2013 Met Season--Pre-Season and General Info

[Drew]

Macaulay hates the classical ballet. Always has, and probably always will. But this article must be a new low even for him. To criticize Petipa's masterpieces because they do not adhere to the strict rules of political correctness and do not reflect the exact ethnic mix of the XXI century America as was determined by the latest Census? It really makes me sick.

I don't think this is a fair summary of Macaulay's article and certainly I don't believe that he hates the classical ballet. Specifically, he does not have a problem with Petipa masterpieces in this article ... it is revivals of those works that are full of inaccuracies/revisions or otherwise pastiche (not Petipa at all) that nonetheless retain or, much more problematically, exagerate the racism of the original--even, in the case of the Bolshoi Raymonda he discusses, putting it in where it did not necessarily exist in the Petipa masterpiece. He is also very careful to say that he does not believe in applying a strict "political correctness" to works of the past and even goes so far as to defend national stereotyping in the Nutcracker.

[Waelsung]

Macaulay hates the classical ballet. Always has, and probably always will. But this article must be a new low even for him. To criticize Petipa's masterpieces because they do not adhere to the strict rules of political correctness and do not reflect the exact ethnic mix of the XXI century America as was determined by the latest Census? It really makes me sick.

I don't think this is a fair summary of Macaulay's article and certainly I don't believe that he hates the classical ballet. Specifically, he does not have a problem with Petipa masterpieces in this article ... it is revivals of those works that are full of inaccuracies/revisions or otherwise pastiche (not Petipa at all) that nonetheless retain or, much more problematically, exagerate the racism of the original--even, in the case of the Bolshoi Raymonda he discusses, putting it in where it did not necessarily exist in the Petipa masterpiece. He is also very careful to say that he does not believe in applying a strict "political correctness" to works of the past and even goes so far as to defend national stereotyping in the Nutcracker.

But didn't he object to the whiteness of the Shades? It's not even funny.

[Drew]

Macaulay hates the classical ballet. Always has, and probably always will. But this article must be a new low even for him. To criticize Petipa's masterpieces because they do not adhere to the strict rules of political correctness and do not reflect the exact ethnic mix of the XXI century America as was determined by the latest Census? It really makes me sick.

I don't think this is a fair summary of Macaulay's article and certainly I don't believe that he hates the classical ballet. Specifically, he does not have a problem with Petipa masterpieces in this article ... it is revivals of those works that are full of inaccuracies/revisions or otherwise pastiche (not Petipa at all) that nonetheless retain or, much more problematically, exagerate the racism of the original--even, in the case of the Bolshoi Raymonda he discusses, putting it in where it did not necessarily exist in the Petipa masterpiece. He is also very careful to say that he does not believe in applying a strict "political correctness" to works of the past and even goes so far as to defend national stereotyping in the Nutcracker.

But didn't he object to the whiteness of the Shades? It's not even funny.

As I read the article he did not "object" to their whiteness--What he does say is that when the ballet imagines a heaven for its Indian maidens it is a white heaven and he seems to intend that as a reflection on the generally problematic attitudes that shape these ballets. For me, that was not one of his strongest points since there are strong ballet traditions shaping the scene that aren't simply a matter of ethnic codes...In fact elsewhere in the article he alludes to moments of transcendence in Bayadere and surely it's pretty obvious that he means the Shades scene.

I realize though we are in the realm of "ballet writing" rather than "Met season" ... For myself I was also surprised by news of a new Corsaire production if only because the old seems such a success, but perhaps costumes and/or sets were in need of repair and it seemed worth the investment. (I have no fears that they will be replacing Julia Trevelyan Oman's designs for A Month in the Country and hope that it's true that Ashton's ballet is in the works for ABT.)

[Birdsall]

I think new costumes for Corsaire is a very good thing! Lankendem's red pajamas need to GO!!!

[Golden Idol]

I had no beef with Corsaire's costumes, except for Lankendem's. I agree--no dancer has ever looked good in that outfit, not Malakhov (in the video), nor (just this past season) Sascha, Jared, or Daniil.

[mussel]

Link to Macauley's 2013 Met season briefing.

