atm711

It sounds like Ovation is going the way of Bravo

I see it got a very good review (with a little swat at NYCB's R&J or should I say R+ J at the end)

There was also a swat at Veronika Part as Lady Capulet----"Lady Capulet was dully played by Veonika Part"---what is it with Macauley? he appears to be following her around in any role ready to pounce. I saw R&J at the dress rehearsal on Monday, and it was the first time I saw Part in the role of Lady C---and I must admit it was the first time I ever spent any time on that character in the ballet, and I couldn't get my eyes off of her. Perhaps I am reading it wrong---and dully doesn't mean what I think it means. The rehearsal was a real treat---there were 3 ballerinas alternating the role (Murphy, Herrera and Dvorevenko with Hallberg, Gomes and Carreno) After Murphy & Hallberg did the balcony scene, unannounced Gomes (in t-shirt and sweatpants) and Herrera repeated it--and burned up the stage...marvelous, I would love to see a complete performance from these two, but I already have two more R&J's this week.....

Alice Claire Rose---she sounds like a Princess already Best wishes to the happy family.

What could one not like about a musical with Weill's music and boasts lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, Bertolt Brecht, Howard Dietz, Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein II, Langston Hughes, Alan Jay Lerner, Ogden Nash, and Elmer Rice. It was in two acts; Act 1 the European years and Act 2, America. The first Act was the best and it gave me high hopes for the rest of the show. A highlight of this Act was a musical number "Schickelgruber" about the actual birth of Hitler performed in larger than life silhouette behind a white scrim. There was even a mention of his writing the score for 'Seven Deadly Sins', but Balanchine wasn't mentioned. Act 2 plodded along until the end with a beautiful rendition of September Song---talk about weeping at the theatre--oh, my. Michael Cerveris richly deserved his Tony nomination. Donna Murphy's voice, I thought, was too soprano for the lower ranged Lenya; while watching her I kept thinking that she looked like Danilova---same smallround face and lithe dancer's body and the accent was more Danilova than Lenya.

And if we think that Massine is a difficult choreographer to find, Helpmann is almost impossible.

I saw two of his works - "Miracle in the Gorbals" and "Hamlet"....of the two I liked his Hamlet best; it was hallucinatory. All the incidents of his life (out of context) were portrayed rapidly and Helpmann's usual histrionics as a performer were used to good advantage here.

Given the way the Ballets Russes was performing, looking tired and tattered by many accounts, and the completely different aesthetic of Ballet Society, Americans may have never seen a production as polished and "static-free" as Saddler's Wells's Sleeping Beauty.

All very true, Paul. The BR appeared to be operating on a shoestring--but Danilova more than compensated, and not too many people saw Ballet Society--but, you fail to mention the giant of the times, Ballet Theatre. And what a wonderful Company they were, at that time. I often 'rue-the-day' when the English and Russians invaded us with their full evening classics. Of course, I am as guilty as anyone, I flock to see them. But we lost so much when we started imitating the European repertoire.

It's enough to have the Priest on the altar reprimanding us for leaving as soon as he says---'the Mass is ended, go in peace.....'. I don't need a guilt trip from going to the ballet.

Ah--g-g-! I just read Gottlieb's review. He really hits many bases...he starts off by saying how his life was changed by seeing the Sadlers Wells production of SB in 1949 with Fonteyn. (I still look very fondly back on that performance, but MY life certainly wasn't changed---I don't know what kind of ballet he was watching at the time, but Font eyn had a lot of competition in NYC--(i.e.); Alonso, Markova, Danilova and the young Tallchief.) He then goes on to write of Veronika Part's "relentless smile pasted on her face"--and finishes up with a reference to the "misguided" Kirov restoration. His favorite is Petrer Martins version.....I shall swear off paid critics for the rest of ABT's season.

[From Tuesday, June 5 Links]

I do have to disagree that the ballet of The Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale, in the traditional sence. It is an allegory, and a mythic one at that

For me, it is still my beloved fairy tale and and I find much is lost if one tries to read too much into it...I quote below a small section of an essay written by Tamara Karsavina about her first appearance in SB as a child...

"In fact, the story of 'The Sleeping Beauty' has still the same enchantment for me now as in those far-off days before I knew of all the erudition that both it and Perrault's other tales have given rise to. What do I care that in half a hundred countries spinning at certain times of year was an evil omen and was even at those times forbidden; or that the story had its counterpart in Moldavian, Hindu, German and other folk-lore? What does it matter to me that scholiasts would turn the whole bewitching fairy-tale into a kind of glorified weather report--the Princess, the Spring, falling into a deep hibernal sleep; the Prince, the Sun, piercing through the darkness of winter and awakening to life the light and love and happiness of Spring? To me it is still the dear old simple fairy story which I loved as a child in Perrault's homely narrative and which I saw come to life that evening long ago when, drinking in the inspiration of Tchaikovsky's music and intuitively aware of the multiple glory of Petipa's masterpiece, I waited in the wings, a scared but ambitious imp, bursting to astonish the world with my hair-raising leaps." (Sleeping Beauty, 1949 Morrison & Gibb Ltd.)

Ah, well--now we know it---Mr. Macauley is not perfect..... I would guess he still prefers the English style ballerina in SB and a motherly Lilac Fairy (still reminiscing about Beryl Grey?)...

