2014 Met Season

[abatt]

The main difference I became aware of in observing Lane's performance in contrast to Murphy's is that Murphy owns the stage when she is on. She dominates the action. Lane has little stage presence and tends to fade and blend into the corps members on stage. I think this is due to the fact that Lane has so few lead roles, and therefore has not learned to develop stage charisma, projection and presence. There almost seems to be a lack of confidence in her presentation of herself sometimes.

[mimsyb]

The main difference I became aware of in observing Lane's performance in contrast to Murphy's is that Murphy owns the stage when she is on. She dominates the action. Lane has little stage presence and tends to fade and blend into the corps members on stage. I think this is due to the fact that Lane has so few lead roles, and therefore has not learned to develop stage charisma and presence. There almost seems to be a lack of confidence in her presentation of herself sometimes.

I am going to go out on a very slender limb here and note that when Lane was in the corps she stood out as something special. She always brought a wonderful veritas to the entire corps. (others who have that quality are Luciana Paris and the wonderful Renata Pavam, now retired. Just to name a couple They are the "glue" of a great corps de ballet ). Lane also did well in the few small solos she was given. But on being promoted, she seemed to fade or disappear, mostly artistically. She has improved technically in many respects, yet still never "takes command of the work". I know she has her ardent advocates and it is true that dancing more lead roles may perhaps cause her to develop further. Still, I can't help but feel she is a strong corps dancer at best (with capabilities of stepping out now and again). At least as a strong corps dancer one gets to dance all the time. It may be simply the way ABT sort of puts a damper on those who go up to the soloist rank. They seem not to be nurtured. Look at the many who failed to move on and so leave. Erica Cornejo, Carlos Molina, Riccetto, Messmer, Carlos Lopez, Kristi Boone, now Yuriko and Jared , I'd even put DeLuz in that category. I won't even go to the subject of Stella! There is simply no room at the top any more. I worry for Lane and to some extent Misty. The years of dancing at one's peak are so fleeting. These dancers should have been given more to do earlier on and see if anything was there to warrant going further with them. Instead, they are still doing the same roles in many cases that they did as corps dancers. The only one ABT seems to be pushing on is Isabella. She doesn't always do great work, but at the very least she is learning from her mistakes and is gaining confidence in every performance. I'm wondering if ABT is not always the best place to be if one wants to move forward.

[abatt]

A few have broken through the ranks through years of toil from corps to principal- Murphy, Gomes, Stearns, Seo, Herrera, Kent, Hallberg, Wiles, H. Cornejo - to principal. It is nearly impossible, though. The promotion standards at NYCB are much more relaxed and liberal across the plaza. There are principals at NYCB who, in my opinion, would never have been promoted to principal at ABT.

[vipa]

A few have broken through the ranks through years of toil from corps to principal- Murphy, Gomes, Stearns, Seo, Herrera, Kent, Hallberg, Wiles, H. Cornejo - to principal. It is nearly impossible, though. The promotion standards at NYCB are much more relaxed and liberal across the plaza. There are principals at NYCB who, in my opinion, would never have been promoted to principal at ABT.

Abatt I think that's true but the rep needs are totally different. NYCB has many types of principal roles. In ABT principals have do leads in full length story ballets. Not that every full length ballet is the same, but the range of ballets done regularly by each company makes the needs of each company quite different.

[ord7916]

Question - If I want to change my tickets to a different performance, but same seating area, and the prices have since gone up, will I have to pay additional? I switched La Bayadere from a Tuesday to a Saturday matinee and had to pay $15 extra, but Saturday matinees are more expensive from the outset. I switched Don Q from a Friday to a Weds and while the orchestra seats were then up to $123 from $113, they didn't charge additional. I wasn't sure if that was policy, or I just got lucky.

[mussel]

It depends. If your ticket is part of a subscription, you only pay the difference pre-dynamic pricing. For non-subscription ticket you pay whatever the current price difference is, at least that what I was told. I have one regular subscription and I bought all my other tickets as Make 3 or More subscription. So far I haven't been charged extra for any my exchanges.

