Nutcracker 2023

[Fleurfairy]

According to Megan Fairchild’s Instagram, she and Tyler Angle are kicking things off opening night. 

[Fernie M]

Casting for week one is up

https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1699480092/Documents/Casting/2023 Winter/NYCB_Casting_Nov_24-26_2023.pdf

Edited November 9, 2023 by Fernie M

[brokenwing]

India Bradley posted an image on her story rehearsing alone in an arabesque that looks suspiciously like the one dewdrop does in her second variation before exiting with fouettés. Let's hope she is cast along with some of her other very talented corps sisters (I would love Corti, Lister, M. MacKinnon, in Dew, Afanasenkov in Sugar, etc). The new administration seems allergic to some of the bolder decisions the previous leaders used to make during Nut (Ansanelli and Peck both did dew around age 16) that could make this season exciting.

[canbelto]

Week 2 of Nut casting is out. Isabella La Freniere debuts as SPF:

https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1700066878/Documents/Casting/NYCB_Casting_Nov_28-Dec_3_2023.pdf

[cobweb]

Week 2 casting is up. LaFreniere debuts Sugarplum. Surprised she hasn’t done it before. Also Brittany Pollack is back in action with a couple of Sugarplums. Aaron Sanz is back in action too. Great!!

Edited November 15, 2023 by cobweb

[BalanchineFan]

I’m glad Gilbert Bolden has a Cavalier, too. It’s not a debut but he has kept working on it. 

Edited November 16, 2023 by BalanchineFan

[abatt]

Roman Mejia has not appeared on the casting.  My hope is for a Mejia - Emma V.E. Nutcracker.

Mearns has not appeared in the casting either. 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by abatt

[fondoffouettes]

40 minutes ago, abatt said:

Mearns has not appeared in the casting either. 

I wonder if she's planning to forgo Nutcracker this year. I feel like she's spoken a lot on social media about how she's experienced injuries and subsequently mental health issues relating to The Nutcracker. 

Will Bouder reemerge for Nutcracker? I thought it might be one of the few assignments given to her. 

[Jacqueline]

Roman Mejia and Tiler Peck are guesting in both the Dallas area with Chamberlain Ballet (Thanksgiving weekend) and Los Angeles with Westside Ballet (first weekend of December.)

[BalanchineFan]

On 11/14/2023 at 9:01 AM, brokenwing said:

India Bradley posted an image on her story rehearsing alone in an arabesque that looks suspiciously like the one dewdrop does in her second variation before exiting with fouettés. Let's hope she is cast along with some of her other very talented corps sisters (I would love Corti, Lister, M. MacKinnon, in Dew, Afanasenkov in Sugar, etc). The new administration seems allergic to some of the bolder decisions the previous leaders used to make during Nut (Ansanelli and Peck both did dew around age 16) that could make this season exciting.

I am just recovering from Covid in NYC, and Nutcracker season is long. There are sure to be some unexpected surprises, casting wise.

I'm just hoping they don't have to cancel anything. A full Nutcracker season - THAT would be BOLD and EXCITING, imo!

Edited November 17, 2023 by BalanchineFan

[Josette]

2 hours ago, Jacqueline said:

Roman Mejia and Tiler Peck are guesting in both the Dallas area with Chamberlain Ballet (Thanksgiving weekend) and Los Angeles with Westside Ballet (first weekend of December.)

They are also guesting with Pacific Festival Ballet in Thousand Oaks, California, on December 16 and 17.  

[BalanchineFan]

4 hours ago, Josette said:

They are also guesting with Pacific Festival Ballet in Thousand Oaks, California, on December 16 and 17.  

It sounds to me like she wants to stay close to her home in CA after her father's death. Her IG posts about him have been very moving.

[vipa]

On 11/15/2023 at 2:09 PM, cobweb said:

Week 2 casting is up. LaFreniere debuts Sugarplum. Surprised she hasn’t done it before. Also Brittany Pollack is back in action with a couple of Sugarplums. Aaron Sanz is back in action too. Great!!

I was surprised to see Pollack's name,  even though it's not a debut. Glad to see she's fully back. Having a baby, an injury (mentioned in her instagram) and being in the movie West Side Story kept her off the NYCB stage for a while. Another surprise for me, again not a debut, was Erica Pereira cast in both SP and Dewdrop. 

[Fleurfairy]

It doesn't surprise me that Bouder is not cast. Both principal roles are very technically challenging. 

[FauxPas]

On 11/16/2023 at 9:55 PM, vipa said:

I was surprised to see Pollack's name,  even though it's not a debut. Glad to see she's fully back.  Another surprise for me, again not a debut, was Erica Pereira cast in both SP and Dewdrop. 

Last year I was gifted a ticket for a "Nutcracker" and the Sugarplum was Erica Pereira.  Again, she is not one of my favorites as I feel she dances "small" - does all the steps but without amplitude and authority.  Basically a perennial soloist.

However, I was surprised and delighted to find that Pereira was a lovely Sugarplum - she did dance with amplitude and authority and radiated tons of sweetness and charm.  I wasn't expecting much and was really surprised and delighted with her.

Edited November 20, 2023 by FauxPas

[matilda]

3 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

However, I was surprised and delighted to find that Pereira was a lovely Sugarplum - she did dance with amplitude and authority and radiated tons of sweetness and charm.  I wasn't expected much and was really surprised and delighted with her.

This is how I felt about Pereira's one-time Swanilda in 2018. She got the role presumably because Fairchild was on leave. I wasn't expecting greatness but she was lovely. That must have been her biggest debut since performing Romeo and Juliet as a teenager, so I felt like I witnessed one of the highlights, if not the absolute pinnacle, of her career. I doubt she'll get to perform it again now that Indiana Woodward and Emma Von Enck have stepped into the major soubrette roles. Since that Swanilda I sadly haven't enjoyed her dancing much. 

[fondoffouettes]

In her Instagram stories, Mearns confirms that she's not dancing Nutcracker due to tears in her deltoid ligament. She says she's aiming to be back for the winter season. 

[Fernie M]

Just happened to glance, week three casting is up. Debut of Bradley as Dewdrop! I am quite certain she’s going to be exquisite in this. Wish I could see it.

[abatt]

Also Davide is debuting as Cavalier in week 3.  

[tutu]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:58 AM, Fernie M said:

Just happened to glance, week three casting is up. Debut of Bradley as Dewdrop! I am quite certain she’s going to be exquisite in this. Wish I could see it.

Agreed!

[uptowner]

NYCB Instagram is posting quite a bit of stage rehearsal footage in “stories” today (11/24) 

[Jacqueline]

2 hours ago, uptowner said:

NYCB Instagram is posting quite a bit of stage rehearsal footage in “stories” today (11/24) 

Amazing and abundant content, including several different dancers rehearsing Dewdrop.  I would give anything to see Mira's performance tonight, and all the others as well.

[cobweb]

I look forward to reports from anyone there tonight, or any and all Nutcracker reports! I may get to one or two performances, I'm especially looking at the LaFreniere Sugarplum (and would be thrilled to see Aaron Sanz back in action!!), the Von Enck-Mejia-Peck cast, Peck-Mejia-Miller, or Laracey-Riccardo-Woodward. Several other casts appeal as well. After the 3rd week, I'm out of NYC for the season, so I hope for many reports. 

[abatt]

I bought a tix for Von Enck-Mejia-Peck.  At these prices, that is likely to be my only Nut for the season.

[cassieallison]

I saw on Tiler Peck's insta that she's only doing 2 Dewdrops and 1 Sugarplum all season. I know they allow principals to guest, but shouldn't thee first duty be to the company?