NinaFan

I noticed that Harrison Coll has been replaced all week and I'm hoping that he's not injured.  Does anyone know why he's been out?

1 hour ago, Rock said:

And maybe it's true. But it's also possible Martins thought after all these years it should be somebody else's turn to go first. Or even that somebody else was better suited. 

I agree. 

Casting changes are made all the time, and this change was made before the announcement to the public.   Martins has a history of casting those who more closely resemble the characters they're portraying.  Is it such a surprise that he chose a younger looking set of dancers as he so often did with Romeo and Juliet?  Ashley hasn't had the role pulled from her, nor was she asked to do a character role.  She's still dancing Aurora.   If you dance long enough, your roles change, and others move into your sought-after position.  That’s ballet. 

What everyone seems to forgot is that the only reason NYCB has these full length/blockbuster/cash cow ballets is BECAUSE of Peter Martins.  They do fill the house which brings in money.  

And from what I've read on here, these productions do not stop BA'ers from attending in order to see multiple casts.  It is no different than most of us complaining about ABT's current Swan Lake, but still attending multiple times. 

So yes, new productions are always welcome, but I still enjoy the ones currently in rep. 

Anyway, that's my two cents. 

FauxPas - Thank you for your detailed review. 

I am so disappointed to hear that Maria is not dancing on Saturday as I already ordered tickets.   I'm not sure if I'll bother to go after reading your description of a very lumbered pdd, and only partnering work for Amar.  I can't make it Thursday or Friday.   The press release I read said Amar and Maria were dancing together for this engagement.  I assumed it was a short piece, but it was worth it to see them together again.  False advertising not to have said that it was only some performances.   I did wonder how Maria could be there all week, but I never checked the NYCB casting.  At least I'll be seeing her next week at NYCB.  

It sounds like there are two intermissions with one right before Amar's pdd with Wiles?   Thanks.

On 2/13/2019 at 12:53 PM, Kaysta said:

I’m excited to see Khoreva!  I may add on Tuesday night as well, because I love Tereshkina.

Ditto on Khoreva, plus I added on a Tereshkina performance.   I'm also very excited about seeing Kim's Ali!

12 hours ago, canbelto said:

I was at both last night and tonight's performance. I agree that Russell Janzen just about gave up trying to dance by the end of Act 2. At one point he stood at the side of the stage gasping for air before finishing the coda. He was marking the steps more than dancing them.

 

I hope he's okay.  I saw him in rehearsal of "In the Night" last week Friday and he seemed just fine.  But then it's not a full length ballet, and there were lots of the usual rehearsal breaks/pauses, so plenty of time for him to catch his breath. 

Very excited to see Sleeping Beauty with Lovette, and Gordon in his Prince Desire debut tomorrow! 

On 2/13/2019 at 1:42 PM, fondoffouettes said:

Sean Suozzi seems to be another soloist who has been completely absent, and not cast in any Sleeping Beauties. Is he injured?

I've been wondering the same thing.  I haven't seen him all season.

16 hours ago, California said:

The only thing I see on the schedule with that kind of attraction is the Bolle retirement on June 20. That seems likely to sell out fast.

I agree.  While there are some performances important to me, it's personal preference, not star power like Bolle or Osipova.

I can't access it either.  The choose-3 link is still on ABT's site, but keeps taking me round in circles.  I don't even see it on the MET ABT site.  Perhaps the the choose-3 start at noon today?

7 hours ago, California said:

I have a different question: Their pick-3 subscription (which also opens Tuesday, 1/29) says this:

Make 3 Subscriptions are a choose-your-own package. Purchase at least three tickets to separate performances for maximum flexibility in your ABT Spring 2019 experience. Make 3 Subscribers receive the following benefits:

• Early access to additional tickets
• Free subscription ticket exchange
• Flexibility to choose the performances you 
  want to attend

Does that "early access to additional tickets" include seat selection? I'm thinking this is a way to get an early start. I don't think you get seat selection for the initial three though, right?

CTballetfan is correct about "early access to additional tickets".   After you have purchased your create your own series, you can order additional single tickets online.  You can do it right away and do not have to wait until tickets go on sale to the general public.   Unfortunately you do not get to choose your seat.   If you are planning to order them right away, you might do better to make it part of your create your own series.  But if you are planning on waiting a bit for casting changes, it is a great benefit.  I have a standard subscription, which allows me the same benefit, and have already ordered additional tickets.  While I enjoy choosing my own seats, it helps in getting tickets to popular performances.   I'm guessing that's how Osipova/Hallberg Giselle sold out so quickly last year.

9 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

I kind of thought this as well, but three corps dancers are getting shots at some of the principal roles (Ahn is a repeat). The only other ABT dancer who could do Ali who hasn't already been cast, IMO, is Shayer, who will hopefully get the other TBA once he recovers from his injury (in addition to Lankendem, which he's done before). 

Mack has also become an international star, guesting with big companies. Otherwise, I'd agree about the regional company comment. 

I wonder if they're considering hiring him and this is a try-out. We all know they need tall, male stars.

I was hoping that Bell would be doing Conrad TBAs. 

Thank you vendangeuse and Leah!  

When buying a subscription I get “Early access to additional single tickets”.  I’ve always resisted, as I prefer to select my own seats.  However I’m thinking about ordering single tickets for a couple of performances.  Has anyone had recent experience ordering early access tickets, and does the MET charge the usual online per ticket fees as they do during the season?   If so, I may be better off just adding a “create your own series” as I’ve often done in the past.  Thanks!

On 10/25/2018 at 6:33 PM, Josette said:

Oh my, Whiteside as Rochester?!

Why?  I think he'd make an excellent Rochester and can easily picture him in the aristocratic, mysterious and broody role.  

