oberon

Did Merrill Ashley ever dance Dewdrop and does anyone have a recollection of her in the role? She was my first SPF, with Colleen Neary as Dewdrop. Later I saw Heather Watts do it as part of an all-Tchaikovsky evening. I regret that I only started going to lots of NUTCRACKERS seven years ago, so I missed such people as Kirkland and Calegari... When I first started going to NYCB, Marnee Morris & Colleen Neary were my pet dancers...wish I had seen Marnee dance it! Margaret Tracey was another dancer who made a nice impression as Dewdrop.

carbro, I had basically the same idea...like richard, curiosity as to how it will be done is prompting me to go...

Maybe they are all going to appear in the finale...they have 8 cavaliers for the 5 SPFs, 2 Dewdrops and the Marzipan...I get the feeling that somehow they will all be onstage together, though I can't imagine how it will be done. So...I have to go, if only out of curiosity. Also in the final NUTCRACKER week, Golbin has two Arabians...both at times that I can't go!

Well, do you recall when Domingo & Pavarotti both sang Manrico is the Act III scene from TROVATORE on a Met telecast? They sang "Di quella pira" together. How many ballerinas will get to ride on that metal plate that night? And why so many cavaliers? Yes, it's a gimmick but why shouldn't they have some fun at the end of their long NUTCRACKER run? I have visions of 400 girls in Waltz of the Flowers, with colliding Dewdrops...it would have been really fun to have Peter play Drosselmeyer that night, Merrill Ashley & Jean-Pierre Frohlich as the Stahlbaums...

Check out the casting for 12/30, the 50th Anniversary performance of the Balanchine NUTCRACKER...something like 5 SPFs, 7 cavaliers, and 2 Dewdrops! How are they going to do this????? Will they all dance at once? Take turns? I thought I was Nutcrackered out but I might have to see this!

Who owns the rights to these videos? It would be wonderful to have them released commercially!! Or is that asking too much? So many things from various opera archives are coming out on DVD...there must be alot of balletic treasures buried in libraries and private collections.

I was fortunate to have seen Tebaldi many times, starting in 1966 when the new Met opened. She was in a class by herself, so regal and at the same time so feminine. By the mid-60s her top register was rather touch-and-go and the voice had become huge and extremely resonant in the chest register which gave an extra emotional wallop to such roles as Maddalena, Gioconda, Tosca and Minnie in FANCIULLA DEL WEST. In one of her last Met roles, she proved a charming comedienne in FALSTAFF. I will always remember, as a young & eager fan, meeting her in her dressing room where she received people like a benevolent queen and spoke in her soft, intimate voice greeting each person specially and making you feel that she was honored that you came to her performance. I have some lovely photos that I took in those days, she was wonderfully photogenic and very generous with her time - after a tiring performance - signing programmes and being photographed. Her voice, so warm & powerful, will never be matched. And her personality was both larger-than-life and extraordinarily human.

December 19 @ 5:00 Packed house; the orchestra under Kaplow wasn't quite as precise as under Quinn earlier. Yvonne Borree danced her opening solo gracefully. She and Sebastian Marcovici were not always in perfect unison in the adagio though they brought off some nice passages. Miranda Weese was a captivating Dewdrop...no one can linger on a balance like Miranda, yet she keeps everything flowing with the music. She seems to become more beautiful as time goes by. Daniel Ulbricht nearly stole the show with his buoyant Candy Cane, Ellen Bar was a glamourous Arabian - with a fine air of mystery - and Austin Laurent's mercurial Tea was very good. Carrie Lee Riggins, she of the million dollar smile (to say nothing of her pale, alluring eyes) danced the Marzipan solo with charm & dazzle, then showed off her airy jump in the finale. Saskia Beskow is just plain gorgeous and her Spanish cavalier, Jon Stafford, brought off a very clean triple turn in the air at the climax of their dance. Most gardens cannot boast flowers as striking as Melissa Barak and Pauline Golbin - the latter, whom I have loved since I first laid eyes on her, is a dancer I can't take my eyes off. Why she does not get more opportunities to shine is beyond my comprehension. Adam Hendrickson is the best Drosselmeyer I have seen - he uses his hands so well and creates a darkish but not sinister character. He didn't use a screwdriver to fix the Nutcracker: just a good dose of magic. There were many unnannounced cast changes in smaller roles...Carla Korbes & Tyler Angle among the parents, Jessica Flynn as the Grandmother, Faye Arthurs in Snow corps & Marzipan back-up. And unexpectedly, Elizabeth Walker turned up in the finale as one of the Chinese girls. Dena Abergal made a very attractive Frau Stahlbaum and Steven Lobman repeated his naughty Fritz...the perfect imp.

