NinaFan

Does anyone know when Monday night's performance ended?  Also, how many intermissions did they have?  The ballets are different from tonight, but it may give me an idea as to when tonight's performance ends.  Thanks.

30 minutes ago, Kaysta said:

I don't think the pricing has been this high in the past?  When they performed Swan Lake, I remember purchasing a 30 dollar 2nd tier side seat (pretty far forward towards the stage, where a good bit of the stage is cut off), that same ticket this year is now 90 dollars.  And if you want to sit in the back side of 2nd tier it's 175 dollars (it's normally 90 dollars for NYCB tickets).  Add in a ballet I'm not so sure I'd like, and there is NO way I'll pay for that.  

 

If the tickets were more reasonably priced, I'd gladly see more than one performance of Jewels, but 150 for my first ticket is enough money for me to spend.

I agree.  I have NEVER seen such ridiculously high prices for any company, visiting or otherwise.   I think center orchestra is $500 for Jewels and $200 for Taming.  BTW - I'm pretty sure they reduced those $200 Taming tickets from $250 a while back.  I doubt that has helped ticket sales.

I believe poor ticket sales are related to the programming.  People like me want to see Grigorovich.  I bet revised programming to include Grigorovich ballets would cause ticket sales to go through the roof just like they did a couple of years ago.  Plus last time they had some nice early discounts if you bought all three ballets (which I did of course). 

Personally, I love Spartacus, and would be thrilled to see it again and again.  Maybe the Bolshoi should come for four weeks so we can see Don Q, Spartacus, The Golden Age and Ivan the Terrible. …..

18 hours ago, nanushka said:

Yeah, a group of four older people by me decided to change rows during the Siegfried/Benno scene at the start of Act II, just in order to be able to sit maybe 3-4 seats closer to the center. This involved forcing at least 3 people in the new row to stand up for them to pass. After that, the candy wrappers, zipping bags and cell phone lights seemed only minor inconveniences!

nanushka - As far as older people changing their seats, I see it happening all the time regardless of age.  Just recently an usher had to yell at some younger adults from moving around for better seats as the lights were dimming.  Oh, and a thirtysomething  stepped all over me yesterday because he couldn’t even wait for the house lights to come on to get out of his seat.  

It is not just older folks.  I see a complete cross section of age groups doing plenty of annoying things at almost every performance.   

18 hours ago, laurel said:

Unfortunately, this afternoon's performance felt more like a typical Wednesday afternoon matinee than an important New York debut.  So many things seemed "off."  The audience where I was seated in the orchestra was filled with the elderly folks who were upbeat and happy to be there, far preferable to the mothers with very young children, who could not concentrate and insisted on whispering through Act II, (was grateful when they departed at intermission); and the five year-old next to me who insisted on tunelessly humming along with that dreadful violin in Act III; and a fidgety woman in front of me who removed her shoes and stretched out as if she were on a lounge chair at the beach.  This kind of environment made the performance even more disappointing than it might have been.

 

laurel - I take great offense to your comment “The audience where I was seated in the orchestra was filled with the elderly folks who were upbeat and happy to be there, far preferable to the mothers with very young children”.    How nice that I didn’t interfere with your afternoon.  I made a point of going to see Teuscher on Wednesday afternoon.  I also happen to be a recently retired senior who has been attending ballet performances (both in the US and Europe) for over thirty years.  I am not a once in a while balletomane, but as others on here, I am someone who goes frequently just to see different casts.   My age does not negate all of my knowledge, ballet or otherwise.  You too will become a senior one day.   I doubt it would please you to be characterized the same way as you’ve described seniors at the ballet.

Thank you Cristian!!!!  I keep checking this page like a maniac.  Might we be seeing Lane/Simkin on Thursday night?????????? 

1 hour ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

I am at the dress rehearsal right now. Lane and Teuscher are in.

Anymore news? 

3 hours ago, cubanmiamiboy said:

I am debating in between Seo's matinee and Shevchenko's evening for today. I don't want to do a double. Not for Corsaire anyhow...

Shevchenko!!!!  I saw her on Wednesday and Friday, and she was gorgeous in the role.  If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought she was a seasoned principal who'd been dancing the role for years!

1 hour ago, Helene said:

She is like Scheherezade, trying to save her kingdom by keeping him distracted.  This King, though, is a dim bulb, and wouldn't remember yesterday, let alone two days ago, if he had cue cards.

Yes exactly!  And she certainly kept him distracted. I love your analogy.

I went to yesterday’s matinee performance of GC led by Abrera, Trenary and Whiteside.  As has already been noted by abatt, it was not heavy on classical ballet, however we went in with that knowledge and mindset.  It probably helped knowing that in advance, as we thoroughly enjoyed the performance.  As was probably noted last year, the costumes and sets were very striking.

