nanushka Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 30 minutes ago, angelica said: You can call the Met box office today from 12-6, 212-362-6000. Whatever they tell you, call again just to confirm Yes, in the past, reports on here have suggested that a lot depends on which ticket agent you talk to or happen to get at the window. Adherence to the policies, whatever they are, has not been very consistent. Link to comment
NinaFan Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Thanks angelica and nanushka. I just called the MET, and they said no. I was told pre-sale tickets without seat assignments were available before March 25. But I'll be at the Koch (for Paul Taylor) twice during the exchange week, so I may walk over and try it anyway (assuming there aren't stupid lines). Link to comment
nysusan Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 3 hours ago, NinaFan said: Thanks angelica and nanushka. I just called the MET, and they said no. I was told pre-sale tickets without seat assignments were available before March 25. But I'll be at the Koch (for Paul Taylor) twice during the exchange week, so I may walk over and try it anyway (assuming there aren't stupid lines). There was a time when subscribers could purchase addition additional tickets during exchange week, but they stopped allowing that about 2 years ago. That is now the priority period when members can buy single tickets - I got an email about a week ago encouraging me to become a member and that was one of the perks. In the past the new policy really pissed me off, but now I can't even find enough performances I want to see to fill in for the tickets I want to exchange. I'm going to hold on to my WC ticket at the end of the season in case a cast change or late guest brings about a performance I want to see. Link to comment
angelica Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 32 minutes ago, nysusan said: now I can't even find enough performances I want to see to fill in for the tickets I want to exchange. I'm going to hold on to my WC ticket at the end of the season in case a cast change or late guest brings about a performance I want to see. ITA. this is the worst Spring Season ever! Worst of all, they have paired my beloved Stella Abrera, in her R&J debut, with a partner whom I can't bear to watch. I don't want to miss Stella, and I'm telling myself that I'll keep one eye closed, but whom am I kidding? It will be impossible for me to believe that for this Juliet it is love at first sight. Link to comment
nysusan Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 6 minutes ago, angelica said: ITA. this is the worst Spring Season ever! Worst of all, they have paired my beloved Stella Abrera, in her R&J debut, with a partner whom I can't bear to watch. I don't want to miss Stella, and I'm telling myself that I'll keep one eye closed, but whom am I kidding? It will be impossible for me to believe that for this Juliet it is love at first sight. R&J AND Giselle. I'd be at both in a heartbeat if she was pared with a decent partner but I just can't do it. No more putting up with one poor dancer to see a great one. The one exception I'm making is the Seo/Bolle Giselle, because who knows when/if we'll have another chance to see Bolle. Alas, no Stella for me this season except for Pierrette and Dryad Queen.. Link to comment
angelica Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 2 minutes ago, nysusan said: R&J AND Giselle. I'd be at both in a heartbeat if she was pared with a decent partner but I just can't do it. No more putting up with one poor dancer to see a great one. The one exception I'm making is the Seo/Bolle Giselle, because who knows when/if we'll have another chance to see Bolle. Alas, no Stella for me this season except for Pierrette and Dryad Queen.. Yes, Giselle too!!! Stella waited so long for those wonderful roles, I'd even spring for a foreign guest artist to be her partner. Perhaps Shklyarov, who partnered her in her very first ABT Giselle, which brought the house down. Link to comment
Helene Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Abrera isn't going to dance forever, and she doesn't get huge number of performances. I'd go to watch her dance if her partner was chosen randomly from throwing a dart on a map. Link to comment
vipa Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 16 minutes ago, Helene said: Abrera isn't going to dance forever, and she doesn't get huge number of performances. I'd go to watch her dance if her partner was chosen randomly from throwing a dart on a map. My attitude is that Julie Kent being allowed to hang on for so long did ABT a disservice. It became clear that some ballet's were vehicles for Kent. Along with that other dancers had missed opportunities because of Kent's schedule. Don't get me wrong. I loved Julie Kent for much of her career but the last 4 years or so shouldn't have happened. Now we have Abrera in her late 30's finally being given a Juliet. Lane in her early 30's has to wait for opportunities she should have now. Copeland gets everything because of ticket sales (can't blame ABT for that). I won't go on Ugh! Link to comment
