, please!

I saw the Sunday matinee and just want to report that Tiler Peck was a real star, pretty much dominating the stage when she was on it. As noted up-thread, the balances were not what I was expecting from the incredible dancer that she is, but other than bringing her hand down very quickly in those balances, she was amazing. Tyler was looking beautiful too. Also Harrison Ball was a standout as Gold, looking really elegant. The bluebird pas de deux was again a letdown. In the Saturday matinee, at least Lauren King brought her brilliant smile and radiant charm. On Sunday, Brittany Pollack, again dancing with Troy Schumacher, simply did not project or charm the way King did.

A question about intermissions. Studying the program, I see that I got the scene/act divisions wrong in my post above. It seems to me like there should be an intermission between the spell and the vision scenes, rather than after the vision scene as there is in this version. After the spell seems like a natural place to take a break (to allow some time to pass, while the 100 years presumably goes by), and it seems jarring to me to split up the vision and awakening scenes. Maybe it would feel different if the awakening were longer, but it's so short I'm left puzzled about why it's not put with the vision. In the versions with two intermissions, where are they usually placed?

Report from the matinee performance. Lovette and Gordon were a huge success. Lovette was radiant, natural, and technically secure, while Joseph Gordon IMHO has become one of the most important male dancers they have. He made the fishdives look effortless, smooth and secure. It's been so rewarding to see him grow into principal roles. May he have a long and injury-free career. I look forward to seeing it. Rarely do I say this but I wish there was another intermission. Or if there must be only one, move it to after Act I. When the curtain came down on the sleeping Aurora, with the perspective retreating further and further from the castle into the woods, to where it's totally overgrown and indicating the 100 years' sleep, I was emotionally prepared to take a break as well, as the 100 years progress. Instead, the music continues... moving on!! And this has been much discussed, but I agree about the superfast tempi. The fairies looked rushed. Miriam Miller was a beautiful Lilac Fairy, honestly she must have the most beautiful spread of arms in the whole company. But I found her bland and very lacking in authority. The fairies - Sara Adams and Kristen Segin were especially sparkling. But Claire Kretzschmar as the Fairy of Generosity, with the beautiful pizzicato behind her, was unfortunately brittle, and I found her similarly unappealing in the precious metals section (Silver). Emma von Enck (Emerald), in the most prominent role I've yet seen her in, made a strong impression, charming and fluid. It was interesting to see Ashly Isaacs (Ruby) back since I don't know when. Still has a strong presence, but more tentative than I recall. Finally, young Mira Nadon continues to cut a very striking presence in background roles. She has some distinctive and special qualities, and I hope she flourishes at NYCB.

I noticed Ashley Laracey's absence and just assumed she must be injured. ... but it appears not. She would have been a much better choice, IMHO for the soloist in Ballet Imperial than Megan LeCrone.

Thanks to those of you who have been posting about this piece. I have never seen it, and I wasn't necessarily going to see this program, but after reading your reactions, I'm going to try to make it to the last performance, on Feb. 6. I looked up the score (or should I say "score") on youtube, and while I was a little befuddled and Mr. Cobweb groaned, it got me intrigued to see something different.

I don't know that the issue is just the angular facial structure. She rarely smiles, and when she does it doesn't look relaxed or genuine. She looks good technically, especially this season where she seems very solid, but her facial expression makes her look tense and not happy (let alone conveying joy or radiance, as one would hope to see in Lilac and Sugarplum).

So true, but thank god she's not doing Aurora! I had my worries.

... if one only knew which dates! If anyone sees anything official, please post!

Thanks, nanushka. I guess my mind is playing tricks on me. In any case, while there aren't many ballets where this pairing would work, I was very glad to see this performance. As another note on the past two night's performance's, Emilie Gerrity's turning "Dark Angel arabesque" was truly stunning.