38 minutes ago, jeff-sh said:

I know Carlos and I sat at Row C. They are best friends since ballet school days in Spain 

Thanks, that mystery is finally solved! 

DeLuz retirement -  It's so difficult to make out the faces.  My husband I thought that the guy who came out at 4:10 (after the Interim team) was Chris Wheeldon.   That's the same person who has also been identified as Robbie Fairchild and Carlos Lopez.  So take your pick, it's bound to be one of them!

1 hour ago, Leah said:

I think Barber violin concerto is being done on the spring. I’ve heard good things about that one though so far the only Martins I’ve liked is Fearful Symmetries.

I saw Barber Violin Concerto when it premiered with the original cast of Merrill Ashley, Adam Luders, and guest modern dancers Kate Johnson and David Parsons.  NYCB's own dancers have since taken on the modern dancer roles, and they're just as good as Kate and David.  This is an example of how well NYCB dancers adapt to other styles.  In my opinion, it's a clever "keeper" ballet, with some funny moments.

This is the first time I saw ABT's dynamic pricing at the Koch.  I haven't looked at the other sections, but the orchestra seat prices for the family-friendly matinee on October 27 with children's tickets at 50% off has increased their prices.   Are they trying to recoup their 50% off? 

22 hours ago, cobweb said:

I just spent some time in the Jerome Robbins exhibition at the Performing Arts library. There is some archival footage including Kay Mazzo and John Jones in Afternoon of a Faun. Makes me sorry I missed seeing it last week, especially with the new casting (Kennard Henson, Lauren Lovette, Joseph Gordon). If anyone saw it, I’d love a report. 

I saw Sterling Hyltin and Joseph Gordon in Afternoon of a Faun on Saturday, and they were absolutely mesmerizing!  I’ve seen the ballet many times, but it’s been a while.  Sterling and Joe were so immersed in themselves, the imaginary mirror and their movements, that I genuinely felt like a fly on the wall.  It was just so natural that I felt like a voyeur!  Fabulous performance!

I remember seeing the ballet performed at another company some years ago, and it felt forced…like I was watching two dancers acting.  Yesterday was just the opposite. 

Kudos to both dancers, and congrats to Gordon on his promotion!

I am so excited for everyone!   Joseph Gordon continues to blow me away, including yesterday's performance in Afternoon of a Faun!   I was also hoping for Preston Chamblee's promotion to soloist.....  Hope he doesn't have to wait too long.

1 hour ago, Tapfan said:

I'm not talking about switching from Balanchine to Robbins. SAB trains their dancers to dance both.  I'm talking about  switching from the NYCB style to Petipa or the more adventuresome contemporary dance makers. 

I also disagree that only NYCB can properly perform Balanchine. His works are masterpieces like Shakespeare that can be interpreted in any number of ways that are "correct."  For instance, some ballet fans with informed opinions felt that  DTH used to perform Concerto Barocco better than NYCB.  

Yes, I understood that you were not talking about switching between Balanchine and Robbins.  

And I never said that only NYCB can properly perform Balanchine. 

39 minutes ago, canbelto said:

First of all "Balanchine style" encompasses a huge range, as does "Robbins style." Dancing Agon is very different from dancing Coppelia, just as dancing Glass Pieces is different from Dances at a Gathering. Second of all very few SAB alumni get jobs with NYCB. Their training is meant to be all-encompassing and they go to all different dance companies around the world. Third of all time didn't stop in 1983 -- NYCB repertoire now has many pieces by contemporary choreographers. 

I agree.

1 hour ago, abatt said:

The problem with NYCB is that they commission so many new works each season, but very few deserve a permanent spot in the rep.  Nevertheless, NYCB seems to feel that a new work must be shown at least 8 times for them to break even on its cost.  The result is that they continue to rotate the new works, whether good or bad, through the rep until the magic number of performances to break even is reached.    There have been many wonderful new works created at NYCB, but most are unworthy and do not merit repeated viewings.  Given the ever increasing price of tickets, people are less inclined to buy expensive tickets for a program that includes a weak ballet.

That's interesting about the magic number 8.  I feel the same way about buying tickets for a program that includes a weak ballet, but sometimes there's no way out if I like the rest of the program.  Especially with the themed based performances which offer no flexibility to avoid a particular ballet.  

1 hour ago, Tapfan said:

Besides, other companies are far more adept at switching to other styles than NYCB. Heck, even a stately old battleship like the Royal is better at dancing in different styles. 

To say NYCB dancers can’t switch between styles is really selling the dancers short.   It’s the other way round in that dancers from other companies often have difficulty dancing Balanchine properly. 

Balanchine and Robbins are not one homogeneous style.  They are totally different styles, which NYCB dancers perform exquisitely…. it’s in their DNA.    So to say they can’t dance other styles when they’ve been doing it all along is absurd.   And this does not even take into account all of the other choreographers who have choreographed for them since their inception.

1 hour ago, Helene said:

New York City Ballet and the Balanchine- and Kirstein-led companies -- example, Ballet Caravan -- have always danced more than Balanchine, and have always danced more than Robbins during his stints with the Company. In fact, critics wailed intermittently that Balanchine was over-the-hill and passe, and some later claimed that the modern, forward-thinking Robbins had eclipsed Balanchine, and that Balanchine needed to step aside for other choreographers.   While most of the choreographers were in-house and followed the neoclassical path  -- Taras, Tanner, Christensen, Tomasson, Clifford, Bolender, d'Amboise -- some were in-house and did very different kinds of work, like Ruthanna Boris' "Cakewalk," -- and Ashton and Tudor choreographed for the Company.

Thank you Helene.