ABT Fan

8 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

ABT's site has been updated and now shows Cornejo replaced in both Corsaires.  Mack replaces him as Conrad on Tuesday night, and Whiteside replaces him on Saturday matinee.

Crap. But, I (and I'm sure others) had a feeling that would happen.

Who is going to replace him in Manon? That is only next week, so that may be inevitable.....darn.

There's an article in The Times about Marston setting this work on ABT. See link below.

Interestingly, Marston was initially supposed to create a new ballet for their fall season, but as McKenzie says in the article "Then a crisis loomed. A full-evening program planned for this year's Met season fell through".

Hmmm. Since he says "program" and not ballet, sounds like another evening of rep ballets was supposed to be planned. Either way, wonder what that was supposed to be???

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/arts/dance/jane-eyre-cathy-marston-american-ballet-theater.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&action=click&contentCollection=arts&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront

2 minutes ago, mille-feuille said:

Well, it was definitely not my cup of tea.

Marston's Jane Eyre is light on sustained passages of ballet dancing and heavy on dramatic walking, inscrutable mime, and impassioned writhing and yanking. The most actual ballet we got was a pique arabesque now and then.

On the bright side, Whiteside was good as Rochester (or as good as he could've been, given that choreography). Many critical reviews praised Marston's storytelling abilities, but I found the details of the story (which I assume were contained in the aforementioned inscrutable mime and/or writhing and yanking) to be very muddy indeed.

Interested to hear what others on this board think.

Well, that doesn't sound promising.

How were the other lead dancers?

Gonzalez has an Instagram story (public facing) showing him in costume and ballet slippers for Jane Eyre last night. Maybe it's a part that has very little dancing (and/or little or no partnering)? If anyone was there and and can comment, (and on the ballet itself, in the Jane Eyre thread...). At least he's not dealing with something serious, it seems.

2 minutes ago, vendangeuse said:

It's also the only Swan Lake that Hallberg is dancing—and he is only performing three times this season. That performance has been quite well sold since single tickets went on sale. (I purchased a bunch of single tickets in addition to my subscription before they were released to the public, and was surprised to find how far back in the orchestra my seats were for this particular performance, despite ordering early and being an ABT member.)

Her other SL w/ Cornejo on 6/26 is also virtually sold out, except for few remaining seats in Family Circle and some of the partial view seats.

Copeland's Swan Lake's always sell out.

1) It's Swan Lake (a high selling ballet in it's own right)

2) It's Copeland

Her other shows, such as Manon, are nowhere near selling out.

Too bad about Gonzalez, I was looking forward to seeing him as Lankendem; I also hope it's not serious. He was replaced last minute in Deuce Coupe on Friday (an announcement was made).

I'm glad I'll get to see Hoven though, and Bell who replaced Hoven in the Sat eve. (They're both looking better than ever this season.)

I'm cautiously optimistic regarding Cornejo, for Corsaire and his subsequent assignments....🤞

1 hour ago, nanushka said:

Same here. I am going solely to see Thomas Forster finally get a crack at a full-length lead role on the Met stage. 

And, same here. I’m not interested in any of the female leads, but Forster is my big draw. And, very curious to see Granlund.

Back to Tharp Trio:

Last night was a great night. I thought a lot of dancers, especially some corps men, did very well with the tricky and difficult partnering in all three pieces.

Brahms-Haydn stand-outs were Lane and Pogossian (they looked very good together, and he is another one to watch), Brandt and Scott, and one of the soloist couples McBride and Lyle. 

This was my first time seeing Deuce Coupe. In general I liked it, but I wouldn’t fall over myself to see it again. I thought the graffiti backdrops looked a bit amateurish. Abrera was her usual glamorous and stylish self. Shevchenko was beautiful as the “ballerina “. Whiteside was terrific and funny in his too-short warp-speed solo. Bell, again, kept capturing my eye. I’m more and more impressed by him every time i see him. Hurlin looked really at ease with the choreography as did Ribagorda who filled in for Gonzalez. 

In the Upper Room was worth the whole ticket. What a genius ballet. There were some issues though. Brandt and Lyle missed a chair lift that should have been in sync with 2 other couples. They kind of stood there stunned for a second until Brandt high-fived Lyle to keep it going. Teuscher had several partnering misshaps with Bell and I believe Hoven. She tripped over Bell at one point. I think she was tired, though she didn’t look it, because they looked like the kind of flubs that can happen when your stamina is lagging. Even so, in this type of piece with this kind of choreography, I didn’t think the errors took away from the excellence that both Brandt and Teuscher displayed. It’s obviously a killer ballet and they both looked like they were having a blast. Bell, Forster, Hoven and Lyle were all terrific as well.

ABT’s school hasn’t been around that long (I can’t remember how many years and that info seems absent on their website). In recent years they’ve greatly expanded their curriculum, student body, outreach, and I’d argue, their reputation. Also, Cynthia Harvey, a former star who is known for her teaching ability is now in charge. It takes time to establish an international reputation and produce great dancers. But, if you check the bios of some of their current dancers including principals and soloists, many of them attended the school. There are a lot of (former) star dancers who never studied at SAB, Paris Opera or in Russia, like Bocca and Corella to name two. Maybe JKO will never produce an international star, but I think it is premature and short-sighted at this point to assume they never will.

