ABT 2008 Met Season first two weeks of casting

[Dale]

ABT press release:

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TWO WEEKS OF

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S 2008 SPRING SEASON

AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Opening Night Performance to Feature

Company Premiere of Jessica Lang’s Splendid Isolation III

and ABT Alumni in the Revival Premiere of

Antony Tudor’s Judgment of Paris

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season will begin on Monday, May 19 at 6:30 P.M. with the Company’s Opening Night Gala. The evening will be highlighted by the Revival Premiere of Antony Tudor’s 1938 comic masterpiece Judgment of Paris, featuring ABT alumni Kathleen Moore as Juno, Martine van Hamel as Venus and Bonnie Mathis as Minerva, as well as Kevin McKenzie as The Client and Victor Barbee as The Waiter.

The Gala program will also feature Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky in the Company Premiere of Jessica Lang’s Splendid Isolation III, a pas de deux set to music by Gustav Mahler. The work was premiered in Tokyo, Japan on August 4, 2007, at NBA Ballet’s Golden Ballet Co-Star Gala, danced by Koichi Kubo and Maria Riccetto. ABT’s Opening Night performance will also include excerpts from The Merry Widow and Études, von Rothbart’s solo from Swan Lake, Michel Fokine’s The Dying Swan and pas de deux from Don Quixote, Giselle, Le Corsaire and Onegin. American Ballet Theatre’s Spring Gala is sponsored by GRAFF, Nina Ricci and RexCorp Realty.

The Company will give eight performances of Le Corsaire, staged by Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev, beginning Tuesday evening, May 20, led by Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Xiomara Reyes, Herman Cornejo, Angel Corella and Sascha Radetsky. On Wednesday, May 21, Misty Copeland and Craig Salstein will dance the roles of Gulnare and Birbanto for the first time at the matinee, and Mikhail Ilyin will debut as Birbanto at the evening performance. On Thursday, May 22, Gennadi Saveliev will dance the role of Conrad for the first time. The matinee performance on Saturday, May 24 will feature debuts by Cory Stearns as Conrad and Jared Matthews as Lankendem.

On Tuesday, May 27, the Company will give the first of eight performances of Swan Lake, with Michele Wiles, David Hallberg and Marcelo Gomes in the leading roles. Choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, Swan Lake is set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown. Superfund Asset Management, Inc. is the sponsor of American Ballet Theatre's 2008 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre's Costume Fund. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. ABT's 2008 Spring Season is also made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $25-$106, are available at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. Performance-only tickets for the Opening Night Gala are priced at $28-$145. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org <http://www.abt.org/> .

Complete casting follows:

FIRST WEEK

Mon. Eve., May 19, 6:30 P.M. GALA

THE MERRY WIDOW, Act II Hanna solo and

Pontevedrian Dances – Herrera, Cornejo;

SWAN LAKE, Act III von Rothbart solo – Hallberg;

SPLENDID ISOLATION III Company Premiere – Dvorovenko,

Beloserkovsky;

DON QUIXOTE pas de deux – Murphy, Stiefel;

THE DYING SWAN – Vishneva;

JUDGMENT OF PARIS Revival Premiere – Moore*, van Hamel*,

Mathis*, McKenzie*, Barbee*;

GISELLE, Act II pas de deux – Ananiashvili, Corella;

LE CORSAIRE pas de deux – Reyes, Carreño;

ONEGIN pas de deux – Kent, Gomes;

ÉTUDES (excerpts) – Wiles, Corella, Radetsky

Tues. Eve., May 20, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Reyes, Cornejo,

Corella, Radetsky

Wed. Mat., May 21, 2 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Kent, Hallberg, Copeland*, Radetsky, Stiefel,

Salstein*

Wed. Eve., May 21, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Herrera, Gomes, Riccetto, Carreño, Corella,

Ilyin*

Thurs. Eve., May 22, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Murphy, Saveliev*, Reyes, Cornejo, Corella,

Lopez

Fri. Eve., May 23, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Wiles, Hallberg, Copeland, Radetsky, Carreño,

Salstein

Sat. Mat., May 24, 2 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Dvorovenko, Stearns*, Copeland, Matthews*,

Corella, Ilyin

Sat. Eve., May 24, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Herrera, Gomes, Riccetto, Carreño, Stiefel,

Radetsky

SECOND WEEK

Mon. Eve., May 26, 8 P.M. LE CORSAIRE – Murphy, Saveliev, Reyes, Cornejo,

Carreño, Lopez

Tues. Eve., May 27, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Wiles, Hallberg, Gomes

Wed. Mat, May 28, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Herrera, Stiefel, Saveliev

Wed. Eve., May 28, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Radetsky

Thurs. Eve., May 29, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Vishneva, Gomes, Hallberg

Fri. Eve., May 30, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Kent, Corella, Matthews

Sat. Mat., May 31, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Part, Hallberg, Gomes

Sat. Eve., May 31, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Murphy, Carreño, Radetsky

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Editors please note first time in a role:

Mon Eve., 5/19 – Moore, van Hamel, Mathis, McKenzie and Barbee in Judgment of Paris

Wed. Mat., 5/21 – Copeland (Gulnare) and Salstein (Birbanto) in Le Corsaire

Wed. Eve., 5/21 – Ilyin (Birbanto) in Le Corsaire

Thurs., 5/22 – Saveliev (Conrad) in Le Corsaire

Sat. Mat., 5/24 – Stearns (Conrad) and Matthews (Lankendem) in Le Corsaire

[Haglund's]

Abrera has been withdrawn from the Corsaire performances? She hasn't danced as cast on the last two tours, but this is a bummer - a real bummer - beyond bummer.

