Barbara

I much prefer the simplicity and elegance of the Royal Ballet version. The other two seem unnecessarily fussy with far too many people on stage, which to me detracts from the central couple. I hope Ratmansky doesn't try to throw in everything but the kitchen sink! Less can be more.

Happy to say I got my tickets today too. A little frustrating to see that at 10:01am the orchestra and mezzanine prime seats for the premiere were already gone! Therefore, I booked seats for my second choice of Tuesday the 28th. No matter, as long as I see Murphy/Hallberg I'm happy. Also quite frustrating - I was holding on the phone while simultaneously attempting to book online. No matter how many different combinations of passwords I tried I was unable to be registered. When I asked the ticket booker on the phone why it was so hard to log on I was told, "That's our website for you."

I ordered a ticket for the Sunday performance! I'm not holding my breath that any principals will dance. I'm more looking forward to the discussion of the creative process entailed in mounting a piece like this.

Bingham, excellent sleuthing! Thanks for the info. Ambonnay, I was afraid we wouldn't have exchange privileges as during a Met season. Thanks for confirming. Abatt, I'm not a "member" either, only a subscription-buyer.

Bingham, I received my advanced notice card today too. Now the trick will be to figure out when David Hallberg will be dancing since I will only be able to attend one time and want to book my ticket early for best seats

Lots of ballet sightings. Off the top of my head - Damian Woetzel and Kristi Boone with Isaac Stappas at Europa on Broadway and 66th(?) And my favorite, Joaquin DeLuz walking his darling dog on Columbus.

I agree, atm711! I also saw it twice but missed Paulo Szot both times.

In today's ABT-E News there is a daily diary by Lauren Post called "A Week in LA". In it she mentions how sad the other dancers were that Anne Milewski, Karin Ellis-Wentz, and Jackie Reyes were leaving the Company. But she added that though they will be missed, "they are on to so many great things." I'd love to know where these lovely women are going and wish them all the best in their new endeavors.

Marcelo Gomes has also done some choreography.

My first visit to Jacob's Pillow was well worth it! I drove out from Orange County, NY and in 2.5 hrs was in the beautiful Berkshires. Although it rained hard during my drive, once there the rain abated. I was there in enough time to take in the Pillow Talk, which was a film called "40 Years of One Night Stands" a fascinating look at the beginnings of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Next was the Inside/Out performance on the outside stage with the mountains as a backdrop. On Saturdays they feature the students from the School at Jacob's Pillow and this weeks performance was choreographed by Netherlands-based Didy Veldman who explained that she wanted to explore the idea of communication - give and take, what happens when you want to say something but can't,etc. The students were energetic and engaging. It must be wonderful for these young people from around the world to immerse themselves in dance each bringing their own experience from their home studios/schools. I also had a little time to browse in the archives but the heat and humidity drew me to one of the outside tables for a cool drink. A light bite to eat at the Cafe and on to the evening performance of Jacoby & Pronk and Dancers. I first saw this pair perform with Morphoses a few years ago and was drawn to their presence and wonderful physicality. But I must admit that the main attraction for me was to see David Hallberg out of his white tights and doing something completely different. The evening consisted of six short pieces by a variety of choreographers interspersed with several short films of Jacoby & Pronk. There were no intermissions and the house lights did not come up during the pauses. This made is impossible for me, who is not familiar with contemporary ballet, to refer to the program notes. It was hard to differentiate between the pieces and although they each were danced beautifully and athletically, they left me wanting to be more emotionally involved. Still, it was wonderful fun to see David Hallberg using his body in ways that certainly didn't have him looking "princely". It must be fun for him too after a long season of classical ballet rep. And what a surprise to see that he had buzzed his hair short around the sides, which contributed to a more natural look that fit with the style of dance. There were two pieces that stood out for me. One of the films showed extreme close-ups of Jacoby & Pronk's amazing faces as they alternately and humorously "hogged" the camera while pushing the other out of camera range. It was the one light note of the evening. The other stand-out was Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's solo piece "L'Effleure this night danced by Rubinald Pronk. The piece showcased the amazing control he has of his body and I found him completely mesmerizing. Unfortunately the poor guy had to do the entire dance holding a rose in his mouth and I felt bad for him having to be so extremely physical while breathing through his nose The end of a wonderful visit left me wanting to make it a summer ritual.

4mrdncer, It would be great fun to meet you! I've sent you a pm to discuss further. Barbara

Stella Abrera as Sugar Plum. Sarah Lane as Dewdrop. Hallberg would be perfection as the Cavalier but if we're going to soloists, then Cory Stearns. We usually go up to Vermont for Xmas week so I hope I can fit in a Nutcracker on one end or the other. Otherwise it will simply be too long until Met season 2011. I've never been to BAM either. They seem to have the most interesting programming and I've always wanted to go.

