ABT Fan

If anyone sees Shevchenko’s and Bell’s debuts this week, please report. Though I’ll have the day off, I dont think I can stomach seeing Whiteside in this again.

I had quite a different take on last night's show. I bought a last minute ticket mainly to see Hallberg and Cirio, but I was curious to see Boylston's interpretation and how she and Hallberg faired together.

Though much of their dancing and technical elements were very good to incredible at times, I thought these two had no passion. And for R&J of all ballets, without passion it just doesn't fulfill. They liked each other, a lot, but I saw no burning love that bordered on dangerous; it made no sense that they were willing to die for each other and I was left empty. However, strictly dancing-wise they worked well together, had no partnering issues and had some really beautiful moments. They had better chemistry than I was expecting.  But, throughout the balcony and bedroom pas I kept picturing Lane/Cornejo and how their intense partnership would have torn up the stage leaving me in tears. 

Individually, Boylston's acting has definitely improved and her dancing was incredible. She played the part of a naïve young girl rather convincingly. But, when she met Paris she was just blank - did she like him, hate him, was she considering it? Who knew? When she was crying in Act I, I think it was, it looked fake and silly. Yet, in Act III when she gives in to her parents demands, she was quite heart-breaking in her pas with Paris and in her resolve. In the crypt when she wakes up and sees Romeo on the floor, there was no reaction. Did she think he was sleeping? Dead? Her "scream" was canned and not convincing. Boylston's dancing was better than her acting. She jumps and flies across the stage like a colt (no, I'm not calling her a horse...). She is incredibly strong yet more and more tempers that with an increasing lyricism. She was confident and at ease with all of the partnering, and she took impressively huge leaps into Hallberg's arms several times. 

Hallberg, the quintessential prince, was in full prince mode from the beginning to the end, and that's not a good thing. It bordered on posturing. He had no youthful impulse, no boyishness. He was Siegfried and Albrecht. Every reaction he had seemed studied, rehearsed. I have been a huge fan of his for years, but I did not like him as Romeo. He did this weird thing in Act I when he sat upstage facing the audience and stared out with ridiculously wide eyes, like he was trying to show the folks in the balcony the whites of his eyes. He danced really well, and his gorgeous lines were all there, and there seemed to be no hint of a recent injury; though he did have some trouble with some pirouettes early on. Hallberg does know how to work a cape and he used that to great effect in the balcony pas. 

The stars of the evening, for me, were the supporting cast.

Cirio was an incredible Mercutio. What a strong, secure technique he has and his stamina was such that I think he could dance this part 8x a week. He was charming and full of personality, though I agree that his death scene should look more organic. 

The biggest surprise was Forster as Tybalt. Wow. He stole every scene he was in. A fully committed, evil, menacing, commanding performance.

Royal was a terrific Benvolio. Teuscher was also surprising as Lady Capulet. Beautiful, natural acting though I thought her reaction to Juliet's "death" didn't register fully enough. 

Hurlin and McBride stood out amongst Juliet's friends, as did Paulina Waski who is now back fully dancing. She wasn't listed in the program for this role, so she must have been a last minute replacement for someone.

Added: I can never watch ABT in R&J without thinking of dear Freddie Franklin as Friar Lawrence. He would always get a huge welcoming applause when he appeared. He was such a gem.

Zimmi Coker, an apprentice that a few of us have noticed during the Met season, has been promoted to the corps along with a few of the other former apprentices. I noticed this in tonight's R&J program. The roster on the company's website hasn't been updated yet.

1 hour ago, angelica said:

Just a fleeting thought. Lane has danced O/O and Juliet elsewhere, with companies other than ABT. Perhaps having her learn Nikiya and Kitri is a way of ensuring that she now knows almost all the leading roles and can perform in any of them next and in future seasons. An all-around Principal.

I didn't realize she's done Juliet before. With which company?

I'm surprised no one has posted about the Hallberg/Boylston show. Did anyone attend?

I suggest orchestra G or M. G being best. Orherwise I think it gets too far away to see faces.

Bar Boulud across from Lincoln Center is excellent. Great food and service and they have a reasonably priced pre-theatre menu.

45 minutes ago, Inge said:

And I could be totally wrong, but is this Gabe Stone Shayer's debut as Mercutio? If I weren't going to Alvin Ailey on Fri, I would have bought tickets to the Seo/Stearns performance just to see him. 
 

Yes, his Met debut. He performed this first on tour a few months ago, I think that was in Detroit.

10 hours ago, Inge said:

Article (Kourlas, so it's very fluffy)  on Aran Bell's Romeo debut. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/arts/dance/aran-bell-romeo-and-juliet-american-ballet-theatre.html

Very bummed I'm going to miss this. While I haven't been particularly enamored of Bell's stage presence, his appearance in Harlequinade was notably more charismatic (perhaps a recent dose of confidence?) and most of the other casts are pretty unexciting. He looks great here. Not at all mismatched with the Teuscher, as I had initially feared. 

