California Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Not a peep about a fall season at Lincoln Center or next spring at the Met. All we know so far is the Kennedy Center engagement March 29-April 3, with two nights of a mixed bill and five Don Qs. In "normal" times they would announce in July fall performances in NYC for October and in October announce the Met season for the following spring. I'm eager to see all of that announced. Looks like they'll do their Nutcracker at Segerstrom in December, but no announcement yet of dates. I spotted one detail in the Royal Ballet's season overview that we might see in NYC someday: Like Water For Chocolate, June 1-17, 2022 by Christopher Wheeldon. A co-production with ABT. World premiere June 1, 2022 at ROH. So we might see it in North American in fall 2022 or Met spring 2023. I assume we'll see Ratmansky's Of Love and Rage, premiered March 5, 2020, at Segerstrom. Performances cut short by COVID. If you follow Bell and Brandt on Instagram, they are showing extensive rehearsals of Don Q and a little Corsaire. I hope they're cast in the KenCen engagement. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I’ve been wondering the same, why no announcements yet? Link to comment
bingham Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 And are they starting the search for the next artistic director? Link to comment
sandik Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 42 minutes ago, bingham said: And are they starting the search for the next artistic director? I certainly hope so -- that's not a "quick and done" process. Link to comment
Dale Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 ABT ACROSS AMERICA ROLLS INTO ROCKEFELLER CENTER, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2021 ROCKEFELLER CENTER TO PRESENT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE IN TWO OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES OF CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY WORKS America’s National Ballet Company® will take to the road this summer, traveling by bus and truck to 8 U.S. cities and arriving in New York on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. The tour concludes with two performances on the plaza at Rockefeller Center, the site where Ballet Theatre offered its first public performances in 1940. The performances at 6:00 P.M. and 8:30 P.M. are free to the public with registration on Rockefeller Center’s website. ABT Across America builds on ABT’s history of cross-country tours in the 1940s and 1950s. 20 ABT dancers and 28 support crew will travel across 15 states, for a total of 3,100 miles, performing outdoors for socially distanced audiences. The unique final performances in New York will take place with 21 dancers on a custom-built 40’ x 40’ stage on the South Plaza at Rockefeller Center between 48th and 49th Streets. Each show will be performed without an intermission. Repertory for ABT Across America at Rockefeller Center will feature James Whiteside’s New American Romance, a work for eight dancers set to music by Claude Debussy, an excerpt from Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, Jessica Lang’s pas de deux Let Me Sing Forevermore set to songs recorded by Tony Bennett, and Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Indestructible Light, a celebration of American jazz music. Dancers scheduled to perform at Rockefeller Center include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Skylar Brandt, Thomas Forster, Calvin Royal III, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Catherine Hurlin, Katherine Williams, Sierra Armstrong, Jacob Clerico, Michael de la Nuez, Anabel Katsnelson, Kanon Kimura, Erica Lall, Melvin Lawovi, Hannah Marshall, Duncan McIlwaine, Betsy McBride, and Stephanie Petersen. “As necessity is the mother of invention, I am delighted to announce ABT Across America,” said ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. “With most indoor performing arts centers still closed, these outdoor settings will allow ABT’s dancers to share their artistry, excellence, and optimism.” A complete list of tour dates and venues follows: July 1, 2021 (rain date July 2) July 4, 2021 (rain date July 5) July 8, 2021 July 10, 2021 July 11, 2021 (rain date July 12) July 14, 2021 (rain date July 15) July 17, 2021 (rain date July 18) July 19, 2021 (rain date July 20) July 21, 2021 (rain date July 22) ABT Across America Pioneers Park, Lincoln, NE Hancher Green, Iowa City, IA Chicago Park TBA/Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Minnesota Landscape Arboretum/Northrop at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Forest Park, St. Louis, MO Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, VA Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 8:45 P.M. 8:00 P.M. 7:30 P.M. 5:00 & 8:00 P.M. 2:00 & 5:00 P.M. 5:30 & 8:30 P.M. 7:30 P.M. 5:00 & 8:00 P.M. 6:00 & 8:30 P.M. American Ballet Theatre is