ABT Met Season 2024

[FauxPas]

They need to add another or extend their Fall season at the former NY State Theater.   BTW:  their Fall season sold quite well - they had to open up the Fourth Ring even on weeknights.  Maybe shift a lot of their New York season to that venue?  Also they could do some less than best selling full-lengths there like "La Fille Mal Gardée" of Ashton for a week and they would do well there as did "Whipped Cream".  They could do a "Coppelia" there if NYCB isn't doing the Balanchine that season.  Older one-act classics like "Fall River Legend" would look good there and have in the past.

I think that Cassandra Trenary would be another fine Tatyana in "Onegin" but am happy that Misseldine is getting a chance.  The performance of "Woolf Works" (Ferri's last) on Friday June 28th is dedicated to her "life and career" - i.e. a de facto farewell.  At Ferri's age and her moving into a major administrative position as the director of the Vienna State Ballet, she probably will either end her dancing career or curtail it drastically to a few appearances in specially tailored pieces for galas in Europe.  So that will be her last appearance at ABT. 

Also, Hee Seo has leads in all the productions but no opening nights.  Devon Teuscher is the opening night Juliet and Tatyana at the first performance of the season.  Hee Seo Ballet Theater is now Devon Teuscher Ballet Theater.

Edited November 15, 2023 by FauxPas

[abatt]

Hee is, I believe, the only current ABT principal who previously did Tatiana.  I recall her doing it with David Hallberg, and I thought she was terrific.  

[fondoffouettes]

1 hour ago, cobweb said:

This looks extremely boring. Same old, same old. 

I agree. This may be the least excited I've ever been for a spring ABT season (and last season was pretty bad). I was very underwhelmed with Onegin when ABT last staged it and found the choreography unimaginative and at times cringy. So I'm really finding little to look forward to.

ABT has often announced retirements separately from its season announcement. I think it's entirely possible Gillian may still retire this season, though I did expect her retirement to be well-planned in advance and perhaps included in the season announcement. 

All signs point to Copeland never returning to ABT, and I'm not sad about it. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by fondoffouettes

[ABT Fan]

35 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

They need to add another or extend their Fall season at the former NY State Theater.   BTW:  their Fall season sold quite well - they had to open up the Fourth Ring even on weeknights.  Maybe shift a lot of their New York season to that venue?  Also they could do some less than best selling full-lengths there like "La Fille Mal Gardée" of Ashton for a week and they would do well there as did "Whipped Cream".  They could do a "Coppelia" there if NYCB isn't doing the Balanchine that season.  Older one-act classics like "Fall River Legend" would look good there and have in the past.

I think that Cassandra Trenary would be another fine Tatyana in "Onegin" but am happy that Misseldine is getting a chance.  The performance of "Woolf Works" (Ferri's last) on Friday June 28th is dedicated to her "life and career" - i.e. a de facto farewell.  At Ferri's age and her moving into a major administrative position as the director of the Vienna State Ballet, she probably will either end her dancing career or curtail it drastically to a few appearances in specially tailored pieces for galas in Europe.  So that will be her last appearance at ABT. 

Also, Hee Seo has leads in all the productions but no opening nights.  Devon Teuscher is the opening night Juliet and Tatyana at the first performance of the season.  Hee Seo Ballet Theater is now Devon Teuscher Ballet Theater.

Teuscher was the favorite under McKenzie so this isn’t new. She’s an extremely talented and beautiful dancer, however if you compare her casting to others it’s night and day. Boylston, Brandt, Hurlin, and Trenary (and Murphy) have very little to do (2 or 3 shows?!). Teuscher has 7 lead roles. Seo has 6. Shevchenko has 4. It will never be equal or fair, but 2 vs 7 and for so many principals? Maybe Brandt will get an Olga. Maybe there are secondary roles in Woolf Works. Like Water does have Elena, Rosaura, Gertrudis which will “even some things out “. 

I was hoping to see Curley get a Siegfried debut.

Also, the longer Murphy is allowed to go on the longer Brandt and/or Trenary (and others) will have to wait for debuts.

