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ABT 2019 Met Season

ABT Fan

By ABT Fan
in American Ballet Theatre

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ABT Fan

ABT Fan

Posted
Posted

It's a bit early for this thread, but ABT has posted some 2019 tour dates on their website and they're doing Harlequinade in CA and DC and Whipped Cream in Iowa and Chicago. So, it's safe to assume that they'll be doing both at the Met next year (to be expected for Harlequinade, but a bit surprising for WC since it didn't seem to sell well this year).

Hopefully, Giselle will return and I'd expect Bayadere as well. They need to throw in a new ballet and/or a revival or two. Will Ratmansky do yet another new ballet? How about Ashton's Cinderella? And, some Tudor, please? I keep hoping for Leaves are Fading, On the Dnieper and Paquita (especially) to make a comeback. 

https://www.abt.org/performances/abt-on-tour/

 

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California

California

Posted
Posted

Another factor: Bolle must be thinking of an ABT-retirement program. It's a surprise he didn't do that in 2018! So they should do something he'd be great at. My wish list: Manon. I suppose Giselle would be okay, but they haven't done Manon in several years. Hallberg could also do it (he was supposed to do it with Osipova this spring at Royal). And in June, Aaron Robison, now of SFB, could be brought in as a welcome guest, as he did the role with Houston.

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angelica

angelica

Posted
Posted

Since there are only so many slots for principal contracts, I'm thinking that someone(s) is(are) going to have to retire in order for Brandt and Ternary to move up. That seems to be a cruel reality at ABT, which I only became aware of when Veronika Part's contract wasn't renewed. Is that the situation at most ballet companies?

 

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted

They need male principals, immediately.  They already have a lot of principal women, so I doubt Trenary or Brandt will ascend to principal in 2019.   Murphy did very well this season, so it seems unlikely that she would retire next season. Since Abrera has been a principal for so little time, I doubt McKenzie will force her out at this juncture, but you never know.

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bingham

bingham

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

It's a bit early for this thread, but ABT has posted some 2019 tour dates on their website and they're doing Harlequinade in CA and DC and Whipped Cream in Iowa and Chicago. So, it's safe to assume that they'll be doing both at the Met next year (to be expected for Harlequinade, but a bit surprising for WC since it didn't seem to sell well this year).

Hopefully, Giselle will return and I'd expect Bayadere as well. They need to throw in a new ballet and/or a revival or two. Will Ratmansky do yet another new ballet? How about Ashton's Cinderella? And, some Tudor, please? I keep hoping for Leaves are Fading, On the Dnieper and Paquita (especially) to make a comeback. 

https://www.abt.org/performances/abt-on-tour/

 

I hope they do the full-length Raymonda but not the McKenzie-Holmes production a few years ago.

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spinning2night

spinning2night

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, abatt said:

They need male principals, immediately.  They already have a lot of principal women, so I doubt Trenary or Brandt will ascend to principal in 2019.   Murphy did very well this season, so it seems unlikely that she would retire next season. Since Abrera has been a principal for so little time, I doubt McKenzie will force her out at this juncture, but you never know.

Agreed! ABT needs to figure out how to shore up a male principal roster for the Met season ASAP, what I would like to see in 2019 is opportunities for the male soloists in principal roles + a few scattered one offs for corps men. KM needs to build the morale and ability off his existing roster. Clearly no one was ready for a promotion this year on the men's side; however, that absolutely CANNOT be the case again next season. However, until the work is showcased on stage, we'll never know who's ready.

Bolle's retirement is always going to be a possibility until he/ABT says when. IMO, I think it'll only happen when he doesn't want to dance for the NYC audience anymore. While his frequency with ABT is less, he dances internationally more than any other male principal. From what I gather, he's been cutting back on roles, but physically, he can still do everything he's committed to dancing. What I think is more interesting, is that I have no insight to him as a person -- i.e. I have no idea what his favorite role or ballet is, nor have I any inclination who he'd like to dance with for his retirement. He's never been "the guy" at ABT, and the company would be far worse off without him as he's a strong male dancer/partner who helps fill out the casting yearly and does so in a way that elevates the company and the dancers he performs with -- I'm interested to know to what extent ABT will go to give him a proper farewell when the time comes.

Re: Murphy & Abrera, they both can still dance. And you can tell they've both played it safe with regards to their bodies and schedules in recent years. I think they are both realistic about what roles they should be dancing, and I appreciate them pushing through challenges smartly when appropriate. If you were to ask me, I don't think either of them will drag it out like Kent, but both of them aiming for at least a 25th anniversary with the company is likely.