Trenary was sensational as the Golden Cockerel.  I loved her leg and arm movements, and especially her staccato behaviors of a cockerel.  It was quite humorous watching her being stroked as if she really were a bird!  Stella was exquisite as the Queen, however I found the choreography a bit repetitive.  Cirio and Gorak were very good as the brothers, with Gorak’s role being a bit goofy.   Whiteside seemed to really be enjoying himself as the Astrologer, and it was fun to watch him in a different type of role. 

I’m so glad that we finally got to see the production before it goes on hiatus.  Plus we got there a bit early and had time to walk around the crafts festival. 

2 hours ago, Kaysta said:

I'm torn on whether to go see this tomorrow.  I didn't see it last year, and it might not come back anytime soon, so it may be my only chance.  But part of me wants to have  lazy weekend without trekking in to NY.

We missed GC last year too, and based on the mediocre reviews we had no plans to see it this year.  However, we decided to give it a try tomorrow.  I think you're right about it not coming back anytime soon.  Have a great time if you decide to see it as well. 

Spring season is our favorite ballet season with our two favorite companies performing (NYCB and ABT of course), so like many on here, we are always on ballet overload this time of year.  I asked my husband if he wanted to see GC tomorrow, or just take a rest from ballet for the weekend, and he said how much rest do we need, it’s ballet season!  So we decided to see it tomorrow.  It is Ratmansky after all, and we certainly don’t want to go into ballet withdrawal!  Then on to the Corsaires! 

3 hours ago, Fleurfairy said:

I traveled a long way to see the Lane/Simkin matinee and it was worth every penny and minute. It was stunning. I have never been so swept away by Giselle in my life and I've seen quite a few productions by various companies and dancers. It was haunting. Sarah Lane was everything that Giselle should be and more. The show was a remarkable achievement for both. What else can be said of Simkin? To me, he's the Baryshnikov of this generation. They had the perfect chemistry, passionate but doomed love. I know the audience was in agreement with me because the noise at final bows was deafening and people were wiping away tears. Too bad, this won't be noted by major critics. Hopefully, the grassroots campaign for Sarah will be heard by management. This is the kind of dancing we should be seeing every single night from ABT. It was world class.

I'm sure your long journey to see Lane/Simkin's Giselle was worth it.  Simkin reminds me of Baryshnikov as well.  I enjoy watching him so much that I rarely miss a performance when he’s in the lead. 

I’ve gone out of my way to follow him since he joined the company as a soloist.  I remember screaming my head off when I caught my first glimpse of him as a soloist during ABT’s Fall season at City Center in 2008.   I think it was Flames of Paris pdd.  He caused quite a commotion, and even at that time I heard people comparing his solos to Baryshnikov.   He has grown into a mature and fine actor, and his partnering skills have gotten progressively better and better over the years.   May Lane/Simkin have a long partnership!  Their chemistry is terrific.

I just wanted to add one more Brava/Bravo for Lane/Simkin’s Giselle.  I agree with all comments on here.

I never cry at Giselle, however I found myself crying twice at the performance.  Not because of the drama, but because Sarah was so breathtakingly gorgeous.  Having watched her for years, I felt like an old friend was finally able to show us just how well deserving she was of the role!  It was a NY debut that she should have been given years ago.  I expected a very good performance, but I didn't expect anything quite so beautiful.   They both acted and danced the roles with absolute perfection.  Their Giselle was one of the best I’ve ever seen, and that is saying a lot, as I've seen Osipova, Ananishvili, Guillem, Ferri, Vishneva and more dance Giselle quite magnificently.  Lane and Simkin were met with a standing ovation which was well deserved. Like others on here, I would love to see them paired together in R&J.  

Here’s hoping that Sarah finally gets that long overdue promotion to principal!

30 minutes ago, California said:

 

I've been very interested in the praise for Shevchenko and wish I were in NYC to see this. Others have noted Ratmansky's talent for identifying potential and he seems to have picked out another winner four years ago. She was a replacement for Gillian Murphy in second cast in 2013 in Piano Concerto #1 in his Trilogy (presumably a decision made by Ratmansky).

 

Scroll down and you can see Acocella's praise for her: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/ratmansky-and-shostakovich-together-again

That’s a terrific article, thank you for sharing.  After yesterday’s performance I could not help but wonder why Shevchenko has been languishing in the same roles for years (such as flower girl etc.).   I never expected such an incredible debut, and look forward to seeing her Myrta next week.   You could see how happy she was during the performance, especially one sparkling moment when she was smiling ear to ear during the second lift in the first act.  It wasn’t just a plastered on smile, but one of intense joy.

