Nutcracker 2022

[fondoffouettes]

22 hours ago, Fernie M said:

For those of you interested, Davide Riccardo posted on IG some really nice footage of he and Mira Nadon dancing Cavalier/SPF this afternoon at family Saturday.

https://www.instagram.com/davidericc/?hl=en

Nadon's backbend! 😮

I agree with others -- I'd love to see Kikta be promoted. She's been fantastic in everything I've seen her in.

[cobweb]

On 12/17/2022 at 10:54 AM, Papagena said:

For years I've been wondering why she hasn't been offered more starring roles (she first caught my eye as one of the four women in Mozartiana, so much so that she took my attention away from Mearns front-and-center role) - but I found out that she is 5'10! Even most ballerinas considered 'very tall' are 5'8/5'9. Maybe a lack of partners is the major roadblock to advancement in the ranks? Otherwise I can't see the holdup.  

Miriam Miller is even taller than Emily Kikta, I believe. Since they promoted both to soloist, I assume that means they're prepared to have at least one very tall principal. IMHO Emily Kikta is more than ready, she is so beautiful, fills the stage, intriguing presence, and years of experience. 

[Fernie M]

1 hour ago, fondoffouettes said:

Nadon's backbend! 😮

I agree with others -- I'd love to see Kikta be promoted. She's been fantastic in everything I've seen her in.

Oh my goodness, backbend absolutely fantastic-literally took my breath away.

I agree with everyone regarding Kikta’s (hopefully very soon) promotion… So deserved!

[abatt]

What Does an Angel See in Her Future? Maybe a Sugarplum Fairy. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Nuts review.  One takeaway for me is that quite a bit of rehearsal is needed to present a wonderful performance of the lead dancers in this ballet.  The pas is quite difficult and intricate.  For those who wonder why there are not more debuts, I think the answer is that given limited rehearsal time and resources, training of the lead performers must be focused on a few people learning new roles.

Emma Von Enck is making bold strides in demonstrating her readiness for bigger things.  I have no doubt she will debut as Aurora, and I can't wait!

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by abatt

[vagansmom]

Emma Von Enck is fast becoming the dancer I wish to see the most. For many years, it was Sterling Hyltin.  Heartbreaking for me to see her retire. So it's such a thrill to find a new dancer to follow with great affection. 

[GB1216]

I was at the performance at 1pm this past Sunday - friends had gotten tickets for the fourth ring and someone dropped out so I came along.  I saw Megan Fairchild and she was just as sparkly and fairly like as the article claims at the end.  Highly enjoyed her dancing and all the beats she took with the children onstage.  
 

The program insert for replacements was realllyyyyyy long for that performance (party scene, marzipan, hot chocolate, Marie, mother ginger, and more) but everyone came off with aplomb.  I was looking forward to seeing India bradley as the lead marzipan shepherdess, but she was replaced by Emma von enck who was great.

[uptowner]

I went to check for a pair of tickets for Nutcracker and 😮 it really is sold out (one or two ADA seats available for a few of the remaining performances). Good for NYCB, I hope they are making lots of money and can spend it on promotions! Looks like audiences are coming back to the theater in a big way again.  

[abatt]

30 minutes ago, uptowner said:

I went to check for a pair of tickets for Nutcracker and 😮 it really is sold out (one or two ADA seats available for a few of the remaining performances). Good for NYCB, I hope they are making lots of money and can spend it on promotions! Looks like audiences are coming back to the theater in a big way again.  

I'm not sure if this will help, but try it.  I'm a subscriber and when I logged in and tried to buy Nut tickets, it showed me almost no seats except ADA.  I logged out and looked for Nut tickets and suddenly there were plenty of seats available on the seat map.  I only logged in when it was time for checkout, and the seats were already in my cart. This was about two weeks ago.  I have no idea why their computer software would operate in this way, but that was my experience.  See if that helps.

