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Fall 2014 NY & CA Tours-News, Casting, Tickets


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No. Osipova did Giselle at least twice at ABT with David Hallberg.

Interesting. They're both listed as guests with La Scala in Giselle in April 2015. Given how injury-prone they both are, I don't think I'll rush to book a flight to Milan: http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/opera-ballet/2014-2015/giselle.html

I've had tickets to see her do Bayadere and Sylvia with ABT and Sleeping Beauty with Royal -- all cancelled. She's not in Gelsey Kirkland territory, but she seems to be moving in that direction!

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No. Osipova did Giselle at least twice at ABT with David Hallberg.

Interesting. They're both listed as guests with La Scala in Giselle in April 2015. Given how injury-prone they both are, I don't think I'll rush to book a flight to Milan: http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/opera-ballet/2014-2015/giselle.html

I've had tickets to see her do Bayadere and Sylvia with ABT and Sleeping Beauty with Royal -- all cancelled. She's not in Gelsey Kirkland territory, but she seems to be moving in that direction!

To my knowledge, Gelsey Kirkland's cancellations weren't the result of double or over booking. You can judge her various problems as you will (harshly or not) -- but they were not something that I consider she was capable of controlling, and when she wasn't dancing, it was because she couldn't dance.

Coming from out of town, I specifically opted for the Mikhailovsky Giselle over the Don Quixote as the performance she was likelier to give and as giving me a chance to see Sarafanov and Flames of Paris alongside. But I would still be just devastated to miss her once again. I also had tickets for both cancelled ABT Sylvias and a cancelled Sleeping Beauty with ABT. I have been fortunate enough to see her a number of other times and I don't think I have been shy about expressing my huge admiration, even adoration, for her dancing and making allowances for injuries, visa problems etc. but a double booking disaster is really a slap to her fans whether in London or New York, especially since by now Ardani, the Mikhailovsky (and I should think even the Royal Ballet) are aware of potential issues especially given the last planned Mikhailovsky trip to NY.

Of course, I hope she opts (is able to opt) for the NY Giselles. (I think she has danced it three times with ABT, all with Hallberg, but once was on tour in Chicago. Those I saw! And...in my eyes, there is plenty of reason for the fuss.)

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Actually, Drew, I think the cancellations I experienced with Osipova were all injuries or illnesses of some kind (although Sylvia is more of a mystery and I never really knew what the story was on that one). Kirkland's cancellations were illnesses of a sort, too. I only made the comparison because Osipova does seem to cancel a lot -- don't expect her until you actually see her and always be prepared for disappointment.

I didn't know that she had a double-booking issue (as Helene notes) before this. But, of course, her agents know and probably others and they just hoped nobody would notice -- true bait-and-switch, as mussel notes. Whether New Yorkers or Londoners are the suckers...I guess we'll find out soon enough.

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Actually, Drew, I think the cancellations I experienced with Osipova were all injuries or illnesses of some kind (although Sylvia is more of a mystery and I never really knew what the story was on that one). Kirkland's cancellations were illnesses of a sort, too. I only made the comparison because Osipova does seem to cancel a lot -- don't expect her until you actually see her and always be prepared for disappointment.

You are right of course--that's my experience too, and I don't find her illness/injury issues on the whole not credible (most dancers go through them and cancel). When others have raised questions about Osipova I have always given her the benefit of the doubt (even in debate on this message board). But I confess that a double booking problem with the Mikhailovsky does rather set me off...given past issues with the cancelled Mikhailovsky tour and how little New York now sees her. I realize stoicism is the more dignified attitude.

By the by, Kirkland...my favorite ballerina of all time.

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At least with that cancelled Mikhailovsky NY visit (was that 2012 or 2013?), no tickets had gone on sale yet. I don't think dates had even been announced, so nobody would have made travel plans.

At the Royal, for the November 2014 performances, tickets have been on sale since mid-June to Friends and not much is left for the general public when that goes on sale in mid-July. Mikhailovsky in NY this November has been on sale for months and, as of this morning, it looks like a lot of good seats remain, even for the (announced) Osipova performances. We'll have to keep an eye on both sites to see which company blinks first and removes her name! On the Ardani site, they announce another Mikhailovsky US tour in fall 2015, but no details.

I have never seen Sarafanov in the theater, so it won't be a total loss, and Vasiliev's Albrecht should have curiosity value.

I do wonder how many people at the Koch know about this...

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In Fall 2008, ABT issued a press release announcing Osipova as a Guest Artist for the Spring 2009 season. In November 2008, ABT posted her performance dates to its website for one Giselle -- it was one of the famous back-to-back Giselles with Cojocaru -- and two for "La Sylphide," with one performance between Anianashvili's on Thursday and Part's on Saturday night. That I remember clearly, because I originally had a ticket for all three. Eventually, Hee Seo was announced for the Friday performance, then she was switched to the Saturday matinee, and Part did Friday and Saturday night.