[MoMo]

41 minutes ago, fondoffouettes said:

I agree. This may be the least excited I've ever been for a spring ABT season (and last season was pretty bad). I was very underwhelmed with Onegin when ABT last staged it and found the choreography unimaginative and at times cringy. So I'm really finding little to look forward to.

ABT has often announced retirements separately from its season announcement. I think it's entirely possible Gillian may still retire this season, though I did expect her retirement to be well-planned in advance and perhaps included in the season announcement. 

All signs point to Copeland never returning to ABT, and I'm not sad about it. 

I agree that Misty won’t be back, imo. She hasn’t danced with ABT since 2019. She has had a baby and is now involved with other projects. 

[matilda]

So it appears the anticipations of a possible Simkin guest return were wishful thinking 😕

[Caballetfan]

Wow, it's basically the Hee Seo, Devon Teuscher, and Christine Shevchenko show...with Chloe Misseldine homing in on the other Principals' territory.

Jaffe clearly has her favorites. 

Very surprised that Brandt and Hurlin are cast so sparingly.  Trenary is always a bit of a wild card.  I get the sense she's never the management's "go-to" for the classics, but she usually always lands the lead(s) in contemporary ballets.  Good to see she's kept two LWFCs and a R&J.  

Agree with above poster that Murphy is taking spots away from other dancers (i.e., Trenary and Brandt finally getting their debuts in SL and R&J, respectively).  

 

 

[abatt]

Given the shortened number of weeks of the schedule, and the fact that they are frequently not performing 8 times per week anymore, these dancers have fewer and fewer opportunities for growth and development.  Everyone in the company raised a big fuss about how McKenzie was relying too much on outside talent, so now we only see the home team. But the home team doesn't generally sell the number and volume of tickets as the starry guests, so we now see a severely reduced schedule.  I know that this may be partly because of the pandemic, but I tend to think it has a lot more to do with principal roster.  The home team dancers got what they wanted, but it was a double edged sword. Be careful what you wish for. 

 

[MarzipanShepherdess]

I will be shocked if Misty doesn’t have a big farewell send off evening if not a final season. Misty seems very aware of the unique legacy she has as one of the few Black ballerinas to be recognized with principal status, and I imagine she will want to commemorate the end of her stage career in a way that celebrates that legacy appropriately. Her career means a lot of a lot of people. And obviously whenever she comes back to the stage it will sell out for ABT. 

I’m definitely looking forward to Woolf Works, and to Onegin as a change of pace though I don’t remember loving it when ABT last staged it. I don’t mind LWFC coming back, it has so many featured roles that it’s a nice chance for debuts and to see exciting younger dancers. R&J I am tired off but I’m already looking forward to the current crop of Mercutios!

[abatt]

Misty may have wanted to make a return, but may also realize that she just doesn't have the level of stamina or minimal technique anymore because of the years she has spent on other non-ballet projects.  Misty interviewed Twyla Tharp for a PBS show this summer, and Twyla asked Misty when she will be returning to the stage.  Misty smiled sheepishly and said she was working on it.  At this point, maybe the most Misty could handle would be something in character shoes, like a Paul Taylor work or that Twyla ballet where Misty wore character shoes (Beach Boys music, I think).  While she knows that her career at ABT has meant a lot to her followers, she must also be well aware of her limitations.  

[cobweb]

By not putting Roxander in something big, they 1) risk losing him to greener pastures with more performing opportunities; and 2) miss capitalizing on the sensational publicity he got during the Fall season. 

[ABT Fan]

18 minutes ago, cobweb said:

By not putting Roxander in something big, they 1) risk losing him to greener pastures with more performing opportunities; and 2) miss capitalizing on the sensational publicity he got during the Fall season. 

I agree, sort of. What role would you suggest, honest question. I think Romeo or Siegfried needs to wait a bit. Lensky is a good option. If they were doing Don Q I’d say absolutely to Basilio.

[nanushka]

Is there any obvious role/casting he should/could have gotten, in what's already been named? He couldn't really take any of Cornejo's current spots, and I don't see any other workable possibilities, given who else needs to dance. It's possible the season design and current roster (both male and female) just made it inevitable that he wouldn't be named cast until the secondary roles get announced.