[Amour]

Unlike at NYCB,though, if you decide to add a program now that dynamic pricing is in effect you (even as a subscriber) will be charged the higher price. At NYCB if you are a subscriber you actually get a 10% discount on any future programs you add. Also, I'm convinced ABT does not give their best orchestra seats (center rows J - S) to subscribers but saves them for later when dynamic pricing is in effect. Frankly, I think ABT treats their subscribers rather badly.

[Amour]

BTW, did anyone see the Kent/Bolle Manon? I saw Diana/Marcelo tonight and they were tremendous! Diana is not quite as good as Ferri, but then again, who is?

[abatt]

There is more casting up on the ABT website now regarding the Dream and The Tempest. Happily, Herman has been relieved of his silly role in the Tempest, and will return to one of his greatest roles, as Puck, in the Dream. Simkin and Salstein each get one Puck. Herman gets two Pucks as part of the Murphy/Hallberg cast.

[Dale]

Casting for weeks 7 & 8:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

Metropolitan Opera House - Spring, 2014

SEVENTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 23, 7:30 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Murphy, Gomes, Matthews

Tues. Eve., June 24, 7:30 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Herrera, Whiteside, Hammoudi

Wed. Mat., June 25, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Part, Stearns, Radetsky

Wed. Eve., June 25, 7:30 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Semionova, Hallberg, Hammoudi

Thurs. Eve., June 26, 7:30 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Boylston, Simkin, Whiteside

Fri. Eve., June 27, 7:30 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Cojocaru, Cornejo, Radetsky

Sat. Mat., June 28, 2 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Semionova, Hallberg, Stearns

Sat. Eve., June 28, 8 P.M. SWAN LAKE – Seo, Bolle, Whiteside

EIGHTH WEEK

Mon. Eve., June 30, 7:30 P.M. THE DREAM – Murphy, Hallberg, Cornejo

THE TEMPEST – Gomes, Simkin, Whiteside, Lane, Gorak

Tues. Eve., July 1, 7:30 P.M. THE DREAM – Kent, Gomes, Simkin

THE TEMPEST – Stearns, Shayer, Hoven*, Kajiya, Matthews

Wed. Mat., July 2, 2 P.M. THE DREAM – Murphy, Hallberg, Cornejo

THE TEMPEST – Gomes, Simkin, Whiteside, Lane, Gorak

Wed. Eve., July 2, 7:30 P.M. THE DREAM – Reyes, Whiteside, Salstein

THE TEMPEST – Stearns, Shayer, Hoven, Kajiya, Matthews

Thurs. Eve., July 3, 7:30 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Reyes, Radetsky*

Fri. Eve., July 4, 7:30 P.M. NO PERFORMANCE

Sat. Mat., July 5, 2 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Kajiya*, Gorak*

Sat. Eve., July 5, 8 P.M. COPPÉLIA – Herrera, Matthews

[leonid17]

The Ashton has some exquisite parts to it and is beautifully constructed. My only reservation is that when Robert Helpmann and Frederick Ashton played the stepsisters, they overshadowed the rest of the ballet, in my opinion.

This is a review of the Joffrey in the Ashton "Cinderella" by Cygnet which has a lot of description detail:

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/31157-the-joffrey-in-los-angeles-ashtons-cinderella/?hl=%2B%2Bcinderella+%2B%2Bashton

This is a thread about comparing an older video of the Ashton "Cinderella" to other choreographers' versions, but Kudelka's wasn't mentioned:

http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/17360-7-compare-other-cinderellas-to-ashtons/?hl=%2B%2Bcinderella+%2B%2Bashton#entry240456

Perhaps some audiences respond differently to English audiences who always warmly applauded Helpmann and Ashton in their roles which I saw on a good number of occasions.

[nanushka]

mussel: When can we expect you to look into your crystal ball for ABT's 2015 Met season? I see last year it happened as early as June 11! I'm dying to hear what you see.