Added: as Aurora noted, they’ve already produced some standout soloists (and up and comers like Bell) who many of us predict will be well-deserved principals in the near future. I also have no problem with that.

There is a separate thread for the Tharp Trio, not specifically for In the Upper Room.

10 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I once thought Gorak was going to be big. But I don't think the story is quite as simple as mere waste or neglect by ABT management. (And they've certainly been guilty of that in numerous cases, in my opinion.) There was some of that, I think, but there was also a lack of real growth on Gorak's part as an all-around artist. Over the years, I didn't see evidence that he was really working hard to develop in those areas where he needed it most (especially partnering and stage presence). He's a beautiful dancer (and those feet!), but it just didn't seem like he had the necessary drive or was putting in the necessary work. I can only base this judgment on what I saw onstage, though, so it's hard to be sure — and certainly the lack of sufficient support and investment from ABT management could itself have contributed to that lack of drive. A stagnating career can be a self-perpetuating phenomenon. But something important has been missing from his performances over the past 3 years or so, and I'm not convinced that his having been given too few opportunities is the sole cause of that.

I totally agree.

And, he HAS been given opportunities (Romeo, Nutcracker Prince, The Poet in Les Sylphides, Prince Desire - which he doing again this season - and others). Romeo he has never done again. And, last time they did Sleeping Beauty he wasn't cast as the Prince, but this year he is (out of necessity or has he improved since last time?). Last year his Bronze Idol was extraordinary, but that is a role that requires no partnering or acting and is very short. I always look forward to seeing him dance, but I agree that there appears to be a lack of growth.

I cannot wait to see this program. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen In the Upper Room. 

18 minutes ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

How tall is Gorak? My impression is that he's at best a medium. 

He's medium height and usually partners the shortest females - Lane, Boylston, Copeland, etc.

3 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

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.

Copeland replaced Murphy in Manon, once Murphy's pregnancy was announced, and I think I remember a bunch of other roles (for others, as well) getting switched around at about the same time. So, I wonder if her debut as Manon essentially "replaced" her Gulnare.

6 minutes ago, abatt said:

Does anyone think that McKenzie is considering hiring Brooklyn Mack on a permanent basis? 

If Sterling Baca had stuck around, I bet he would be a leading contender for ABT principal.

I think the AD hiring Mack is a strong possibility. 

I disagree regarding Baca. Given what I saw of him in PA Ballet's Swan Lake, he wouldn't make it past soloist. Forster, Hoven, Royal have more all-around goods than he does.

2 minutes ago, AB'sMom said:

I guess that’s what I was trying to get at when I said there was a bottleneck. Corp members can’t leapfrog over the soloist position, but there are already plenty of male soloists. If none of them are promoted to principal then what happens? Can they just swell the ranks of male soloists for a few years?

I've been thinking about that too, and, I agree that there's a huge bottleneck. I'm sure they can't afford to swell the soloist ranks with many more. The only soloist who might have principal potential (maybe) is Royal. My personal opinion is that Forster does, but he's not being given the right opportunities that would demonstrate management thinks so too (no leads in the classics). So, how are they going to get around this bottleneck? Just wait for the current ones to retire, which will take years? Or, are they going to not renew a contract, or two, to get a few out of the way?

Separately, I'd be shocked if Bell isn't promoted this year. I wonder what will happen to Shayer.

Swan Lake's Purple von Rothbart's have now been cast, and as a first, no principals. Long time corps dancer, Jose Sebastian, gets a debut (2 shows). The rest are split amongst Forster, Hammoudi, Royal.

Cornejo has been replaced in Brahms-Haydn Variations and In the Upper Room. Prayers to the ballet gods that he’ll recover for Corsaire and his subsequent performances.

I was there Thursday night and what a fabulous evening!

First, Veronika Part was in the audience sitting close to me in the orchestra. I did a double-take. How fitting that I saw her right before On the Dnieper started. I’d have loved to known her thoughts.

I didn’t like Songs of Bukovina when it first premiered, but this time I loved it. I saw Boylston/Shayer (a last minute replacement for an injured Lendorf) two years ago and thought they were mismatched, though Shayer did a commendable job given the circumstances. Also I thought the choreography was too folksy, but not this time. Interesting. Thursday, Shevchenko/Royal were sublime - perfectly matched in strength and command with wonderful chemistry. Outstanding dancing from both. Williams and Bell were the soloist stand-outs, both with an increased level of confidence and overall level of dancing. 