Edited November 16, 2023 by nanushka

[cobweb]

4 minutes ago, ABT Fan said:

What role would you suggest, honest question. I think Romeo or Siegfried needs to wait a bit. Lensky is a good option. If they were doing Don Q I’d say absolutely to Basilio.

I don't have a good answer, given the rep they are doing. I know there are many many considerations in planning programming, but I would think/hope that finding a suitable vehicle for him, given his promise and the sensational publicity he's been getting, would be a priority. And I don't think Romeo is such a stretch. He did a bang-up job with the huge role of Puck (so I hear, I didn't see it), so taking on Romeo doesn't seem too too far a stretch. 

[ABT Fan]

10 minutes ago, cobweb said:

I don't have a good answer, given the rep they are doing. I know there are many many considerations in planning programming, but I would think/hope that finding a suitable vehicle for him, given his promise and the sensational publicity he's been getting, would be a priority. And I don't think Romeo is such a stretch. He did a bang-up job with the huge role of Puck (so I hear, I didn't see it), so taking on Romeo doesn't seem too too far a stretch. 

I see your point. Bell famously debuted Romeo while still in the corps and I believe he was only 19. That was also his first lead role. However, they'd have to bump a principal to cast him and no one is doing Romeo twice. 

It's also possible he'll understudy Cornejo in all his lead roles. Not the same obviously, but although Cornejo has (somehow) remained injury-free lately, historically he's had to pull out of major casting for the past several years and he'll be 43 next season. 

I know Don Q was done last year, but imagine Roxander debuting Basilio this season after his astounding success this past year. It would be insane. 

[MoMo]

1 hour ago, abatt said:

Misty may have wanted to make a return, but may also realize that she just doesn't have the level of stamina or minimal technique anymore because of the years she has spent on other non-ballet projects.  Misty interviewed Twyla Tharp for a PBS show this summer, and Twyla asked Misty when she will be returning to the stage.  Misty smiled sheepishly and said she was working on it.  At this point, maybe the most Misty could handle would be something in character shoes, like a Paul Taylor work or that Twyla ballet where Misty wore character shoes (Beach Boys music, I think).  While she knows that her career at ABT has meant a lot to her followers, she must also be well aware of her limitations.  

The name of the Twyla ballet was Deuce Coupe, to Beach Boys music. Yes, she was very good in that. 

[vipa]

5 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Also, the longer Murphy is allowed to go on the longer Brandt and/or Trenary (and others) will have to wait for debuts.

I am surprised Murphy isn't retiring at the Met season. I guess it still could happen. I haven't seen her dance in a while, but reports seem mixed. When the Met season starts she'll be 45. She deserves much respect for a long, distinguished career. At the same time she's in a company in which opportunities are desperately needed by younger dancers. I don't know what management can or will do about these situations. I also wonder what's happening with Misty. I heard her in an interview about a short film she was making, say was was starting to get into 5th position, not too promising. She's a star so I see why the company wants her on the roster, but there will have to be a resolution sometime, she's 41 and has been off the stage for a number of years.

[California]

4 hours ago, matilda said:

So it appears the anticipations of a possible Simkin guest return were wishful thinking 😕

Simkin did Lensky with the Berlin company, so that is still possible.

[Drew]

Swan Lake as the only 19th-century work and no short program that might have included classical showcases or neoclassical showcases is disappointing.

When I first read the company was doing Woolf Works I instantly thought they could more or less sell out Ferri making a guest appearance AND that it would be an intriguing opportunity for Trenary.  Though Trenary may well have another role in Woolf Works, the news that she isn't cast in the lead is a little disappointing to me especially in view of the fact she isn't being given a shot at Tatianna. I"m disappointed (though not really surprised) Copeland isn't coming back and I agree that the longer she stays out the more it seems as if she has no plans for a genuine return--though perhaps she will still plan with the company for some kind of farewell. Can't help but be Excited for Misseldine...What a huge season for her....

