Helene

From Guillaume Cote:

From PNB, via Bloch:

The casts of "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" and "West Side Story Suite" last night were dominated by sensational debuts, but I'll start with the beautiful dancing of Sarah Ricard Orza and Seth Orza in Christopher Wheeldon's remarkable distillation "Carousel (A Dance)". Neither Orza was new to his or her role, but this is the first time they've danced it together, and they are one of those rare married dancing couples who are moving and magic together. (PNB is lucky to have more than one.) It is amazing that this was her debut, because Lindsi Dec was made for Showgirl: those long, amazing legs and the way she uses them, a visible delight in being bad , and a stage presence -- a character presence -- that gave notice to her Hoofer: Go Big or Go Home. And boy, is that ever what Steven Loch did: if there was ever a Hoofer for whom the slug from the liquor bottle before the central pas was ceremonial rather than fortifying, it is he. With a dose of Rat Pack swagger, every last stage moment was brilliantly accounted for and seamlessly portrayed, and he and Dec smoldered. It took me all intermission to stop squeeing. Peter Boal needs to destroy the evidence, or one of those ballet-turned-Broadway choreographers that are so hot right now is going to steal him. And her. In "West Side Story Suite," Noelani Pantastico dominated the stage, and she did it not only in the "America" scene, but in the big group numbers. She was on fire, as strong and distinctive as any dancer I've ever seen on Broadway: she owned those scenes. And she had formidable competition for the eye's attention, with James Moore spectacular as Riff in his debut -- the knife fight between him and Batkhurel Bold's Bernardo was throat-grabbing -- and an uncredited Elle Macy as his partner, but there was an added element: Bold, reprising his role, lit up like the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree when he was dancing with Pantastico. After many Princes over the years, he's the go-to guy for the glowering Tybalts, and Bernardo is no exception. But in "Dance at the Gym," for a few short moments, Bernardo wasn't the gang leader swaggering and protecting his turf or showing off his property: Anita was the love of his life, and in that brief glimpse, he was a teenager at high school dance, with a future ahead of him. Benjamin Griffiths debuted as Tony, and his was a multi-layered performance. A veteran of many Benvolios, he was as at home being a member of the gang as he was as the ecstatic, in-love Tony, the sudden avenger of Riff, and the heartbroken killer. Nicole Rizzitano performed her first Rosalia and was charmingly optimistic and impervious to insult, and she has a lovely voice. Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan danced her first Maria. She was lovely, but the challenge is to be sweet without getting on everyone's nerves. Even in the movie and play versions I've seen, she has no moxie until the very end. In the "Boy Like That" scene (not in WSSS), where a girl with a thumbnail of temperament after hearing Anita exclaim "A boy who kills, cannot love" would have slapped her in the head and yelled, "Listen to yourself: you're describing my brother!," but instead she sings the insipidly apologetic and cringeworthy "I Have a Love." She only snaps out of it after Tony's death, when she picks up a gun and scares the life out of everyone. But Maria doesn't even get that in "West Side Story Suite": it ends with prolonged and saccharine dream scene in which every agrees to just get along. As if. That's not my only beef with "West Side Story Suite:" All season long, in Q&A after Q&A, the dancers have been talking about the singing and the auditions. Noelani Pantastico, in last night's Q&A, said that she started to work on it last August. While it's interesting to see what the dancers we've known for so long will do when challenged that way, I just don't see how it is worth so much energy, focus, and anxiety for the soloists. It would have been just as striking leaving the singing for the "Somewhere Ballet" at the end (if it must be there). Dancers have enough to worry about, and Eric Neuville, singing "Something's Coming" from the pit, sounded gorgeous, leaving Griffiths to his dancing and portrayal. In my opinion, there are enough dance challenges out there to be stressed over.

And, finally, from the same email, these are links to the spreadsheets with full casts for both weeks -- as always, subject to change -- and Principal casting matches what I captured from the website last week. Week 1: Rep 5 performance casting week 1.pdf Week 2: Rep 5 performance casting week 2.pdf According to the extended casting, there is a surprise in one of the "Gangster" casts

From the same email, as of today (subject to change): POST-PERFORMANCE Q&A Rep 5 Lecture Hall (Wardrobe level) Friday 14-Apr eve Lesley Rausch Saturday 15-Apr mat Margaret Mullin Saturday 15-Apr eve Noelani Pantastico Thursday 20-Apr eve Nicole Rizzitano Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan Friday 21-Apr eve Seth Orza Saturday 22-Apr eve Benjamin Griffiths Ezra Thomson Sunday 23-Apr mat James Moore Link to downloadable .pdf: Post-performance Q&A Rep 5.pdf

