SPAC first week Performances

[rkoretzky]

Good morning on the first sunny day since July 4. I made at least three attempts this week to post--darn that day job of mine! It just gets in the way of what I need to do during this three week period. I finally decided to let it ride until Sunday morning and then give you some snapshots of what has happened during the first week of NYCB/SPAC 2005!

I saw at least part of every performance this week--only saw the first act of two (out of four) Midsummers and only one (out of two) Glass Pieces.

Everything got off to a great start on Tuesday night with pre-performance curtain speeches by Marcia White and Peter Martins. Marcia has continued that practice for the rest of the week--although her talks are increasingly shorter, they are of great importance in setting a tone and making the audience feel welcome and appreciated. I commend her for doing this, and especially for convincing Peter to participate on that first night. It isn't necessary for him to appear every time, but I would like her to continue the practice for herself. I do think brevity is a good thing--after all how much is there really to say? It becomes redudant after a while-and in conversation with one of the dancers yesterday I realized that it is difficult for them to be warmed up, ready to go and be cooling their heels backstage while she talks--but right now audience appreciation and development is job one for SPAC. (Hell would truly have frozen before Chesbrough would have appeared on that stage).

So--on to the performances. As usually happens here there were some debuts. Peter Martins and Sean Lavery both mentioned this practice in their pre-performance talks. Although the SPAC season is treated with the same importance (at least we Saratogians hope so!) as the NYC seasons, SPAC is NOT crawling with nationally read critics, and it is an opportunity for the company to take some chances. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As an aside--I think the national press SHOULD be here, and would help to draw more attention to our festival. I was at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown for opening night on June 30 and met several well-known critics. Just something else for SPAC to work on.

Megan Fairchild was given two "Ballos", this was a debut if I am not mistaken. I like Megan's dancing and was pleased that she was given two opportunities because she was visibly nervous for the first, giving a pleasant, but unaccented performance. By yesterday's mat she had settled into the role and it was much better, and she will continue to grow with it. In between we had Ashley B for only ONE (!) Ballo. More please! We were fortunate to see Ashley in rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon and even from that brief glimpse were able to see that we were getting something very special. Everything is in place--it is as if Ashley has sprung fully formed from the head of Zeus (or whatever the mythological reference would be--I just don't remember) to dance this role. The accents, changes of direction, fiendish hops on pointe, those uniques pas de chats--all there, all diamond-edged, all as clear as crystal. I think Mr B would be very very pleased. DeLuz partnered both cleanly and with his usual wide grin. The four soloists were just beautiful--my first good look at Hyltin and Scheller--the former a tiny bundle of energy and the latter with a lovely jump---and Riggins and Edge wonderfully satisfying too. MORE!!!!!

Two contrasting performances of Lavery's R and J. Yvonne Borree and Jared Angle on Thursday night--Yvonne is lovely in this role. It is a good one for her and a pleasure to see a relaxed and expressive face. Interestingly it was Janie Taylor yesterday who seemed skittish. The big news from yesterday's perf was a magnificent debut from Tyler Angle. Yes! Yes! Yes! Again I had seen rehearsal and wondered if he would pull it off--I could see that the steps were there but wondered about the characterization--and am happy to say that he did himself proud. This after Jared's fully developed turn with Yvonne. Congratulations Angle family. NYCB needs new princes--tag! you're it!!!!!!

Not a debut, but Saratoga had not seen Sofiane's Titania. We had two! Sofiane was glorious--regal in her queenly moments, tender and vulnerable with Bottom (a hilarious Henry Seth), suitably argumentative, then conciliatory with Oberon (on Friday night Tom Gold stole my heart). All that and a willingness to take her time with everything--so that when Oberon wakes her, she looks at him, acknowleges him, sees her own foolishness and only then does she reject Bottom (but rejects him in the kindest way, she doesn't shove him away but gently pushes him).

