NinaFan

Oh my.....with the exception of Arizona Native's exceptional review, the rest of the reviews don't sound very promising.  I only have tickets for one cast, so as of now I'll probably just leave it that way.   Hopefully I'll enjoy it.  

4 hours ago, mille-feuille said:

I'm going tonight, mainly because Whiteside impressed me so much in On the Dnieper and I wanted to see more of him. I usually find his aura a little too broody (it almost seems like anger or darkness is below the surface with him), but needless to say that kind of aura would be perfect for Mr. Rochester. Very much looking forward to seeing more of Hurlin as well.

I agree, Whiteside should be terrific as Rochester.  I can't make it tonight, but will try for his next Rochester which I believe is on Thursday.   Have fun tonight!

Twyla appeared for bows at the Saturday matinee as well.  Loved the Brahms-Haydn and In the Upper Room, but was disappointed with Deuce Coupe.  It's not that we didn't enjoy it, but more that we were disappointed in the choice of songs and terrible music quality.   She used a few hits, but mostly it was their less popular songs.  The dancing was good, and Katherine Williams was terrific as the ballerina doing the classical ballet, but I found it a distraction and felt it just didn't go with the rest of the dancing.  Whiteside was an absolute scream in a sped up section of one of their songs.  

1 hour ago, Barbara said:

Add me to the list! Booked this specifically for Forster. I might have cast Teuscher with him but who knows how these decisions are made. I will continue to put thoughts out the universe of a Forster/Shevchenko Swan Lake. 

I'm looking forward to the Boylston/Forster cast in Jane Eyre, but I'm very happy to continue seeing Shevchenko/Whiteside in Swan Lake.  They were marvelous together last year.  That being said, the AD moves partners around a lot,  so you may get your wish.

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

In my opinion, soloist Joseph Gorak needs to leave ABT for HIS OWN SAKE.  He is being criminally wasted and neglected.  I personally think that Gorak would be a wonderful addition to the New York City Ballet roster - in the past NYCB poached Charles Askegard and Joaquin de Luz from ABT.   Gorak has two deficiencies that have obstructed his progress at ABT - lack of acting ability (and heroic stage presence) and weakness in partnering.  With the NYCB repertory there is little acting required for the majority of the repertory and he would have better coaching on partnering than what Keith Roberts has been able to give Gorak at ABT.  The other option for Gorak is to decamp for San Francisco Ballet where he also would be a good fit.

That would open up one soloist spot.

Wendy Whelan and Jonathan Stafford if you are reading this...   Give him a call.

I think Gorak is fine in the soloist roles at ABT, but I don’t think he’s really a match for NYCB.   NYCB currently has an outstanding crop of men from the corps up through principal, so it’s probably unlikely they would hire him on the chance that he’d improve on the two deficiencies you’ve noted.

Askegard was a superb partner, and de Luz one of the rare gems who come along every so often.  And of course, let’s not forget the great Robert LaFosse.  All three dancers were obviously very successful in adapting to Balanchine’s style etc. 

Gorak is likely to remain a soloist if he stays at ABT.  That being said, I hope he continues to thrive and grow wherever he dances, and yes, perhaps San Francisco Ballet might be a good fit should he choose to leave ABT.

15 hours ago, abatt said:

This might be old news that I missed, but Copeland is no longer listed for any performances of Corsaire.  

Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing her listed in Corsaire for months.    Yes, it's in the old ABT brochure, but that's old.

29 minutes ago, Roberta said:

So which Swan Lake leading duo do folks recommend that I see at Wolf Trap?

 

July 11 - Seo/Stearns

July 12 - Copeland/Cornejo

July 13 - Teuscher/Bell

 

I'm leaning towards Teuscher/Bell because both are fairly new to their roles and have received positive reviews in other ballets.

I think you're leaning in the right direction.  Teuscher is a lovely O/O, and they were gorgeous together in Romeo and Juliet last year.  I can't wait to see them in Swan Lane this June. 

9 hours ago, wonderwall said:

Are there any other reported retirements other than Ashly and Justin Peck?

I must have missed this about Justin Peck retiring.   When was it announced?

Loved Sunday's performance.  Isaacs brought tears to my eyes during her performance.  I was so pleased that the audience greeted her with such enthusiasm as she joined the rest of the dancers on stage.  It would have been nice if they gave her a bouquet at the end, but she almost seemed shy to take a solo bow.  As others have mentioned, her fellow dancers made a huge fuss as could be heard on the other side of the curtain when the house lights came on.  I thought Pollack was great opposite Isaacs, but as someone else mentioned above, I kind of preferred the pairing of J. Peck with Isaacs.

