Reviews - Kennedy Center Tour

[Bill]

I went to "All Russian" night last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll hope that more experienced ballet-goers describe their Kennedy Center experiences. The two highlights for me were Tess Reichlen dancing the lead in Monumentum (her first time I think) with simultaneous abandon and precision and Yvonne Borree in a beautiful Duo Concertant -- I still think the spotlight on the hands in the 5th movement is a little cheesey, but that's just me. My only (very mild) disappointment was Ms. Sylve as the Firebird. She seemed just a little too cool. Ashley B. originally had been scheduled for the role and perhaps I was expecting more fireworks. I also thought that the Romeo and Juliet balcony pdd and the Firebird were very effective programmed back-to-back, especially after the abstractions of Monumentum/Movements.

[kfw]

Thanks, Bill! How was audience reaction? And was how much of an audience was there?

[Bill]

I'm a terrible judge but I'd say the Opera House at the Kennedy Center was between two-thirds and three-quarters full. There was warm but not incredible applause -- I think the fourth movement of Duo and Romeo & Juliet got big hands, as did the end of the Firebird (end of the evening). Some nice applause as well for the Chagall backdrop that opens Firebird!

[Dale]

Hey, DCers! Where are you? I'm glad to here Reichlen had such a success. Now, if she will be cast in the role this spring season...

[paolo]

I grew up on NYCB in the early 60s in New York but am not a terribly big Balanchine fan. I have seen NYCB only when they are in DC but for a dreadful afternoon a few years ago in NY.

I attended the Wed. and Thursday night performances in DC. Wednesday night was mind-numbingly boring. Allegro Brillante - I just don't get Miranda Weese. Hubbe good in Duo Concertant. The first four pieces were, to my mind's eye, far too similar, the dancing uninspired and ordinary. What was the point of the R & J balcony scene? No connection at all between the dancers and no dancing for Romeo really. Firebird is an interesting piece, especially with all the Chagall, but I agree with earlier poster regarding Ms. Sylve. She is obviously a very gifted and riveting dancer but it seems she approaches every role as Odile or Myrta, even when warmth or effervescence or lightness are called for.

However, on Thursday evening, they shined. Ballo della Regina was inspired and energetic. Klavier featured the extraordinary Wendy Whelan and I must ask, is this woman ever less than perfection? Union Jack was fun and Ringer and Reichlen were especially pleasing. Sylve was very good but too cold. While her presence and skill command your attention, the coldness is not appropriate for all roles.

Wished I had gone tonight.....

[drb]

Kristin Sloan has posted loads of pictures of the Washington trip on The Winger, including two of new star Cheech (March 2), who is now dancing Union Jack in place of the great Georgio. You may enter Georgio into her Search to see a photo of him.

http://www.thewinger.com/

[LAC]

I attended the Wednesday and Thursday evening performances and both Saturday performances. NYCB is having a pretty good run here in Washington, in my opinion.

"Russian" Program

Allegro Brillante -- Weese and Woetzel have been wonderful - the highlight of the Russian program for me.

Duo Concertant -- I've seen better Duo Concertants (Suzanne Farrell Ballet this fall), but Borree and Hubbe did a good job. Hubbe is showing his age a tiny bit, especially in his jumping, but seemed better on Saturday. Borree got through it well. I did like how the violinist, Arturo Delmoni, interacted (making eye contact, smiling) with the dancers more than I've seen in other performances.

Momentum Pro Gesualdo and Movements for Piano and Orchestra -- Reichlen and Krohn had very good debuts in these ballets. Wednesday night was the first that I've seen either ballet, but they both did a great job as far as I could tell. Askegard was somewhat of a disappointment, not always able to capture the necessary angularity in Movements, for example.

