susanger
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Posts posted by susanger
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So we have Peter Boal to thank for this pricing scheme?
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I went to purchase tickets today at the Met box office and when I asked about some locations that didn't seem to be available the guy advised me to try the Avery Fisher Hall box office where they are also selling tickets for the Mariinsky performances. He said they had to give half their inventory to AFH because this is a Lincoln Center production and that the two ticket processing systems are separate from each other. I bought my tickets at AFH and don't know that I got any better location but I was not going to visit the Met box office a second time.
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I decided to renew my 3rd Ring subscription but at the lowest price point available out of a love for the dancers and most of the choreography. I hope others will join me "on the fringe." I figure that at least eight times during the 11/12 season the 3rd Ring will be open and since the company won't want me to feel like I'm sitting in a "sparsely populated" section and not having a "vibrant audience experience" the marketing department will have to work to fill the rest of the seats (discounts on TDF, at the Atrium, High Five, Goldstar, senior centers; whoever would really spend $129 per ticket?). What a waste of their time, money and effort when, had they set reasonable renewal increases, they could have a good part of their work done for them by satisfied subscribers who would be happy to renew.
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There was a mention by the union rep that the subscription system is "broken". NYCB has a $6m deficit. So I'll put it out to the interested posters on this thread: How would ycou fix the subscription system, and how would you resolve the deficit? It's easy to say "oh, all seats should be $5.00 and I should get two vouchers for wine". But that model is not sustainable.
I think we've aired out all the disgruntlement. But what is the solution?
I'll start: If full lengths ballets help resolve the budget deficit, then by all means, NYCB needs to do them, and embrace them, and use Balanchine ballets as much as possible (Coppelia, Nutcracker, La Sonnenbula, Swan Lake, etc). Create a "storybook" season ticket package for parents, with additional kids getting half price if they show some sort of proof of age.
Have an All-Balanchine "balletomanes' choice" rep - where the season ticket holders get to nominate and then vote on the weekend's selection in advance. Maybe once in the fall, and once in the spring. It would engage the audience, and allow them to see some of their favorites. Surely there is a way to engineer an election system online that is fair. Dancers could even campaign in youtube videos for their favorites.
Have an All Waltz rep for New Year's - Viennese Waltz mixed with a few others for New Year's Eve, or Valentine's, or some other holiday type of time. Make ballet a "date night".
Create some sort of outreach program for tourists, so that seeing NYCB in person is a "must do" while visiting the Big Apple. I'm not sure how to go about this, still an idea I'm working out. One way to make NYCB more visible is to do an outdoor concert, Morning Chat show performance, and/or follow the lead of Ballet in Cinema and do an HD Broadcast. Has NYCB recently done a joint exhibition with a museum to show off their Karinska costumes? Maybe do something with the met museum, and offer a special deal entry fee - see the costumes first and get a discounted ticket to a Balanchine ballet?
I don't know how to "fix" the subscription series, except to say that I'd rather sit center in the bleacher seats, than orchestra far far right or left with 1/3 of the stage obstructed, but a great view of the far wings and the loitering dancers waiting to go on.
2012 is the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Stravinsky Festival and the 30th anniversary of the Stravinsky Centennial Celebration. I know the 11/12 season is programmed and many of the Black & White ballets this past May use Stravinsky's music but perhaps programming for Fall 2012 could revive ballets from the 1972 festival.
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Here's a link to a NY Times article on the pricing issue:
What a ridiculous puff piece by The New York Times. They must be desperate not to lose City Ballet's advertising revenue.
By closing the 3rd and 4th Rings, City Ballet is eliminating nearly 1000 seats from their inventory: 676 in the 4th Ring, 278 non-obstructed-view seats in the 3rd Ring and 26 obstructed-view seats in the 3rd Ring, a total of 980 seats. (I used the seating charts on lincolncenter.org). They are basically saying they can't sell more than 1500 seats to any performance except Nutcracker and Swan Lake. They should be worried.
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"I only know I will miss it intensely."
I wrote that yesterday. I have lost love, lost spaghetti and lost creamy cookies, and lost weight. The love I missed intensely eventually turned to indifference as I rebuilt my life. The spaghetti and creamy cookies I don't miss at all, as I have lost a lot of weight. My point is, intensely missing something is a temporary reaction to loss, and I will temporarily miss NYC Ballet. Then loss will turn to indifference as I take up new activities.
I look forward to hearing from the executives of NYCBallet to my quite temperate letter about the Strike.
Don't hold your breath waiting for that reply. I mailed a letter to Karen Girty, Director of Marketing, with a copy to Peter Martins, on June 2 and have not received a response yet. I mailed a copy of the same letter to Katherine Brown on June 15. I also e-mailed Kate Taylor at the NY Times after she wrote her Arts, Briefly item about the new prices. She's curious about whether or not subscribers are renewing.
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Here's something else outrageous about this subscription renewal process. If you have a seat in the rear three rows of the second ring, center section, last year you paid $85/ticket. This year you pay less! Those seats are $80 now. I asked twice about this. Lucky folks who are renewing subscriptions in rows D, E and F.
Here's a roadmap for the seat section prices.
Second, third and fourth rings: A = $103/ticket, B = $80/ticket, C = $49/ticket; and D = $26/ticket.
Orchestra and first ring: A = $119, B = $103, C = $80, D = $49 and E = $26.
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http://www.nycballet.com/casting/casting.html
Casting is up for week one. Chase Finlay is Apollo!
Could have predicted that from the day he set foot in the theater!
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Just noticed that Robert Fairchild is featured on Musical America as New Artist of the Month..
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I'm just hoping that when casting comes out we see some of the injured dancers return to action. Specifically, I'll be hoping to see Kaitlyn Gilliland and Kathryn Morgan. Fingers crossed!