I hope this performance will allow Veronika Part's naysayers to calm down (I was almost hoping to see McKenzie anoint her as Ballerina at the end of the performance---ala Nureyev and Guillem?)

That said---I liked the production. I was with my daughter-in-law who was seeing her first Sleeping Beauty, and she was overwhelmed; her enthusiasm might have influenced me. The production felt like a Sleeping Beauty in miniature and it had (for the first time?) the feeling of a fairy tale. The entrance of the fairies in the Prologue was magical---each came on separately held aloft in a lyric backward tilt by their cavalier. This SB strikes me as a money maker for ABT--ala NYCB's Nutcracker. (great 'family' entertainment). For the purists out there (including me!) hope for the Kirov to restore their restoration

After reading Dunning's article in the Times today I can only hope that Kirkland doen't overemphasize the character of Aurora to the detriment of the ballerina.....I would feel better if she admonished them to 'just dance' All this overanalysis---it's not Medea.

The recent reunion of ABT dancers has me wishing for a similar film on ABT...perhaps we can start a movement

I loved that photo of Annabelle Lyon--a much revered dancer for her portrayal as the younger sister in "Pillar of Fire"--a performance, alas, I missed by a few years. It's too bad all the dancers in the group photo were not identified.

Is it possible Kent could be the backup if it is decided Part won't perform opening night?

All this "will she or won't she" talk is most depressing......it seems she cannot be forgiven for her Gala slip up.....There is no ABT ballerina I would rather see tomorrow night as Aurora....(I saw Vishneva in the Kirov restoration )

Slavenska was worth the price of admission. Oh, my.

Dirac, your 'oh my' is putting it mildly. She was the most unlikely Giselle I have ever seen---only caught it once, but it never left me She never gave up her glamorous image, not even for Giselle. Her flaming red hair and blindingly white tutu upon her resurrection was a sight not to be missed. The tutu glittered with tiny rhinestones, and the vee-neck of the off-the-shoulder bodice appeared to go down to the navel (I am sure it didn't, but that was the impression)...

Re: Franklin not liking Balanchine much---one needs to remember that Franklin was a Massine dancer.

As much as I looked forward to my beloved Ananiashvilli---the vision of Part was very much in my head...she embodied the role. The chemistry was missing between Carreno and A.---perhaps these 'quickie' performances (only twice this season?) don't leave too much time for that. But, since A,s last season with ABT the Company has made great strides in its ballerina quotient. I hope A's Swan Lake will still hold the magic for me; although I don't particularly like her pairing with Corella---can't they give her Gomes???

I am still incredulous that after two breathtaking Nikiya's---Part is still doing corphee roles.......and Hee Seo was incomparable in the variation---further proof that Part should only be doing ballerina roles

Where do ballet fans go after the performance?

I take the #1 train to South Ferry and hope I make my connection to the Staten Island Ferry...

I saw Danilova and Franklin many times in Night Shadow, and I can assure you I never saw her carry him while on pointe She was very close to the exit when he was placed in her arms; she disappeared into the wings and what I could see from my usual seat (in the 2nd balcony of the City Center) was a candle light rising up a staircase through the small windows of the set.....

This is in the same category as Fonteyn's first SB in NYC...some claim (among them Robert Helpmann!) that during the Rose Adagio she never took the hand of the fourth prince...I did not see this---and the group of ballet Standees I was with would never have missed it......

Another Brava for Veronika She has added another feather to her cap after her Myrtha and Odette. She is simply beautiful to watch and her emotions, I felt, were never overdone. She embodied the agony and melancholy of Nikia and I could not ask for more. Wiles, although a fine technician ( who can spin like a top) did not grasp the character of Gamzatti who should not come off as a sweet girl. Misty Copeland, Adrienne Schulte and Hee Seo as the three Shades can all be proud of their performances; but Hee Seo stood out for me, perhaps because it is my favorite variation. The Corps was impressive in the Shades scene, but I thought the lighting could be more subdued to add to the sense of mystery. Gomes was in great form; I loved his very first entrance--he bounded on the stage and he had the spring in his step like one on a trampoline.---now I look forward to Monday and Nina.

I found most of these comments about Part most distressing......as Swan Lake is not about 32 fouettes, Sleeping Beauty is not all Rose Adagio.....all comments of her future status in the Company should be on hold until the end of the season. I can only imagine how crushing these comments must be to an artist as sensitive as Part....

Even at the time, however, there was a lot of implicit class snobbery at the school I went to (SAB),

You're writing about the 1980's, Ray---and I felt the same thing in the late 1940's. In my teens, I also worked to pay for classes. It's the reason I never stayed at SAB; preferring the many excellent small studios in NYC.

I have a solution for Peter Martins redemption----next year is the 100th anniversary of Antony Tudor's birth...perhaps he can chuck this apparent mess and revive Tudor's R&J---with truly Renaissance decor.... ----forgive me for feeling a bit smug this morning---after the Kirkeby Swan Lake I knew I could not see another of his productions and I did not buy a ticket.....

For those in NYC---the NYPL has them all on tape.

I suppose this is what Balanchine meant when he said his ballets would look different after he was gone. I am glad that you saw the complete ballet, Pamela---I guess from my perspective it was better than not seeing it. If you really want to see what 'Diamonds' should look like, you can still find a copy of Farrell's performance at Amazon.

I phoned in my order for 3 performances. Fairly good seats---mid-mezzanine Row A. Price is a bit steep for that location. ($75.)