Peter Boals email for "Ballet on Broadway" (emphasis mine): Dear Friends, We are Broadway bound this week. The sounds of tough talk, tap shoes and song can be heard everywhere, and we can’t wait to lift the curtain for you tomorrow night. Here are a few fun facts you may not know: · You’ll see three film clips, one before each of the ballets. There are a few familiar faces in each. Watch for a young Jacques d’Amboise in Carousel, Eddie Albert in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and Rita Moreno and Natalie Wood in West Side Story. · Each of the works on this program has extensive scenic elements and costuming. Backstage we have 2 quick-change booths, 8 dressers, 5 people on call for costume maintenance and a crew of 24! · Christopher Wheeldon has worked on Broadway twice. He choreographed Sweet Smell of Success in 2002. Unfortunately the show was not much of a success. Quite the opposite for An American in Paris, which earned Chris a Tony Award in 2015. The show comes to the Paramount next month and some of the cast will be joining us in Company class while they’re in town. · We have three hoofers in Slaughter. Seth Orza is returning to the role he danced in 2009. Steven Loch and Miles Pertl will make their debuts. Steven started tapping at age 5. Miles Pertl grew up Irish step dancing (in Georgetown, Seattle!), which seems to translate well into tap dancing. You’ll also see impressive tapping from our bartenders. · When Jerome Robbins created West Side Story Suite for NYCB in 1995, he supplemented the cast with a few Broadway singers. Rosalia was played by Kristen Chenowith. · Former NYCB principal Jenifer Ringer staged WSSS along with Robert LaFosse. During Jenny’s singing audition for Jerome Robbins, she sang I’m a Little Teapot. Must have been pretty good because she was chosen for Anita. See you on Broadway! Peter

I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

My favorite part of the Robbins centennial celebrations is the revival of "The Cage." The Bolshoi just performed it for its modern HD transmission program. I'm so glad SFB has chosen it for its all-Robbins program.

Rebecca King and Michael Sean Breeden interviewed Patricia Barker for their podcast, "Conversations on Dance." http://tendusunderapalmtree.com/41-patricia-barker-artistic-director-grand-rapids-ballet/

#1stballerinaproblems

I was always when I visited San Francisco and saw her cast. I've loved her in everything I've seen her in.

Brooklyn Mack has been nominated for the Benois de la dance Prize for 2017 in the male dancer category for his performances of the lead in "Theme and Variations" with Washington Ballet: http://benois.theatre.ru/english/massmedia/news/ Congratulations to Mr. Mack

Congratulations to all three

Congratulations to Ms. Trenary

All over the map

I usually get caught up in a loop when I try.

Many thanks for the heads up, seattle_dancer! Here's the link to the downloadable spreadsheet with both weeks casting: PNB Ballet on Broadway Weeks 1 and 2 Apr 17.xlsx I'll be sorry to miss the Saturday night performance; that night Belen Maya is performing her Romnia show at the Rainier Arts Center that evening.

A lovely tweet and photo by Guillaume Cote:

NYers, please post about this .

Here is the link to the downloadable spreadsheet with Week 1 casting as of day (subject to change): PNB Ballet on Broadway Week 1 6 Apr 17.xlsx On opening night, Angelica Generosa and Margaret Mullin debut as Maria and Rosalia in "West Side Story Suite." In the Saturday matinee performance, Elizabeth Murphy makes her debut in "Carousel (A Dance)," partnered by Jerome Tisserand. In the Saturday evening performance, Lindsi Dec and Steven Loch debut as Striptease Girl and Hoofer in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," and Benjamin Griffiths (Tony), James Moore (Riff), Noelani Pantastico (Anita), Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan (Maria), and Nicole Rizzitano (Rosalia) all debut in "West Side Story Suite."

Just got a heads up that casting for week one is up, with debuts in each ballet!: https://www.pnb.org/season/16-17/broadway/ Spreadsheet to come later today.

Like with most of their interviews, I wish this one was longer. He's a delightful interviewee.

Casting for first weekend won't be out until next week, but PNB posted to Facebook that Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz will be "reprising their roles of Anita and Bernardo in "West Side Story Suite:" They are not paired nearly enough. They've been stunning together in "Petite Mort" and as both Kitri and Basilio and Mercedes and Espada in the Ratmansky "Don Quixote."

Before he became an iconic dancer in the Paul Taylor Dance Company, SAB-trained Patrick Corbin danced with Washington Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, ABT II, and Joffrey Ballet. He's both a repetiteur for Taylor's choreography and now is an Assistant Professor of Practice at USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. He was recently in Miami staging "Arden Court," and Rebecca King and Michael Sean Breeden interviewed him in person for their podcast "Conversations on Dance": http://tendusunderapalmtree.com/patrick-corbin-uscs-glorya-kaufman-school-dance/

I thought the Tudor was postponed (or "postponed") for so long so that it's like "Cotillon": no one remembers it enough to revive the whole thing.