rkoretzky

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll probably spring for the full view seat.

Does anyone know if standing room is still offered? I'd love to see Ashley Bouder in what I'm guessing might be her last performances before her maternity leave. But I'd rather not spend $75 in the 4th ring which is all that's available.

Thanks to both Rhonda & Barbara. Barbara, I already saw KING last Sat matinee (before heading downtown to NYTB at Pace U...an all-dance weekend)! I lucked into best seat possible...smack center, 6 rows back from stage. All I can say: in scene 1, that ship almost landed on my lap! I also confess to having cried my eyes out when the chief wife Lady T sang "Something Wonderful " as I recently lost a crazy-but-sweet love of my life. Everything hit me at once. Art can & does move the soul. I wish that more people could attend such shows.

Rhonda, I'll definitely give Fun Home a try next time I'm in town!

Ruthie Ann Miles was truly "something wonderful" as Lady Tiang and well deserving of her best supporting actress Tony. And yet I found Sydney Lucas' s performance so engaging that I could make a strong case for her too. Yes, that good, from an adolescent.

I did see Ken Watanabe, and found him to be the weak link in an otherwise outstanding cast. I wish I had the chance to see Jose Llana.

I finally saw this show at the Sept 20 matinee. Wow! A perfect old-fashioned extravaganza with gorgeous, luxurious production values, toe-tapping tunes (thanks, Gershwin!), and crisp, sassy performances, especially from the two ballet-dancer stars, Fairchild and Cope...who so favors Leslie Caron, it's eerie. The dancing ensemble is extraordinary in this dance-filled work.

I'm glad to have chosen this &, on Saturday, THE KING & I w/ amazing Kelli O'Hara at Lincoln Center over FUN HOUSE...from what I've read about the latter.

Natalia, great choices for NYC theater! I've seen both and agree that they were magnificent. But I urge you to see Fun Home too, and to do so while Sydney Lucas (sister of jake, who was Louis in King and I) is performing. Her performance as Young Allison is astonishing and the whole show is an unforgettable theater experience.

Yes Katherine, knowing you're Canadian and have probably seen both companies in the Wheeldon, I was asking for a recommendation. I live in Saratoga springs (we missed your group this year!). Toronto is doable but even colder than here. Of course DC in January isn't summery either.

Other option would be national ballet of Canada at Kennedy center for the wheeldon. Katherine?

Rethinking panto. I always want to see the local entertainment but with only a few days in London might stick to traditional theater.

Thank you so much! The main purpose for London at this time is to see Kenneth Branaghs new theater company in The Winters Tale (with Judi Dench!) and Harlequinade. So we will fit in a Nut when we can and I know we'll love whatever we see. But I'm thinking about a return to London in May to see Branaghs company in Romeo and juliet (with lily James) at which time we'll have to also see wheeldons The Winters Tale at the RB. My head is spinning in the best possible way!

I'll be in London for a few days around Christmas. I've seen both RB and ENB, but neither Nutcracker. Would anyone like to describe/suggest which one to see? Also any suggestions for a panto. Never done that! Thanks.

http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/jacobs-pillow-director-resigning-after-17-years/38415/

Surprising news from the Pillow. Ella has done a phenomenal job. She'll be missed.

be aware that hte balcony is VERY high. some people I have taken there have complained of vertigo. (Not a problem if you're not prone to vertigo).

You will love Saratoga. The experience of seeing ballet there is unique.

Kbarber is absolutely right. The balcony is high but provides a different perspective on the patterns in the ballets and a great view into the orchestra pit too.

Katherine thank you so much for your support of spac and the legions of people you've brought! I hope to meet you this summer.

If you're going to see at least two perfs consider seeing one from the balcony. It's much steeper than the orchestra so not as much worry about someone in front of you. Sections 15, 16 and 17 are very nice, but avoid the first row because there are huge lights that obstruct the view. I like row c in those sections.

You can get great seats for $70 for evening perfs. I like section 8, 9 or 10 boxes because you don't have to worry about someone with big hair in front of you. That's the first row in the back section of the orchestra, so about halfway back. If you like to be closer I like front row of 6 or 7, but as close to center as possible. I have a friend who always sits in first row of section 1. I like a wider perspective.

Matinees are cheaper. The top ticket is $45.

Keep in mind that the Gala is on sat night July 11 and ticket prices are double.

In general stay as center as possible, the extreme sides are very partial view.

I'm thinking about making the trip up to Saratoga for a weekend. How is the seating at SPAC? Is there any seating areas to avoid?

The theater is enormous and there are definitely sections to avoid. Pleasexadvisexabout whether you prefer orchestra or balcony (there are only the two levels) and approximately how much you'd like to spend and I can advise you better. I know that place really well.

Please come! We will welcome you!

The New York Times just posted an obituary. It's just horribly sad.

The obit refers to his 2002 Diamond Project ballet, "Haiku" , music of John Cage. It was a truly lovely piece.

However I do think there is a significant lack of respect for some of the artists among some posters on this board.

Yes it is, and I plead guilty for starting it. Sometimes I should just read, digest and keep my mouth shut. But since I didn't.......