The Saturday matinee with debuts of Stearns and Matthews, and the almost-debuts of Copeland and Ilyan should be exciting. Three face-offs between Gomes and Hallberg as Siegfrid and Von Rothbart (exchanging roles) could be thrilling and unpredictable.

[Haglund's]

Just looking at the ABT website calendar and observed some things contrary to the press release:

The opening Merry Widow bit is shown as being danced by Herrera and Joe Phillips! AND, Cornejo will be doing a Le Corsaire solo before the Le Corsaire PdD by Reyes and Carreno.

[bingham]

Abrera has been withdrawn from the Corsaire performances? She hasn't danced as cast on the last two tours, but this is a bummer - a real bummer - beyond bummer.

The Saturday matinee with debuts of Stearns and Matthews, and the almost-debuts of Copeland and Ilyan should be exciting. Three face-offs between Gomes and Hallberg as Siegfrid and Von Rothbart (exchanging roles) could be thrilling and unpredictable.

That's great that KMc is giving breaks to some members of the male corp.Hoping, he will do the same for the female members.Maybe, new casting for the Odalisques,Amor and Queen of the Dryads

[FauxPas]

What is promising is that they are bringing Mikhail Ilyin and Joseph Phillips forward right from the beginning. Interesting also that Corey Stearns and Jared Matthews are getting solo roles in "Le Corsaire" along with Ilyin. Looks like some development is happening with the corps and soloist men, less for the lower ranked ladies. Typical Kevin.

[Haglund's]

Yuriko Kajiya has been added as Gulnare for the Saturday matinee of Le Corsaire. Stearns, Kajiya, Matthews - all debuts - and the almost-debut of Ilyian. Should be quite a performance!

[Haglund's]

Just noticed on the ABT website calendar that Vishneva has been replaced by Ananiashvili for Thursday night's Swan Lake. Ananiashvili and Gomes - hmmm. Could be ultra-dramatic!

[SanderO]

I am rather annoyed about how these cast changes are announced. We are told that they make them because a dancer is injured or ill and cannot perform. If this occures just before the performance a quickie substitution is understandable.

In the case of Ms Vishneva, I was told by an ABT spokesperson that she was injured BEFORE the gala and only had to do 4 minutes and so she soldiered on and was hoping to do Thursday's performance. I learned of this cast change this afternoon when I surfed into Ballet Talk.

When I attended Corsaire last week they substituted Cory Steans and Dvorovenko for Herrera and Gomez which I personally was not thrilled with, as I thought they were miss matched for many reasons. I spoke to the ABT person there and noted that something half of the performances I buy tickets for they do a switcheroo and it seems as if it's always too late to change my tickets or plans.

I noted to them that they "allowed" Ms Vishneva to do her whirlwind Beauty tour which was more dancing than a full length ballet night after night and take it around the world, only to return to ABT and get injured (but well enough) to reprise her "dying swan". Frankly I feel a bit jerked around (I don't know the nature of her injury and I most certainly hope she has a speedy recovery). But if she is not up to it. PLEASE let is know at the earliest possible date so we can make plans.

I know casts can be changed at the last minute and they make a point of noting that. I am very disappointed. Am I totally or just partially crazy?

[Dale]

SanderO, I understand your qualms. It's certainly in the company's best financial interest to not announce these changes well before hand. I would also add that it's odd the company, on its website at least (it seems to be available at the Met), has not posted the casting of Myrta, Gamzatti, or Lilac Fairy yet.

[FauxPas]

Another oddity is that only Dvorovenko, Xiomara Reyes and Michele Wiles seem to be doing "Etudes". I was hoping for Gillian Murphy since I don't think I have ever seen her do that ballet. Paloma also danced "Etudes" in the past but I never found her interesting in it.

Just a note. Vishneva finished her "Beauty in Motion" tour physically unscathed. (The Pendleton ballet required no classical technique - I could have performed the pieces but would not have looked as pretty in the costumes) Her injury occurred at the last week of her Kirov engagement at City Center. The Kirov/Mariinsky is her primary theater and should have the most say about where and when she tours, not ABT. What I did notice about her dancing at City Center with the Kirov (especially in "Le Corsaire" excerpts) was that she was pushing very hard for extra brilliance and losing form. That may have precipitated her injury. I wish Vishneva a speedy and successful recovery.

As for ballet seasons and injuries and substitutions - welcome to reality, kids. I mean there are dancers like Ethan Stiefel, former soloist Giuseppe Picone, Irina Dvorovenko and Vladimir Malakhov (former principal? nobody's telling...) who have missed entire seasons due to injury. Nina missed a season or two (or three when she had her baby). Julie Kent and Irina have had seasons off for maternity leave.

Hopefully Stella Abrera and Diana Vishneva will be back and in form for their "Giselle" performances.

What is annoying is that this usually happens at the end of a season when they are lucky to have a two lead dancers with two good feet each night. At the beginning of a season it is disappointing because we have been waiting for months to re-encounter our favorites.

[bingham]

SanderO, I understand your qualms. It's certainly in the company's best financial interest to not announce these changes well before hand. I would also add that it's odd the company, on its website at least (it seems to be available at the Met), has not posted the casting of Myrta, Gamzatti, or Lilac Fairy yet.

In the casting flyer available at the Met,the cast of Giselle(including Myrta) is listed but not Gamzatti or LF.It also lists the entire cast for the new Tharp and Etudes(which is annoyingly listed in the website as "company").Maybe, due to finacial restraints,they don't have a webmaster who can update the site.