Romeo and Juliet PDD -- It seems a little unfair to place this ballet in the midst of so much Balanchine splendor, and it was the weak link of the program for me, choreographically speaking. While I think MacMillan's Balcony PDD is a little overwrought emotionally, it does capture the drama and emotion of the music, but Lavery's version just seems too sweet and flat to me (and not technically complex). Stephanie Zungre was very good, although her port de bras are a little stiff sometimes, especially when she's being lifted, and her elbows stuck out a little unattractively in fifth position in the lifts at times. These are very minor quibbles, though, and I suspect that a lot of it was just nerves. She perfectly captured the emotion of the ballet, and she's well on her way to being a very good lyrical Juliet. I preferred Tyler Angle's Romeo on Saturday to Marcovici's on Wednesday; both did well, but Angle just seems like a more lyrical dancer to me and this ballet calls for lyricism.

Firebird -- I agree with the complaints about Sylve's Firebird. The dancing and acting didn't seem to be well integrated. The "bird" movements (arm flutters) and facial expressions almost seemed like afterthoughts, and she seemed more Odette than Firebird to me. She did improve a little on Saturday, but I really missed Bouder. I normally like Sylve, but this just left me a little cold. I thought Jonathan Stafford did a very good job as Prince Ivan.

"European" Program

Ballo della Regina -- Farichild was very good, and Millepied made up for last year's rather phoned in T & V. The soloists - Edge, Keenan, Riggins, and Scheller - were also very good. It would have been nice to see a Bouder Ballo again -- sigh.

Klavier -- Danced well, choreography is still growing on me.

Union Jack -- The highlight of the European program, in my opinion. Syvle did well in her debut, Woetzel was wonderful, and Reichlen was amazing leading the Wrens. It was nice to see Borree relaxed and having fun on stage. Ringer and Martins did a very funny costermonger PDD.

I'm skipping the two "American" program performances (Fearful Symmetries, N.Y. Export Jazz, Tarantella, and An American in Paris). It would have been nice to see Tarantella, but....

A couple of other quick notes --

Saturday was the Day of Costume and Prop Problems. In Firebird, the feather fell to the floor long before Sylve was supposed to hand it to Stafford, and he had to just pick it up off the floor when moment came for her to hand it to him. Rutherford, playing the princess, tripped on her long dress and fell. In the evening, no fewer than three pieces of Union Jack costumes (parts of the headpieces?) fell on the floor, and it became kind of a game to see who would deal with them and how they would get rid of them. No problems like that on Thursday, so I don't know what was going on on Saturday.

I hope one day that the Kennedy Center technical staff will be able to figure out appropriate times for lowering and raising the curtains before the first night of a performance. Wednesday night was embarrassing, and they had similar problems the first night of ABT's Romeo and Juliet last month.

The Kennedy Center Orchestra's horn section needs to improve quickly. I'm not much of an expert on music, but it was so bad that even I could tell how bad it was at times.

Attendance has been very good. For example, Wednesday's attendance appeared to me to be better than the National Ballet of Canada's midweek Swan Lake run. Both Saturday performances were nearly sold out in the First Tier, with only a few of the least desirable seats on the far ends available.

I'm also going tonight for the "Balanchine" program. The only reported cast change is DeLuz replacing Millepied in Ballo, so I doubt if I'll have much, if anything, more to say.

[Farrell Fan]

The only reported cast change is DeLuz replacing Millepied in Ballo, so I doubt if I'll have much, if anything, more to say.

Very much enjoyed what you had to say this time. Hope to read you again soon.

[LAC]

Thank you, Farrell Fan! I was actually wrong about Ballo having the only cast change tonight. (By the way, DeLuz also did a good job in Ballo -- different obviously than Millepied's, but with its own strengths.)

The other cast change was in Union Jack, where Askegard danced the role that Woetzel did earlier in the week, and there was no comparison. Askegard came to life a bit in the third part, but looked almost uncomfortable in the first part. He just doesn't have the stage presence that Woetzel does.

Union Jack was free of falling feather problems tonight in the first part, but tonight's problem was the flower in the costermonger PDD. Martins had to rescue it a couple of times, one time having to improvise quite nicely to retrieve it.

It was great to have NYCB here in Washington, and it'll be nice to see Midsummer Night's Dream next year. I know that we have our complaints about NYCB, but there are a lot of good things happening in the company these days. Compared to ABT at least, it's refreshing to be able to see soloists and corps members in important roles, and, in my opinion, NYCB's female principal contingent overall is much stronger than is ABT's right now. Great job!

