2018 Spring Season

[abatt]

NYCB's spring season will include a new ballet forty minutes in duration which features reconstructions of the choreography of 8 Broadway musicals "closely associated with Jerome Robbins (that Jerome Robbins directed or choreographed).  It's part of the Robbins centennial celebration.  Sounds exciting.  Some dancers of NYCB will take on singing roles too.  It would have been a perfect project for R. Fairchild. Too bad he's leaving.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/04/arts/city-ballet-to-celebrate-the-broadway-side-of-jerome-robbins.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&action=click&contentCollection=arts&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront

Edited October 4, 2017 by abatt

[sandik]

Oh, a pocket version of "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" -- what a lovely idea!

[dirac]

Must disagree respectfully. Bad idea, and I can guess why Robbins nixed it when he was still around to do so. It is true that Robbins' genius was most purely expressed in his work for musical theater, but it doesn't give most of the pieces much meaning wrenched from their context. The same was true of the Fosse anthology. The argument will be, better this than nothing. Maybe.

 

Well, it will be a nice break for the dancers, who will get to wear sneakers and stuff.

[canbelto]

Well I don't like West Side Story Suite at all. It takes all the punch, edge and "cool" out of Robbins' choreography and instead makes it rather vanilla and drippy. I think the same is true for Robbins' other B'way choreography. I mean "House of Uncle Thomas" only makes sense if you know about Tuptim's dreams for her own emancipation, and it will be very hard to capture the life-affirming dances of Fiddler on the Roof if streamlined. 

[ABT Fan]

I loved "Jerome Robbins Broadway", but I'm not sure how I feel about this. If they advertise it well, targeting the Bway audience, it might bring in new patrons. I could see R. Fairchild making a guest appearance for a show or two, if his schedule allows.

[NinaFan]

I guess to each his/her own.  I'm actually very excited about the new ballet. 

[Olga]

I am looking forward to it also. Let's see what it's like before coming to a conclusion. Personally, I think it's a sweet idea for the centennial and if it turns out well, a nice addition to the rep. 

[Vs1]

All Robbins includes Les Noces?

 

[California]

1 hour ago, Vs1 said:

All Robbins includes Les Noces?

 

Lubovitch and Nijinska also did versions of Les Noces before Robbins. He once said he might not have if he had known about theirs. 

[yukionna4869]

Waiting for casting is making me antsy. 

[cobweb]

Casting up!!

[cassieallison]

Mearns in Tschai Pas?

[nanushka]

13 hours ago, cassieallison said:

Mearns in Tschai Pas?

Yes! Debuting Sun Apr 29 matinee with Tyler Angle, for whom it's the NYC debut.

Casting list is here.

Edited April 12, 2018 by nanushka

[yukionna4869]

I was hoping we would get to see Reichlen in Tchai pas. I think Mearns would also do well in the role. 

[canbelto]

Per a comment in Adrian's instagram he is out for 4-6 weeks which probably means the entire season.

[cobweb]

That is terrible news for him, and for us. He will be missed.

But I cannot wait to see Ashley Laracey in Concerto Barocco.

[Vs1]

I enjoy some of his work but  not all, and as people complain about the ABT strategy, I find the same thing with NYCB mixed bills. I don't know if this is the right place to put it, but if anyone wants to see one show and not another, it might be economical.  Although I don't know if this is permitted

[alexL]

Casting for week 2 is up.

[cobweb]

Questions per Mr. Cobweb. Who is the tallest girl? My thoughts: Clark-Miller-Kikta. Not sure where Kowroski fits in there. Any sources as to height?

[alexL]

22 hours ago, cobweb said:

Questions per Mr. Cobweb. Who is the tallest girl? My thoughts: Clark-Miller-Kikta. Not sure where Kowroski fits in there. Any sources as to height?

Emily Kikta and Reichlen are both 5'10"... although I think Kikta might be slightly taller. Miller is slightly shorter than that according to her.

[vipa]

On 4/12/2018 at 2:30 PM, Vs1 said:

I enjoy some of his work but  not all, and as people complain about the ABT strategy, I find the same thing with NYCB mixed bills. I don't know if this is the right place to put it, but if anyone wants to see one show and not another, it might be economical.  Although I don't know if this is permitted

I know from reading about NYCB that they use an algorithm for programing to figure out what will sell. My big complaint is that they make you choose btwn all Balanchine and all new works. Maybe their market research has shown that this is wise. As an audience member, I want to see new works but don't want to spend money on a program of all new works. A program of 1 or 2 new pieces with some pieces that I know I will enjoy would work better for me. And why not introduce an audience that is eager for new stuff to Balanchine, and an audience that is eager to see Balanchine to something new. Obviously I don't know anything about marketing. 

[nanushka]

16 minutes ago, vipa said:

My big complaint is that they make you choose btwn all Balanchine and all new works.

There are a number of programs in the 2018-19 seasons that mix the two, I believe. I remember noticing that as I looked through the recently published info.

[Drew]

4 hours ago, vipa said:

 As an audience member, I want to see new works but don't want to spend money on a program of all new works. A program of 1 or 2 new pieces with some pieces that I know I will enjoy would work better for me. And why not introduce an audience that is eager for new stuff to Balanchine, and an audience that is eager to see Balanchine to something new.

As someone who travels to see the company (very expensive and, in other respects, rather physically and psychically stressful), this is my feeling as well and it influenced me last year when I opted to see NYCB in D.C. where I could see exactly such mixed programs rather than in New York where I couldn't. But this season has proven an exception. When I saw I could come up to NY at the end of April for just two nights and still see two entirely different all Balanchine programs -- seven different ballets, most of them major works -- I was ecstatic.

The fact that I can catch a third performance with all new works including a Peck I've never seen and a Ratmansky I would like to see again the same weekend certainly made things still more appealing, but the wealth of Balanchine decided it.  I am counting the minutes. Another appeal of this last-weekend-in-April programing, for a traveler at least, is that over Friday and Saturday one can see three different programs; usually it's just two programs with one of them danced twice.  I had actually been going to take a pass on New York or D.C. this spring-summer season. This programming changed my mind. So, ballet gods willing nothing will interfere with my travel plans.

But...uh...in principle, and indeed usually in practice, I completely agree that mixing things up is best--at least when there is new work on a program or lesser work returning to repertory, anchoring the program with substantive work (eg with Balanchine) is a very good thing.

[bcash]

I very much look forward to the Opus 19/DAAG/Glass Pieces program. Three substantial and substantially long pieces in one evening.

[Fleurfairy]

I was wondering why Megan Fairchild was absent from the casting sheet for the Spring season. She is pregnant per her Instagram today.