cobweb

Agree, nysusan! I first noticed Sautter as one of the Tall Ladies of Phlegmatic, back when she was an apprentice. Striking physique, really bringing out the accents of the music, and compelling stage presence. It's great to see her getting bigger opportunities. Same for Asanesenkov, also doing this same role. I'm not sure I'm going to get to see Sautter in this piece, so I appreciate the report!

I too cannot imagine that Unity Phelan is a big ticket seller. I guess we'd have to define what we mean by "big ticket seller," but agree that Tiler Peck seems the most likely candidate. Sara Mearns is surely known within the ballet world as someone who is a must-see, and maybe Taylor Stanley also has a fan base? Other than that, not sure I see anyone who would be a huge draw, especially outside the world of ballet. Obviously management likes Unity and now that she has debuted so so many of the major roles they are probably committed to her working on these for years. Hope we see progress. Definitely agree with @matilda that the problem could be she was given too much to absorb at once.

I greatly admire your systematic approach, Kathleen!!

This awful trend of random speeches needs to be stamped out now. Thanks for this report, vipa! I hope to get to see Tiler's piece soon. Agree about Daniel Ulbricht, he is having a great season. And also agree about Unity Phelan. I wonder what has happened with her. I also remember thinking she was a special dancer when she was on the way up. Now she regularly seems flat and bland. I don't know if she's lost some sparkle that she used to have, and if so why? Or, was she always flat but that was less evident when she was younger, and we're expecting more from her now that she's covering major roles? I am baffled about how to think about this.

... continuing on from the above, I also enjoyed Liebeslider Walzer more last night versus Tuesday. This is such a beautiful piece, so full of invention and variations on the waltz. I'm hoping the fact that they are fielding two casts, including lots of debuts, means they will bring it back soon (maybe even next year!). I didn't find the Phelan-Mejia pairing quite as jarring on the second night. It's good to see him in a non-bravura role, and work on developing his artistry. Nadon is an incredible talent.

I too found Four Temperaments considerably improved last night. Both Sebastian Villarini-Velez and Isabella LaFreniere managed far better than the first night. No doubt both have a lot of room for improvement. Also Preston Chamblee looked wonderful. It seems like he's been out for long stretches at a time, but here he looked ready for more. Adrian Danchig-Waring beautifully and confidently articulated Phlegmatic, and Emily Kikta was a blazing, towering Choleric. I look forward to seeing Davide Riccardo and Jules Mabie debut Phlegmatic and Melancholic next week.

Agree about the curtain during the changeover. In the recent podcast with Calegari and Cook, they mentioned that sometimes the curtain is left up, and I wish that was done here. Having the curtain come down, the house lights go up, the buzz of chatter, cellphone lights, and people getting up thinking it‘s intermission, really kills the mood.

Rethinking the 3rd theme, Riccardo was sharp and Adams was bland. Liebeslieder did not cast the spell I hope for. First, the music and singing were fine, but I’ve been spoiled by the Vienna Staatsoper 2022 performance. The Viennese know their music! … and no doubt have ready access to the finest singers, and more resources for rehearsal, than does NYCB. Not surprisingly, Nadon and Walker, and Tiler and Tyler, were the most poetic. Fairchild and Danchig-Waring were very polished but not magical, and Phelan and Mejia were a bizarre, what-were-they-thinking mismatch. He does look very dashing in evening wear though.

4Ts. I found the three themes lacking. Boisson has done this before and looked very polished but here she and Melnikov were bland. Olivia MacKinnon and Kennard Henson came out for the second theme in a refreshing blaze of energy but then seemed to struggle to keep up with the music. Davide Riccardo and Sara Adams were bland. In Phlegmatic Sebastian Villarini Velez was a step up in energy and commitment but lacks clarity in his steps. For his two sidekicks, I like India Bradley’s flexibility in other roles but here it made her seem flimsy and insubstantial, whereas Mary Thomas MacKinnon’s solidity and attention to form made her much more forceful and formidable. In Sanguinic, Preston Chamblee’s first entrance had surprising sharpness and attack, but he faded after that. LaFreniere was indeed frustrating, in her difficulty in marshaling her considerable talents. When Danchig-Waring came on, I thought: here’s a pro, he will get the job done! Same with Kikta.

