JuliaJ

Hurlin actually debuted O/O last Met season (a Wednesday matinee) and it was a big success with a glowing NYT review. So it does seem fitting she'd get a primetime spot along with other big debuts now.

They are are really betting on Like Water for Chocolate to succeed, with 12 performances. Seems very risky given how poorly their last big premiere (Of Love and Rage) sold. Like Water for Chocolate the book and movie aren't exactly in the cultural zeitgeist enough for this to be a guaranteed hit. Time will tell. I wish the season had more variety in four weeks, and it's pretty sad that this is what the Met season has come to. Hope all goes well regardless, and looking forward to June. Swan Queen Murphy getting the Wednesday matinee? Ouch. Not surprising given her age though. I guess there aren't a whole lot of performances to go around these days.

Yesterday was my first time seeing The Dream and while I found the set and costumes gorgeous, the lighting was way too dark (not helped by the uniformly green costumes that matched the background). Neither Gillian Murphy nor Herman Cornejo danced like 40+ year olds -- they were both wonderful. Cornejo's jumps in particular were fantastic, so weightless and bouncy, and possibly better than what I saw him do during the spring season. Agree with previous commenters about Camargo, who was excellent as Oberon and really fills up the stage. Tyler Maloney was hilarious as Bottom. I do like the Seasons despite its flaws and felt it held up well on a third viewing. Standouts were Chloe Misseldine (truly jaw dropping lines and elegance) and Sunmi Park in Winter, Zimmi Coker in Spring (how did Granlund get promoted before her??? Granlund is also great but Coker was the stronger Spring girl), and most of all Hurlin and Royal in fall. Was nice to see Carlos Gonzalez back, although he fudged the end of his solo as the Faun. ABT did a much better job with programming (and perhaps casting) this fall season than past Koch seasons, and the audience clearly showed their appreciation with a nearly sold-out house and standing ovations. Although I wish they would not allow infants and toddlers in the audience.

I was there. I have mixed feelings about Whipped Cream but by the finale I was convinced that it is indeed a good production. The costumes and sets are spectacular. Skylar Brandt was absolutely stellar as Princess Praline and I can't imagine anyone else doing this choreography so well (I never saw Sarah Lane in the role, for what it's worth). The crispness and polish she brings to her dancing is exquisite. Jonathan Klein was mostly wonderful as the Boy. Not always the smoothest partnering but the solos and acting were on point. His powerful turns à la seconde and then the jumps in the finale really brought the wow factor. Would like to see more of him in the future. Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal were lovely and well-casted as Tea Flower and Coffee. Both brought appropriate charm and a little seduction to the roles. Joseph Gorak danced Prince Cocoa and was in fine form. I find some of Ratmansky's Act I choreography frenetic and not very pretty, however. There are moments when it's hard to tell if the dancers are screwing up or if they are doing the choreography as intended. The choreography doesn't always go with the music, but I guess this is understandable given that much of the music sounds suboptimal for dance (despite being originally composed for ballet).

Pretty sure the blonde dancer was Quinn Starner: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjGx97fpxZM/?hl=en

I thought Phelan was regal and beautiful in Symphony in C. Sure, there is room for more depth but hopefully that will come with time. Partnering was mostly smooth although I didn't sense much of a "connection" between the two. Knight looks tailor made for these kinds of roles, so I hope they continue to give him opportunities even though he has a ways to go. I definitely choked up during the backwards falls. Furlan had a mostly successful debut in first movement; such an elegant presence and beautiful lines. Teensy struggles with the solo turns, however. Cainen Weber (in third movement) is definitely one to watch--HUGE airy jump and lots of charm. One of highlights for me was definitely Emily Kikta and Aaron Sanz in 4th movement, especially in his lines and the way she maintains seemingly effortless control and ease with the tricky choreography. The rest of the program (all from the fashion gala) was better than I expected. Did not care for "Playtime" although I liked Solange's jazzy music. Just could not get past the ugly silhouettes of the costumes, especially the grotesquely wide-hip pants on Harrison Coll. The choreography was forgettable. The sparkles and color scheme worked well on stage though. Really enjoyed the Abraham piece and felt it was a much better work than Gia Kourlas gave it credit for in her NYT review. Tiler Peck's contemporary-dance skills were utilized to great effect, and the overall fusion of dance styles (and to hip-hop music!) worked very well.

I don't think he's done any jumping-heavy ballets this season, and he usually gets cast in those.

A handful of Bouder's past best roles are coming up in the next few months... Dewdrop, Firebird, Donizetti, Aurora. Wonder what casting will look like.

I agree that putting on a full length ballet during the fall season is a great idea, although Whipped Cream does not appear to be selling well. That happened the last time they programmed it. Looks like the Dream/Seasons program is most popular as of now. I love most of the Ratmansky work I've seen but feel that Whipped Cream suffers greatly from lackluster music. I will give it another chance next week however, since I want to see the Brandt/Klein cast. It's weird that they didn't program this ballet as the discounted "family matinee" and chose the 10/30 Dream/Seasons show instead.

This article said that the company had pledged to "work to eliminate racial and ethnic stereotypes in ballet." That could have something to do with the decision to not put on WSS. Or maybe finding enough cast members with passable singing voices proved challenging. Or, they know Firebird is a dependable a box-office draw and are playing it safe for that reason.

That's great news about Firebird. Was not looking forward to West Side Story Suite on an otherwise solid program. The singing feels so awkward and out of place.

Based on those photos I don't think I've ever seen costumes more hideous than those of the Reisen ballet. And why anyone would put polka-dot leggings on Anthony Huxley for the solemn, pandemic-inspired "Solo" is beyond me. The Giles Deacon costumes are ok, but they look like they would be better suited for an exhibition in the Met Museum's costume gallery than for a ballet stage where one can't see the pattern details from afar. I bought a ticket for this program just for Symphony in C and am not looking forward to the other pieces, although the Abraham work sounds somewhat promising at least for a one-time viewing.

I thought that Peck and Gordon in Tchaikovsky pas de deux this afternoon were worth the price of admission alone. Peck has to be the standard bearer of this role. I aways feel so lucky to get to experience her dancing live and while she's still in top form. Gordon's debut was a huge success--so much personality and charisma that were well suited to the slight tongue-in-cheek nature of this ballet. I might even go as far as saying he's the overall best male dancer in the company right now in terms of classical technique, mastery of Balanchine style, and partnering. Truly the full package. Phelan and Gerrity were particularly breathtaking in Piano Pieces. And the corps looked a lot cleaner than when I saw this in the spring. This ballet doesn't make for the most epic of closers but the program ended on a joyous note. I also noticed the (minor) issues in Raymonda but overall thought it was an exciting and beautiful performance from LaFreniere and Chan, especially given the late substitution. At this point I would be thrilled to see Nadon in just about anything.

Agree with all of the above about last night. Excellent show all around. Watching Huxley's feather-light jumps and precise footwork is always a treat. Davide Riccardo looks like a real danseur noble and I hope to see him more. The only dancer who just didn't do it for me was Pazcoguin. She gets cast in dramatic roles from time to time and she's great as Anita in West Side Story, but I've often found her underpowered, including last night. Jared Angle's continued presence on the roster is a mystery. If Peter Walker is out of Raymonda, who will dance opposite LaFreniere? Huxley is too short. Gordon has done the role before, so I wouldn't be surprised if he steps in.

In addition to Hutsell, I see that Sean Suozzi and LaJeromeny Brown are also off the roster.