GB1216

I’m currently stuck on the east side and can’t get crosstown because of an issue on 57th street and a parade on fifth.  Odds are going to be missing PC2 at this rate and was so looking forward to it! Hopefully will get there in time for the other two.  The city is a mess! 

I hope that Alexa Maxwell got an opportunity to be coached by Allegra as well.  I’ll be seeing her at the Sunday matinee and am very curious. She’s certainly coming into her own, but I would not have pegged her for the sleepwalker off the bat.

47 minutes ago, sarasr said:

I don't know if he was there. Obviously Anthony Huxley was great but for dramatic storyline's sake imagine if Roman did opening night lol. 

I did see Roman there.  He was in the first ring where some of the dancers were standing to watch the performance.  Miriam Miller, jovani furlan and Gilbert bolden were also there. 

What a fantastic night at the ballet.  My friend and I were both star struck the whole night.  We were sitting in the rear first ring near Lauren lovette, Robbie Fairchild, Christopher Wheeldon, Kathryn Morgan and a host of current dancers who were standing in the back to watch the performances.  It felt like a who’s who of the dance world!

I have only ever seen abi Stafford in emeralds (twice) so it was a treat to see Indiana’s debut.  She was as lovely as ever I felt.

rubies was fantastic - Megan fairchild is so sassy and I’m here for it, while Mira nadon just keeps getting more and more amazing each time I see her.

and diamonds. Sigh.  I could watch this ballet over and over again.  Sara mearns was full on and it was so breathtaking.

a night to remember! 

1 hour ago, pirouette said:

"MUSICIANS OF THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET ORCHESTRA TO RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT IN FRONT OF LINCOLN CENTER ON OPENING NIGHT" — full post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxI2Cr7OtZ0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

I really hope they come to an agreement prior to this. Selfishly, I have tickets for opening night and it can’t be the same with canned music.  

Loved, loved, loved tonight’s performance of Giselle.  The only other time I’ve seen it was with boylston/whiteside, but seeing it now with Brandt/Cornejo really took it to another level for me.  
 

Jake Roxander was outstanding in the peasant pas - he knew he totally rocked it and the audience loved it.

I’m so excited - got tickets for the July 5th Gisele with Brandt and Cornejo.  Can’t wait to see her interpretation.

1 hour ago, nanushka said:

April 24, according to the ABT website.

Thank you! 

I can’t find anything online but do we know when single performance tickets go on sale? I’m looking online and can’t find anything.  I want to grab skylar Brandt’s giselle on 7/5.

I was there last night as well, and agree with @vipa.  Overall I did enjoy it but I came out of the first act feeling like - well they made it through. All of the fairies were debuts so I wonder if that had something to do with it too.  

I do find that I just don’t love PM’s choreography as some commenters have mentioned. It felt so fast and almost as if it were super technical for technicalities sake? I don’t know if that make sense.

for me, I enjoyed Emilie Gerrity the most.  She had beautiful arms and her movements felt very grand.  I would love to see her again as she progresses in the role. 

Did anyone see Indiana the last time SB ran?   I have tickets for Friday the 17th when she’s cast with huxley.

I’m in advertising/marketing and while I agree with the assessments above my guess is that budget is an issue.  To put together a shoot is exceedingly more expensive than an animated spot.  Considering all the budget issues of the last few years, lots of things had to be cut and marketing was absolutely one of them.  Compared to the older sleeping beauty spot which was fabulous this one was done at probably less than half the cost while also trying to preserve funds for a media buy.

Now could there have been a way to incorporate some animated point work from the rose? Probably.  I’m sure it was considered but for whatever reason scrapped.

They are probably taking it from the annual Broadway miscast concert where performers play opposite their usual roles.  For example, one year Jonathan groff did the role of Carrie from a chorus line and another group of men did cell block tango from Chicago.

I was at the performance at 1pm this past Sunday - friends had gotten tickets for the fourth ring and someone dropped out so I came along.  I saw Megan Fairchild and she was just as sparkly and fairly like as the article claims at the end.  Highly enjoyed her dancing and all the beats she took with the children onstage.  
 

The program insert for replacements was realllyyyyyy long for that performance (party scene, marzipan, hot chocolate, Marie, mother ginger, and more) but everyone came off with aplomb.  I was looking forward to seeing India bradley as the lead marzipan shepherdess, but she was replaced by Emma von enck who was great.

I’ve been wondering about Megan lecrone lately.  Is it it me or she doesn’t seem to be cast much under Stafford/Whelan? I remember listening to her conversations on dance podcast, and she identified very strongly as a Peter martins dancer - more so than Balanchine.

44 minutes ago, vipa said:Someone who just wants to take their kids to see The Nutcracker, is not going to start hunting around like that for more affordable tickets.

So true.  Or be willing to truck into the city midweek on a school night unless they live in Manhattan.  For the bridge and tunnel crowd with kids it’s all about the weekends and the matinees specifically.

So true regarding ticket prices.  My best friend and I always have gone to see the nutcracker as a holiday tradition and this year we decided to forgo due to the prices.  It’s hard to justify when I’ve seen it so many times previously. 

I have tickets for the 29th eve and thought I was seeing duo concertant until I saw that random notice about Tchai pas.  All good but I think they definitely could have found a way to make it more clear to the buyer. I saw tiler peck is doing it on the 24th but I guess not the 29th.  So curious who it will be! 

On 6/5/2022 at 12:08 PM, abatt said:

The award for ugliest production sets and costumes  goes to NYCB's Swan Lake.  ABT's sets and costumes are fine with me. 

Agreed.  I’ve seen both NYCB and ABT’s productions, and while ABT’s has some flaws, I INFINITELY prefer it over NYCB SL.

4 hours ago, MarzipanShepherdess said:I don't love the Martins Swan Lake but I'd really love to see Isabella do Odette/Odile, after that performance. 

 

Please a new swan lake to NYCB!!!!

I have seen Abi Stafford dance twice - both times in Emeralds as the opening night cast.  This was obviously pre-pandemic, and even then she wasn’t dancing that much.  She was lovely, but she was cast so little that at the time I remember thinking - is emeralds the only thing she does? It is obvious the last 5-7 years of her dancing career were fraught with things, and perhaps even before that given her article regarding anxiety.  I am not a dancer but just a fan.  I’m in a corporate job and have dealt with reorgs, displacements, team overhauls, etc.  If I sued every company that caused me emotional distress, I’d be well and truly retired living well before 40.

More than anything this article just saddened me.  I think the art form is such a tough business in general, and then to add family on top of it, further tangles an already complex web. 

11 hours ago, canbelto said:

The whole Bouder situation is very strange. There have been six farewells and Bouder hasn't attended any of them. Some of the people (like Gonzalo) she danced with for years and she used to be close to Lauren Lovette judging by social media. IDK what happened to her. 

Agreed on this.  She has been so quiet.  We know she was injured - I think she had a scooter at one point.  Who knows! Injuries can be a mental game as well.  

Isn’t Shelby Mann the daughter of charlotte d’amboise and Terrence Mann? Quite the ballet lineage there!!! 

I can’t help but wonder how Mary Elizabeth Sell and Jenelle Menzi feel.  They are such long standing corps members.  You have to assume that they know the plan for themselves in the company after this long.