ABT Premiere of Woolf Works at Segerstrom

[ksk04]

ABT has been busy today, thankfully; I checked in the morning and the SCFTA casting was not up, but it is now!

Thursday, April 11 – Devon Teuscher*, James Whiteside*
Friday, April 12  – Hee Seo*, Aran Bell*
Saturday, April 13, 2 pm – Gillian Murphy*, Joo Won Ahn*
Friday, April 13, 7:30 pm – Devon Teuscher, James Whiteside
Sunday, April 14 – Hee Seo, Aran Bell

 

 

(I would just like to note SCFTA's continuing idiotic strategy of withholding some of the best seats in the house, the Orchestra Terrace, is still in effect a month before the performances. I still haven't bought any tickets as I hate sitting in the orchestra except in the front, and I'm not buying 3 performances worth of $149 tickets to do so. Excellent business strategy. The small amount of tickets sold so far suggest others are playing the same game).

Edited March 13 by ksk04
gripe about SCFTA

[ksk04]

If anyone has been holding out on buying, it looks like SCFTA has cut prices for the whole run $20+ per seat band (no code needed, I just notice the prices are different since I've been checking to see if they would open the Orch Terrace for more shows). Still not selling well, unfortunately.

[AB'sMom]

Some discounted seats on Goldstar as well.

[ABT Fan]

The rest of the casting is now up for CA:

https://www.abt.org/performances/master-calendar/

[NinaFan]

Looks like the tickets are selling well now.  Looking forward to everyone's reviews.

[ksk04]

We'll understand more about the ordering after the first night. I'll try to fill us in on who is actually who with what we get in the program notes!

[NinaFan]

20 hours ago, ksk04 said:

We'll understand more about the ordering after the first night. I'll try to fill us in on who is actually who with what we get in the program notes!

Thank you!  Have a great time tonight!

[ABT Fan]

I’d love reports from anyone who gets to see this!

[ksk04]

I'll have more to say later but I had a great time last night and am so looking forward to the other shows. Here is the full casting from opening night. As you can see, it is jammed with exciting choices, so I wouldn't let the stated casting of the two "main" dancers direct your choice too much, if that is a worry:

I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway)

Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Devon Teuscher

Richard - Roman Zhurbin

Young Clarissa - Lea Fleytoux

Peter - James Whiteside

Sally - Cassandra Trenary

Septimus - Daniel Carmago

Rezia - SunMi Park

Evans - Jake Roxander

 

Becomings (Orlando) (what incredible lighting designs; I don't think you can appreciate these properly in the filmed production)

(using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast)

the Osipova role - Cate Hurlin

the McCrae role - Jake Roxander (like 97% sure though I wasn't absolutely clear at the start)

the Lamb role - Shevchenko

the Underwood role - Thomas Forster

the Hayward role - Cassandra Trenary

the Watson role - Daniel Carmago

Other dancers: Sierra Armstrong, Jarod Curley, Carlos Gonzalez, Joseph Markey, SunMi Park, Jose Sebastian

 

Tuesday (The Waves)

Teuscher, Whiteside, Shevchenko (in the Lamb role)

Corps de ballet

 

 

I think there are some casting choices where dancers need to grow into the depth the role requires (particularly for I now, I the--though it's hard to follow Ferri, Watson, etc.) but the company looked strong and really invested overall.

Edited April 12 by ksk04

[DPell]

52 minutes ago, ksk04 said:

Becomings (Orlando) (what incredible lighting designs; I don't think you can appreciate these properly in the filmed production)

(using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast)

the Osipova role - Cate Hurlin

the McCrae role - Jake Roxander (like 97% sure though I wasn't absolutely clear at the start)

the Lamb role - Shevchenko

the Underwood role - Thomas Forster

the Hayward role - Cassandra Trenary

the Watson role - Daniel Carmago

Other dancers: Sierra Armstrong, Jarod Curley, Carlos Gonzalez, Joseph Markey, SunMi Park, Jose Sebastian

 

 

Roxander said he was doing the McRae role on the Sergerstrom Instagram stories 

[ksk04]

Thank you. I was sure it was him by the mid point of the ballet, but my initial confusion (but with all the eyebrow makeup/decoration and slicked back hair) made me second guess myself.

[ksk04]

Friday evening casting information. I think we should have one more new cast this afternoon:

 

I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway)

Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Hee Seo

Richard - Cory Stearns

Young Clarissa - Fanqi Li

Peter -Aran Bell

Sally - Skylar Brandt

Septimus - Calvin Royal

Rezia - Breanne Granlund

Evans - Patrick Frenette

 

Becomings (Orlando)

(using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast)

the Osipova role - Chloe Misseldine

the McCrae role - Patrick Frenette

the Lamb role - Isabella Boylston

the Underwood role - Michael de la Nuez?? This is who I thought it was during the show but Boylston bowed with Andrew Robare (I think) which confused me; though looking back at a curtain pic, de la Nuez is in the same costume that Forster was in on opening night so that suggests my initial thinking was correct. Feel free to correct me if someone is more certain!

the Hayward role - Skylar Brandt

the Watson role - Patrick Frenette

Other dancers: Jacob Clerico, Breanne Granlund, Melvin Lawovi, Joao Menegussi, Andrew Robare

 

Tuesday (The Waves)

Hee Seo, Aran Bell, Boylston (in the Lamb role)

Corps de ballet

[AB'sMom]

I was at the show last night. I was so pleased to see Patrick Frenette get such a great opportunity. I was also really impressed with Fanqi Li in I Now, I Then and with Chloe MIsseldine in Orlando. I don’t think I’ve seen Heo Seo very much except in Nutcracker (I guess I usually choose different casts) but absolutely loved her in this.