4mrdncer,I would love to meet up if you happen to go on Sat the 24th. My tickets are for the evening performance but I plan to arrive earlier in the day to enjoy the surroundings, see the museum, shop etc. I understand you can bring a picnic to the grounds but might stick with the cafe. What do you think of the dining facilities at the Pillow? Ambonnay, I will post impressions of my visit (hoping for nice weather) and the performance but I'm sheepish since my dance vocabulary is dicey and I never seem to take in all the details that other BT posters do

That was a really interesting and thoughtful interview. Now 3 years down the line she has had her Juliet but not with the Stuttgart, lucky for we New Yorkers! I would love to hear her impressions learning Juliet from Ferri and working with Hallberg.

I'll be there! This will be my first long-awaited visit to the Pillow. Looking forward to this has helped a little with my post-Met season malaise

Abatt, thanks for the info re O'Neals. Very disappointing. From the Dress Circle where I sit I didn't notice overacting from Irina. I hope next year I can get closer and be able to notice some of the nuances others post about. But so far the Dress Circle is in my budget

I can't let the R&J thread end without giving kudos to Irina for her Friday evening performance. I had originally bought this ticket when Marcelo and Paloma were scheduled. I knew I was seeing the Sat mat with Hallberg/Osipova so I left the Fri evening unexchanged. I haven't seen much of Irina and I was very very impressed with her Juliet. She's of course very beautiful and I thought her interpretation was just right and movingly danced. I have to admit that for Cory's performance, through no fault of his own, (I've seen him several times now due to re-casting and have enjoyed watching his progress)I kept comparing him to David knowing I would see him the next day. I also agree with earlier posters who thought the mat Hallberg/Matthews/Hoven trio the best. An improvement over the Fri evening Stearns/Lopez/Simkin trio.I especially enjoyed Hoven. I think he showed much improvement this season and is due for a promotion. However, I also agree that Matthews was lacking in energy in his solos and thought Lopez did an excellent job as Mercutio. Again, the Hallberg/Osipova performance was transformative and something I will never forget. It's been a wonderful season and today I'm having Met withdrawal. None of my friends are as passionate about ballet as I am (or really care about it at all) so reading the posts here feel like sharing with friends and I thank you for all your articulate reviews. I'm disappointed there is no fall season to look forward to but there is the new Nutcracker.... On the food topic - my daughter and I enjoy O'Neals and go for drinks and/or dinner a few times each season. Earlier this week I couldn't get through on their phone line to make a reservation and when we stopped by on Friday evening were surprised and disappointed to see the windows covered and a closed sign posted. No mention on their website about closing. I'm going to send an email and try to find out what happened. Also, tried Bar Boulud for brunch prior to the Sat matinee. Wonderful light omelette with sparkling wine. Will definitely return.

I couldn't put it any better than Ambonnay has described. Let me just say that Hallberg and Osipova gave a transcendent performance - one that I will remember for a very long time. I'm still stunned by the beauty of it. Hallberg may have found his perfect partner. They clearly have a wonderful personal connection as well. I hope this success bodes well for her joining ABT for many seasons to come.

YES, Matt has grown to be an accomplished and I believe gifted photographer with a unique "eye".

What a nice surprise to come home to after a week away (and no internet access)! Kudos to all!

Was anyone else fascinated by the lovely woman in the costume shop? She was only in a few short scenes but I loved watching her face as she went about her work, humming to herself. She looked like someone who has an active inner monologue going on.

Carbro, I like your suggestion about keeping the Met plaza doors open later. Several years ago when my daughter first moved to Manhattan she wanted me to come with her to find a cab after an evening ballet at the Met. We ended up having to walk several blocks and wait quite awhile for an available cab. I was parked in the Met underground lot and when I finally made my way back alone the front plaza door was locked up tight. I was a little unnerved finding my way around to 65th and into the underground lot where most of the cars had already exited. PS - my daughter is now an expert cab-finder and knows the subway system like the back of her hand. And she always takes a cab if she's on her own and out late at night. Since mothers never stop worrying about their children, no matter what their age, this makes me very happy.

But....and I am in NO WAY suggesting the incident was her fault....she is no country bumpkin, she's from Moscow for heaven's sake. Seems she should know walking by yourself late at night in any big city is not a good idea. And even more unbelievable to me is that no one (whoever she was with before beginning her solo walk) didn't offer to walk her home.

Thanks, Volcanohunter! I managed to miss all the NYC showings of this piece and really look forward to the PBS telecast.

Thanks for the clarification, Abatt. Neither my nor my daughter's programs had inserts - I'm glad that Messmer was given credit in the program.