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fondoffouettes

fondoffouettes

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 7/23/2018 at 6:25 PM, bingham said:

I hope they do the full-length Raymonda but not the McKenzie-Holmes production a few years ago.

Yes! I wonder if it's on Ratmansky's list of reconstructions he'd like to do (though I don't necessarily need to see it in its reconstructed form). I'd like to see Ratmansky do a new Swan Lake for ABT that's informed by his reconstruction, but also incorporates some 20th-century choreography. From what I've seen of his reconstruction on video, there are some pretty disappointing moments, like the coda of the Act III pas de deux, when Odile stands in place flexing her feet up and down. 

If the warhorses follow their pattern of two years on, one year off, then next year we'd be seeing Romeo and Juliet, Bayadere and Corsaire (though it's hard to imagine them staging it with the current dearth of male principals). R&J could certainly work for Bolle's farewell, if he's planning one. 

I'd like to see Giselle next year, too, but wouldn't that be a third year in a row? I feel like ABT always gives it a rest after two years in a row.

And maybe Sleeping Beauty will come back next year. Manon isn't my favorite, but I agree it seems about time for it to come back, and hopefully they'll go back to the old production that looked far better than that muddy thing they rented. A Forster/Abrera Manon? I'd be there in a hot second. I'd also love to see what Trenary could do with the role. 

Edited by fondoffouettes
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Drew

Drew

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, California said:

Yes! Partnering Sarah Lane? Boylston?

Or Copeland. That’s a role I would be quite interested in seeing her dance. But though I’m unlikely to make a special trip just to see Manon next year (assuming it gets revived) still, in principle, I would be interested in seeing Cornejo take on Des Grieux with anyone...

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onxmyxtoes

onxmyxtoes

Posted
Posted
30 minutes ago, abatt said:

If Ferri decides to come out of retirement for a Manon, Cornejo could be her partner.  Either Cornejo or Bolle.  Ferri indicated a few years ago that she wants to return to that role, which is easier than Juliet.

I mean is Ferri even in retirement if she's danced in the last 3 Met seasons?

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DeCoster

DeCoster

Posted
Posted

ABT Fan, I'd love to see On the Dnieper revived too.  (I thought I was the only one!)  I think only Hallberg and Seo remain from the original lead casts.

I also think it would be fun to bring back Bright Stream with this new crop of dancers.  Audiences love that ballet.  I love the score.  I think the Zina role (danced by Reyes, Herrera, and Kent back in 2011) would suit Copeland and Trenary well.  And it would be great to see Murphy and Boylston revive the ballerina role.

Excited that Harliquinade is likely.  I was only able to see one cast (Trenary and Shayer) because I have a small baby to tend to now, and it left me craving repeated viewings.

Outside of Ratmansky I'm always keen to see Ashton and Tudor, in particular Les Patineurs, which I've never seen.  I think Sylvia would also suit the new crop of principal ballerinas and make sense for the dearth of male principals, since the Aminta role isn't very challenging. 

Also please ABT management, bring Marianela Núñez back to dance Ashton!  I'm not for too many guest artists, but she is one for the ages and a great inspiration to current dancers.

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abatt

abatt

Posted
Posted
53 minutes ago, DeCoster said:

Also please ABT management, bring Marianela Núñez back to dance Ashton!  I'm not for too many guest artists, but she is one for the ages and a great inspiration to current dancers.

Yes.  I wish she would come back to ABT for a guest appearance.

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fondoffouettes

fondoffouettes

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, California said:

I'm thinking Bright Stream!

Ha. Yes! I agree the Bright Stream is delightful, though I remember feeling that it really fell flat with the wrong cast (I can’t remember which cast that was). I suppose it probably didn’t do very well at the box office, but  then again, neither did this year’s Giselle (except for the Osipova/Hallberg “event” of course).

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vipa

vipa

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, NinaFan said:

Yes to Bright Stream!  Why on earth hasn't ABT brought that ballet back?  It's so much fun! 

I agree, bring Bright Stream back. It's actually one of my favorite Ratmansky ballets. Brandt & Lane would be a fine cast. 

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NinaFan

NinaFan

Posted
Posted
16 hours ago, fondoffouettes said:

Ha. Yes! I agree the Bright Stream is delightful, though I remember feeling that it really fell flat with the wrong cast (I can’t remember which cast that was).

Sure, that's true about lackluster casts making or breaking any performance.   I was lucky as I had great casts both years they performed the ballet. 

13 hours ago, CharlieH said:

I believe that the sets and costumes belong to the Latvian National Ballet. 

Ah, I had no idea!

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