abatt

The Apollo program also has Tscha Piano Concerto 2.  This role was previously done by Bouder and Reichlin, so we will be getting two female lead debuts.  I'm guessing that LaFreniere will get the lead.  Not sure who else.  Maybe Phelan, just because she's in everything everywhere all at once.

The limited casting of Stearns and Seo is very interesting.  I tend to like Seo more than some others on this board in certain roles, but we have now left the era of Hee Seo Ballet Theater. 

40 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

I was hoping Curley would get Olga’s Fiancé. 

 

Yes to this.

Since Roxander is getting principal roles, there seems no doubt that he will be promoted during the next round of promotions.  

Glad I caught Herman as Puck last season.  It was one of his best roles.  

I could not load the calendar.  However, if you click Performances, Fall Season, you can find the casting that way by clicking into each  ballet.  

I have not been able to get onto the ABT website to look at the calendar, but is Cornejo mentioned anywhere in casting.  Is he in the other case of Midsummer Night as Puck?

Just got on the website.  Nope.  Herman is not doing Puck.  The alternate Puck is Elwin.

Is Herman listed  for any roles in the fall?

Why is Brandt doing a soloist role in Ballet Imperial?  

49 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

I was going to say the exact same thing. Whiteside/Boylston are close friends and that chemistry translates to their stage partnership, which does not work in a romantic story. I saw them together in Giselle in 2021 and it was like watching a brother and sister play games in the first act - a little cringy actually. So by “too comfortable “ I think management may have meant this. In a modern ballet, or one without a romantic backstory, they work well together, but there were no such ballets in this past Met season.

I know from old articles that Ferri and Bocca were also great friends.  Ditto Gomes and Vishneva.  The fact that Boylston and Whiteside are not good enough actors to portray romance onstage is not a reason to split up other partnerships at ABT that do work. 

I've always thought that Joe Gordon would be a fascinating Apollo, but I have no problem with Chen getting a chance.  I hope Adrian returns to the role.  Overall I prefer tall dancers in Apollo.   I miss the days of a Maria K. as Terpsichore, and I think Tiler Peck is badly miscast in that role. 

9 minutes ago, vipa said:

On the topic of energizing sales - Whiteside, in a Conversations on Dance interview, said that he wasn't paired with Boylston in the Met season because management thought they were too comfortable as partners, and would grow as artists more by being paired with others. I have no strong opinion about Boylston and Whitside as partners, but if that reflects a management attitude it seems odd to me. If they have a pairing that has any charisma they should nurture an promote it. 

i agree with that sentiment.  Some of the most memorable performances I've seen over the years were due to the fact that the partners worked together often and were able to take their artistry to a higher level because of their relationship - Ferri/Bocca for example in R&J, Vishneva and Gomes in everything. 

2 hours ago, bingham said:

Agree too. But where can one find the likes of Diana, Angel  JM Carreno etc Even the big European companies don’t have “stars”  now that we would ran to see..

They are out there.  Carmago was a great hire.  Why is Simkin not with the Company anymore?  I would much rather see him than most of the current roster of men at ABT on the principal side.  

I'm not sure of the state of the company's finances right now.  Is there even any money to hire a major guest artist?  Since the company cut its number of weeks at the Met, did the dancers have to take a pay cut due to the reduced schedule?

21 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

In those days the Met was heavily subscribed. I remember my aunt's annual ritual of choosing the subscription package with the fewest operas/singers she didn't want to see. Locally, the season at the main theater complex was 100% subscribed a few decades ago. Make-your-own packages and ticket exchanges were unthinkable not that long ago. Over the past 20 years, though, the audience has been tanking.

Today the opera does not have household names like Pavarotti and Domingo to sell out the house.  Not sure what the state of her voice is now, but Bartoli was also someone who could sell out the house at the Met.   When I started going to the opera at the Met, I recall that there was almost no flexibility to exchange tickets. 

ABT didn't have trouble filling the Met when they had Vishneva, Corella and their ilk as mainstays in the company.  They were permanent company members.  I won't even begin to list the remarkable guest artists that we got to see at the Met.     The real explanation here, in my opinion, is that the majority of the current roster of principals   does not generate excitement and is  not at the same high level as yesteryear, with a few exceptions.  So the dancers won the fight for homegrown talent to perform instead of imports, but now they have about half the number of performance weeks at the Met.  Is that a victory for them and for us in the audience?  I'm not so sure. 

If ABT was still competing with NYCB due to overlapping seasons, ABT would lose a certain number of balletomanes.   The dancers at NYCB are far more interesting than most of ABT's principal roster now.  In July ABT is the only game in town for ballet, so the extension of the opera season is, in my opinion, a blessing for ABT.

The city is usually dead during February.  Broadway shows  have to give substantial discounts in the dead of winter to fill seats.  ABT would not fare  well with programming during Feb.  I  noticed a lot of youngish people (teenagers) during the ABT season, which leads me to believe that people are looking for entertainment after the school year is over.

Yes, Kennedy Center offerings for next season are unimpressive.  I might instead head to Florida to see Miami City Ballet, or possibly to Philadelphia to see Philadelphia Ballet.

I've never seen it, and intend to watch the materials posted above. However, if Ferri danced it last spring, I guess it is fair to say that it is not particularly difficult in terms of required technique. 

The final performance of Jewels is Janzen's farewell.  I think he would partner Mearns in Diamonds for his farewell.  It seems likely that barring injury, Mearns would get opening night and the Janzen farewell. We shall see.

Did Jovani do Rubies at Miami City Ballet?

Nadon would be great in the walking duet part of Emeralds.  

Wendy Whelan and Paul Kolnik are giving a lecture on Sept 7 at 6PM the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts  regarding Kolnik's photography of NYCB.  Sounds interesting.  It's free.

Assuming Perreira and Mejia will do Rubies again.

And I suppose Tiler Peck and Huxley will also repeat their roles in Rubies.  I prefer Tiler in Emeralds though.

I think that since they are doing Jewels for an entire week, some people will perform more than one role.  For example, Nadon could do the Tall Girl and also take on a different role on another night.

Wondering where Miriam Miller fits into the Jewels casting.  I think she could be great in Diamonds, but I'm sure she would also be lovely in Emeralds.

I hate that the company is doing a coy tease using video from several years ago.  If they have something to announce, then announce it.  

Me too.  I'd be happy with a Manon revival, and Manon is one of the few ballets in which I would be willing to see Misty in a leading role.  Hopefully no more R&J for next season.

Aren't the ABT employees currently on vacation.  This must be a clip of her from many years ago.