American Ballet Theater’s spring 2013 season at the Metropolitan Opera House brings both a revival of Ashton’s three-act “Sylvia” and the company’s first production of his one-act narrative ballet “Month in the Country.”

Next May, Wheeldon and Ratmansky premieres will occur on different sides of Lincoln Center Plaza. Mr. Wheeldon’s, for New York City Ballet at the Koch Theater, comes on May 9. Then Mr. Ratmansky presents a composite trio of works to separate compositions by Shostakovich for American Ballet Theater at the Metropolitan Opera House on May 31. The first of Mr. Ratmansky’s three pieces opens on Oct. 18 in the company’s City Center season; and it’s likely that the three, in due course, may be performed independently. Still, a trio of one composer’s symphonies! One can’t help hoping that this unusual format will take the art of ballet in new directions.

[Mme. Hermine]

Well the Corsaire costumes are 20 years old and weren't very substantial to begin with, so I have a feeling it's repair/wear issues more than anything. Funny, I particularly *liked* Lankendem's costume!

[mussel]

The new Corsaire premiered on 12/18/11 at Teatro Colón with Paloma Herrera & Guillaume Côté as the leads, however, Teatro Colón attributed the new production as ABT's.

There are several video clips posted on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESTQp3z9amc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQIPot_I9pU

[Birdsall]

Thanks for posting. Not sure what those wood blinds are doing hanging in the sky, but it doesn't bother me too much since I have seen all sorts of crazy sets in opera. Ballet is downright traditional and conservative most of the time compared to opera where it isn't surprising to have things take place on a space station on the moon not matter what the libretto says! LOL

[Moonlily]

I think they are supposed to be 'traditional ceiling fans' Punkah. At least that's what they remind me of. Seems like the bazaar is set in a roofed place then, if that is the case.

[Birdsall]

The ship looks fancier than before! Is the shipwreck more exciting in this new production?

[Natalia]

Is that last picture/film supposed to be the cave? Not very realistic or rich. These are the recession corsaires, it seems.

[aurora]

Is that last picture/film supposed to be the cave? Not very realistic or rich. These are the recession corsaires, it seems.

It looks like a cave to me. A realistic and quite dramatic one at that.

But alas, you are right, not very rich. Poor corsaires indeed. They need to work on that. I mean we know how rich Conrad was! After all, he had lots of money to buy Medora in the opening of the ballet. Oh wait. No, no, he didn't....

[abatt]

It seems that Mussel's crystal ball is very accurate. See this link to the NY Times, re the ABT Spring Season:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/american-ballet-theater-announces-spring-season/?ref=arts

Muntigirov and Cojocaru return!

[Dale]

Official release:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ANNOUNCES

2013 SPRING SEASON AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

MAY 13-JULY 6, 2013

WORLD PREMIERE OF SHOSTAKOVICH TRIO BY ALEXEI RATMANSKY,

COMPANY PREMIERE OF A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY AND

NEW PRODUCTION OF LE CORSAIRE TO HIGHLIGHT SEASON

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 season at the Metropolitan Opera House

was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. The World Premiere of

the Shostakovich trio by Alexei Ratmansky, the Company Premiere of Sir Frederick

Ashton’s A Month in the Country and a new production of Le Corsaire will highlight the

2013 Spring Season.

Principal Dancers for the 2013 Metropolitan Opera House season include Maxim

Beloserkovsky, Roberto Bolle, Herman Cornejo, Irina Dvorovenko, Marcelo Gomes,

David Hallberg, Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, Gillian Murphy, Natalia Osipova, Veronika

Part, Xiomara Reyes, Hee Seo, Polina Semionova, Cory Stearns, Ivan Vasiliev and Diana

Vishneva. Guest Artists for the 2013 Spring season include Alina Cojocaru, principal

dancer with The Royal Ballet, and Vadim Muntagirov, principal dancer with English

National Ballet.

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring season opens with a Gala Performance

featuring ABT’s Principal Dancers on Monday, May 13 at 6:30 P.M. For information on

ABT’s Spring Gala, please call the Special Events Office at 212-477-3030, ext. 3310.

WORLD PREMIERE

The season will be highlighted by the World Premiere of the complete three-part

work by Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, set to symphonies by Dmitri

Shostakovich and featuring scenery by George Tsypin and costumes by Keso Dekker.

