ABT Met Season 2024

[volcanohunter]

The Metropolitan Opera decided to stop performances in February because it was the worst patch for ticket sales. (Plus it's when singers are most likely to be sick and in need of last-minute replacements.)

"The Met will shift performances from February, traditionally a period when less people attend the opera, to later in the spring, a period more appealing to audiences. Instead of concluding in mid-May, future seasons will end in mid-June."

https://www.metopera.org/about/press-releases/met-opera-and-union-groups-reach-ground-breaking-agreement-to-allow-sunday-matinee-performances/

Is there any reason to think ABT would do better box office?

The other day The New Yorker ran a piece about the demise of summer programming at Lincoln Center.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/requiem-for-mostly-mozart

As FauxPas pointed it, the practice of wall-to-wall foreign visitors at the Met in July ended a long time ago. (It had been one of the best things about my childhood.) In those days Bolshoi and Kirov tours were rare, so they weren't the ones driving the touring boom.

I would add that even later the Bolshoi didn't tour the United States all that frequently. It appeared in New York in 2014 and with limited forces in 2017, the final year of the Lincoln Center Festival. But The Taming of the Shrew sold poorly and Lincoln Center was forced to offer a 25% discount on tickets. The Bolshoi hadn't appeared at the Kennedy Center since 2014, and not in Los Angeles since 2012. (A few cities were planned in 2020, but COVID-19 undid that.) In other words, Americans weren't exactly dependent on the Bolshoi for a ballet fix.

Edited August 25, 2023 by volcanohunter
ETA

[Helene]

25 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

Is there any reason to think ABT would do better box office?

Nothing would be guaranteed, but the Met runs straight from the end of September to the end of January, and there are plenty of opportunities to see their performances before February.  While NYCB does perform in February -- it opens the last week Met Opera performs in January before the hiatus -- the Winter 2024 season is all mixed rep, and so is Spring 2024 until the final run of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

 A few weeks of full-length adult rep -- R&J around Valentine's Day seems to be popular programming for North American companies -- might do well, because it's a long stretch between ABT seasons, and winter is a tough slog.  And many people want to clear Nutcracker out of their systems by then.

ETA: February is also a good vocal break for the chorus.  They earn their money, having to learn so much music on their own, and then rehearse vocally and learn the staging, have costume fittings, etc.

[volcanohunter]

I can only conclude that ABT didn't jump at the chance to turn Romeo and Juliet into a February classic because it crunched the numbers and decided the audience wasn't there.  Perhaps it even looked at NYCB's ticket sales for February and decided that head-to-head competition would end badly.

P.S. Since I now come to New York as a visitor, I am sorry there is no opera in February, just as I am sorry that NYCB and ABT no longer have concurrent performances in spring. But those organizations aren't programming their seasons for the likes of me.

[FauxPas]

The last time I remember the Bolshoi coming to New York was the year they did the awful Grigorovich retrospective of his "Swan Lake" and "Spartacus" at the NY State Theater (what year was that?).  Hallberg was dancing with the company partnering Zakharova in SL and Smirnova had one O-O too.  (BTW: "Spartacus" for me is a delicious but deeply guilty pleasure)

Then there was the "Super Jewels" where the Bolshoi, POB and NYCB all did a section of "Jewels".  The Bolshoi "Diamonds" was glorious, their "Rubies" was... well... different.  NYCB held up their reputation in both "Diamonds" and "Rubies" while the POB looked a touch musty in "Emeralds".  

But that was the last time I saw them.  

The Kirov-Mariinsky had visits to BAM and City Center but that was a while ago.  BAM also had Vishneva and Lopatkina evenings for ballerina devotees.  I wouldn't mind a Smirnova evening myself. 😍

I am at a loss to remember the last time the Royal came - was it the Ashton Celebration?

There was also that program honoring Balanchine where the Royal brought Tarantella with Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Marcelino Sambé.

Also some of those Ardani evenings would have pas de deux.  

Otherwise, there are generations of POB and Royal dancers who I just see on video.

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by FauxPas

[bingham]

21 hours ago, coffeelover said:

I’m really hoping Manon or Onegin will be in their MET season! Realistically, I think it will be SL, R&J, Giselle and a mixed rep program of some sort. 