[kfw]

Thanks for those two reports, LAC. I saw the Saturday bills and thought the company danced very well, beginning with Weese and Woetzel, who made Allegro Brilliante look like lots of fun. Certainly Woetzel must have lost a step by now, and New Yorkers must notice, but I sure didn’t. Weese too thrilled me with her speed and confidence, exactly what one expects and needs from the New York City Ballet in Balanchine, but such a gift every time again.

As for Duo Concertant, the young have no monopoly on romance, but it looks loveliest on them, and Washington has seen lovely young couples in this ballet in the past few years. Standing at the piano yesterday, and reacting to each other much more than any other duo I’ve seen in the ballet, Borree looked tired and Hubbe, always so handsome and still so handsome, reminded me of a roue and not a lover, in all that makeup. Thankfully they soon began to dance, and, as then as the saying goes, the years melted away. Can it be I’m finally becoming a fan of Yvonne Borree? Yes, it can.

Reichlin in Monumentum had the presence I’ve been reading about, and Rebecca Krohn in Movements was wry and delicious, and I thought Askegard caught the spiky spirit of the ballet as well. Zungre and Angle were appealing in Romeo and Juliet, and my wife liked Drew Miller’s set.

On the one hand, Sylve was impressive in Firebird. On the other hand I have to agree with Sarah Kaufman in the Washington Post that her perfection was all wrong for the part, too neat and square. Only in her circle of great, big, glorious jetes did her character finally come alive. Jonathon Stafford was very appealing as the Prince, but unconvincing in the battle scenes, where he seemed to momentarily relax between jousts with the creatures.

Fairchild and Millipied made Ballo look easy, as did the four soloists, but I missed Bouder’s explosiveness.

Polyphonia went right by me last year, and a work that most people find mysterious I found mostly dry. I’d have said "academic demonstration" if much of the movement wasn’t Wheeldon’s own. I'm sure that was my fault. This year I was ready for Klavier, and it moved me, and was the perfect cool and remote piece between the high-spirited opening and closing works.

I hadn’t seen Union Jack in 26 years and even if the opening movement is largely solemn, I thought the whole ballet was a hoot, starting with Kirstein’s program note. In the Costermanger pas de deux, Martins (who looked slimmer than last year) and Ringer had me in stitches. It was good to see Abi Stafford in her element here after a rather blank and lifeless performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy in a local Nutcracker last year. There she may have been hampered by the small stage and possibly by lack of rehearsal time due to a last minute partner change. Here she charmed.

Thank you, Michael Kaiser!

Overheard in the lobby: “They aren’t sticks anymore. The New York City Ballet, they aren’t sticks anymore!”

[Mike Gunther]

I thought De Luz was brilliant in Sunday's Ballo. That guy has it all -- power, eleganza, technique, a princely line, megawatt "presence" -- plus he's handsome as the devil...

[Bill]

As for Duo Concertant, the young have no monopoly on romance, but it looks loveliest on them, and Washington has seen lovely young couples in this ballet in the past few years. Standing at the piano yesterday, and reacting to each other much more than any other duo I’ve seen in the ballet, Borree looked tired and Hubbe, always so handsome and still so handsome, reminded me of a roue and not a lover, in all that makeup. Thankfully they soon began to dance, and, as then as the saying goes, the years melted away.

I loved this observation by kfw. In November, I saw Magnicaballi and Prescott dance Duo for the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and they were a beautiful, youthful couple. But I enjoyed the Borree/Hubbe Duo even more, in no small part because Borree and Hubbe did look a bit weathered standing at the piano. The lines on Borree's (still beautiful) face reminded me of the lines on my wife's (still beautiful) face. Then the dance began, and the years did indeed melt away. Thanks, kfw, and thank you, NYCB.

[kfw]

How sweet, Bill, and what a beautiful way to experience the ballet. Thank_you_.

[dirac]

kfw writes:

Polyphonia went right by me last year, and a work that most people find mysterious I found mostly dry. I’d have said "academic demonstration" if much of the movement wasn’t Wheeldon’s own. I'm sure that was my fault.

I don't think so.