ABT's Nutcracker returns to BAM

[Dale]

From the company:

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER

RETURNS TO BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE

DECEMBER 13-22, 2013

Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes to Lead Opening Night Cast

Box Office Opens Monday, August 19

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker will return to the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for 12 performances beginning December 13, 2013, it was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 19, 2013 online, by phone and at the BAM box office.

The Opening Night cast on December 13 at 7:00pm will be led by Veronika Part as Clara, the Princess and Marcelo Gomes as the Nutcracker Prince. Jared Matthews will debut as the Nutcracker Prince at the matinee on Saturday, December 14, dancing opposite Yuriko Kajiya as Clara, the Princess.

The Nutcracker, set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, features choreography by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, scenery and costumes by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. This production was given its World Premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on December 23, 2010, led by Gillian Murphy as Clara, the Princess and David Hallberg as the Nutcracker Prince.

The BAM box office opens Monday, August 19 for advance ticket sales. Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, beginning at $25, can be purchased in person at the BAM box office, by phone at 718-636-4100 or online at www.bam.org. The BAM box office is located in the Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. For more information, please visit ABT’s website at www.abt.org.

David H. Koch is the Lead Underwriter of American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker.

Linda Allard is the Original Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker.

Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades, the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation, and Brian and Darlene Heidtke are Co-Underwriting Sponsors of The Nutcracker.

A gift as Co-Underwriting Sponsor of costumes for The Nutcracker has been provided in loving memory of Ellen Everett Kimiatek.

Lisa and Dick Cashin, Linda and Martin Fell, and Ruth and Harold Newman are Co-Underwriting Partners of The Nutcracker.

ABT’s The Nutcracker is generously supported through an endowed gift from

The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund.

Additional support has been provided by Ed Fox, Theresa Khawly,

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and The National Endowment for the Arts.

American Airlines is the Official Airline 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 with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs,

in partnership with the City Council.

Follow American Ballet Theatre on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABTBallet

or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/AmericanBalletTheatre

[Dale]

Casting is attached.

[California]

Casting also just appeared on the ABT web site: http://www.abt.org/calendar.aspx?startdate=12/1/2013

[onxmyxtoes]

So happy that Part/Gomes is back together but sad about the absence of Cornejo!

[Jayne]

Just 13 performances.

Principals MIA from the main roles: David Hallberg, Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes, Polina Semionova, Daniil Simkin, Ivan Vasiliev, Cory Stearns, Diana Vishneva

Soloists MIA from the main roles: Stella Abrera, Kristi Boone, Isabella Boylston, Misty Copeland, Alexandre Hammoudi, Sascha Radetsky, Craig Salstein

What a pity that ABT cannot also perform 13x in LA.

[RUKen]

Principals MIA from the main roles: David Hallberg, Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes, Polina Semionova, Daniil Simkin, Ivan Vasiliev, Cory Stearns, Diana Vishneva...

Xiomara Reyes is scheduled to perform the lead on December 20th.

[abatt]

Isn't Stearns appearing w. the Royal Ballet during that period, as part of that dancer exchange between ABT and RB. (We got McRae for two shows.) I think Boylston will be appearing w. the RDB as part of that exchange.

Surprised that Hammoudi isn't part of the lineup Perhaps he's still injured,

I will skip this engagement.

By the way, Cornejo will be performing w. Ferri in a dance performance piece by Martha Clarke off-broadway during December. That/'s why he's not in the lineup.

[ABT Fan]

Isn't Stearns appearing w. the Royal Ballet during that period, as part of that dancer exchange between ABT and RB. (We got McRae for two shows.) I think Boylston will be appearing w. the RDB as part of that exchange.

Surprised that Hammoudi isn't part of the lineup Perhaps he's still injured,

Yes, Stearns will be dancing w/ the RB and Boylston will be dancing w/ the RDB during this time. See http://abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=425.

I was wondering if ABT was holding the "TBA" slot in Les Sylphides in November for Hammoudi; to see if he could recover in time for those performances.

[puppytreats]

After seeing Veronica in "Sleeping Beauty", I am thinking of trekking out to Brooklyn to see her in "Nutcracker." I don't know what the seating is like at BAM. Seats in the front row, way to the side, are available for $65, and seats in the front row of the balcony are available for $40. I have sat all the way to the side in City Center and my view was cut off, but I have not had that experience in other venues. Please advise.

[Swanilda8]

BAM is a pretty small venue, so front of the balcony should put you quite close to the stage. I sat about halfway back in the balcony and felt I could see everything well.

[nanushka]

Be careful of front row of balcony at BAM, there's a railing pretty high up that can obstruct one's view. (I believe they're actually marked 'partial view.') I've sat in SECOND row balcony, though, every year, and have always found it to be pretty great for the money.

[angelica]

I attended the opening of Nutcracker last night at BAM, with Veronika Part and Marcelo Gomes dancing the leading roles. I thought Ms. Part, who seems to get thinner and lovelier with every passing season, was extraordinary--technically secure, radiant, and obviously confident being partnered by the incomparable Mr. Gomes, who lifted her gracefully and effortlessly. A partnership I would love to see more of.

The girl who played the young Clara, Adelaide Clauss, was exceptional in her acting, as was Gregor Gillen as Fritz. As always, I can do without those silly Nutcracker Sisters and their ludicrous hats. Worst of all for me is sitting through the battle between the mice and the soldiers, which seems to go on interminably, but I find that true in all productions, not just at ABT. Perhaps the battle is exciting for the children in the audience and that is its raison d'etre. I've been watching Calvin Royal III for a couple of seasons now, and I think he's singularly talented and hope to see him rise in the company's ranks.