Tess Reichlen was Hippolyta for opening and closing perfs. Again I am glad for two chances. No argument about her jumps, they are astounding. On Tuesday night though, her fouttees were very disappointing, wildly out of control and traveling all over the stage. Holding my breath last night.....she nailed them!!!!! On a dime, rock solid, finishing with at least a double--who knows? I can't count! We were treated to a Hippolyta debut by Gwenyth Muller. She has the presence and she nailed the turns the first time--beautifully done!!--but lacks the jump. This is apparently an effort to build strength in a new area a la Balanchine who did so all the time--and I applaud it. I hope that Gwenyth will be given more chances.

Next week I will be at all but the Saturday performances. I'll try to post a little sooner. Please say a little prayer for better weather for us!

RK

[Farrell Fan]

Thanks for that wonderfully thorough report, RK, it was worth waiting for.

What exactly does Marcia White say in her pre-curtain speeches? Has attendance been down because of the weather? Have you seen any Ballet Talkers?

I hope you have nothing but good weather for the next two weeks, and I look forward to your next report.

Lou

[rkoretzky]

We MISS you Lou--and look forward to seeing you in the city and back here next summer.

Juliet is here in town for the weekend and will be back later in the season. Other than that, no BTers that have identified themselves...but if you are here please do speak up! It's a little pressure to report on the entire season myself, although I LOVE it--just hard to find the time and I like to hear others' perspectives. Although many of us locals do spend hours dissecting each performance verbally.......

In her curtain speeches each evening, Marcia has thanked the audience for coming, thanked them for supporting SPAC, for attending pre-performance talks, and spoken a bit about SPAC's history--the fact that this is the 40th season (but not the 40th anniversary, that will be in 2006---I'm no math whiz but I do know that the facility opened in 1966), and sung the praises of NYCB. It's nice.

We are supposedly inagurating a new program next week as well--some of us who have been serving on SPAC's advisory committee will be actively greeting the audience and thanking them for coming to SPAC--we shall see how that goes.

Just one thing I forgot to mention in my earlier review--and how could I forget this? Wendy and Philip in the 2nd act divertissment on opening night. No one else touches their level of artistry in that section at this point. I adore Jenifer Ringer and she is exquisite in everything, including the divertissment--but Wendy reaches a new place. She is otherwordly. Her feet don't appear to touch the stage and the audience is transported, along with her--it is the closest to heaven that I have glimpsed in this world. As for Philip Neal--I so worried about seeing this with Wendy and without Jock. No worries. He was fantastic.

Oh and one more thing--beautiful sounds coming from the orchestra pit. Exquisite playing in the Barber vc from Arutro Delmoni and luminescent readings of Midsummer particularly under Andrea Quinn's baton.

Now I am really done.

Today the weather is close to perfect. Sigh.

[oberon]

Thanks, rkoretzky, for the reviews so far and hope to hear more about the SPAC season from you as you find time. Good news about Gwenyth Muller getting an opportunity as Hippolyta...she is a dancer I've been watching, with long expressive arms. And good to read about the Angle brothers.

[TWindsong1]

All the Reichlen [snip] fans, would have dropped collective jaws if they

had seen Gwyneth Mueller replace T.R. in Midsummer. She did an exellent

job, whipped off 12 foutees and danced with alot of pizzaz. Congrads.

Kyra Nichols might consider doing a Soto. She might make a good teacher.

It was almost painful to see her dance Tatiana, after seeing Darci who is

so beautifully ageless,and graceful.

There must be more women in the company than ever before.

Plenty of men too. When the stage is SO filled it's hard to tell most of time

who is doing really well, and who is putting in time, searching for the

million dollar smile and watching.

I thought Romeo and Juliet was grand. I hope J. Taylor is really well.

Perhaps she is so fair and frail she seems less than vibrant.

Edited July 12, 2005 by Helene

[Helene]

All the Reichlen [snip] fans, would have dropped collective jaws if they

had seen Gwyneth Mueller replace T.R. in Midsummer. She did an exellent

job, whipped off 12 foutees and danced with alot of pizzaz.

Actually, many, if not most, of Teresa Reichlen's fans are ballet lovers, and would have been thrilled to see an excellent performance by Gwyneth Mueller, even if they were initially disappointed not to see Reichlen.