one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope, and outreach. Recognized as a living national treasure since its founding in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 300,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so. For over 80 years, the Company has appeared in a total of 45 countries and has performed in all 50 states of the United States. ABT has recently enjoyed triumphant successes with engagements in Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong. On April 27, 2006, by an act of Congress, American Ballet Theatre was designated America’s National Ballet Company®. For tickets and information, please visit https://www.rockefellercenter.com/events/abt-across- america-/. ABT Across America is generously supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. American Ballet Theatre recognizes Dalio Philanthropies and one anonymous donor for their champion support of ABT Across America. Special thanks to Susan Sherman for her guidance and enthusiasm in bringing this tour to St. Louis. ABT extends deepest gratitude to: Dr. Robert Galvin, Medical Advisor ABT’s Choreographic Innovation and Inspiration and Inclusion programs are generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional major support of ABT’s Innovation and Inclusion programs is provided by Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, the Ford Foundation, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund and through an endowed gift from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Additional leadership support is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT’s Media Fund, advancing the Company’s digital endeavors; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. American Airlines, the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre Bank of America, Lead Corporate Partner of ABT Studio Company LG Electronics, Global Electronics Partner of American Ballet Theatre Link to comment
vipa Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 I for one have gotten nowhere with ABT Rockefeller Center ticket links, even from the ABT website. I'm assuming tickets are all taken. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyone been successful? Link to comment
DPell Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 40 minutes ago, vipa said: I for one have gotten nowhere with ABT Rockefeller Center ticket links, even from the ABT website. I'm assuming tickets are all taken. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyone been successful? According to the eventbrite pages both shows are sold out. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-ballet-theatre-at-rockefeller-center-tickets-162424801955 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-ballet-theatre-at-rockefeller-center-tickets-162602011995 Link to comment
Barbara Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 So annoying. The only info I could get was to sign up for the Rock Center online newsletter to get instructions about obtaining tickets. Then nothing. Link to comment
Dale Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 State Theatre season announcement: AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ANNOUNCES 2021 FALL SEASON AT DAVID H. KOCH THEATER, OCTOBER 20-31, 2021 FIRST FALL SEASON IN TWO YEARS TO INCLUDE WORLD PREMIERE OF ZIGZAG BY JESSICA LANG AND SIX PERFORMANCES OF GISELLE BOX OFFICE TO OPEN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 AT 10 A.M. Skylar Brandt and Herman Cornejo in Giselle. Photo: João Menegussi. Chloe Misseldine and Jose Sebastian in La Follia Variations. Photo: Todd Rosenberg Photography. In its return to indoor performances in New York City, American Ballet Theatre will present the 2021 Fall season at the David H. Koch Theater, October 20-31, 2021. The season was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. ABT’s first New York Fall season since 2019 will feature the World Premiere of ZigZag by Jessica Lang, co-commissioned by Abu Dhabi Festival, the stage premieres of Bernstein in a Bubble by Alexei Ratmansky and Touché by Christopher Rudd, and ABT masterworks Pillar of Fire and Some Assembly Required. Principal Dancers for the 2021 Fall season at the Koch Theater include Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Gillian Murphy, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher, Cassandra Trenary, and James Whiteside. Giselle American Ballet Theatre’s 2021 Fall season will open on Wednesday, October 20 with the full- length Giselle. Staged by Kevin McKenzie with choreography after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, Giselle is set to music by Adolphe Adam, orchestrated by John Lanchbery, with scenery by Gianni Quaranta, costumes by Anna Anni, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The world premiere of Giselle, one of the oldest continually performed ballets, occurred at the Theatre de l’Academie Royale de Musique in Paris on June 28, 1841. The ballet was first presented