I read an interview of Reid Anderson a few months ago  mentioning that he staging Onegin for National Ballet of Canada and for ABT in 2024 . Unfortunately, I can’t find that interview. I’m still looking.

[volcanohunter]

13 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

The last time I remember the Bolshoi coming to New York was the year they did the awful Grigorovich retrospective of his "Swan Lake" and "Spartacus" at the NY State Theater (what year was that?).  Hallberg was dancing with the company partnering Zakharova in SL and Smirnova had one O-O too.  (BTW: "Spartacus" for me is a delicious but deeply guilty pleasure)

Then there was the "Super Jewels" where the Bolshoi, POB and NYCB all did a section of "Jewels".  The Bolshoi "Diamonds" was glorious, their "Rubies" was... well... different.  NYCB held up their reputation in both "Diamonds" and "Rubies" while the POB looked a touch musty in "Emeralds".  

But that was the last time I saw them.  

Yes, in 2014 a large chunk of the Bolshoi visited New York with Swan Lake, Spartacus and Don Quixote.

In 2017 it participated in the 50th anniversary of Jewels with NYCB and POB, and did The Taming of the Shrew on its own, complete with weak ticket sales.

46 minutes ago, Helene said:

A few weeks of full-length adult rep -- R&J around Valentine's Day seems to be popular programming for North American companies -- might do well, because it's a long stretch between ABT seasons, and winter is a tough slog.  And many people want to clear Nutcracker out of their systems by then.

I can understand some people wanting to get Nutcrackers out of their systems, but I'm not sure a MacMillan death fest in the bleak days of February would be a guaranteed hit. 

[California]

12 minutes ago, bingham said:

I read an interview of Reid Anderson a few months ago  mentioning that he staging Onegin for National Ballet of Canada and for ABT in 2024 . Unfortunately, I can’t find that interview. I’m still looking.

Canada is doing Onegin this November 22-26, 2023: https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/Onegin I would seriously consider a trip to Toronto, except that those dates are the US Thanksgiving, the worst travel week of the year.

I do hope he'll do Onegin for ABT in 2024!  What a treat!

[matilda]

Every time NYCB does a full-length story ballet in February, whether it's Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, or Romeo & Juliet (who knows if/when the latter will ever come back), it sells extremely well. Copeland Dance Episodes premiered in winter of this year and was a big hit. 

Their mixed bills don't fill as many seats in winter, which means they offer that amazing 50% off discount for subscribers! 

Edited August 25, 2023 by matilda

[abatt]

The city is usually dead during February.  Broadway shows  have to give substantial discounts in the dead of winter to fill seats.  ABT would not fare  well with programming during Feb.  I  noticed a lot of youngish people (teenagers) during the ABT season, which leads me to believe that people are looking for entertainment after the school year is over.

[California]

53 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

The last time I remember the Bolshoi coming to New York was the year they did the awful Grigorovich retrospective of his "Swan Lake" and "Spartacus" at the NY State Theater (what year was that?).  Hallberg was dancing with the company partnering Zakharova in SL and Smirnova had one O-O too.  (BTW: "Spartacus" for me is a delicious but deeply guilty pleasure)

In July 2014 Bolshoi did seven Swan Lakes (some with Hallberg), three Don Qs, and several performances of their hideous Spartacus. It was at the state theater and they insisted on bringing along the Bolshoi Orchestra.  I loved their Don Q, which is the gold standard for that ballet, but their Freudian Swan Lake was truly bizarre. Still, I miss having these options in the summer.

Bolshoi was also at Segerstrom in February 2010 with a week's worth of Don Q (and my first sight of Osipova, subbing for an injured Zakharova).  https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/Onegin

Edited August 25, 2023 by California

[California]

37 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

I'm not sure a MacMillan death fest in the bleak days of February would be a guaranteed hit. 

But R&J is very popular with regional companies in February apparently because of the obvious marketing with Valentine's day.

[volcanohunter]

58 minutes ago, California said:

Canada is doing Onegin this November 22-26, 2023: https://national.ballet.ca/Productions/Onegin I would seriously consider a trip to Toronto, except that those dates are the US Thanksgiving, the worst travel week of the year.