I wish I felt as confident about this as you do, abatt. I look at the rosters right now and have some doubt about recent decisions. But it is good to see Maxwell getting big opportunities. I’m just in from to tonight’s show. Briefly, 4T’s looked kind of ragged until Adrian Danchig-Waring walked on. Boy was I glad to see him! Emily Kikta also blazed. She is a great, committed performer. Will try to add some more thoughts tomorrow.

Thanks for mentioning this, Peg. I'm not a big podcast person, but I enjoyed this. Farley is a terrific interviewer and host. I just wished they could have illustrated their comments with video snippets!

A few comments on today's The Four Seasons. Ashley Hod in Winter was replaced by Erica Pereira, hope all is okay there. The Winter section is too cutesy for me, but I enjoyed Andres Zuniga's bright energy as one of the soloists. For Spring, I love Sara Mearns in this role, but like @deanofdance's experience seeing Sara last night, she seemed more subdued than usual, like she was phoning it in. Still enjoyable to see, though, and she looks remarkably beautiful in that hair and makeup. Chun Wai Chan looked wonderful. The four soloist men were Davide Riccardo, Christopher Grant, Alec Knight, and Spartak Hoxha. Riccardo stood out, being the only one of the four to keep a good line in the tour jetes, or get his legs anywhere close to 180. For Summer, I just soaked in the sight of Ashley Laracey, and particularly the delicacy of her entire upper body. In Fall, I was paying particular attention to the faun/satyr/whatever figure, having been blown away by Cainan Weber's performances. I have to say that Weber etched the shapes somewhat more clearly than Ulbricht, but Ulbricht has way more stage presence. Both Andrew Veyette and Unity Phelan ran into some technical difficulties. I don't think this is a great role for her, and Veyette may be tired from having done this role several times over the past week. (Since he subbed for Mejia a couple of times, but Mejia is evidently fine since he was able to dance on Thursday night, I was hoping that he might show up and give Veyette a night off!) Commenting on the giant-sized very-slow-motion videos of the dancers on the mezzanine, Miriam Miller looks absolutely stunning in the Slaughter on 10th Ave costume. Surely those are the finest legs in the company, if not the world!! When she goes for that huge kick, and the video being so so giant, it is kind of mesmerizing. And can anyone tell me who is the Sleepwalker in the Sonnambula video? Hard to tell -- is it Alexa Maxwell?

Report from today's matinee. First off, I skipped Fancy Free. I have a lot of respect and affection for Fancy Free, absolutely nothing against it, but I've seen it more than enough times for now. On the other hand, I had not seen In the Night before this season (or if I did, I've forgotten it). I'm enjoying it and hope they keep it in rotation for awhile. But, I wonder if they have thought about re-costuming this piece. The only outfits that I like are for the first couple (he's in a cream-colored jacket and she wears a lilac gown). The second couple is saddled with a very unappealing shade of rust orange, and I find that the woman's costume in the third pdd, very black with a hot-pink underlay, kind of makes the woman hard to see. Also I don't get what period these costumes are supposed to be, or why they have to be period costumes at all. I think something simpler and elegant, retaining long dresses for the ladies for sure, would make this piece more appealing and more accessible as pure dance. I enjoy Robbins' penchant for heart-stopping lifts. The way the women are carried off in sudden, beautiful lifts reminds me of Dances at a Gathering. For today's performance, Indiana Woodward and Joseph Gordon were absolutely spellbinding, dancing this piece like it was made for them. Emilie Gerrity and Tyler Angle danced with a comfortable familiarity, and I particularly noticed the beauty of Gerrity's port de bras. In the third couple, Tiler Peck and Gilbert Bolden make a dynamite team. Very dramatic and compelling. In the group section, with great partnering and the long dresses billowing out, the women seemed to literally be sailing around the stage. Overall a lovely performance. More on The Four Seasons later.