1 hour ago, abatt said:

I was also at the matinee yesterday, and agree with all the comments above prasing Shevshenko, Teuscher,  Zhang and Richardson.   I will also add that Blaine Hoven looked superb as Espada.  I was slightly disappointed in Lendorf.  He did nothing wrong, but his performance lacked verve. Also some of the partnering was a bit rough.  Oh, and Ms. Hamrick has returned to the stage. She was a flower girl. Welcome back.

 

I agree with everything everyone has said about Wednesday’s matinee.  Shevchenko just blew me away!  Starting with those stunning back kicks in the first act down to her spectacular fouettes!  Whew!  I am also in agreement about Lendorf.   He was fine, with great panache, but not as exciting as I would have liked.  I expected more fireworks in his solos.   Unfortunately there were lots of empty seats.  Irina and Max were in the audience as well as Julio Bragado-Young. 

We never miss a Boylston/Simkin Don Q, but we couldn’t stay for last night.  I can’t wait to see them on Saturday!!!!!! 

Thanks abatt.  I'm so pleased to hear that Mearns is doing better.   I just saw the reassignments that you mentioned, but at least I'll get to see her in Pictures tomorrow.  Does anyone have any news on Ramasar? 

15 minutes ago, canbelto said:

 

Indeed. I also think the casting for Here/Now has been odd. Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar were dancing every night, sometimes twice a night. Not a surprise both got injured.

Is it official that Mearns and Ramasar are injured?  Are the injuries serious? 

I saw Mearns at a rehearsal of Pictures at an Exhibition on Wednesday and she was dancing up a storm.

Yes, it has always annoyed me that NYCB tickets arrive after single tickets have gone on sale.  I’ve never tried it, but there may be a way to exchange tickets before receiving them (with your subscriber number) since all they do is tell you to discard your old tickets anyway.   At least you can buy additional tickets (at the subscriber rate) before you receive your subscription tickets. 

I agree with everyone that nothing beats NYCB ticketing.  Aside from their formal polices, NYCB staff are usually very accommodating.  That being said, I was still very pleased to get an e-mail from ABT saying that as a member I could buy single tickets at the box office this week.  I called the MET box office today just to make sure that I could buy tickets before March 26.   I was all prepared to buy my single tickets on Sunday (I’ll be there for Paul Taylor anyway), but a few days jump is even better.   I like to look at the seating chart and see what is available before going to the box office, but since it is not available I wrote down my favorite seats in descending order and hope that I get those seats or close at the box office. 

I didn’t get the trio brochure this year either.  It was very short sighted of them not to mail it.  However I did see it online, and like abatt picked up a copy at the MET to mark up for planning purposes.  Not that I don’t have the season memorized already…..

I have seen them dance together up close and onstage, on pointe and off pointe. Off pointe is only okay. They are both consummate professionals. They will do their best give you a fabulous show. She remains too tall for him.

I have only seen Simkin offstage, and he is taller than me. And of course I’ve seen Simkin and Boylston together on stage both on pointe and off pointe. I guess their partnership reminds me a little of Julio and Nina. The first time they were paired together (as a result of her original partner’s injury), I actually called ABT to make sure that the NYT was correct about them being scheduled to dance together. I remember asking if Nina wasn’t too big for Julio and would he be able to lift her. The response was, “Julio is very strong”. Needless to say, it turned into a gorgeous pairing. And of course there was the excellent partner, Jock Soto, who was usually shorter than most of his partners when they were on pointe.

In any case, I do like seeing the girl a bit smaller for the boy, so I guess I can’t argue with you from an aesthetic point of view. Simkin is obviously more suitable with Sarah Lane, Maria K. and of course Misty. However size isn’t everything, as I do feel chemistry lacking with the latter. I would prefer to see him with someone taller on pointe rather than dancing with someone who is shorter, but lacking chemistry. But hey, I don’t make up the casting schedule, and will just have to take what they dish out.

Just an opinion, Simkin is too small for Boylston and not a strong enough partner to handle someone taller than himself.

Yes, of course you are entitled to your own opinion. But I do wonder if you have seen them dance together as Isabella is not taller than Daniil. Sure, she is taller when on point, but that is not very uncommon. I’ve been to all of their NY Swan Lakes and Don Qs and he is quite strong, and has no difficulty partnering her. Their performances just got better and better. I was so disappointed when they were not cast together this year as they have terrific chemistry.

My impression of Sleeping Beauty with Boylston/Gorak - Saturday matinee

Boylston - Oh so stunning with those gorgeous feet and her rock solid balances! She was exquisite. As always, Gorak was a lovely partner. I have loved watching his rise and hope he makes principal before long. However he really needs to work on his solos as his jumps were barely off the ground. Barbee was the King. Boylston presented him with a flower at the end of the performance which was a lovely gesture. I went crazy screaming Bravo and the lady in front of me turned around, and nodded in agreement that Victor will be missed. We had a feast of marvelous corps and soloists which included the exquisite Courtney Lavine as one of the fairies. Kevin needs to start using her more often. She has such beautiful limbs and musicality. It was a joy to watch her.