by ABT (then Ballet Theatre) at the Center Theatre in New York City on January 12, 1940, with choreography by Anton Dolin and scenery and costumes by Lucinda Ballard. The leading roles were danced by Annabelle Lyon and Anton Dolin. ABT’s sixth production, featuring scenery by Gianni Quaranta and costumes by Anna Anni, was created for the film Dancers, produced in 1987 by Cannon Films. This production’s first public performance was given on March 20, 1987 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, with Marianna Tcherkassky as Giselle and Kevin McKenzie as Albrecht. The current staging is by McKenzie, using the Quaranta and Anni designs. Giselle will be given six performances through Sunday, October 24. Fall Gala and World Premiere The Fall Gala on Tuesday evening, October 26 at 6:30 P.M. will feature ABT’s Company dancers in a program of two of the 22 new works created in quarantined bubbles over the last 17 months, as well as the World Premiere of Jessica Lang’s ZigZag, co-commissioned by Abu Dhabi Festival. ABT Trustee Jenna Segal, champion supporter of the ABT’s Women’s Movement, will be honored at the Gala with The Melville Strauss Leadership Achievement Award. To date, the Women’s Movement has produced 28 World and Company Premieres for ABT and ABT Studio Company. ZigZag, choreographed by Jessica Lang and set to 11 recorded songs sung by Tony Bennett, will have its World Premiere at American Ballet Theatre’s 2021 Fall Gala. A work for 14 dancers, ZigZag will feature costumes by Wes Gordon (creative director for Carolina Herrera), scenery by Emmy and Tony Award® winner Derek McLane, incorporating artwork by Bennett, and lighting by Nicole Pearce. “ZigZag celebrates the legendary career of Tony Bennett as a singer and visual artist,” said Lang. “With 11 songs carefully selected from Bennett’s masterful catalog of recordings spanning more than seven decades, and scenic elements that incorporate his art, ZigZag will highlight the unwavering quality and genuine humanity of his vocal performances. My approach to ZigZag will be to deliver a balance between physical intricacy and visual simplicity, to convey art as entertainment, and to highlight the physically brilliant range of the American Ballet Theatre dancers.” ZigZag, Lang’s fourth work for ABT, will be given four performances through Sunday matinee, October 31. Classic Repertory Antony Tudor’s masterwork Pillar of Fire, last performed by ABT in 2015, will be given three performances at the Koch Theater beginning Thursday evening, October 28. Staged for ABT by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, Pillar of Fire is set to music by Arnold Schoenberg (Verklärte Nacht) with scenery and costumes by Robert Perdziola and lighting by Duane Schuler. The ballet was given its World Premiere on April 8, 1942 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Clark Tippet’s Some Assembly Required will be given two performances during the Fall season, Wednesday evening, October 27 and Saturday evening, October 30. Staged by McKerrow and Gardner, Some Assembly Required is set to music by William Bolcom (Second Sonata for Violin and Piano) and features costumes by Gary Lisz and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The ballet received its World Premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1989. 2020-2021 Creations and New York Premieres Lauren Lovette’s La Follia Variations, Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Indestructible Light, Alexei Ratmansky’s Bernstein in a Bubble, and Christopher Rudd’s Touché will be featured during the second week of American Ballet Theatre’s Fall season. All three works were created in quarantined settings over the course of the COVID pandemic. La Follia Variations, choreographed by Lovette and set to music of the same name by Francesco Geminiani and arranged by Michi Wiancko, with costumes by Victor Glemaud and lighting by Brad Fields, will receive its New York stage premiere on Tuesday evening, October 26. La Follia Variations received its digital World Premiere by ABT Studio Company on February 9, 2021, and its ABT Company Premiere on April 25, 2021 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. The ballet will be given four performances during the Fall season. Moultrie’s Indestructible Light, set to recorded music by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Neal Hefti, Billy Strayhorn, and Chuck Harmony, will be given two performances beginning Wednesday evening, October 27. Indestructible Light features costumes by Marc Eric and lighting by Brad Fields. The work was created at P.S. 21 in Chatham, New York and given its digital World Premiere on November 23, 2020. Indestructible Light was reimagined for the stage and received its West Coast premiere at Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts on April 25, 2021. Ratmansky’s Bernstein in a Bubble is set to Divertimento by Leonard Bernstein, with costumes by Moritz Junge