Thanks for the report, Pepino23! I too hope for more "ballet-ey" works, and I'm glad Tiler's taking up that mantle.

Agree with this, but also Peter Martins should have made her principal at the same time Lovette was promoted -- or even instead of Lovette. That was in 2015.

Going back to abatt's comment from a week or so ago, I have to agree. Take Ballo della Regina. Fairchild is a great dancer, but I'm not sure she's adding anything new at this point. I would rather see fresh faces, such as, in this role, Emma Von Enck or Alexa Maxwell. I wonder, back in the day, what would Martins (or any AD hoping to develop exciting young talent) do in this situation? Fairchild is dancing at the top of her game and delivers sparkling performances, but (at least some of) the audience are eager to see newer faces take on some roles. If, say, Maxwell or Von Enck were cast, that's fewer performances for Fairchild. Or are senior dancers, even when still dancing well, asked to relinquish some roles altogether? I'm not sure what the right, or best, answer is. Looking at the women's principal and soloist roster, I can't help but think that the development of talent is not going as well as it should. For principals, the only ones I find consistently exciting are Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, Mira Nadon, and Indiana Woodward. For the rest: Bouder is not dancing and seems unlikely to return. I feel I've seen Fairchild in the same roles for long enough. Unity is a mixed bag, but doesn't seem as exciting as she once did. LaFreniere has had some great performances and great potential, and some botched and inhibited performances as well. Emilie Gerrity is an excellent, consistent dancer but doesn't take it to the next level IMHO. There are three soloists -- Von Enck, Maxwell, and Kikta -- who are more dynamic and exciting than several of the principals. And Ashley Laracey has a far richer artistic maturity than most of the principals. I accept that Laracey's career isn't going to go any further, and that's okay -- she has more than delivered on the assignments she's been given. But Von Enck, Maxwell, and Kikta should be dancing principal roles now. I am confident that Von Enck will get there, but when? She's ready now. And I believe both Maxwell and Kikta could hold their own as principals as well, I'm just not sure they will ever get there.

I await reports on Tiler’s new piece!

Agree with this. He has so so much to offer, and we don't get to see enough of him.

I hope I'm getting these roles right and not just confusing things. As far as I can tell, for the 2nd cast of Liebeslieder Walzer, we have: Diana Adams -- Mearns Bill Carter -- Chan Melissa Hayden -- Woodward Jonathan Watts - Chamblee Jillana -- Laracey Conrad Ludlow -- Sanz Violette Verdy -- LaFreniere Nicholas Magallanes - Veyette

… and casting for this week is updated. Mejia is out of all of his assignments, except for Tiler’s new piece.

