NYCB Winter 2008: DOUBLE FEATURE

[Brice]

Did anyone catch the Sat eve performance? I thought Damien Woetzel was full of cavalier swagger and movie star majic-dancing as light as a feather, but with power and pizazz. Ashley Bouder as mabel was excellent, she seems to own this part, and her comedy tinming and acting ability on top of some of the best dancing I've seen only adds to a wonderful performance. And Megan Fairchild is brilliant, I laughed out loud!

[dirac]

I would also be curious to read reports. The reviews have been pretty good so far.

[sz]

2/5/08 Performance

Both sections of Double Feature could use a bit of cutting.... and improvement in the use of *balletic* choreography.... especially with Blue Necklace.... Makin' Whoopee's choreography much more suited each person and added to the story. Blue Necklace had more uncomfortable choreographic moments with many repeating steps that looked so difficult to execute but had little purpose in the story line or character development.

The dancers did their best however with what they were given to do. I especially loved Skyla Schreter as the Young Mabel. Her technique is so advance for such a young girl (at SAB, looks about 12 or 13 yrs old), and her style is already that of a youthful, high-energy, joyful Kirov ballerina with a few touches of Suzanne Farrell mannerisms. Quite a combo!! I hope Skyla is just beginning a long, wonderful career at NYCB.

Sterling Hyltin did an excellent job as well, last night, as the older Mabel, looking very much as if she could be the daughter of Maria Kowroski's mother role, as well as Skyla's matured version. Each of the three had gorgeous, long lines and were physically fair, with delicately lovely, features on top of their very feminine dancing.

Also loved Tiler Peck in Makin' Whoopee! Tiler has all the genuine warmth and beauty of a young Kyra Nichols, while she amazed us with her own musicality/acting and technical talents especially every time she executed some pirouettes. They were breathtakingly secure.

Of the men, I thought Amar Ramasar as Joe Doherty and Robert Fairchild as Edward Meekin made the strongest impressions with their excellent acting and dancing in Makin' Whoopee. Their parts required some very difficult male technique while disguised in story telling; at one point male ego with lots of self back patting over a decision agreed upon. Bobby Fairchild's double pirouettes into double tours (en l'air) alone, at least three or so times in a row, were balletic male confidence to the extreme.

Tom Gold was also impressive as Jimmie Shannon, a man who has terrible insecurities and cold feet over proposing marriage to Tiler's character. Then suddenly because of a Will's direction, Gold must marry immediately to earn his inheritance. Gold seemed to be having the time of his life portraying this funny character who doesn't want to grow up.

Benjamin Millepied was the matinee-idol father, Billy, lead in Blue Necklace. And although he danced it very well, technically, Millepied didn't carry the acting part of his role well enough to create that special comic surprise while dancing with Megan Fairchild's Florence, as she's pretending to be Mabel for money. I've seen Megan almost steal the show when working her acting magic with Damian Woetzel... but that magic/connection/chemistry didn't quite happen last night with Benjamin.

[ViolinConcerto]

I'll second sz's remark:

Blue Necklace had more uncomfortable choreographic moments with many repeating steps that looked so difficult to execute but had little purpose in the story line or character development.

For me, an example of that is Dorothy's long walking steps with bent front knee, and body leaning to the front -- used to indicate sorrow -- and repeated way to often.

However, we should not ignore the delightful comic performances of the ladies (and a girl) in the park. They all, especially the Russian beggar, and the laughing luncher, give me more than a daily dose of belly laughing.

I also agree about the men in "Makin' Whoopie," especially Tom Gold -- long a favorite of mine, and too often overlooked, and the young Skyla Schreter in "The Blue Necklace", I saw a beautiful matched pair with her and Ashley Bouder. I absolutely love Megan Fairchild's entire performance, so convincing as a rotten, greedy, clumsy child. I'm sorry that Benjamin Millepied could not meet her in their pas de 2, but I have always found him to be "thin, watery," as the shampoo ads used to say.

And don't forget the little pup. Tom Gold has proven able to beat the old Burlesque saw, "never follow a kid or an animal."