[oberon]

It's possible to be a fan of both Reichlin and Muller; liking one does not preclude liking the other. Interestingly, during the NYST run of MIDSUMMER people thought Kyra looked ageless and graceful and that Darci was slightly off-form. I wouldn't have missed Kyra's Titania for anything; granted she is no longer as flexible and fluid as she was 20 years ago but she has a depth of lyricism that one seldom sees these days.

For musicality and for bringing something deeper than sheer technical command to their dancing, Kyra and Darci are dancers I always want to see. Hopefully the girls in the corps are observing them closely, and absorbing.

[Juliet]

Quick notes--summer is the busiest time for me at work and reading and the garden win out over using my brain....

So just some highlights.....

Thursday's night of repertory started out with Ashley Bouder giving a marvellously thought out and realized performance of Ballo della Regina. No, she's not Merrill Ashley, so let's dispose of the nostalgia right away, but she didn't cheat, she wove the steps into dance and her arms were quite lovely.

Sterling Hyltin and AnaSophia Scheller were the new wave....Edge and Riggins were the other demis and they were pretty, but flat.

Yvonne Borree was relatively secure with Jared Angle as her Romeo, but my impression of them was of a careful pairing; his was a watchful and cherishing suitor, rather than someone who was carried away by passion.....he *couldn't* be carried away, she might have splintered. She is a lovely dancer in some things (Duo Concertant) but ecstatic romance is not her metier. As one of the best partners on stage anywhere, he will have a chancee to develop the role with someone with a little more oomph, I hope.

On Saturday afternoon, another story entirely......Janie Taylor and Tyler Angle were superb. This is rather workmanlike choreography, but they made it appear a masterpiece. These were exceedingly detailed interpretations by two highly intelligent dancers and, unlike the previous couple, they had the freedom with each other to express and explore.....I was absolutely thrilled to see such sensitivity to the music and each other. The minor glitches were minor, rather negligible, even; I do hope that City Ballet's costume shop gets some repair work done so other Romeos don't have to dance with the sole half off their boot.....that must have been rather unnerviing!

I was happy to see Sylve in Midsummer with her expansive movement (just because certain senior dancers can't/don't do them any more doesn't mean that high extensions are a Bad Thing....) and generous characterization. Her pdd with Bottom was sketched rather broadly, but her whole interpretation was broad, which is fine. Not my favourite, but fine.......

(The less said about Tom Gold's performance the better.......he looks irritated and petulant all the time and I really dislike him in this. Years ago, he was a marvelous Puck, but I have never seen a satisfactory performance of his Oberon. I'm trying to dwell on highlights, so will not mention the Scherzo, about which I am certain he was mortified.)

Brahms Schoenberg brough an exquisite, strong Ellen Bar front and center for the first movement. This is a great role for her and she is better every time I see her in it. Ringer and Fayette were wonderfully expressive and dramatic in their second movement....I was very happy to see their very touching and tender rapport in this before he leaves.

Borree did third movement, which is very, very bad miscasting......but another GRAND moment was provided by Andy Veyette in his debut here. He was a little stiff, but this is a killer variation and his jumps were beautiful, clean and articulated. Strong, strong, strong. I'm very happy to see someone new move into this role and aquit themselves so well.

It was a most enjoyable weekend, despite the mosquitoes and rain. Poured on Saturday for the matinee,,,,,and yes, I think the weather had an impact on the crowds.....It rained all day on Friday and Saturday. But everyone I spoke to in town was so happy to have NYCB back; the feeling was very, very upbeat.

[oberon]

Thanks, Juliet!!

Andrew Veyette has come into his own in the last two seasons and it is good to read of his success in a new role.

[Helene]

Thank you rkoretzky and Juliet for being our eyes in Saratoga Springs!

[Jacqueline]

I second the thanks, and especially welcome the news of Andrew Veyette's performance. He is our Southern California "native son" and danced at my daughters' ballet school along with his two brothers. Love to hear of his success!