Again, I cannot stress enough the luminescence of Ms. Part's dancing, whether in a perfectly classical 19th-century ballet or the more complex 21st-century pas de deux choreography of Alexei Ratmansky.

[Mazurka]

I love the Ratmansky Nutcracker- much more satisfying than the sugary New York City Ballet version -

Yesterday's performace was a delight even though I did not love the pairing of Veronica Part and

Marcelo Gomez. It is the first time I saw them together, and first time I saw Veronica Part, but since there is so much lifting

in the choreography I just could not help but think of how strenous it must have been -sorry - she is almost his equal in size

perhaps I was to close at mezzanine front? I thought her beautiful but perfect for modern dance and not necessarily for this

role. I would still go and see it again - it will be a long time till May when they come back.

[fondoffouettes]

I attended yesterday evening's performance with Lane and Gorak, and it was my first time seeing them in the roles. I expected them to be a natural pairing, but I'm afraid the partnering was quite sloppy throughout and scary at certain climactic moments. During the first pas de deux, one of the big lifts was aborted before Lane got off the ground. Lane and Gorak then had to waltz around the stage for a while to kill time. In the second pas de deux, the lifts looked very uncomfortable, especially the one in which Lane is supported on one leg above her partner's head. Gorak managed to get Lane partway above his shoulders, but she teetered so much that he had to wrap his arms around her entire leg to keep her from falling. All in all, they looked quite brittle until they finally got to dance their variations, which were lovely. They had to force the joyful, playful moments in the coda, I think because they were clearly not enjoying themselves. I admire both dancers immensely, and it was difficult to see them on such an off night.

The company as a whole looked quite ragged last night, and the orchestra has rarely sounded worse or more thin. Maybe it's Nutcracker burnout? I hate to write such a negative review, but it was probably the most disappointing Nutcracker performance I've seen from ABT since they premiered the Ratmansky production.

[nanushka]

… it was probably the most disappointing Nutcracker performance I've seen from ABT since they premiered the Ratmansky production.

I agree. The company looked severely under-rehearsed. It was hard to believe that this performance was coming toward the end of a run. (Grant it, a 12-performance run…but still.) The big climax in the Waltz of the Flowers was truly scary. Throughout, dancers looked as if they were still performing from memory, rather than muscle memory. (Examples: the snowflakes, the Arabian dance.) This did not look like a performance by one of the world's foremost ballet companies.

What happened? The Ratmansky Nutcracker was supposed to become a real alternative to NYCB's, with seasons at BAM extending longer and longer over the first 5 years. Instead, this production seems like a total side-note. Several weeks ago, ABT took out a full-page ad in The New Yorker. 4/5 of the page was devoted to the spring Met season, seeking subscribers; a thin band at the bottom advertised The Nutcracker. Everyone knows about the annual Met season, but an alternative Nutcracker in Brooklyn is frankly just not on most peoples' radars. Why not put it there? I see ads for and features on NYCB's Nutcracker everywhere, but only occasionally is ABT's mentioned alongside it. Frankly, I find the management of this company--both artistic and otherwise--to be more and more depressing as every month goes by. It's sad, because NYC deserves a second great company, a true alternative to the style and mission of NYCB. I just fear that, if things keep going as they are, we soon won't have one.

[vipa]

I haven't seen this production since the first year it was done. I was sorry to hear about Lane/Gorak, but not surprised. Ratmansky put some amazingly difficult lifts in this ballet. Given the short rehearsal period and cast changes, disaster is not a surprise. I don't know why Ratmansky built such mine fields in the thing. It seems unwise. As far as having an alternative to NYCB, that's almost impossible - NYCB has generations coming back with kids and grand kids. And it is a delightful production.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I keep hearing all this complaints about Ratmansky's unwise choreo for the grand pas and, about the idea of "an alternative to NYCB" I can't help but to think how SILLY was that NYC allowed to let go the old surviving PDD, having had this piece such a long tradition of performances in the city by BT and de Basil's-(Markova, Hightower, Alonso, Danilova, Serrano etc...). I really believe a wise idea, as a real alternative to City Ballet, would had been to honor this past by means of recreation or re introduction of some of this old elements-(still lovingly remembered by older NY'rs)-in ABT's Nutcracker.

[aurora]

I don't know. I can't do NYCBs very often. I find it pretty but boring. I love Ratmansky/ABT's. I saw 2 performances (Sunday eve with Part/Gomes and Weds with Kajiya and Matthews) and thought they were just as wonderful as Macaulay did in his NYTimes review.

The second performance (with a generally more junior cast) had some issues, but they were minor (cannon failed to fire, very junior couple given the 2nd doll solo in act I had a bit of a spill, one of the Spanish dancers had a small costume malfunction) but both were stellar performances and there were no problems in the pdd in either.

[atm711]

It seems to me that Macauley gave another of his left-handed compliments to Part and couldn't resist taking another swipe at her for her "broad shoulders"-----I wonder if the broad calves of his favorite Odette ever bother him........

[Helene]

(Who is his favorite Odette?)

[aurora]

(Who is his favorite Odette?)

Sara Mearns

[Helene]

Thank you!

[Mazurka]

Stearns as Odile:

[aurora]

That may be the funniest typo/mental image ever! I don't think Cory would make a good Odile...

[mimsyb]

That may be the funniest typo/mental image ever! I don't think Cory would make a good Odile...

Actually, Cory might do quite well as Odile based on his wonderful interpretation of the "ballerina" in Ratmansky's "Bright Stream". His pointe work was pretty amazing!