There are two possible balance moments for the SPF in the adagio...one after her "ride" on the metal plate, which is usually not sustained, and the big one at the very end when the cavalier has brought her down to the front...she does these supported quarter turns, she and the cavalier changing supporting hands after each, then he brings her around to the final arabesque in profile. He slowly goes down on one knee and then she lets go and (hopefully) holds her pose. Jenifer Ringer adds a nice touch here, she seems to elongate the arabesque as he lets go. God knows how she does it. The balance inevitably creates a wave of applause which obliterates the remaining bars of music. I believe there was a link posted here earlier where Kowroski & Askegard talked about the difficulties of this pas de deux...there are the wrist catches, the shoulder sits, the backbends, the "glide", the slow turn to the final arabesque and the final fish-dive pose where her cheek is inches from the floor. Since it's done 40 or more times a season, I think we take for granted that it's a walk in the park for the dancers but I think it's really alot of work. Then there is Dewdrop, which calls for the full array of turns, jumps, balances, etc. and Marzipan which some people think is tougher than the other two female roles.

Ari, I think the Nutcracker costume is on some sort of flimsy wire frame...the boy steps very cautiously & slowly sideways onto the stage and it appears that someone offstage pulls a wire and it flies off.

Mention of Deanna McBrearty is enough to give me pre-Christmas depression...Santa, could you please bring Deanna back, along with Samantha, Monique, Eva, Aesha, Lindy, Riolama, Emily Coates...and Helene, too?? And the Tracey sisters? And Robert Tewsley? And Robert Wersinger, while you're at it?? And several others...I have a list... I always assumed the bed was automated...I can't believe anyone can crawl that fast and that accurately! I did see it collide with one of the hanging set pieces once but I assumed it was a technical error.

Ballerina 1023, thank you for clarifying the arabesque vs. attitude finish to those Arabian pirouettes. Your description is excellent and I think you may be right about speed being the key element. I have to say, the attitudes are nice but the arabesques give it a really flashy quality. I am not sure how they wisk the Nutcracker costume off the Prince, but I do know that the ballerina "floats" in that arabesque by stepping on a small metal plate attached to some sort of wired pulley mechanism and the cavalier "pulls" her across the stage. I have to admit that the first time I saw it (Merrill Ashley was my first SPF - lucky me!) I was dumbfounded. I was seated in the orchestra for that performance and had no idea how the effect was achieved. Now that I'm poor and relegated to 4th Ring, I can see her aim her pointe for the magic spot on that metal plate. Apparently, if you are off by a centimetre or two it can be a bumpy ride. I think someone here recently wrote about seeing one SPF miss the plate altogether or something???

I think the Arabian is danced in old, soft slippers dyed a skin-tone. I do not recall any moment in the solo where she is on pointe... But in the finale, she's on pointe. Which brings up another question: in her solo during the finale (in the film version) Wendy does these pirouettes which culminate with the leg whipping out into arabesque - sorry, I don't know what this step is called - I think she does three of them. I have seen other Arabians do this also, but this season so far I have seen 3 girls in the role and none of them have stretched the turns into arabesque, they finish in attitude. The flash to arabesque is really exciting. Would this be a difficult step to do? (Wendy makes it look easy...but then...she's Wendy). Would the dancer eliminate such a passage if it proved too tricky? Or did someone get injured trying it and they changed it to be safe? Anyone know the passage I'm referring to? Anyone seen it done the "Wendy way" lately? Could it be Wendy added it and others have tried to emulate it? I seem to remember Dena Abergel doing it with the arabesque. Or have I seen too many NUTCRACKERS and I'm imagining the whole thing?