I was wondering...how many Romeos has ABT tried and dropped? Gorak and Hammoudi come to mind. 

He’s just 19! Which I think i knew, but gosh he’s so young.

I didn’t think that article was too fluffy, it discussed his schooling and his debut, not his favorite yogurt.

If anyone sees his debut, please report!

Arron Scott has replaced Jonathan Klein as The Boy in Whipped Cream for his two performances. Klein was replaced in this on tour months ago, so assuming he's injured, though he's been able to do a few simple corps roles the past few weeks.

I got an email advertising a flash sale for WC for 25% off. Not a great sign, but being scheduled the last week and during 4th of July doesn't help.

I was also at last night’s show and loved it! Or, loved many things about it. Yes, the storyline is thin and silly but i think there are many merits to this production. It was gorgeously done and the costumes are incredible. I especially liked the dresses on the Polonaise ladies. As others have noted, the heavy mime seemed either problematic or disinteresting to some. The people sitting in front of and around me kept turning and looking at their companions with expressions of what are we watching or why are we watching this? Those same people had very muted reactions during the applause and bows, but many in the house were very enthusiastic. 

I agree that the children’s section in Act II was way too long. They were adorable and very well rehearsed, but they repeated the same prancing steps over and over. Just when I thought it was ending it started all over again!

I did love the comedy and thought it was very well done to great effect. The entire cast was meticulously rehearsed and I agree that rehearsal time devoted to this ballet is probably the reason for the Bayadere mishaps and poor execution of last week. Lane was magnificent and handled the prickly choreography easily with grace, grandeur, beauty and sheer joy. Cirio was terrific and I thought he projected really well, though i was sitting up front. (I imagine Whiteside is perfect for this role.) He was fun and funny and I didn't see any partnering issues. He and Lane dont have the same chemistry as she does with Cornejo or even Simkin, but here I thought they worked well together. Abrera was so lovely and her role was a perfect fit with her humor and impeccable timing. She and Hallberg played off of each other really well. And, Hallberg! Who knew that this perfect prince could play such a sad and witty character. 

Despite the overly long children’s section, I enjoyed Harlequinade very much. Yet, I don't have the desire to buy a last minute ticket to see it again today before it closes. I think it could use editing/tweaking and may be better as a condensed one act ballet or as divertissements. The lark section was gorgeous and could certainly be shown as an excerpt. I don’t know if this ballet as it is has staying power and would attract enough ticket buyers (especially ones who saw it this year) if they repeated it again next season. 

Article in the Times about Abrera’s debut. Love how McKenzie blames her injury, which healed many years ago, for delaying her promotion.

Anyway, her 40th birthday is today!

https://nyti.ms/2kUVRhA?smid=nytcore-ios-share

So tragic.

1 hour ago, Helene said:

For those who are interested in why Froustey gave up the lifetime contract at POB, she speaks about this at length in this great interview.

What she had to say about the Concours was eye-opening. And, that the dancers threatened to strike because she was given a leading role when she was hired! 

That video of Dvorovenko is amazing.

I'm very excited to see Harlequinade as well. If I like it enough, I may go a second time (I have a feeling I will).

Anyone else find it odd that neither Macaulay nor anyone else at the Times reviewed Bayadere? Especially, given the fact that they had Kimin Kim and that there were multiple debuts.

3 hours ago, canbelto said:

Teuscher reminds me more of Michele Wiles, another KM favorite who was all of a sudden cast in everything regardless of actual suitability. Like Teuscher Wiles was tall and a strong technician. Her limitations in interpretation became worse, not better, the more she was cast. I hope Teuscher doesn't go the way of Wiles.

I agree completely.

1 hour ago, vipa said:

I might be overstating ABTFan but the basis for my thinking is that Trenary not only got Aurora in the Ratmansky SB but did opening night in Paris. Also, as you stated she was cast in Columbine in the original casting.

That makes sense and it's a good point.

1 hour ago, fondoffouettes said:

They are both young artists who’ve been given quite a few opportunities in recent years, but my sense (at least at this early stage of their careers) is that Trenary is a more fully developed artist, whereas Brandt goes for whiz-bang technical feats. Trenary has a certain ease, warmth and old-school glamour about her that I also find very compelling. 

Old-school glamour is a great way of describing Trenary. Brandt is a more modern American ballerina. Right now they are cast in mostly the same roles. I think in the future that may change. I can see Trenary doing Giselle, Juliet, Nikiya and Aurora of course, but not Brandt. Brandt is definitely a Kitri (Trenary too), Gamzatti, Medora (to me, she'd be great as an Act I Giselle, but I cannot picture her in Act II as a wili).

