Roberta Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 On 6/24/2022 at 6:23 PM, YouOverThere said: 15 percent off tickets to remaining performances using promo code PRIDE15 It didn't help. Yesterday matinee's turn-out was truly pathetic...for a Saturday matinee, no less. I was one of TEN (10) seated in the Mezzanine from the get-go. (Nobody moved to Orchestra/Stalls during intermissions.) I counted about 110-120 in Orch/Stalls...so about 130 total in the public. Harman Hall in downtown DC seats 775. Sad. The show? A mixed bag. Besides the very pretty and brief Moonlight (a pdd by Tamas Krizsa for himself and Sona Kharatian who are leaving the troupe), the only work that I would want to see again is Jessica Lang's Beethoven Serenade - exquisite classical movement, pretty costumes (off-white tulle/gauze skirts for ladies, pointes, etc. vaguely Scottish longish red jackets for men). There's even a section in which the leading highland lassie, Brittany Stone, is surrounded by six highland guys...just as in Balanchine's Scotch Symphony. Pure joy -- complete opposite of Lang's pop-schlock ZigZag for ABT. I especially loved the lyrical trios for Maki Onuki (unannounced replacement for Victoria Arrea), Oscar Sanchez ad Javier Morera. The least said about the other two works, the better: Brett Ishida's home-coming (no capitalizing) and Mthuthuzeli November's Where Do We Go Now (no question mark in the official title) . The former is about an old lady remembering her dead husband and others who have departed. It is so poorly lit that it's almost impossible to see details...except that one guy in the ensemble jumped brilliantly at one point...perhaps Masanori Takiguchi? The latter presents a group of orange-clad people preparing to depart this earth...with lots of Ailey-esque jivin' in place and arm-flailing and such. Yuk. I'll take the happiness and classicism of Lang's Beethoven Serenade any time. Positivity and beauty forever! Maybe it's time to blow the whistle on the Diversity Affirmative Action thing and, just once, hold an Old White Dudes (and Gals, like Lang) Festival? Link to comment
California Posted June 26, 2022 Author Share Posted June 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Roberta said: It didn't help. Yesterday matinee's turn-out was truly pathetic...for a Saturday matinee, no less. I was one of TEN (10) seated in the Mezzanine from the get-go. (Nobody moved to Orchestra/Stalls during intermissions.) I counted about 110-120 in Orch/Stalls...so about 130 total in the public. Harman Hall in downtown DC seats 775. Sad. 15% off? Even ABT recognized before the opening they needed 50% off! What an embarrassment! Do they have student/elderly/veteran rush? Link to comment
YouOverThere Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, California said: 15% off? Even ABT recognized before the opening they needed 50% off! What an embarrassment! Do they have student/elderly/veteran rush? I managed to buy a ticket to today's (Sunday) matinee at the box office for $30. The seat next to it is currently still on sale and is listed (without entering the promo code) at $74. At the Shakespeare Theatre, where the performances were being held, they don't have rush ticket prices for groups that are renting the theater (which is what the WB is doing). I never ask about elderly discounts (and I've only been asked once if I was old enough to be entitled to such a discount). Edited June 26, 2022 by YouOverThere Link to comment
YouOverThere Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) Deleted Edited June 26, 2022 by YouOverThere Link to comment
YouOverThere Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 11 hours ago, Roberta said: Besides the very pretty and brief Moonlight (a pdd by Tamas Krizsa for himself and Sona Kharatian who are leaving the troupe), They are retiring from performing, but both will be staying on in some capacity (both acted as rehearsal assistants this year). Link to comment
Roberta Posted June 27, 2022 Share Posted June 27, 2022 14 hours ago, YouOverThere said: They are retiring from performing, but both will be staying on in some capacity (both acted as rehearsal assistants this year). Good to know. With the low audience turn-outs throughout the USA -- in all that I've seen in places like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cinci, NYC, here -- I'm bracing for a lot of downsizing around the country. Or we could see more audience-friendly programming - more DRACULAS, ALICES and, of course, NUTCRACKERS. How can mixed-bill programming as we saw with TWB last week be sustained, unless heavily subsidized? Amazingly, Washington Ballet, begins its 2022/23 season in October with yet another NEXTSteps. I hope that the audience turn-out and the ballets presented are, on the whole, better. Maybe the lovely Beethoven Serenade will be encored? I also hope that choreographers will be selected for their talent and potential compared to all, irrespective of their skin-color or gender. Unlike this silliness at the Joffrey Ballet - whites need not apply! : Winning Works | Joffrey Ballet "...The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces a national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy’s Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition ..." Little Ashtons, Petipas, DeMilles or Nijinskas need not apply. No ALAANAS among them, unless you count Ashton having been born in Ecuador because his dad happened to be posted there. Link to comment
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