angelica Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Helene said: Abrera isn't going to dance forever, and she doesn't get huge number of performances. I'd go to watch her dance if her partner was chosen randomly from throwing a dart on a map. I'd be willing to have them throw one more dart at the male principal roster, even including the male soloist roster and take that partner. It couldn't be any worse. I think that apart from being able to lift dancers, he has no other attribute that warrants his principal status. Edited March 12, 2018 by angelica Link to comment
canbelto Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Well to be honest the last few times I've seen Abrera she's still a lovely dancer but I do see a decline in technique. Her Giselle last season was a lot shakier than I expected. Link to comment
angelica Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 1 minute ago, canbelto said: Well to be honest the last few times I've seen Abrera she's still a lovely dancer but I do see a decline in technique. Her Giselle last season was a lot shakier than I expected. Do you remember who her partner was? Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 3 minutes ago, angelica said: Do you remember who her partner was? Gomes! It was his 20th anniversary celebration performance. Link to comment
canbelto Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, angelica said: Do you remember who her partner was? Marcelo Gomes. She had a really rough time with the Giselle Act 1 variation and had to put her other foot down and never really made it more than a few feet across the stage. Edited March 12, 2018 by canbelto Link to comment
laurel Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I think this will be the season to see Murphy and Abrera in anything, and with anyone; I can't imagine the AD will be renewing their contracts after next season. I am a devoted fan of Lane and Cornejo, and I won't miss any chance to see them together. Theirs is a partnership like no other in this company, with great chemistry and utterly harmonious artistry. Unfortunately Cornejo is usually monopolized by Copeland, but at least this season he and Lane are scheduled for two ballets. Cornejo will be 37 this year, and this season's performance as Solor in La Bayadere may be his last. With Skylar Brandt's debut as Gamzatti, this is one performance I will not miss. And the Lane-Cornejo Don Q has Abrera scheduled as Mercedes, which makes it a winner as well. Last year I attended five performances of Whipped Cream, and I hope to attend at least two this year. I love this ballet; I find it joyously silly, filled with crazy imagery, a gorgeous score, and a great chance to see so many different members of the company in varied character roles. I expect the same will be true of Harlequinade, and am prepared to suffer through the initial first-cast performance with two distressing dancers in the leading roles, in order to see David Hallberg as Pierrot. I don't know how the character will be presented in the production, but I feel that a soulful, melancholy Pierrot would be perfect for Hallberg. If he remains uninjured after his performance in Giselle, this will be another performance I'll look forward to seeing. Link to comment
fondoffouettes Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 I'd happily see Marshall Whiteley as Solor if ABT were to cast him opposite Seo. I've thought of him more as in the Gomes mold in the past, but he's been going for all the big, athletic jumps in Instagram videos. There was a video of him on Instagram executing a 540 jump, but I think it was in a story. ABT really needs another prince...stat. Link to comment
NinaFan Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 20 hours ago, nysusan said: I got an email about a week ago encouraging me to become a member and that was one of the perks. Thanks nysusan. It looks like the minimum level is $750 for "Advanced Access" which is a way higher membership level than I've ever had at ABT. I'll just have to wait! Link to comment
Fleurfairy Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 23 hours ago, vipa said: My attitude is that Julie Kent being allowed to hang on for so long did ABT a disservice. It became clear that some ballet's were vehicles for Kent. Along with that other dancers had missed opportunities because of Kent's schedule. Don't get me wrong. I loved Julie Kent for much of her career but the last 4 years or so shouldn't have happened. Now we have Abrera in her late 30's finally being given a Juliet. Lane in her early 30's has to wait for opportunities she should have now. Copeland gets everything because of ticket sales (can't blame ABT for that). I won't go on Ugh! ABT seems to have this problem routinely. Alessandra Ferri hung on for way too long as well. As did Paloma Herrera. I am starting to see Gillian Murphy enter the territory of being injured often and not the Ol’ Faithful that she once was. She’s going to be 40. There’s something to be said for retiring before everything completely goes and you’re delivering subpar performances. (Not saying she’s at that point this year, but it’s coming). There’s also something to be said for recognizing that younger dancers could deliver a better, fresher performance and bowing out gracefully. Link to comment