The first work, Symphony #9, will have its World Premiere at New York City Center on

October 18, 2012, led by Polina Semionova, Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, Simone

Messmer and Craig Salstein. The second and third works, set to Shostakovich’s

Symphony No.1 and Chamber Symphony for Strings (Op. 110a) respectively, will receive

their World Premieres at the Metropolitan Opera House on Friday evening, May 31. The

complete Shostakovich trio will receive four performances through June 3.

Company Premiere

American Ballet Theatre will present four performances of mixed repertory

May 21-23. Sir Frederick Ashton’s A Month in the Country will be given its ABT

Company Premiere on Tuesday evening, May 21. Based on the play of the same name

by Ivan Turgenev, A Month In the Country features music by Frédéric Chopin, arranged

by John Lanchbery, with designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman and lighting by John B. Read.

The libretto tells the story of an elegant Russian household thrown into turmoil by the

presence of a young tutor. A Month in the Country received its World Premiere by

The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on February 12, 1976, led by

Lynn Seymour as Natalya Petrovna and Anthony Dowell as Belyaev. Grant Coyle will

stage the ballet for ABT.

Revival and Repertory Program

Sharing the program with A Month in the Country will be the revival of George

Balanchine’s Symphony in C and Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes. Last

performed by ABT in 2002, Symphony in C features music by Georges Bizet, costumes

after Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley. It was given its World Premiere by the

Paris Opera Ballet under the title Le Palais de Cristal on July 8, 1947 and received its

United States Premiere by Ballet Society (now New York City Ballet) on March 22,

1948. ABT first performed the ballet at City Center in New York on October 23, 2001,

led by Paloma Herrera, Ethan Stiefel, Nina Ananiashvili, Jose Manuel Carreño, Ashley

Tuttle, Angel Corella, Sandra Brown and Sascha Radetsky. Symphony in C will receive

its Revival Premiere on February 22, 2013 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center in Hong

Kong, China. The ballet is staged for ABT by Merrill Ashley and Stacey Caddell.

Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a work for twelve dancers, is staged by Tina

Fehlandt and features music by Virgil Thomson and costumes by Santo Loquasto.

Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes was given its World Premiere by ABT on May 31,

1988. An excerpt of the ballet was given its first performance at the Dancing For Life

benefit at the New York State Theater on October 5, 1987.

All-New Production of Le Corsaire

American Ballet Theatre will premiere a new production of Le Corsaire, with sets

by Christian Prego, costumes by Aníbal Lápiz and lighting by Roberto Oswald, on

Tuesday, June 4, 2012, led by Natalia Osipova as Medora and Ivan Vasiliev as Conrad.

Based on the Lord Byron poem “The Corsair” (1814), the ballet features choreography

by Konstantin Sergeyev after Marius Petipa, and staging by Anna-Marie Holmes after

Petipa and Sergeyev, with music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes,

Riccardo Drigo and Prince Oldenbourg. Le Corsaire received its Company Premiere by

American Ballet Theatre on June 19, 1998 with Nina Ananiashvili (Medora), Ashley

Tutttle (Gulnare), Giuseppe Picone (Conrad), Angel Corella (Birbanto), Jose Manuel

Carréno (Ali, the slave) and Vladimir Malakhov (Lankendem). This new production was

premiered by Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December

Full-Length Ballets

American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at The Metropolitan Opera House

will feature an additional six full-length ballets during the eight-week engagement.

The Company will perform John Cranko’s Onegin beginning on Tuesday, May

14 with Julie Kent as Tatiana and Roberto Bolle as Onegin. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch

Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the

poem of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. Onegin received its World Premiere

on April 13, 1965 by the Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany. The ballet received its

Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001 at the Metropolitan

Opera House in New York with Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), Vladimir

Malakhov (Lensky) and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and

costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by

the National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010 at the Four Seasons Centre for the

Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012 at

the Metropolitan Opera House. Staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne,

Onegin will be given eight performances May 14 through 20.

The first of eight performances of Don Quixote will be led by Xiomara Reyes

and Herman Cornejo on Friday evening, May 24. Staged by Kevin McKenzie and Susan

Jones, with choreography after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky, Don Quixote is set

to music by Ludwig Minkus and features scenery and costumes by Santo Loquasto and

lighting by Natasha Katz. The McKenzie/Jones staging of the current production was

first performed by ABT on June 12, 1995.

Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet will be given eight performances

beginning Monday evening, June 10 with Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomes in the

title roles. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and

costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. The ballet received

its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965 and was given its

ABT Company Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on April 22, 1985.

Eight performances of Swan Lake, choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after

Marius Petipa, will be given beginning Monday, June 17 with Polina Semionova and

David Hallberg leading the opening night cast. Swan Lake is set to the score by Peter

Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by

Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000 at the

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-

Odile), Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried) and Marcelo Gomes (von Rothbart).

Gillian Murphy and Marcelo Gomes will dance the leading roles in the season’s

first performance of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia on Monday evening, June 24. A ballet

in three acts, Sylvia is set to music by Léo Delibes and features costumes and scenery

after original designs by Robin and Christopher Ironside. Additional designs for the

revival of Sylvia are by Peter Farmer and lighting is by Mark Jonathan. The World

Premiere of the original production of Sylvia was given by The Royal Ballet on

September 3, 1952 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, danced by

Margot Fonteyn (Sylvia), Michael Somes (Aminta), John Hart (Orion) and Alexander

Grant (Eros). The World Premiere of this revival of Sylvia by was given by The Royal

Ballet on November 4, 2004 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, danced by

Darcey Bussell (Sylvia), Jonathan Cope (Aminta), Thiago Soares (Orion) and Martin

Harvey (Eros). Sylvia received its American Ballet Theatre Company Premiere at the

Metropolitan Opera House, New York on June 3, 2005, danced by Gillian Murphy

(Sylvia), Maxim Beloserkovsky (Aminta), Marcelo Gomes (Orion) and Herman

Cornejo (Eros). The ballet, staged for ABT by Christopher Newton, will receive eight

performances through June 29.

The final week of the eight-week Metropolitan Opera House season will feature

seven performances of The Sleeping Beauty, July 1- 6. Set to a score by Peter Ilyitch

Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed after Marius Petipa, has additional

choreography and staging by Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov.

The production features scenery by Tony Walton, costumes by Willa Kim with additional

designs by Holly Hynes, and lighting by Richard Pilbrow and Dawn Chiang. Paloma

Herrera and Cory Stearns will lead the season’s first performance of The Sleeping Beauty

on Monday evening, July 1. This production of The Sleeping Beauty received its World

Premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on June 1, 2007, with Veronika Part (Princess

Aurora), Marcelo Gomes (Prince Désiré), Michele Wiles (Lilac Fairy), Martine van

Hamel (Carabosse) and Herman Cornejo (Bluebird).

ABTKids, American Ballet Theatre’s annual one-hour introduction to ballet, is

scheduled for Saturday morning, June 1 at 11:30 A.M. All tickets for ABTKids are $25.

ABTKids Workshop Series

ABTKids Workshop Series, one-hour activity-based programs led by ABT

Teaching Artists, are available to ABTKids ticket holders on Saturday, June 1

(9:30 A.M.), and to matinee ticket holders Saturday, June 15 (11:00 A.M.) and Saturday,

June 29 (11:00 A.M). Saturday workshops will be held in the rehearsal studios of the

Metropolitan Opera House. Tickets to the workshops are $20 per person. For tickets and

more information on ABTKids Workshop series, please call 212-419-4321.

Subscriptions for American Ballet Theatre’s 2013 Spring Season at the

Metropolitan Opera House, on sale beginning Monday, October 15, are available by

phone at 212-362-6000, or online at ABT’s website www.abt.org.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre.

MasterCard is the Official Credit Card of American Ballet Theatre.

Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

School at American Ballet Theatre.

ABT is supported, in part, 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, in partnership with the City Council.

David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of the World Premiere Shostakovich Works. This

production is generously supported through an endowed gift from The Toni and Martin

Sosnoff New Works Fund. The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation is a Premier

Sponsor. Linda Allard is a Premier Sponsor of the costumes for the World Premier

Shostakovich Works. Mary Jo and Ted Shen and an anonymous donor are Leading

Sponsors of the World Premiere Shostakovich Works. Sponsorship support has also been

generously provided by Michele and Steven Pesner.