Yuri Burlaka took over as AD in 2009, and in Spring 2009, he pulled Osipova from her Friday night performance to dance with the Bolshoi at the Kennedy Center tour of "Le Corsaire." He gave an interview which was on video, where he wagged his finger at ABT for their audacity in casting Osipova without his permission. She pulled from at least the closing performance of the tour, a Sunday matinee, because she was hospitalized earlier that weekend, which I also remember, because I was among a bunch of people who had made the trip down from NYC to see her, and there was major grousing in the lobby. (I was flying out of DC the next day, but I would have stayed in NYC another day had I known, especially since the Bolshoi had to cut off much of Act III to keep it under three hours.)

Having attempted to chase her down in an epic fail, and following her history since, I will never again make plans around seeing her.

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Wow -- I didn't know about that episode in 08-09. Thanks for posting the details. Even assuming the hospitalization was legitimate (and I have no reason to question it), she learned something about the seriousness of conflicting engagements years ago. I don't know if Ardani was managing her career at that point, but they are clearly managing Mikhailovsky currently and still list Osipova as a "project" (although the tour dates don't go beyond 2013, so perhaps someone else is managing her career at this point).

I remember a trek many of us made in the early 80s from DC to Baltimore to see Kirkland after she had been fired from ABT. She cancelled at the last minute and we later learned she had even been at the theater. But her partner at the time, Patrick Bissell, performed and there were no refunds. I don't think I ever again tried to chase down a performance by Kirkland and I doubt I will go out of my way to see Osipova either, given their histories.

If anybody goes to the Koch box office to buy tickets to Mikhailovsky, do us a favor and ask them how certain they are about casting. Of course, they always say that casting is subject to change, but you might ask them if they know about the Royal's announced casting. Take a print-out, if necessary!

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Good sleuthing skills California. The Mik casting may turn out to be wishful thinking designed to sell tickets based on Osipova's name. Who will actually show up to dance is another matter entirely.

If Osipova does not in fact materialize for the November Giselles, perhaps Sarafanov's wife, Novikova, a soloist with the Mariinsky, will. They are sublime together in that production. Well worth the cost of anyone's ticket.

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If Osipova does not in fact materialize for the 12th November Giselle, perhaps Sarafanov's wife, Novikova, a soloist with the Mariinsky, will. They are sublime together in that production. Well worth the cost of anyone's ticket.

Novikova stars with him in a wonderful DVD of Don Q, recorded at the Mariinsky in 2006. It was that DVD that made me eager to see him in the theater. Osipova is cast for two Giselles, the 11th and 13th, and I assume she'd miss both if she's performing at Royal on the 12th. I just wonder how long before the Koch web site lets us know.

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I remember that ABT Sylphide/ Bolshoi Corsaire incident. I lucked out, and was able to see Osipova in NY in Sylphide, and then in Corsaire in DC with Vasiliev on the Sat matinee.

If NY is the final stop on the Royal Ballet's tour of the US next spring, maybe there is a possibiity that Osipova might appear as a guest artist at ABT late in the season. She will already be here in the US anyway, so why not? Fingers crossed.

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I've had fairly good luck with Osipova, but one thing I learned about her ABT performances was to catch her early in the season. Her big cancellations have usually come towards the end of a season. There was one season she was scheduled for a SB, then she was supposed to fly to London for a R&J, then immediately back to aBT for a SB. She lost her visa or something but really, it was an insanely tight schedule, and she didn't show up for the SB. Then last season she cancelled some Sylvia's, also towards the end of the season. I caught her earlier in the season.

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No Bondareva is a disappointment. (I probably wasn't going to see Shapran anyway, but was timidly hopeful cast shuffling might mean I did after all. I would certainly have liked to see her.) I was very much looking forward to seeing Bondareva. And, though I have enjoyed Semionova in certain roles, I personally would not be very happy to get Semionova in Giselle as guest artist--though indeed I can hardly imagine they would pair her with Safranov. If there is whole-sale shuffling and I also were to miss him...well, that would be another huge disappointment. (I have never seen Novikova, but if she were to join the tour, I think I would prefer the chance to see her Giselle to Semionova's...though I am still hoping against hope to see Osipova.)

Semionova guested with Mikhailovsky in London a few years back, but at that time she was not dancing regularly in London with the Royal as she now dances regularly in New York with ABT. (Indeed, one wonders what her "no compete" clause says assuming she has one...)

I do want to see the Messerer staged Flames of Paris, and wish the company well--they do some interesting things--but admit to having very mixed feelings about how this tour is panning out...

As for cancelling the tour? I suspect that from the point of view of the organizers the only really significant box office draws are Osipova & Vasiliev (and maybe just Osipova)--though she is less of a draw if people don't believe she will show. Hard core ballet fans who have had the chance to follow Russian ballet via press or internet may be interested in Bondareva or Shapran, but I would be surprised that was enough to make them big draws. (Always happy to be surprised of course...) I suppose there is also the issue of how the company wants to appear to NY. Presumably their goal is to be seen as a major international player...Losing two main in-house ballerinas on eve of tour doesn't help with that...

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I think that most of the people who are going to see the Mikhailovsky, aside from when Osipova/Vasiliev are cast, are there to see the company. If they bought tickets to Shapran or Bondareva, they'll have to wait for a different tour: YID posted a link in the Mariinsky White Nights thread to an article in the Russian press that confirms that both Shapran and Bondareva have moved to the Mariinsky.

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