and lighting by Brad Fields. Created in January and February 2021 in Silver Bay, New York, the ballet received its digital World Premiere at ABT Live from City Center | A Ratmansky Celebration on March 23, 2021. Bernstein in a Bubble, Ratmansky’s 18th work for ABT, will be given two performances through Sunday matinee, October 30. Touché, choreographed by Rudd and set to music by Woodkid (Que Te Mate el Desierto) and Ennio Morricone (Giuseppe Tornatore Suite from Malena) with intimacy direction by Sarah Lozoff, will receive its New York stage premiere on Tuesday evening, October 26. Touché, which will be given three performances during the Fall season, was created in Silver Bay, New York and received its digital World Premiere on November 23, 2020 as part of ABT Today: The Future Starts Now. The New York Premiere of Touché will be celebrated with two dedicated Pride Nights at the Koch Theater on Wednesday evening, October 27 and Saturday evening, October 30. These special evenings will highlight LGBTQIA+ diversity, equity, and visibility. Commenting on Pride Nights, Kara Medoff Barnett, Executive Director of ABT said: “These special evenings of Christopher Rudd’s intimate and powerful pas de deux will celebrate and elevate LGBTQIA+ experiences on stage. We are proud to produce and present art that advances equity and visibility in ballet.” Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2021 Fall season, starting at $30, are available beginning Wednesday, September 8 at 10 A.M. in person at the Koch Theater box office, by phone by calling 212-496-0600, and online. Up until noon on the day of performance during the 2021 Fall Season, ABT will offer audience members the opportunity to exchange their tickets or receive refunds free of charge. Based on CDC and New York State guidelines at the time of performance, entry requirements for both adults and children may include valid proof of vaccination with a CDC approved COVID vaccine and/or negative test verification, mask usage, and more. For more information, please visit www.abt.org. Complete programming follows.American Ballet Theatre’s performances of Giselle are generously supported through an endowed gift from Sharon Patrick. Pillar of Fire is generously underwritten by an endowed gift by Avery and Andrew F. Barth and Carmen Barth Fox, in honor of Antony Tudor. Costumes for Some Assembly Required are generously sponsored through the Ellen Everett Kimiatek Costume Preservation Trust. American Ballet Theatre recognizes The Straus Family Foundation for its leadership support in honor of ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Commissions and presentations of new works by women choreographers are supported by the ABT Women’s Movement. Champion support for the ABT Women’s Movement is provided by Jenna Segal. Additional leadership support is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. ABT’s Choreographic Innovation and Inspiration and Inclusion programs are generously supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Additional major support of ABT’s Innovation and Inclusion programs is provided by Mark Casey and Carrie Gaiser Casey, the Ford Foundation, The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund and through an endowed gift from the Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund. Special thanks to Denise Littlefield Sobel for her leadership gifts to: ABT’s Media Fund, advancing the Company’s digital endeavors; and ABT RISE, fueling the Company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. American Airlines, the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. LG Electronics, Global Electronics Partner of American Ballet Theatre. Bank of America, Lead Corporate Partner of ABT Studio Company. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 I was really hoping they'd do Giselle! So happy we don't have to wait until May to see a good old-fashioned ABT full-length, and it will be great to see one in that theater! Link to comment
Becki Lee Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 No Misty, on her 20th anniversary year?? Link to comment
JuliaJ Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 Great news about Giselle. Does this mean we're guaranteed an intermission between Acts I and II? lol... Link to comment
California Posted July 21, 2021 Author Share Posted July 21, 2021 (edited) In most places, they say the season is October 20-31, but under "Tickets" it says October 17 - 31. Is that a typo or might there be some Friends rehearsals the 17-19? https://www.abt.org/performances/fall-season/ Tickets go on sale September 8 - but it also says there will be advance ticket access benefits: Golden Patron level donors ($2,400 and above) – Access to prime location seats through our Patron Ticket Service beginning August 30 at 10:00 AM ET. Affiliate level donors ($480 and above) – Early access to tickets beginning September 1 at 10:00 AM ET, one week before they go on sale to the general public, September 8. https://support.abt.org/2021-donor-ticket-benefits?erid=9397717&trid=93878ccb-0be3-4078-93fc-52a2c06becf8 Edited July 21, 2021 by California updated content Link to comment