[Fernie M]

2 hours ago, uptowner said:

I went to check for a pair of tickets for Nutcracker and 😮 it really is sold out (one or two ADA seats available for a few of the remaining performances). Good for NYCB, I hope they are making lots of money and can spend it on promotions! Looks like audiences are coming back to the theater in a big way again.  

You could also download the Cash or Trade app, and put a wanted/for sale/nutcracker tickets on there. It’s very easy to use.

[abatt]

I attended tonight's performance.  I have not been to Nutcracker in many years.  Megan Fairchild as Dewdrop pretty much stole the show.  She dances with authority, technical brilliance and joy that radiates out to every person in the theater.  A sensational  performance.  Laracey was very good as SPF.  She has long, beautiful limbs which work perfectly in this role. She had difficulty with a pirouette (came off pointe too soon), but other than that she did pretty well in the roleRussell Janzen made his long awaited return to the stage.  He looks in great shape.  There isn't an ounce of extra weight on his frame.  As always, he was an elegant and gallant partner.  However, I thought his solos were slow and cautious.  It's going to take some time for him to work his way back after missing so much time.  

[BalanchineFan]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:25 PM, fondoffouettes said:

I think NYCB, like most performing arts organizations, is still very much in COVID rebound mode and defaulting to conservative choices in programming (and perhaps, in this instance, casting, as well). It may be a matter of capacity. I wonder if perhaps they've had to devote coaching resources elsewhere.

[...] Some of the pre-pandemic seasons felt like an embarrassment of riches by comparison. But I'll take what I can get while they are in recovery mode!

Good points about conservative casting. I also wonder if the opportunities for guesting have changed compared with opportunities before 2020, whether it's pandemic related or not. From IG you can see some of the guesting has resumed but certainly no one is going to Russia or Ukraine for guest Nutcracker gigs.

[BalanchineFan]

On 12/26/2022 at 3:53 PM, abatt said:

I'm not sure if this will help, but try it.  I'm a subscriber and when I logged in and tried to buy Nut tickets, it showed me almost no seats except ADA.  I logged out and looked for Nut tickets and suddenly there were plenty of seats available on the seat map.  I only logged in when it was time for checkout, and the seats were already in my cart. This was about two weeks ago.  I have no idea why their computer software would operate in this way, but that was my experience.  See if that helps.

The Joyce theater holds some tickets for each performance that can only be bought at the box office and only when you ask for them specifically. Perhaps it's similar at NYCB. 

The following confounding conversation was recounted by a friend coming to see me perform.

Customer: I'd like the least expensive seat for Friday. I've already seen the show twice.

Box office: We've got $40 tickets

Customer: What about the first row?

Box office: Those are $10. They are partial view.

Customer: What about the second row?

Box office: Those are $21

Customer: two tickets in the 2nd row, please. [unsaid: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THESE THE FIRST TIME I ASKED!!]

Edited December 28, 2022 by BalanchineFan

[Helene]

In general, mmany, many opportunitiess for guesting are with home schools and companies, ie, the schools dancers went to that did their foundation training, in their semi-professional annual Nutcrackers.  If they can get there early enough, they have opportunities to teach class and/or give workshops the morning of the performances.  And this is just as likely to be offered to corps members who've made good as Principal Dancers.  It's win/win for the schools, since Nutcracker is the main moneymaker, and for the students to see role models in action.  The same is true for smaller schools where the dancers have professional ties to former colleagues who are now the Artistic Directors of schools that also produce performances, not exclusively for The Nutcracker.

I don't know if NYCB is generous to allow this across its ranks, but these gigs tend to be invisible to people with access to larger professional companies, whereas guesting with another major company, especially abroad, gets publicity for both companies.

[abatt]

Forgot to add that I was very impressed by Cainan Weber as Tea in last night's Nutcracker.  I  hadn't really noticed him before.