 But in Canada it's a perfectly ordinary weekend. When the NBoC last performed Onegin 7 years ago, there was a conflict on the last Sunday with the Grey Cup final, which was played in Toronto that year, and the city was a bit of a zoo, fans from Calgary and Ottawa overrunning the place. (The climate being what it is, the Canadian football season runs from June to November.) This year, though,the Grey Cup will be played the previous weekend in Hamilton, which is about an hour's drive away, but has its own airport. Conveniently, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be on the road that week, so no influx of hockey fans either, though there will be an NBA game on the 24th.

Onegin is never a monster hit in Toronto. The last time around there were also only six show, there was no Thursday matinee, and as best as I can recall, the top ring remained closed for all performances. 

[volcanohunter]

58 minutes ago, California said:

But R&J is very popular with regional companies in February apparently because of the obvious marketing with Valentine's day.

I'm guessing regional companies don't rely on tourists, whereas Broadway and the Met struggle mightily in their absence. 

[Helene]

NYCB has performed its Winter Season through February for decades, tourists or no tourists.  (The Dancers' Emergency Fund benefit used to be the last Sunday evening of the season.)  

If there is the possibility to book the Met during February -- and I don't think we've seen any evidence that the Met is interested -- it's been recent and mostly during pandemic closures through re-opening, so I'm not sure how much a potential February Met season has been considered in any serious way.

[volcanohunter]

In those days the Met was heavily subscribed. I remember my aunt's annual ritual of choosing the subscription package with the fewest operas/singers she didn't want to see. Locally, the season at the main theater complex was 100% subscribed a few decades ago. Make-your-own packages and ticket exchanges were unthinkable not that long ago. Over the past 20 years, though, the audience has been tanking.

Edited August 25, 2023 by volcanohunter

[Helene]

I don't know what the subscription numbers look like for NYCB.  But February is most of the Spring Season, and they dropped January weeks.

[Josette]

I attended about 16 performances of the San Francisco Ballet last season and the attendance was high or sold out. 

[volcanohunter]

Unfortunately, at present ABT cannot find a way to sell 3,800 tickets per show. For the most part neither can the Metropolitan Opera, though of course it presents many more performances.

NEA surveys have shown that about 3% of adults in the U.S. attend a ballet performance annually (p. 31), and on average those 3% attend 1.5 performances each (p. 43). That was in 2017. I shudder to think what the numbers are post-pandemic. The obstacles are daunting. 

https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/US_Patterns_of_Arts_ParticipationRevised.pdf 

[California]

20 hours ago, Josette said:

I attended about 16 performances of the San Francisco Ballet last season and the attendance was high or sold out. 

I'm only able to see San Francisco Ballet one, maybe two long weekends each year. But it's always very difficult to get good seats, even with some priority friends ticketing. And I'm struck that, yes, the house always seems to sell out. It just seems to be a city that really supports ballet, for whatever reason. And they don't seem to be dependent on tourists the way NYC is, although their practice of scheduling two overlapping programs over a few days is a big advantage to visiting out-of-towners. 

EDITED TO ADD: Perhaps Josette knows their strength in subscriptions. When I go to buy tickets, even with some Friends priority, I have the sense that all the best seating has gone to subscribers and mega-donors. That's not true at any other theater I can think of. They do have very flexible create-your-own subscriptions, but still...

Edited August 26, 2023 by California

[California]

13 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

In those days the Met was heavily subscribed. I remember my aunt's annual ritual of choosing the subscription package with the fewest operas/singers she didn't want to see. Locally, the season at the main theater complex was 100% subscribed a few decades ago. Make-your-own packages and ticket exchanges were unthinkable not that long ago. Over the past 20 years, though, the audience has been tanking.

Michael M. Kaiser, Mr. Fixit in arts administration, has discussed the evolution of subscriptions in his books. They used to provide important cash flow over the summer, but as families became more complicated (two working partners, e.g.) it became much more difficult for people to settle into old, regular routines, like alternate Wednesdays. The emergence of flexibility in designing subscriptions, with exchange privileges, became essential for maintaining that cash flow, although it's nothing like it used to be. 