abatt Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 If I'm reading the press release correctly, they are planning on using the sets (and costume?)s from a 1987 production of Giselle used in the film Dancers. That is different from the version they regularly use at the MET. I presume this is because the sets they use at the MET don't fit on the stage of the Koch. I've been doing a little reading up on the 1987 production and sets, and the press I have found seemed to be very negative about this production. Anyone recall the 1987 production? Since there are six Giselle shows, I presume there will be three casts - Hee Seo, Boylston for sure. The rest of the rep is deeply disappointing. The only ballet I will make an effort to see is Pillar, but only if Murphy is playing Hagar. It is one of her best roles. Link to comment
aurora Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 hour ago, abatt said: If I'm reading the press release correctly, they are planning on using the sets (and costume?)s from a 1987 production of Giselle used in the film Dancers. That is different from the version they regularly use at the MET. I presume this is because the sets they use at the MET don't fit on the stage of the Koch. I've been doing a little reading up on the 1987 production and sets, and the press I have found seemed to be very negative about this production. Anyone recall the 1987 production? Since there are six Giselle shows, I presume there will be three casts - Hee Seo, Boylston for sure. I'd assume Skylar Brandt will dance it. And I agree those you mentioned are definites. I'm not sure, however, that they would only have 3 casts. When they did Giselle in DC in Feb 2020 there were 7 performances and 7 different Giselles scheduled: Hee Seo, Boylston, Abrerra, Brandt, Lane, Murphy and Copeland (who had to cancel and was replaced by Brandt) were all scheduled. Link to comment
canbelto Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 I think Brandt will definitely be cast. Maybe Trenary too? Link to comment
nanushka Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 And Shevchenko was cast as Giselle for the 2020 Met season, wasn’t she? With all the newly promoted principals, I hope they’ll cast broadly for this run. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Gosh, I was just thinking about Giselle casting and was looking over the roster. They won't have just 3 casts - they never do that. I imagine 5 or even 6 Giselles. Seo, Boylston, Murphy (presumably), Brandt, Shevchenko (Met season last yr was supposed to be her debut) are givens. I'm wondering if they'll give Seo 2 shows, like they frequently do (opening night for one), or will we see Trenary given a debut? The men are a bigger question mark, imo. Six principals have already performed Albrecht (Ahn, Bell, Cornejo, Forster, Stearns, Whiteside), but Royal was supposed to have his debut last season with Shevchenko. So, which one will not be cast? I think a Brandt/Cornejo pairing is inevitable, since Copeland won't be performing. Or, Trenary/Cornejo is she's given her debut. Possibly scenarios, based on previous pairings (not necessarily Giselle): Seo/Stearns - opening night + one more possibly Boylston/Bell or Boylston/Whiteside Murphy/Forster Brandt/Cornejo or Brandt/Ahn Shevchenko/Royal or Shevchenko/Whiteside Trenary/Cornejo But, again, one male principal will be left out. For Myrta, I'm sure it'll be spread out between Teuscher (2 shows I imagine) plus Hurlin and Williams, with one for Shevchenko (if she gets her Giselle debut). (Side note: I can't imagine going to an ABT Giselle and not seeing Lane....) Link to comment
fondoffouettes Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, abatt said: I've been doing a little reading up on the 1987 production and sets, and the press I have found seemed to be very negative about this production. Anyone recall the 1987 production? I've always thought that ABT has been using the Dancers sets from 1987 to the present day. Even though the current production is dated to 1998, I think McKenzie reused the earlier sets in the same way he reused the Don Quixote sets from the Baryshnikov production when he restaged that ballet. This is the clearest shot of the Act II set I could find, although it's small: : It looks like the same set used in Dancers, seen in the video below, with some modifications. But if you compare the trees, the set appears to be the same. I thought it odd that the press release called out the fact the sets were so old and from a movie that is hardly known. I believe the scenic designer may have been inspired by Caspar David Friedrich's The Abbey in the Oakwood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abbey_in_the_Oakwood. Edited July 22, 2021 by fondoffouettes Link to comment