[cobweb]

This is off-topic from Nutcracker, but on-topic for NYCB. I'm a new joiner to Facebook, where I am served up endless ads for NYCB (no idea how they knew, as soon as I joined Facebook, that I was interested in ads from NYCB, Metropolitan Opera, and various brands of winter boots. So far nothing from ABT, which is interesting...). I am enjoying the "Ballet Gift Exchange" where one dancer "gifts" another with a role they would like to see them in. Today, Gilbert Bolden suggests Jovani Furlan in the Villella role of Rubies. Great idea!! Also Mira Nadon suggests Sara Adams for Sonnambula. Also great! This is a fun marketing idea. 

[Balletwannabe]

The most recent one was... interesting.  Women kill themselves for the few coveted soloist roles... let's not make them also compete with men who typically all end up with an abundant repertoire of soloist roles?  Alas, I digress.  I know it's just a fun little thing, but NYCB officially posted it...so ..noted: nothing in the future will surprise me.

[BalanchineFan]

17 hours ago, cobweb said:

This is off-topic from Nutcracker, but on-topic for NYCB. I'm a new joiner to Facebook, where I am served up endless ads for NYCB (no idea how they knew, as soon as I joined Facebook, that I was interested in ads from NYCB, Metropolitan Opera, and various brands of winter boots. So far nothing from ABT, which is interesting...). I am enjoying the "Ballet Gift Exchange" where one dancer "gifts" another with a role they would like to see them in. Today, Gilbert Bolden suggests Jovani Furlan in the Villella role of Rubies. Great idea!! Also Mira Nadon suggests Sara Adams for Sonnambula. Also great! This is a fun marketing idea. 

I checked it out. Very fun and forward looking. Are there any roles you would gift to one of the dancers? I say Davide Riccardo in Duo Concertant.

I'd also love to see Indiana Woodward in Square Dance.

[BalanchineFan]

46 minutes ago, Balletwannabe said:

The most recent one was... interesting.  Women kill themselves for the few coveted soloist roles... let's not make them also compete with men who typically all end up with an abundant repertoire of soloist roles?  Alas, I digress.  I know it's just a fun little thing, but NYCB officially posted it...so ..noted: nothing in the future will surprise me.

Gilbert Bolden III's IG has Marzipan and Dewdrop, and his pointe work is pretty darn good! I'd pay to see him as the Tall Girl in Rubies (but maybe only in rehearsal). It looks like his Dewdrop was originally filmed for something called Nutcracker Miscast. It may have been an online challenge for social media, all in fun as you say, Balletwannabe.

Does anyone know more about Miscast? Sounds like a drag name.

[GB1216]

They are probably taking it from the annual Broadway miscast concert where performers play opposite their usual roles.  For example, one year Jonathan groff did the role of Carrie from a chorus line and another group of men did cell block tango from Chicago.

[Helene]

I would gift the dancers any role they want to dance that they would be typecast out of based on height.

[cobweb]

3 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

I say Davide Riccardo in Duo Concertant.

I'd also love to see Indiana Woodward in Square Dance.

Great suggestions!! Now that you mention Square Dance, also let's see Emma von Enck. 

[Kathleen O'Connell]

3 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

I'd pay to see him as the Tall Girl in Rubies

After watching this, absolutely! 

He's one of my favorites because he always looks like he's living his best life when he's on stage dancing. 

 

[cobweb]

.. and since we're dreaming about casting, I know this will never happen, but Ashley Laracey in 2nd movement, Symphony in C.

[Drew]

24 minutes ago, cobweb said:

.. and since we're dreaming about casting, I know this will never happen, but Ashley Laracey in 2nd movement, Symphony in C.

Even if it happened I probably wouldn't get to see it. But I hope it happens....

[BalanchineFan]

2 hours ago, Kathleen O'Connell said:

After watching this, absolutely! 

He's one of my favorites because he always looks like he's living his best life when he's on stage dancing. 

 

He's really suited to it. Barefoot pointe work and all.

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

.. and since we're dreaming about casting, I know this will never happen, but Ashley Laracey in 2nd movement, Symphony in C.

Did you see her when she danced Concerto Barocco? It was with Silas Farley, both debuts. Savannah Lowery was the 2nd woman, iirc. It was Lowery's last performance.

Edited December 31, 2022 by BalanchineFan