12 hours ago, vipa said:

Skylar is amazing but Trenary seems to be more favored by management.

I'm curious why you think so?

They both got a Gamzatti and Princess Praline this year, and Lead Maiden. Trenary was cast as Columbine in the original casting, then Brandt was put in to replace Copeland (maybe this is your reasoning, since Brandt wasn't cast in the first place?). Brandt was put in last year as Medora as a last minute sub (as was Shevchenko); not Trenary. Trenary did get SB a few years ago. I think they seem pretty aligned on roles and I could see them being promoted together, when that time comes. 

Tonight was a significantly better night than Wednesday, with a few exceptions.

First off, Kimim Kim - holy cow! From the moment he entered, before even taking a step, I knew this would be a different performance. He came charging out full throttle, energy through the roof, piercing eyes, full body alive and commanding. That's how you make an entrance fellas! His gravity-defying jumps coupled with amazing speed gives new meaning to "gasp-inducing". After his first solo in Act I, the audience was in such a frenzy that he had a bit of a laugh across his face while he took a long bow, as if he couldn't understand why the audience was going nuts. Surely he must be used to such a reaction? He is also a gifted actor and told Solor's story so clearly through beautiful mime with lovely nuances.

He and Seo were a gorgeous pair, and I was very surprised at how beautiful and technically proficient she was. I haven't seen her in a full-length lead in quite awhile, and given the bad reviews she often gets here, I had low expectations. She had no major issues and in fact handled most everything extremely well. She does excel at lyricism, so that suits her well in Nikiya. Her extensions were incredibly high and easy and there was no falling off of pointe that I saw anywhere. Her balances were short, however, especially during the one-handed ones with Kim. She nailed the scarf dance. Although she was dramatically engaging, I will say that the one thing missing was the soulfulness and total body commitment that Lane had. But, it was still an exquisite performance.

It's also been awhile since I've seen Murphy in a full-length, and, I hate to say it but her technique is quite diminished. She's been such an amazing and respected principal for so long, but age is a awful thing for a dancer. Her wealth of experience shows however, in how she carries herself and in her stage presence. I hope the younger ones are taking note of that. But, that is not enough for a technically demanding role. It's an interesting thing that her legs have remained incredibly strong for the most part, and flexible, but not her back and torso (she can still do a 180 degree penche arabesque but her upper body is further down). She looks quite different from the waist up compared with her lower body. Her arms kept losing shape especially during turns and you could see her shoulders creeping up time and again. She got through the Italian fouettes but she was clearly relying on the brute strength of her working leg to whip her up and around. She had more convincing success with the regular fouettes throwing in plenty of fast doubles. Despite her strong legs, her jump is diminished and her big jetes took everything she had. Dancing next to a really young Superman did her no favors. A better Gamzatti for Kim would have been Shevchenko. 

On to the corps and the Shades, who, thank the ballet gods, did much better than the other night. The D'Jampe dancers had it together for the most part and were led by Hurlin and Fang who did a great job. The Shades were far less shaky and more in sync. Surprisingly, Richardson was still taped as the first shade, followed by I think Wanye Qiao and then apprentice Zimmi Coker. I forgot to report that Coker was a standout the other night in all of the sections she was in, and tonight was no exception. She has great promise. Richardson was initially too quick to end the arabesques, again, but after a loop or so when I imagine she could see the other Shades, she finally got in sync. Once they were all in formation, the developes were much more solid. Still a bit of wobbling but nothing like the other night. Having Coker and McBride in that first row was a brilliant decision. They were so solid and both project really well. I really hope to see great things from both of them. 

I was so focused on the Shades (i.e. biting my nails) that I totally forgot about Lane and Shevchenko, so it was especially jarring to see 2 principals come out in the trio. And, by the way, their names were in the program so this was obviously not a last minute casting decision. The trio started out well, with Stephanie Williams seeming to hold her own, and then the solos started. Lane was gorgeous and secure till the hops in arabesque when she lost her footing half way through and had to stop and then start again. Shevchenko was terrific though had a bobble/awkward moment coming out of a turn. Williams' solo was an embarrassment. Her feet were sickled and turned inward in several places, she got "stuck" while trying to transition from one step to the next, and she even looked to lose her coordination. When those things weren't happening, her dancing was just poor.

Joey Gorak turned in another stellar Bronze Idol. Wow. Arron Scott was the head fakir, and though he did a fine job, he pales next to Shayer's wild and raw interpretation and tremendous jumps. Always good to see Zhurbin in an acting role, as the High Brahmin. He is superb.

Hallberg will be guesting with the Mariinsky July 12 and 20 at the White Nights Festival. I’m guessing that’s why he pulled out of Whipped Cream earlier in the month.

Those are some great photos.