[California]

15 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

 But in Canada it's a perfectly ordinary weekend. When the NBoC last performed Onegin 7 years ago, there was a conflict on the last Sunday with the Grey Cup final, which was played in Toronto that year, and the city was a bit of a zoo, fans from Calgary and Ottawa overrunning the place. (The climate being what it is, the Canadian football season runs from June to November.) This year, though,the Grey Cup will be played the previous weekend in Hamilton, which is about an hour's drive away, but has its own airport. Conveniently, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be on the road that week, so no influx of hockey fans either, though there will be an NBA game on the 24th.

Onegin is never a monster hit in Toronto. The last time around there were also only six show, there was no Thursday matinee, and as best as I can recall, the top ring remained closed for all performances. 

Toronto is easy to visit and very pleasant. I've been there a couple of times in recent years for conferences. Nice airport. Express train into the city. And a wonderful exchange rate for Americans! The problem is in the US Thanksgiving week -- ridiculously long security lines, jammed terminals, overwhelmed ground travel. Ugh. I hope ABT will announce the 2024 Met schedule in late October as they have in the past and we'll find out if Onegin is scheduled. If not, then Toronto might be worth the hassle to see it this November. 

[matilda]

ABT has the disadvantage of competing with a larger, better funded, and better-known ballet company in the same city. My friends who know absolutely nothing about ballet at least have a vague idea of New York City Ballet's existence, or perhaps they saw the Nutcracker there at some point, whereas most have probably never heard of ABT. 

Overall, New York has far more performing arts events going on at a given time than San Francisco, creating more competition for audience attention. 

[abatt]

ABT didn't have trouble filling the Met when they had Vishneva, Corella and their ilk as mainstays in the company.  They were permanent company members.  I won't even begin to list the remarkable guest artists that we got to see at the Met.     The real explanation here, in my opinion, is that the majority of the current roster of principals   does not generate excitement and is  not at the same high level as yesteryear, with a few exceptions.  So the dancers won the fight for homegrown talent to perform instead of imports, but now they have about half the number of performance weeks at the Met.  Is that a victory for them and for us in the audience?  I'm not so sure. 

If ABT was still competing with NYCB due to overlapping seasons, ABT would lose a certain number of balletomanes.   The dancers at NYCB are far more interesting than most of ABT's principal roster now.  In July ABT is the only game in town for ballet, so the extension of the opera season is, in my opinion, a blessing for ABT.

[nysusan]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

ABT didn't have trouble filling the Met when they had Vishneva, Corella and their ilk as mainstays in the company.  They were permanent company members.  I won't even begin to list the remarkable guest artists that we got to see at the Met.     The real explanation here, in my opinion, is that the majority of the current roster of principals   does not generate excitement and is  not at the same high level as yesteryear, with a few exceptions.  So the dancers won the fight for homegrown talent to perform instead of imports, but now they have about half the number of performance weeks at the Met.  Is that a victory for them and for us in the audience?  I'm not so sure. 

If ABT was still competing with NYCB due to overlapping seasons, ABT would lose a certain number of balletomanes.   The dancers at NYCB are far more interesting than most of ABT's principal roster now.  In July ABT is the only game in town for ballet, so the extension of the opera season is, in my opinion, a blessing for ABT.

This. 1000%.

[Marta]

 

1 hour ago, abatt said:

ABT didn't have trouble filling the Met when they had Vishneva, Corella and their ilk as mainstays in the company.  They were permanent company members.  I won't even begin to list the remarkable guest artists that we got to see at the Met.     The real explanation here, in my opinion, is that the majority of the current roster of principals   does not generate excitement and is  not at the same high level as yesteryear, with a few exceptions.  So the dancers won the fight for homegrown talent to perform instead of imports, but now they have about half the number of performance weeks at the Met.  Is that a victory for them and for us in the audience?  I'm not so sure. 

If ABT was still competing with NYCB due to overlapping seasons, ABT would lose a certain number of balletomanes.   The dancers at NYCB are far more interesting than most of ABT's principal roster now.  In July ABT is the only game in town for ballet, so the extension of the opera season is, in my opinion, a blessing for ABT.

Yes, 1000% agree.  Also this:

matilda said:  ABT has the disadvantage of competing with a larger, better funded, and better-known ballet company in the same city.

better funded, better-known and better.  Some [all?] NYCB corps dancers dance at the level of  ABT soloists.