I must say that Monique Meunier gave probably the most interesting interpretation of the role that I have seen. She came out, all gorgeous and glamourous, and began to dance in a calm, almost demure style. With each succeeding solo passage, she took things to a higher level so the piece just built and built...about the 3rd time Dewdrop sweeps into view, Meunier's smile began to blossom. The girls seemed to be infected by her grandeur and they all notched up an extra level...by this point her exits were getting waves of applause and bravas, and when she finished the piece there was a wonderfully warm reception as the audience seemed literally to have been carried away by her dancing. I have seen many, many beautiful & thrilling Dewdrops but Monique's remains a very special treat. Both her Dewdrop & Lilac Fairy seemed about as perfect as things get.

Oddly enough, though I have been going to NYCB for over a quarter century, I only saw their NUTCRACKER once (with Merrill Ashley) until seven years ago when I began going to 5 or 6 NUTCRACKERs per season. Kyra made a beautiful impression in the role, and of the current SPFs I am very taken by Whelan and Ringer, though they are very different. And Ansanelli this year delivered a really beautiful performance in the role. I have to admit that I really loved Baryshnikov's version at ABT several years ago and in addition to Kirkland, Tcherkassky and Leslie Browne - all wonderful - I took special pleasure in Natalia Makarova's interpretation. I loved the staging of the pas de deux as a dance drama, where the ballerina hovers between the security of Drosselmeyer's affection and her new-found attraction to the Prince. This production also featured an ending that I loved, with Clara (or was she Marie?) waking from her dream. (Sorry to have gone off the Balanchine topic!)

Marianna Tcherkassky...oh, yeah!!! What a beauty...

Tuesday 12/7 Wendy Whelan as Sugar Plum gave a richly detailed yet wonderfully flowing performance...she thoroughly captivates me every moment she is onstage. It isn't simply that she does all the steps with such clarity and musicality, it is her intriguing sense of allure or mystery that keeps me glued to her every movement & gesture. The variation and the adagio were as near perfect as I hope to see, but the technical accomplishment - so exciting in itself - is only part of her incredible appeal. Other dancers have moved or thrilled me over the years but there is no one like Wendy. I cannot really express it. So I will stop trying and just say I am so thankful to be living in the era that she is dancing. Nilas knows how to show her off, and he is a storybook prince even if he is not a virtuoso. Alexandra Ansanelli was an exciting, daring Dewdrop...beautiful to watch. Sterling Hyltin's first Marzipan was a bit lacking in flow but she has the technique for it and the musical aspects will flower in time. Sean Suozzi seems too tall for Candy Cane and Andrea Quinn pushed the tempo of his piece to extremes. Craig Hall is likewise taller than the usual interpreters of Tea. Both of these guys danced very well. Saskia Beskow, having played - beautifully - Frau Stahlbaum in Act I, turned into a lovely Spanish senorita in Act II, with Jon Stafford. A highlight tonight was Melissa Barak's Arabian...she played it very sexy, less self-absorbed and more overtly seductive that many dancers I have seen in the part. Her extension is impressive as is her musicality. Rachel Rutherford & Jennifer Tinsley were luxury-cast as the leading Flowers and seemed to be having fun. I want to mention the wonderfully princely Nicholas Fokine who appeared among the children in Act I...I love this link to NYCB's Diaghilev heritage. In a lovely gesture, it was Nilas rather than Wendy who brought Andrea Quinn out for her curtain call. Aside from the Candy Cane tempo - maybe the dancer asked for a fast pace - she brings alot of clarity to this score, thrice-familiar as it is.

Helene Alexopoulos, Carla Korbes, Judith Fugate, Pauline Golbin, Jenifer Ringer, Miranda Weese, Amanda Edge, Alexandra Ansanelli...Saskia Beskow!

Dale, can you comment on Alina Dronova's Marzipan? I will be seeing Sterling Hyltin's first performance of the role tomorrow night. And how is Jared Angle looking these days? Thanks, Ob

Two or three years ago, Yoel Carreno was announced as joining NYCB as a soloist. His name even appeared on the roster in the pre-season brochure but then suddenly the deal was off: immigration problems. It is unfortunate that we are sometimes deprived of seeing wonderful, interesting artists simply because they hail from the "wrong" country. The performing arts should be without boundaries.