Wow on Tess in Slaughter!   She was positively on fire!   Veyette and rest of cast were terrific as well and Applebaum was hilarious.

Bouder and Ball were marvelous in Stars and Stripes, and I second fondoffouettes shout out on Hoxha's outstanding performance in S&S and Slaughter! 

Ulbricht and Pereira were terrific in Tarantella and I found myself becoming almost breathless watching them.   I've seen them dance Tarantella together before.   Ulbricht is always exciting, and I thought Erica danced even better than usual this time around.

On 5/21/2019 at 11:14 AM, ABT Fan said:

 Would Simkin get his debut as Prince Desire?

It was six years ago and a different production, but Simkin made his debut as Prince Desire on July 3, 2013 with Sarah Lane as Princess Aurora.   That’s one casting I will never forget as I had tickets for the performance, but wound up in the hospital having emergency surgery to have my gallbladder removed.   I’ve never seen him cast in the role again, but I’d love to see it.

6 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

Oh no! I hope Cornejo's injury isn't serious. I've really been looking forward to seeing him and with Lane in Manon and Sleeping Beauty.

Me too....  And if he doesn't return, will they pull his partner too and replace the pair completely (especially concerned about my Lane performances)......

9 minutes ago, abatt said:

The bad news:  A sign in front of the house announced that Herman Cornejo is injured. He was replaced by Tyler Maloney in Serenade after Plato.  I see  he is removed from his  remaining assignments this week.  Stay tuned.

Oh no!  I hope it's not serious!  So looking forward to seeing him, especially in the full length ballets. 

On 5/18/2019 at 6:37 PM, cobweb said:

Report on the matinee. Ramasar returned in the 4th movement of Brahms Schoenberg Quartet. It was great to see him back on the stage, and I was heartened by the warm, enthusiastic response he got from the audience. He looked great in that Hungarian outfit, with the white puffy shirt and ribbons flying everywhere, and he and Mearns danced up a storm. Glad he's back. 

On 5/18/2019 at 9:01 PM, NYCgirl said:

I agree, and am beyond glad he is back. The reaction of the audience both before and after was wonderful! The way he danced, and partnered Mearns was exactly what the audience has been missing, in my opinion. Sara Mearns was smiling, electric,  and looked like she was enjoying every second of dancing with him. I thought all of the principal dancers in Brahms were quite beautiful as well, especially Lauren Lovette in the second movement. While Lydia Wellington wasn't as impactful as Emily Kikta, I thought she made a great debut as well.

I agree!  I saw Ramasar in the 4th movement on Sunday, and the audience greeted him with the same joyful enthusiasm as they did on Saturday.  Wonderful performance and great to have him back!

I am so sorry to hear about the empty house this week, but I guess I’m not surprised.   Bring back Bright Stream if you want to show Ratmansky. I’d love to see that again.

It’s rare that my first set of ABT tickets starts with week three.  Like many on BA, the spring ballet season at Lincoln Center has always been a particularly exciting time of year with ABT and NYCB in town at the same time.  The first few weeks of ABT’s repeat programming make it a no brainer this year as I don’t even have to choose between the two companies.  I always loved the abundance of ballets performing opposite each other at the same time.

I’m still “toying” with the idea of seeing a Harlequinade this week even though I saw it twice last year.  But that's mostly because I can't see myself missing the first few weeks of ABT.  Thanks to everyone for their reviews as it reminded me of how much the children dance in Harlequinade.  While I enjoy the children for a few minutes, twenty minutes is too much when I am really there for the adult dancing.   I've pretty much decided to skip Whipped Cream this year as I’ve already seen it four times.   However I am going through ABT withdrawal so who knows.....

53 minutes ago, Olga said:

There are discrepancies between the Met and ABT cast lists for the Ratmansky Trio. Has anyone contact ABT about this? Is there a definitive answer? Shall I assume ABT list to be most accurarate? 

 

Last year I had a similar situation and ABT's website was more up to date than the Met's website.  I had even asked box office staff and they said ABT's website was probably more up to date, and in that particular case they were right.   That being said, a couple of years ago, the Met website was more up to date than ABT's website.  So if you still haven't bought your tickets, and need to be sure before buying them, I'd call ABT.  Of course casting changes all the time, and could still change again.

I agree with California that the regular rows in Grand Tier are great for their unobstructed views, however they are further away from the stage than I like.  I usually sit in the Orchestra, but since I'm short I have to contend with heads in my way as California noted.   If only the MET had the Koch sight lines! 