I apologize for any offense. I admit I was a bit surprised to hear about blowing a ticket off. I wouldn't do it but I do hear why some of you do. Your money, your time, your choice.

I don't believe I questioned anyone's lack of respect for the art form.

rkoretzky, I think a more apt analogy would be having tickets to a favorite concert pianist, whose interpretation is transfixing,

and finding out you will be listening to a pianist whose interpretation does not move you.

Why? The idea is seeing an actor who will move you is equally valid to a pianist, singer, dancer.

My point was not to demean Cats or "people outside Manhattan." My point was more that tourists coming to town for a Broadway show are often coming to a single performance and for the show as a whole. People going to their third performance of a ballet in a single week are often coming to see one or two specific dancers in one or two specific roles, because they've already seen the rest. And the rest often consists of third-rate music performed by a third-rate orchestra with painted-backdrop sets and lots of boring bits. That's a quite different experience than what you get on Broadway for the most part. When the stars you've come to see (and paid *extra* money to see -- because the prices are jacked up) aren't there, I don't think it's unreasonable to cut your losses and call it a night.

Of course it's not unreasonable to cut your losses and call it a night. It's your choice. I'm just surprised that someone would pay out that kind of money in advance. You're gambling that diva x will show up, aren't you? They don't seem to have a very good track record.

And lots of tourists come to town to see specific stars. They get the word out, even in the sticks.

Re the question about opera, to my knowledge and experience there are no refunds or adjustments no matter who was scheduled versus who appears.

I don't know about opera, but Broadway shows overwhelmingly have the policy that when an "above the title" performer is out for the show, tickets are refunded on demand. I've also heard of shows refunding tickets when certain "below the title" performers (say, someone who has won the Tony for a performance) is out, but that's not the common policy.

I've certainly seen some fantastic performances from understudies, but I do think that policy goes a long way towards ensuring goodwill from the audience, especially considering what ticket prices are now.

You might be surprised to learn that I agree. Broadway theaters have become more accommodating about refunds for "above the title" stars. However most adhere to that very strictly. We saw the understudy in "Beautiful" in September. She was very good. She was not Jessie Mueller and we didn't have the experience of seeing Jessie's Tony winning performance. Jessie's name was not above the title, there were no refunds, I was disappointed, I got over it.

We did see Kelli Ohara and Ruthie Ann Miles and their performances were incredible. I would have been very sad to miss them. Would I walk out on performers? Never.

It's not the feeling that you want to see a particular artist that I'm questioning. It's the concept that you are ENTITLED to see someone, whether that person is sick, injured or whatever....and that you must be compensated if you do not.

I'm an ABT and NYCB subscriber too. I also choose my performances carefully. I brought friends new to ABT to see David Hallberg in SL last year. Well, we got James Whiteside. It wasn't the performance I had hoped for. But it was still worthwhile and the idea of demanding a refund because Hallberg was injured....well it didn't occur to me. Just one example. We've all had those experiences.

People outside Manhattan also follow the arts in the city and I dare say many of them also save money all year to travel, often great distances, to see performances of their choice. Their wish to see certain performers in "Cats" or anything else for that matter is no less valid than yours.

Really? Was a night at the ballet so horrifying that you were willing to throw $125 down the drain? I wish I could afford so many ballet tickets that I could just blow them off.

There was nothing in that performance that was worth seeing?

I'm reading this thread with morbid fascination. The venom thrown at certain dancers is astonishing. The demands for comp tickets/refunds because your choice isn't dancing is chutzpah to the max.

Have you ever seen an understudy at an expensive Broadway show? Have you ever had a favorite opera singer cancel? It's disappointing but it isn't a federal crime.

I think those of you who feel so entitled have the right idea for next year: wait until day of to buy your tickets.

My attempt at dark humor. I'm amazed that in 2015 there would be a broadcast that rivaled my family's home movies from the 1950s in quality. If I were Peter Boal or another major PNB player I would be furious about this.

Carla korbes rocks my world. I considered going to Seattle to see this (full disclosure my son lives there and he was back east for a wedding to which we also went).

Wow. Awkward sentence, that. If my son had been in Seattle yesterday, I would have been as well.

I wonder whether in the 20th century this transmission would have been affordable to an organization like PNB.

But oh, Carla Korbes! What people like you do for people like me!

If this is among PNB's first efforts, power to them, and may they keep trying.

My attempt at dark humor. I'm amazed that in 2015 there would be a broadcast that rivaled my family's home movies from the 1950s in quality. If I were Peter Boal or another major PNB player I would be furious about this.

Carla korbes rocks my world. I considered going to Seattle to see this (full disclosure my son lives there and he was back east for a wedding to which we also went).

I found the evening so frustrating. Not planned of course, but Kelli O'Hara's big moment came EXACTLY at the Diamonds pdd. I was trying to watch both events (even though I dvred the Tonys, I wanted to be there) and constantly lowering or raising volume. Not a good plan I admit.

Ironically diamonds was the only section that was filmed well. If it could be done then, why was the rest of the stream such a technical mess? Most of the time the dancers looked like they were under a strobe light and serenade was so out of sync with the music that it was almost unbearable to watch.

Not a success. The 20th century called. They want their technology back.

Karen, if you learn anything when you call, please share!