Friday 12/3 Alexandra Ansanelli had a huge success tonight as Sugar Plum...she was able to combine the lyricism and elegance of the opening solo with the appropriate prima ballerina grandeur of the pas de deux. Her musicality, technical daring and radiant beauty seemed to captivate the audience, who unleashed a barrage of applause as Alexandra held a mammouth balance to climax the adagio. Her smile, to top it all off, is peerless. Millepied was a graceful & attentive cavalier...together they made the pas de deux the rightful centerpiece of the evening. Replacing Carrie Lee Riggins, Teresa Reichlin made her Dewdrop debut earlier than expected...she had a fine success, her long legs flashing thru the jumps & turns. Sometimes her dancing is a bit loose or slightly off the music but she certainly has the goods. Amanda Edge shone brightly as Marzipan - what a Swanilda she would be! Craig Hall is a taller Tea than we are accustomed to - he made a fine impression - and Tom Gold showed he is still King of the Candy Canes. Rachel Rutherford & Arch Higgins were appealing in Spanish and the very lithe & very musical Dana Hanson made the most of the sultry Arabian dance. Gwyneth Muller & the glamourous Ellen Bar seemed to be enjoying themselves as leading Flowers and it is always nice to see Elizabeth Walker waft into view as the first Snowflake. In Act I, Steven Lobman was a wonderfully impish Fritz, Sarah Ricard an adorable Grandmother, and Saskia Beskow a Frau Stahlbaum out of Vogue - what a face! Her mimed scene with the sleeping Clara was beautifully done. Ashley Laracey was a pleasure to watch in numerous corps roles, and Edge had an especially fine back-up quartet (Dronova, Barak, Keenan & Jamie Wolf)...Vincent Paradiso is beginning to make a mark among the men, and Jerome Johnson deserves more opportunities. Andrea Quinn illuminated several details of this thrice-familiar score, and the violin solo was tonight quite luminously played by Kurt Nikkanen. The audience was clearly entranced...not a whimper or a candy wrapper - and applauded at the right moments. And gave Alexandra the rousing reception she fully deserved.

Rats! Per the NYCB website, Carrie Lee Riggins has been replaced by "tba" for Dewdrop tomorrow night...I especially wanted to see her & Alexandra in the same performance and I bought a ticket ahead of time...which I normally don't do. Of course, "tba" could be interesting...but I do like Carrie Lee & wanted to see her in something big...

Oddly, in the lobby, the casting for next week hasn't gone up - at least not as of 1:00 today when I stopped by. Usually it is put up on Tuesday afternoon. When it is late it sometimes indicates that they are shifting dancers around to cover for injuries. So far, no sign of Abi, Korbes, Jennie Somogyi or Pascale van Kipnis. Bummer.

The Bouder/Fairchild student matinee will serve as a dress rehearsal for their performance later in the week. They can iron out the kinks and present a more finished product to the paying public. Most incoming SPFs & DDs don't get a full-stage run-thru...I think it's very canny of Peter to let the girls get their feet wet -so to speak - under these conditions.

Sunday 11/28 @ 5:00 (Act II only) During the rehearsals for AGON, Stravinsky reportedly compared Diana Adams' legs to "the Solingen scissors trademark." I wonder what he would have thought of Janie Taylor's legs? They certainly mesmerized me today as I sat, enraptured, watching Taylor as Dewdrop. Words like "brilliant" and "dazzling" don't quite describe her performance. It went beyond that. She flashed thru the myriad turns, plunged into beautiful arabesques, wafted her extension to the heavens, sustained her balances with airy ease and did all the fascinating things that great Dewdrops do... but there was - beyond all that - a radiant quality that just floored me. The music seemed to flow thru her and she really soared. It is so great to have her back after she missed most of last season - bravissima!!! Borree & Hubbe were replaced by Ringer & Marcovici who seem to still be getting used to dancing together. Everything came off perfectly well but they didn't take any chances. Ringer's solo was very graciously danced and her big, beautiful final balance in the adagio drew some whoops from the packed house. She is always a joy to watch. The other soloists: Fairchild (Marzipan), Hendrickson (Tea), de Luz (Candy Cane), Faye Arthurs (an alluring Arabian) and the glamourous Golbin (Spanish - with Henry Seth) all danced well. A mention for the very pretty leading Flowers in the Waltz, Glenn Keenan (welcome back) and the elegant Saskia Beskow. Lots of new faces & names in the corps...I used to pride myself on knowing who everyone in the Company was but now there' s whole bunch of newbies...it's going to take time to put names to faces. Among the Flowers, I hardly recognized anyone...but then I was busy watching Janie Taylor.