I agree with abatt about the boxes.  Not only do people move their chairs around which affects everyone else in the box, but you'll probably wind up with a stiff neck trying to see around people who move their chairs around or crane their necks.  That's been my experience. They are awful seats, and I would only consider them if they were the only seats available for a sold out ballet.

And no, you will not be able to see facial expressions from that distance without opera glasses.

I received an e-mail from ABT with discount codes for certain performances.  Details below:

Give Mom the Gift of Dance this Mother’s Day

For a limited time only, purchase Orchestra tickets at 25% off the regular price for select performances.
 
Use the promo code ABTMoms to receive 25% off. This offer expires May 13.
Visit the Metropolitan Opera House Opera Box Office or call 212-362-6000 to order. *Tickets are subject to availability

ABT Mother’s Day Discount Performances:
 
HARLEQUINADE
Tuesday, May 14
Wednesday, May 15
Thursday, May 16
Friday, May 17
Saturday, May 18
 
WHIPPED CREAM
Friday, May 24
Saturday, May 25 matinee
Monday, May 27
Tuesday, May 28
Wednesday, May 29

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Monday, July 1
Tuesday, July 2
Wednesday, July 3
Thursday, July 4 matinee
Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6

2 hours ago, KikiRVA said:

Ramasar is on in week four in Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet opposite Mearns.  https://www.nycballet.com/NYCB/media/NYCBMediaLibrary/PDFs/Press/Casting/NYCB-Casting_May-14-19-2019_2.pdf

Thank you KikiRVA.  I can't wait to see him!  Just to let you know, there is also a thread under NYCB for Spring 2019 where members are discussing this.  https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/44588-spring-2019/page/3/

16 hours ago, Xiaoyi said:

Thank you so much for the recommendation, @NinaFan 

Joyce Theater has such a brilliant program including the Australian Ballet, Maria Kochetkova Gala, Ballet Festival curated by Kevin O’Hare featuring Lauren Cuthbertson and Edward Watson.  https://joyce.org/performances

As a non-New Yorker, I had not even heard about it. 

I see you checked out their website!  Yes, the Joyce has some amazing programs.  And since it's a small intimate theater, you're never that far from the action.  As I mentioned above, you won't have the scenery, but the intimacy of a small venue makes up for that.   I hope you are able to see one of their programs, especially if you're in town for NYCB or ABT (or both during the spring season). 

21 minutes ago, Leah said:

https://www.nycballet.com/NYCB/media/NYCBMediaLibrary/PDFs/Press/Casting/NYCB-Casting_May-14-19-2019.pdf

Ramasar returns to dance 4th movement of BSQ with Mearns. No sign of Tiler Peck.

Thank you!  I didn't see week 4 posted earlier today, and forgot to check again.  I have tickets for one of the his performances with Mearns.

I'm so jealous!  Have a wonderful time!

By the way, if you happen to be in NY in early July, top dancers from the RDB will be performing at the Joyce.  I saw them the last time they were here, and it was a lovely program.  You won't have the beautiful scenery as with a full company in larger venue, but the Joyce is a lovely intimate theater. 

Below is the information from the Joyce website:

The Bournonville Legacy - JUL 9–14

Top dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet, revered as the world’s third oldest ballet company, come together to bring the best of August Bournonville to The Joyce. Featuring distinctive repertoire from classical ballets such as La Sylphide, Napoli, and A Folktale.

14 hours ago, LadyBubbles said:

Lane posted her schedule on FB and IG. She's playing Mrs. Fairfax.

It's been a while since I read the book. She's Rochester's housekeeper, right?

Yes, that's correct. 

Welcome to BA KikiRVA!  

4 hours ago, mille-feuille said:

I plan on going to one performance in which he's dancing and taking it from there. Before this incident, I admired Ramasar so much because I found his dancing to have such an inherent nobility and masculinity (kind of similar to what I've been seeing from Joe Gordon).

If we take Ramasar at his word and believe that all he did was share intimate photos of one corps member and encourage Finlay to share photos with him, perhaps it wasn't a fire-able offense. But it is the antithesis of noble behavior. I can't say how I'll feel until I actually watch him dance, but I fear that the "magic" he once had will be gone, replaced with a sense of revulsion and sadness.

An interesting parallel between Ramasar and Gordon.   I enjoy watching both dancers as they delight, thrill, and amaze me all at the same time.

I was happy when Amar was re-hired, and very anxious to see him dance again.   For now, I just keep watching the casting sheets.