California Posted July 22, 2021 Author Share Posted July 22, 2021 2 hours ago, abatt said: If I'm reading the press release correctly, they are planning on using the sets (and costume?)s from a 1987 production of Giselle used in the film Dancers. That is different from the version they regularly use at the MET. I presume this is because the sets they use at the MET don't fit on the stage of the Koch. I've been doing a little reading up on the 1987 production and sets, and the press I have found seemed to be very negative about this production. Anyone recall the 1987 production? Actually, there is a different explanation: Colorado Ballet is doing Giselle October 10 - 17 in Denver. In their previous presentation in 2013, they rented the ABT sets and costumes. Taking down the set, trucking it across country and setting up in NYC presumably takes more than three days! https://tickets.coloradoballet.org/events My first thought yesterday with the ABT announcement: oh-oh -- can Colorado rent the Giselle production from Pacific Northwest? But these contracts must have been signed long ago. Still, this implies that ABT wasn't thinking as far ahead as Colorado! The Ellie Caulkins Opera House was gut-renovated in 2005 and is quite a nice contemporary theater. Stage is 54' deep and 65' wide. https://galachoruses.org/sites/default/files/TheEllieCaulkinsVenueTechGuide.pdf For comparison, the Koch stage: 54' deep and 56' wide: https://www.thekagency.com/venue/david-h-koch-theater/ Link to comment
choriamb Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 (edited) I do wonder if COVID's effects on retirement timelines and the Koch Theater's film facilities played it into ABT's decision to perform the full-length Giselle during the Fall season. Has management done this to hedge against possible COVID variants arising and killing the Spring/Summer season (and another season of full-length ballets for its most-senior principals)? If ever an artist has earned 1-2 valedictory seasons (even if she were to return at 50% of her past abilities), Gillian Murphy is that artist. But two full years would be a long time remain in a holding pattern of physical conditioning (and physical pain) without payoff for her, Cornejo, and Stearns if next year's Spring season were killed. I'd totally expect ABT to film Murphy, Cornejo, and Stearns' Fall performances as a safeguard in case it's their last chance at a full-length...and as a bank-making financial investment. (And to perhaps even rustle up a guest appearance from some lady named Abrera while they were at it.) So, it will be interesting to see how they leverage Murphy, Cornejo, and Stearns: Does Murphy perform both an opening night Myrtha (as it's her most famous role that hasn't been filmed) AND a closing night Giselle (just in case it becomes her last opportunity to do a full-length)? And which of the less-established principals do they cast in the principal roles as a way to let their stardom rub off on them in a final--potentially filmed--performance? Could Murphy even be cast opposite Bell? I expect Myrtha and even Peasant Pas to be power-cast throughout the run anyway just as a way to help the other principals rebuild their stamina...but if a soloist or corps member performs those roles in any performance led by Murphy/Cornejo/Stearns, then they're being deliberately pushed into the spotlight. Edited July 27, 2021 by choriamb Link to comment
choriamb Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 (edited) The Cornejo performance is also interesting to speculate over: can you imagine what would happen if management cast Trenary as Myrtha to get her onstage during a Cornejo/Brandt performance? (She'd totally play her as a coquette: New Yorkers would hate it, Europeans would love it...and it would probably be the most historically-accurate interpretation seen onstage in years.) Could they even cast Trenary as Giselle to ensure that she experienced one full-length opposite Cornejo, as Brandt has already had a few? Edited July 27, 2021 by choriamb Link to comment
Kathleen O'Connell Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 9 hours ago, choriamb said: The Cornejo performance is also interesting to speculate over: can you imagine what would happen if management cast Trenary as Myrtha to get her onstage during a Cornejo/Brandt performance? In the Theater Formerly Known as State where you can actually see what's going on onstage? Oh, I'd be elbowing my way to the front of the box office line for that one. Link to comment
PeggyTulle Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 On 7/21/2021 at 2:32 PM, Becki Lee said: No Misty, on her 20th anniversary year?? So curious about this... Link to comment
pbl Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 When will they release the casting? Is there some way to get an alert when the casting comes out for Giselle? Link to comment
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