My main reaction, though, is to hope the company leadership is making a priority of finding the dancers more times/places to dance. Even this upcoming summer season would have seemed more exciting with a week added of almost anything--but, say, maybe a comedy to complement all the tragedies: Don Q as others have said...or Coppelia or even Cinderella would have been a change of pace--also injecting some classicism into the season and offering reasonable casting opportunities for some of the principals  who are not as favored in the Met casting as announced--as  well as up-and-coming talent among the soloists and corps.

Anyway, I wish ABT all the donors they need....

Edited November 16, 2023 by Drew

[abatt]

Jaffe has sent a very loud message to Trenary is giving the debut in SL to Chloe.  She apparently does not deem Trenary a viable candidate for this role.  I can't say I'm surprised by this, because I  feel Trenary is better in more modern, less technically demanding rep.  But I am surprised that Trenary did not get a Tatiana (instead of Chloe).   

[matilda]

I don't really see Trenary as a strong O/O candidate, given her technical struggles combined with the fact that she isn't the long-and-lean type normally associated with the role, but I'm also surprised that she didn't get Tatiana. Then again there are still the Olgas to announce, and Woolf Works has four female lead roles according to the Royal Ballet casting: https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/woolf-works-stream-details

It's a shame they couldn't squeeze Brandt into the R&J week. But I think it's more likely that she will someday dance Juliet than it is for Trenary to dance Swan Lake. 

I'm curious to see if Park gets any more notable parts this season. I think she's also on the principal track but Misseldine is clearly ahead. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by matilda

[Papagena]

4 hours ago, Drew said:

When I first read the company was doing Woolf Works I instantly thought they could more or less sell out Ferri making a guest appearance AND that it would be an intriguing opportunity for Trenary.  Though Trenary may well have another role in Woolf Works, the news that she isn't cast in the lead is a little disappointing to me especially in view of the fact she isn't being given a shot at Tatianna. I"m disappointed (though not really surprised) Copeland isn't coming back and I agree that the longer she stays out the more it seems as if she has no plans for a genuine return--though perhaps she will still plan with the company for some kind of farewell. Can't help but be Excited for Misseldine...What a huge season for her....

Yes, after all these years, the person I'm still the most excited to see is Ferri. And I know people who are coming to town just to see her one more time. Not even due to nostalgia, just an incredible artist. 

Even with diminished technique Copeland could probably manage a modified R&J as well as Woolf Works. Tatiana isn't the most technically difficult role either (and even though a role like Mama Elena is small, Copeland has sparkled in roles like this ... thinking of her Queen in The Golden Cockerel). 

I'm baffled she's not performing this season. They left out of a lot the ballets with difficult lead roles for women (Don Q, Sleeping Beauty) so I was sure it was going to be a retirement year for Murphy / Copeland. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Papagena

[Golden Idol]

Can you just imagine Roxander as Ali?  If only Jaffe weren't so stupidly PC. I am already in Bayadere and Corsaire withdrawal.

As I haven't seen Woolf Works on any of my trips to London, I guess this is occasion to seize.

[ksk04]

Wonder if we in California could be so lucky to get Ferri for the Woolf Works premiere? I honestly don't think a lot of the ABT ballerinas cast have the dramatic depth for the role. I assumed, like many, Trenary would be cast but I guess they want literally more "mature"/older dancers (all of them are 30+ with Teuscher being the youngest, I think) which is how the Royal Ballet has cast the role as well which make sense but ideally you'd want to combine mature+dramatic depth.  I'd guess Brandt and Trenary would be cast in the original Osipova role in Orlando section???

Wish they'd post the casting for SCFTA since they obviously know who will be rehearsing each role!!

[chicagoballetomane]

On 11/16/2023 at 5:20 PM, Golden Idol said:

Can you just imagine Roxander as Ali?  If only Jaffe weren't so stupidly PC. I am already in Bayadere and Corsaire withdrawal.

As I haven't seen Woolf Works on any of my trips to London, I guess this is occasion to seize.

Oh I couldn’t agree more! This program is so underwhelming. I’m actually watching the Le Corsaire performance with Steifel/Kent/Corella/Herrera/De Luz/Malakov right now and it would be so thrilling to see the company bring this beautiful ballet back to the stage!