I am finally getting around to writing up my impressions of two performances.....

Boylston/Whiteside/Simkin - R&J

As I had hoped, Boylston was a charming Juliet who oozed pure innocence and love. Her dancing was youthful, feminine, secure and strong. And she had those gorgeous loose arms which made for such wonderful lifts which were particularly beautiful when Whiteside was tossing her around. The final scene was especially breathtaking.

Whiteside was the big surprise. He was a wonderful partner and his dancing was first-rate, but his facial expressions need a lot of work. Many people on BA alert complain that he never changes expression. I agree that it is minimal. He does change his expressions, but it is subtle. But even with his limited range of expressions, they both managed to bring tears to my eyes in the final scene. They did MacMillan proud.

Simkin was an electrifying Mercutio which he danced with his usual technical brilliance. He had the perfect combination of seriousness and good humor and is a born natural for the role.

Victor Barbee was heart wrenching as Lord Capulet. This Lord was really distressed. Stephanie Williams was pretty good as Lady Capulet and Patrick Ogle was a very convincing Tybalt. I have seen him dance the role in previous years, and he is really growing into the role. I loved Calvin Royal’s Benvolio. Sometimes the Benvolio character can be so bland, but Royal had a perfect mixture of acting and great dancing. When will he be promoted to soloist???? Foster did a wonderful job playing Paris. He really lost his patience with Juliet. Depending on the dancer, this can often be an invisible role. Foster really stood out for me.

Unfortunately some baby or kid was screaming and crying during the first act. It was so loud that we heard it from the other side of the orchestra. I’m sure it was a distraction to the dancers and orchestra as well. It took at least five minutes for it to stop during the performance. When we were leaving the theater, we heard the exact screaming and crying from a kid who looked to be about 8 years old, so we’re guessing it wasn’t a baby after all.

Copeland/Simkin/Salstein - R&J

First let me start off by saying that I attended this performance to see Daniil’s debut as Romeo, and he did not disappoint. Daniil was an absolutely gorgeous Romeo. Playful, loving, and gut wrenching. His dancing was exceptional as always. He broke my heart. She didn’t.

Misty was marginally better in R&J than Swan Lake probably because the dancing is not nearly as difficult for Juliet. But I still saw the same shortcomings, especially with her back flexibility. Copeland and Simkin are well matched in height, but that’s about it. I have no idea why people on BA keep saying he is too short for her. He is much taller than she is, and they look fine together when she is on point. However, as with their Swan Lake, I see no chemistry between them. I thought Daniil partnered her well, with the exception of one lift. I am not sure who was at fault, but Misty had trouble getting her footing on Daniil’s shoulder. I didn’t see any other mistakes or mishaps other than that.

I would love to see Simkin dance R&J with Boylston as they always have chemistry to spare.

I was at Wednesday’s matinee performance of Swan Lake with Copeland/Simkin. Of course this is MY personal review of the performance, so others may not agree.

First let me start off by saying that the reason I attended this performance, is because I am HUGE Simkin fan, and I rarely miss any of his performances. He was a wonderful partner yesterday, and of course his solos were spectacular as always. His final leap was breathtaking. I’m used to the wonderful chemistry that he has developed with Boylston, however, there was absolutely no chemistry with Misty.

Now on to Misty. Regrettably I wasn’t crazy about her interpretation of Odette/Odile. I felt no emotion from this Odette. She left me cold. I want an Odette to bring me to tears (which Veronika Part usually manages to do). Misty’s Odile was marginally better than her Odette, but there was not much of a range besides some flashes of a quick evil smile. Don’t hold me to it, but as far as the fouettés, it looked like 23 singles and maybe 2 doubles. She could not hold her arabesques and does not have much back flexibility. There was no suppleness to her spine. She just leaned her head back and looked best when she could lean into Daniil for support.

Nina Ananiashvili set the bar very high for me, and whether it is fair or not, everyone I see is always compared to her Odette/Odile. So feel free to disagree!

2008 -- that makes sense. A Saturday matinee makes absolute sense to me because those are they days I take my mom, and I know she was there for that Corsaire (funny the things you remember). The interview is in May, so it may have been an early season casting change when Maxim pulled out. Notice that he mentions he *might* dance Espada that very season. this implies to me that he wasn't originally cast, although I guess it's not quite the same as an understudy.

I’m pretty sure that I was at that 2008 performance as well. If you go back far enough in ABT’s news area, you can see the casting that was posted on May 6 for the May 24 Saturday matinee performance. It notes in 4th paragraph: "The matinee performance on Saturday, May 24 will feature debuts by Cory Stearns as Conrad.....". See link below which includes casting at the bottom of the page.

http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=223