I enjoyed last night's performance in general, especially The Four Seasons. This is a fun piece, accessible and entertaining, with lots of great dancing and opportunities for many. I hope they keep it in regular rotation for awhile. Sara Mearns and Chun Wai Chan looked great in Spring. This is a perfect role for Sara especially, with her large, spacious, expansive dancing, and my did she look glamorous in the swept updo. When she smiled at Chan, I it made him look like the luckiest guy in the world. Summer was Adrian Danchig-Waring and Emilie Gerrity. She was fine, but paled next to my memory from last week seeing Ashley Laracey, who seemed far more organic in the role, not to mention regal, aloof, and sultry. Laracey seemed to have this role in her bones, whereas Gerrity smiled her way through it. In Fall, Cainan Weber had another sensational night, truly sensational. Has to be seen to be believed. I was very disappointed not to see Roman Mejia. Andrew Veyette is a stalwart, but as a ballet practically senior citizen, he should not be having to power his way through this role so often. He looks a little ragged in that very bare costume, but he still dances admirably. And Tiler was amazing. She is a chaine champion, and added some special flourishes to the fouettes, which I lack the technical knowledge to describe, but I don't think I've ever seen before. I enjoyed Fancy Free more this time than last week. Alexa Maxwell and Joseph Gordon, as the purple dress girl and shy sailor, made more of an impression than did Jacqueline Bologna and Harrison Coll. Mary Thomas MacKinnon does well as the red purse girl, strong and unintimidated by the guys. However she doesn't quite project out big enough, and I wonder if there is something she can do to make better use of her eyes. Daniel Ulbricht threw himself into it and was great. I wonder what is up with Roman Mejia. For the past week he appears on the casting sheets, but then is replaced at the last minute. If he is injured, has covid, or a family emergency or whatever, they should announce the casting change in advance so the ticket-buying audience knows what to expect. Disappointing!

Furlan is out in Fancy Free tonight, replaced by Villarini-Velez. Mejia is out in Four Seasons, replaced by Veyette. I’m disappointed not to see Mejia tonight. I will be curious to see if he makes it for his role in Tiler’s opening on Thursday.

I ordered and received the hard copy. Have yet to read it, but I am blown away by the Martha Swope photographs. Incredible shot of Farrell and d'Amboise in Apollo on the cover. It has a drama that I don't think we see today. I also especially love a shot from Movements for Piano and Orchestra. I have never noticed this particular shaping/configuration before, but I certainly will in the future. The photograph brought out a moment I had not seen before.

As we wait to see if there is a second cast of Liebeslieder Walzer, I took a closer look at who on the current roster did the last revival in 2019, aside from the ones in the first week's cast. My info is cobbled together and may be incomplete, so anyone please correct me if you have better info. In other words, if there is a second cast, here is who would presumably be cast, and which roles would require someone new. Diana Adams -- Mearns Bill Carter -- no one on current roster; someone new would be needed (LaCour, Janzen, and Stafford did this most recently) Melissa Hayden -- no one aside from Phelan in the first cast; so for a second cast someone new would be needed (recently done by Lovette and Hyltin) Jonathan Watts -- Taylor Stanley (here I also note reports up-thread that Preston Chamblee was rehearsing this per Instagram) Jillana -- Laracey Conrad Ludlow -- someone new would be needed (recently done by J. Peck and Finlay) Violette Verdy -- Bouder Nicholas Magallanes - Gordon ETA: I just recalled that Daniel Applebaum danced last time, although I can't recall which role. But, he didn't dance in the fall and I don't think he's been cast this season either. If there's going to be a second cast, my choices for some of the gaps would be: Alexa Maxwell for the Melissa Hayden role, Indiana Woodward for the Verdy role (in case Bouder is not dancing), and Gilbert Bolden for one of the male roles.

Yes, after doing a little more research I conclude the role Sara Mearns does is the Diana Adams role. Thanks for reminding me about Garis' theory about von Aroldingen! Every time Liebeslieder comes around, I try to focus on distinguishing the couples, learning which couples correspond to the original cast, and what each couple's "story" is. A little research this afternoon enabled me to set up a spreadsheet with the song lists, Op. 52 and Op. 65. I wish that I could correspond the song list to which couple(s) dance for each song. As it is, I'm cobbling things together from my memory of the performances -- i.e., "whispering pdd," "liner on the high seas," "levitating woman," "man running around woman," and whatever else stands out to me about that number. Looking at casting for the first two current performances of Liebeslieder, I come up with the following. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Diana Adams -- Nadon Bill Carter -- Walker Melissa Hayden -- Phelan Jonathan Watts - Mejia Jillana -- Fairchild Conrad Ludlow -- Danchig-Waring Violette Verdy -- Peck Nicholas Magallanes - T. Angle