On the Dnieper didn’t have the same intensity and punch as Gomes and Part brought to it, but I think their performances would be nearly impossible to match. I do love this ballet, and am so glad they brought it back. Forster was incredible. I’m so glad I saw him. Gorgeous dancing (what flexibility and those feet!), wonderful partnering, and his acting was intense. Why, oh why, isn’t this man doing a Siegfried this year????? He and Shevchenko would be perfect. Teuscher surprised me as Natalia. I didn’t doubt she’d dance well, but she’s so cool and her acting is usually so muted or nonexistent.  What she did here she should bring to her O/O which according to what i saw last year really needs to be taken up a notch. Hurlin was the “wow” of the evening. I wanted to specifically see her and Forster. I think Olga was an important debut for her. She’s shown for awhile that she has the technical/physical goods (beautiful, strong technique, lovely port de bras, comic ability, long arms/legs, beautiful feet), but here she demonstrated a dramatic intensity and instinct that combined with everything else should make her a no-brainer for O/O especially, plus Giselle, Juliet, and so on, in the next few years. Personally, I’m waiting impatiently for O/O (with Forster, Royal?). 

I am in agreement with what most everyone else has said about The Seasons. An incredibly, beautifully choreographed ballet. The lack of scenery is a problem, it’s obviously needed here. Some of the costumes are stunning and “work”, others make you scratch your head. Overall, it looks like they cleaned out the wardrobe inventory and just threw everything they found onstage. Er, no. However, it was a gift to see so much spectacular dancing from so many. Bell’s maturity and stage presence has significantly increased from last year; he dances like a soloist now. Williams was again a stand-out as was Hurlin, whirling around the stage at break-neck speed. Lane was perfect as Rose, and that “rose adagio” was wow! I thought Boylston was strong yet lovely as Corn (except those hands and port de bras, argh!) but she had some uncharacteristic fumbles at the end of multiple pirouettes. I was afraid she’d injured herself and that’s why she had difficulty, but thankfully that didn’t seem to be the case, because she continued on well afterwards. Trenary/Hoven as the Autumn leads didn’t seem to have enough to do. I think we can all be confident that this will return again in the Fall, and I will not miss it. Here’s hoping Ratmansky makes some adjustments (add some bloody scenery, please) that will make Mother Nature proud. (Couldn’t help it...!) 

Is anyone going? I’d be curious to hear how Klein and Maloney are as The Boy.

1 minute ago, abatt said:

Bingo.  You hit the nail on the head.  Ratmansky is powerful, and he does not permit his choreography  to be altered.

Which begs the question, why wasn't she re-cast sooner? Or better yet, why was she cast at all? She's appearing in enough already for "ticket sales", however, with the exception of  Swan Lake, none of her other shows sell out anyway (or are even close to as of right now), so that's why I doubt the purposeful bait and switch. It doesn't make sense.

2 minutes ago, California said:

I confess that when I first saw this information, I guessed that she just couldn't get the choreography and bailed. "Schedule conflict" is a more face-saving way to explain that than technical inability to do the steps (especially after the fouette embarrassment last year). Much of Ratmansky's choreography is fiendishly difficult -- the long series of hops on pointe, e.g. -- and a year or two ago, many on this board noted how much difficulty she was having with the steps. I doubt Ratmansky would have been happy letting her change/simplify his work. 

A "schedule conflict" is face-saving to some people, but clearly not to her fans and others who know full well that a scheduling conflict, if it is indeed that, is completely avoidable. Her posting this on her Instagram only two days before her originally scheduled show is disrespectful to her legions of fans, and clearly many of her fans don't check, or know to check, ABT's website for casting changes. As mentioned upthread, this recasting happened by May 14 at the latest. Sure, they still couldn't have gotten their money back for their tickets, but a week and half's notice is MUCH better than two days, allowing for people to at least change their travel plans for a long, holiday weekend (and maybe get a refund/credit for that).

I don't think I believe this was some marketing ploy by ABT, but they should have re-cast it sooner if it was decided the role was too much for her with everything else on her plate. As noted above, Princess Praline's choreography (like much of Ratmansky) is very difficult. Is it any wonder why she isn't appearing in any of his works this season, including his premiere? 

18 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

The recent pattern seems to be to simply use someone who is already cast. Lane can always be partnered by one of the taller men in the company, like when Stearns partnered her (I believe it was in Other Dances, filling in for Cornejo). 

Actually, Lane replaced Seo (if you're thinking of their fall season last year), and they kept Stearns in.

Hopefully, Cornejo will recover, but, as abatt already pointed out he is frequently injured, so I hope they have been rehearsing understudies just in case. As much as I'd hate to NOT see Cornejo, if he's out it could be a great opportunity for someone else (provided they are already being rehearsed and won't be thrown in last minute.) Would Simkin get his debut as Prince Desire? Or, Hoven, Scott, or Gonzalez? Des Grieux is another story......Let's hope it doesn't come to a replacement or Stearns getting a third/fourth performance.

Just now, fondoffouettes said:

They are celebrating it during the fall season. I can't find when, but I think it was mentioned in one of their e-newsletters.

OK, good. Thanks. I guess I missed that.

Also, speaking of Cornejo, this season marks his 20th anniversary, yet I see no date marked as his celebratory performance. Kinda crappy, no?