Just returned from the Met. This is only my second full length ballet, and nearly all of what I know is based on Youtube and what I've read on here, so bear with me.
I chose the Part / Stearns cast based on recommendations on here. Part was excellent and the audience loved her. Stearns, except for a brief moment during the pas de deux, seemed to just be "there". I never got the feeling that these two were in love. When she jumps into the lake and he jumps in after her, I couldn't help but wonder Why?
Rothbart the human was played by Vasiliev and the beast by Roman Zhurbin, both of whom were a treat to watch. Vasiliev had a great stage presence, albeit without the acrobatics that he's famous for. And I really liked Zhurbin. I'd rather they let him do both versions of Rothbart and let Vasiliev do Siegfried. Incidentally, at the end of act three when there's an explosion and he turns back into the beast, it happens so quickly and is so dimly lit that if you're not familiar with this version, you'd really have no idea what happened.
The pas de trois was great, led by Sascha Radetsky, as were the four swans (not sure what that part is called). And the two guys doing the Neapolitan dance were great as well. And the group swan scenes were impressive. Aside from the the above, the Rothbart scenes, parts of the pas de deux and some of Odette's scenes, I found my mind wandering.
To my surprise, having looked forward to this night for quite a while, I found I actually enjoyed Don Quixote with Cornejo and Reyes more. Though it is certainly sillier, I found it wowing me again and again, something I only felt a couple of times tonight.
Now I'm debating whether to spend the money for Sleeping Beauty and, if so, with which cast.