13 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

There are currently at ABT three female soloists:  Luciana Paris, Cassandra Trenary and Skyler Brandt.  Luciana Paris is in Buenos Aires with a newborn baby on maternity leave.  Cassandra Trenary is recovering from a muscle injury..... Brandt has been one busy, busy girl since she also dances lead ballerina roles and just had one added to her plate:  Columbine in "Harlequinade".  

So ABT has had to dig into the corps de ballet.  Veteran neglected Ballet Talk favorite Zhong-Jing Fang is getting several solos - she could do more.  Melanie Hamrick is experienced and has danced solos before. Stephanie Williams is not one of my favorite dancers at ABT but is reliable in solos.  Catherine Hurlin is a major discovery this season who is moving ahead quickly - she is young and talented.  Katherine Williams is a veteran corps dancer who also is breaking into solo parts including major assignments like Myrtha in "Giselle".  April Giangeruso is another veteran corps girl who has been pressed into service sometimes in demanding solo parts like the Second Shade.  She can be variable - strong one day and then awkward the next day.  

Who else is out there in the corps?  Lauren Post and Anabel Katsnelson have emerged from the corps as a Wili and a Shade respectively.  Two of the stronger corps girls - both veterans - are Gemma Bond (reportedly on maternity leave) and Paulina Waski (back from injury and taking it easy).  Both are sidelined at a time when both could present themselves as candidates for promotion.  Kaho Ogawa has strong technique and could dance the Second or Third Shade solo.  Two corps girls whose names I have heard praised as potentially stunning up and comers but have done little or nothing in solo roles - Gisele Bethea and Scout Forsythe. 

Definitely, the very slim soloist roster is part of the problem. Brandt churned out 4 or was it 5 peasant pas in week one, before Lane was tapped to take on two. Understandably, Trenary has scaled back to heal; I wouldn't want her to miss her principal roles coming up. If Paris weren't out on maternity, she'd be doing Shades Trio, peasant pas and pas de trois and Mercedes, among others.

Waski being out injured is another hole; aside from missing her Myrta debut, I believe she'd also be cast in lot of soloist roles. Hurlin has taken up a lot to help out, but she, like Brandt, can only do so much.

I agree that Ogawa, Bethea, Forsythe seem capable of doing more. I'd also add McBride to that list. She has really strong technique (just needs to tone down her huge grin) and debuted one of principal leads last fall in Symphonic Variations. I do not think Post, Bond and Giangeruso can or should take on demi-or soloist roles (Giangeruso repeatedly under-delivers in soloist roles, in my opinion).

5 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I just today noticed that Fang is now listed for two performances of Mercedes/QofD in Don Q. Don’t think that was the case when that casting was originally posted.

She was cast a few weeks ago; she took two of the TBA's that had been on the calendar for quite awhile.

5 minutes ago, aurora said:

The Shades trio I saw weds was not a mess nor did other reports indicate they were. I'm not sure how this in any way fixes the Shades issue.

Both Cornejo and Simkin regularly (at least in the past, and long after being made principal) do soloist parts. As does Cirio.

By putting 2 principals in the Shades Trio, they remove two of the strongest corps dancers (who should be amongst the strongest) to be part of the overall Shades corps (if that is indeed what they're doing). Two may not be much, but given what I saw Wed night, they need help.

What soloist roles do Cornejo/Simkin regularly perform?

Did anyone attend last night? Who did the Shades Trio and how were the debuts of Boylston and Cirio (Cirio's debut at ABT)?

4 minutes ago, Fleurfairy said:

Just noticed on Sarah Lane's Instagram that she, Shev, and Stephanie Williams are performing the Shades Trio tonight. Kind of ridiculous that they needed to sub in two principal women for roles corps girls should/could be dancing. There really is no development or role experience in the pipeline right now, is there?

What? Just looked at that, too. That's ridiculous and insulting to Lane and Shevchenko (but, at least Lane isn't the only female principal still doing soloist work, as in peasant pas.)

Perhaps, as we've already seen this week, they've realized what a bit of a mess the corps has been and need to bring out the big guns.

I guess I'm glad I'll get to see Lane/Shev tonight. But, this is still ridiculous.

2 minutes ago, canbelto said:

During the opera season there is always this exquisitely dressed couple and the wife often wears big fancy hats and fascinators. There was even an article about them...

I love their sense of style but wouldn't want to be sitting directly behind them in the orchestra.

Not sure if it's the same couple, though they look like it, but I was a few rows directly behind them last year for Lane's Giselle debut, and she was wearing a much wider brimmed hat. Envision one you'd wear to a southern garden party.  I did what I've never done before and asked an usher to intervene to ask her to remove her hat (this was moments before the curtain). I couldn't believe that the usher defended her saying "you mean the couple who is here EVERY night? Hmsh.". He was not going to do anything about it, but thank heavens she removed her hat as the curtain rose. At least three other people near me were about to either remove it for her or chase down a house manager.