Just noticed that Rachel Rutherford is listed for N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz. I hope that means she's back.
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And Coffee with men?
precedent for Ratmansky's Nutcracker, which is also cast with one man and four women?
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Her first blog here.
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Ed's Chowder House in the Empire Hotel across the street from the Koch Theater
They do a $35 three-course prix-fix dinner which is very good.
Nick & Toni's Cafe on W. 67th Street
Also do a $35 prix-fix dinner
Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft café in the David Rubenstein Atrium
very casual sandwiches and salads; great atrium that includes the day-of discount ticket windows for Lincoln Center shows
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These dates are not on the Miller Theater calendar yet and the person there was not aware of them. Does anyone have more information about purchasing tickets?
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As the mother of one of the dancers who was cut from NYCB, Matthew Renko, I can vouch that for him at least, it was shock, as well as to his friends, and even a couple of the ballet masters/mistresses. But one has to be pragmatic, these are tough times, and in tough times the arts are always going to take a hit. Let's face it, it's cheaper to use apprentices and first year corp than second, or third, or whatever. And Matthew has also been pragmatic. As one of the shortest male dancers, no matter how talented, he knows he doesn't have the versitility that a taller male would have. He understands that, although the point was driven home when he was recommended for an audition for the Twyla Tharp "Sinatra" production. He went, was told after the audition they liked his dancing but they were hiring a swing and he wasn't tall enough.
He's hanging in there, though. He's got a gig dancing in "Aida" and some film thing after that.
Over the past few years posters have left an occasional favorable comment of Matthew's performance(s). For all you that did, thank you.
Matthew was a definite stand out in the corps of NYCB, and to be seriously considered by Twyla is a testament to his talent and abilities.
I wish him the best of luck. Please keep us BTers up to date on his progress and whereabouts.
Matthew Renko was listed tonight as a Garland Dancer and member of the Hunting Party in Sleeping Beauty. I didn't realize this until I read the casting on the subway ride home. Is he back with the company?
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Looks like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey saw a performance by the Royal Danish Ballet at the IOC opening ceremony: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/01/m...i_n_306856.html
On the Huffington Post:
"From the pool report, written by the Washington Post's fashion writer Robin Givhan:
The setting, Copenhagen's Opera House, home to the Royal Danish Orchestra -- among several Royal Danish musical ensembles -- was glorious. The building, with its central sphere-shaped auditorium, sits waterside...The delegations arrived and sat grouped together stage right. Oprah Winfrey - hair smooth and pulled off her face was dressed in black (sorry, couldn't see the full frock) and seated to the right of Chicago mayor Richard Daley. They were up front although not in the front row. Michelle Obama arrives in a pumpkin satin cocktail dress - full skirt, sleeveless and with criss-crossing straps in the back...She sits to Oprah's right.
...Then the dancing began. First up was the Jockey Dance by The Royal Danish Ballet. Next was "Uncontaminated" a fabulously dramatic modern ballet performed by dancers in chocolate brown leotards and a perfectly exquisite lead ballerina.
Next came a song about springtime in Denmark. Then more classical ballet.
The Danish National Girls Choir sings "Plant a Tree." The song is all about uplift and what the individual can do to make the world a better place. A psychedelic tree grows on a video screen behind the girls who end their song by posing like trees.
The Youth Ballet of the Royal Danish Theater performs -- ballet, hiphop, jazz -- and exude much youthful vigor and underscore a message that the youth are our future. Much charm oozed across the stage.
The evening ends with a George Balanchine ballet "Symphony in C." It was performed by the Royal Danish Ballet. Music by Bizet."
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So glad to see Sara Mearns is back. And new roles for Adrian Danchig-Waring!
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I walked out of the Joyce so energized by the Tulsa Ballet's performance tonight. It was a delight to see three very-well-danced ballets, and not one of them an overwrought pretzel number. Good program -- Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Elite Syncopations; Nacho Duato's Por Vos Muero; and Young Soon Hue's This is Your Life -- and fine dancers. It would be a pity if they waited another 25 years for their next visit to NYC.
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In case you're not following Morphoses or the Vail Int'l Dance Festival on Facebook, here is a link to Morphoses rehearsal photos by Kyle Froman (!) on the Vail Valley Foundation blog. Several NYC Ballet dancers are performing: Wendy Whelan, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Tiler Peck, Joaquin De Luz, Craig Hall, and Tyler Angle; there are a few others I can't identify in the photos.
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If you are a NYCB Guild member (and have your card with you), SPAC offers a 10% discount on tickets purchased on the day of the performance. I just did this for Wed. night, Thurs. matinee and Thurs. night and got a good seat every time.
Also, if you stay in town and don't have a car, there is a trolley that runs out to SPAC once or twice an hour until 8PM and costs 75 cents/ride. To get back to town after the evening performances, get the name of one of the taxi companies, call at the second intermission and schedule a pick-up at the Hall of Springs entrance. They're very reliable.
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How'd it look? What was done during intermission?
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I guess it was only a matter of time before we saw this. The NY Times reports that contracts for 11 corps members will not be renewed for next season and that senior staff get a 10% salary cut. With ticket sales and donations off by 6% - 8%, they are running a $5.5 million deficit this season.
NY Times story 2/20/09 re staff reductions -
Hi, Here's the link to the Obama/Biden Fact Sheet on the arts: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/additional/#arts
Susan
NYC Ballet Prices
in New York City Ballet
Posted
What garbage. They haven't a clue. I just wonder how much money is being wasted on the marketing company that is advising them. Peter Martins should take 10 minutes every day to personally call his disgruntled subscribers.