American Ballet Theatre's performances of Le Corsaire are generously underwritten

through an endowed gift from Irene and Fred Shen.

Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes is generously supported through an endowed gift from

Monica, Stefano, Cosima and Tassilo Corsi.

Onegin is generously supported through an endowed gift from Ruth and Harold Newman.

Don Quixote is generously supported through an endowed gift from Anka K. Palitz, in

memory of Clarence Y. Palitz, Jr.

American Ballet Theatre's performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten

through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold.

Swan Lake has been generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein. Costumes for Swan

Lake are generously sponsored by the Ellen Everett Kimiatek Costume Preservation Trust.

Sylvia is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a

state agency.

Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, Adrienne Arsht, Arlene and Harvey Blau, Devon and

Peter Briger, Susan and Leonard Feinstein, Edward A. Fox, Lori and Stephen Garofalo,

Julia and David H. Koch, Konrad R. Kruger, Jill L. Leinbach, Charlotte and Macdonald

Mathey, and Jean and Lawrence Shaw are Co-Underwriters of The Sleeping Beauty.

Additional funding provided by the NIB Foundation. Special thanks to Caroline Newhouse.

This production has been made possible with public funds from the National Endowment

for the Arts.

The ABTKids performance is generously supported through an endowed gift from Thomas

and Lydia West, in loving memory of Vivian B. West.

[California]

Casting just appeared on the ABT web site:

http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=5/1/2013

[kbarber]

odd that they only give Onegin Tatiana performers and not Lensky Olga as well.

[Rosa]

Part debuts as Kitri and Sylvia. (And gets her Sleeping Beauty with Gomes, thank goodness!) Hammoudi and Seo in Swan Lake. Herman finally gets his chance at Siegfried!!! And Sarah gets Aurora again.

[ksk04]

Veronika is taking over the rep! Too bad she remains saddled with Cory for almost all of it. Glad to see Sarah down for Aurora again as well.

Looks like there are tbas with Herrera for R&J, Gillian in Swan Lake, tba cast for Swan Lake, tba with Herrera and Osipova for Sylvia, and tbas with Xiomara and Gillian in Sleeping Beauty. Debuts? Guests?? Thoughts?

[Drew]

With Osipova dancing Swan Lake at the Royal, I have been hoping she would also dance it at ABT--so I would be very happy if tba cast for Swan Lake included an Osipova Odette-Odile (esp w. Hallberg). Would also be delighted to have Hallberg join the Osipova/tba/Vasiliev cast in Sylvia. Love ABT in the latter ballet and will do my best to get to NY to see it.

Very pleased Cornejo has been cast as Siegfried w. Cojocaru. Hoping I can see that too...

(Osipova's Don Q is scheduled on days when I can't get to New York. I admire Osipova so much that it seems rather a little joke the universe is playing that I am never able to catch her in her most famous role. The repertory I am most interested in -- the new Ratmansky- Shostakovitch ballet -- is similarly ill-starred for me, though I expect I will get to see it another season. Hope so.)

[Natalia]

.....Hammoudi and Seo in Swan Lake......

Now THIS will be amazing!

[abatt]

I'm kind of surprised that they gave the super tall Semionova Juliet. If they are now willing to have tall girl Juliets, why not give it to Part? Looks like Julie Kent has no plan to retire in 2013. Why is Max still listed on the roster? He has not danced at ABT in a long time.

[California]

Looks like Julie Kent has no plan to retire in 2013.

I was intrigued by her R&J on Saturday, 6/15 with Bolle -- her last performance of the season. I wonder if that might be planned as a retirement performance. She's not cast in any Swan Lake's or Sleeping Beauty's later in the season.

[vipa]

I'm a little surprised that Alina Cojocaru is doing Swan Lake. I'm glad that Sarah Lane is finally getting another Sleeping Beauty.

[Natalia]

I'm holding out hope that the Sat., June 22 matinee (now shown as 'TBD') may be Misty Copeland's debut as O-O. I'm a bit surprised and miffed that Misty -- an amazing jumper and spitfire personality -- didn't get a Kitri (DQ) or Sylvia.