abatt Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 It's usually the AD who coaxes or forces retirement, but McKenzie and Julie Kent went way back. McKenzie gave Kent a lot more latitude and control than Part, who was kicked out without the proper retirement farewell. Part could have danced well another season or two. There are so many things that have happened under McKenzie that are unseemly that it would take a new thread to address them all. Link to comment
canbelto Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I think the issue is that NONE of the ABT's roster right now is "young." Even the newly promoted principals (Devon, Christine, and Sarah) were longtime corps members/soloists. ABT's extremely structured way of casting and limited repertoire for their Met season makes it harder to develop dancers in the pipeline. Even Ratmansky can't seem to upend the rigid way ABT casts. For instance I was sure that Skylar Brandt (a favorite of his that he's been developing for several seasons) would get cast in Harlequinade but that didn't happen. Link to comment
vipa Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 6 minutes ago, canbelto said: I think the issue is that NONE of the ABT's roster right now is "young." Even the newly promoted principals (Devon, Christine, and Sarah) were longtime corps members/soloists. ABT's extremely structured way of casting and limited repertoire for their Met season makes it harder to develop dancers in the pipeline. Even Ratmansky can't seem to upend the rigid way ABT casts. For instance I was sure that Skylar Brandt (a favorite of his that he's been developing for several seasons) would get cast in Harlequinade but that didn't happen. So agree canbelto, and there are just so many principal roles to go around in the Met season. At the same time, part of this is the AD's taste. He seems to think Boylston and Hee Seo can do just about anything. When I comes to Lane he casts her in Don Q but not Romeo and Juliet. Misty Copeland is given everything (my guess is that she's the only name that sells tickets right now). Link to comment
angelica Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 33 minutes ago, vipa said: So agree canbelto, and there are just so many principal roles to go around in the Met season. At the same time, part of this is the AD's taste. He seems to think Boylston and Hee Seo can do just about anything. When I comes to Lane he casts her in Don Q but not Romeo and Juliet. Misty Copeland is given everything (my guess is that she's the only name that sells tickets right now). I'm told that after age 40 a dancer can sue for age discrimination. I'm not a lawyer, so check that out. If that's true, there's something to be said for the AD retiring dancers before they reach that age, although I think that's coldhearted. Isn't that what happened to Veronika Part? Last I heard the mandatory retirement age at POB is 42--and after that the dancers get a pension for life. Link to comment
nanushka Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) 41 minutes ago, vipa said: He seems to think Boylston and Hee Seo can do just about anything. These are the two mysteries I feel I will never solve. I can imagine a reason (though I'd disagree) for his (differing) treatments of Lane, Abrera, Copeland, Part, etc. But I cannot understand why, apparently, in his eyes, these two can walk on water. Edited March 13, 2018 by nanushka Link to comment
fondoffouettes Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 10 minutes ago, angelica said: I'm told that after age 40 a dancer can sue for age discrimination. I'm not a lawyer, so check that out. If that's true, there's something to be said for the AD retiring dancers before they reach that age, although I think that's coldhearted. Isn't that what happened to Veronika Part? Last I heard the mandatory retirement age at POB is 42--and after that the dancers get a pension for life. Part, Herrera and Dvorovenko all retired at age 39. None seems to have retired on her own terms, with Part being the most extreme example. Link to comment
its the mom Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 9 hours ago, canbelto said: I think the issue is that NONE of the ABT's roster right now is "young." Even the newly promoted principals (Devon, Christine, and Sarah) were longtime corps members/soloists. ABT's extremely structured way of casting and limited repertoire for their Met season makes it harder to develop dancers in the pipeline. Even Ratmansky can't seem to upend the rigid way ABT casts. For instance I was sure that Skylar Brandt (a favorite of his that he's been developing for several seasons) would get cast in Harlequinade but that didn't happen. Agreed. However, some of the men are "young." Simkin is just right around 30, but he will have a very reduced role. Lendorf is 28-29, but injured much of the time (or at least up until now.) Cirio is 26-27, but barely used. Schevchenko and Teuscher are still under 30. And the two soloists behind them, Trenary and Brandt are mid-20's. However, most of the other soloists are either in their 30's or approaching 30, not leaving much time to develop as principals. I agree that Brandt should have been cast in Harlequinade. But it appears that Boylston and Copeland are center stage this year. Link to comment
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