[ksk04]

And the Saturday afternoon cast. I don't believe there is a third Becomings cast, so the two casts (led by Hurlin and Misseldine) are rotating between the 3 first act casts--there is something lost when the selected Dalloway characters (young Clarissa, Sally, Septimus, Rezia, and Evans) don't transform into more abstracted, liberated versions of not-themselves, but I'm guessing it's not a major point that they cared about if McGregor approved of the change and I don't think McRae ever danced the Evans role so maybe it was always more coincidence than explicit plan.

I now, I then (from Mrs. Dalloway)

Woolf/Clarissa Dalloway - Gillian Murphy

Richard - Thomas Forster

Young Clarissa - Sierra Armstrong

Peter - Joo Woo Ahn

Sally - Erica Lall

Septimus - Carlos Gonzalez

Rezia - Kanon Kimura

Evans - Melvin Lawovi

Becomings (Orlando)

(using the filmed 2017 Royal Ballet production as a guide--I think the original cast)

the Osipova role - Chloe Misseldine

the McCrae role - Patrick Frenette

the Lamb role - Isabella Boylston

the Underwood role - Michael de la Nuez

the Hayward role - Skylar Brandt

the Watson role - Patrick Frenette

Other dancers: Jacob Clerico, Breanne Granlund, Melvin Lawovi, Joao Menegussi, Andrew Robare

Tuesday (The Waves)

Gillian Murphy, Joo Woo Ahn, Boylston (in the Lamb role)

Corps de ballet

 

I thought these were great character roles for Gillian Murphy and Carlos Gonzalez--both really emotionally clear.

Edited April 14 by ksk04

[Josette]

Gillian Murphy was a great improvement over Teuscher.  Hee Seo was also very moving and had a beautiful expressive range throughout.    Loved Shevchenko and Forster’s intensity in the Orlando section.   I have never been a Boylston fan, but her exit in The Waves after Woolf kisses her forehead (Boylston as Woolf’s sister) moved me to tears. 

[vipa]

3 hours ago, Josette said:

Gillian Murphy was a great improvement over Teuscher.  Hee Seo was also very moving and had a beautiful expressive range throughout.    Loved Shevchenko and Forster’s intensity in the Orlando section.   I have never been a Boylston fan, but her exit in The Waves after Woolf kisses her forehead (Boylston as Woolf’s sister) moved me to tears. 

Would love to hear more opinions about the ballet and choreography.

[ksk04]

I agree totally with Josette. Murphy or Seo would be my choices going forward. I found Murphy unexpectedly very moving and soft--similar to Boylston who I am not always drawn to. I thought the role suited Boylston perfectly in both acts, but especially in Tuesday. She was very natural and soft, again, for lack of a better word, which is not my usual sense of her dancing. 

I feel like the casting of Peter has been a little off--I thought Stearns and Forster (who played Richard Dalloway in their respective casts) would have been more natural fits for the role (over Bell and Ahn), especially given the partnering involved. Bonelli, the originator, was not a young buck so I'm not clear on ABT's choices there. I didn't find much connection between any of the main pairings which was a disappointment--though not very surprising given I don't think any of them are regular partners--and I think Stearns/Forster would offer the emotional maturity needed to give Seo/Murphy more to work with. The other slight miscast for me was Carmago as Septimus--he is a beautiful dancer but too beautiful and whole, I think, for Septimus. Royal and Gonzalez (my favorite) captured the hollowness and anxiety of Septimus more. Carmago was a wonderful partner though and I look forward to seeing him in more. 

I don't usually go in for pieces like Becomings but it was really incredible. Like I said above, the combo of the lighting, smoke, music, and dancer intensity (you can tell they are all completely committed and invested in this section) was riveting, for me. Hurlin and Misseldine were alien-esque in the same role--like rubber bands at the peak of tension. The casting for this act was excellent for both casts; all the dancers were really well suited to the extremities and brashness of the choreography. Forster was someone who was surprising--he seems like such a pure dancer noble, but really showed his range. Frenette, Roxander, Trenary, etc.--all stunners. 

My strong recommendation would to familiarize yourself with the main points of Mrs. Dalloway, particularly. The plot of Orlando only matters in so much as you know it's about gender fluidity and there is almost nothing significant about The Waves besides the literal wave setting which is mirrored, beautifully, by the choreography (also wonderful). The program notes have literally nothing about queer elements of Mrs. Dalloway, which is the primary part McGregor focuses on, and people around me seemed perplexed. However if you had read the book or have a passing familiarity with these conflicts/issues, the narrative is crystal clear through the dance (which I also loved). Why there can't be some basic plot points spelled out in the only real narrative section, I don't know, but that is the choice made. 

I would have seen more of the shows if I had time this weekend; I was never bored or found my attention wandering in any of three performances. There's so much going on stage you need to see it multiple times to follow what's occurring, really. 

[choriamb]

Thank y'all so much for the reviews...especially all of the cast notes!

(I'd already bought my Met ticket for Ferri/Cornejo, but was waiting to see if the ballet was strong enough to withstand a second viewing. Now, I think I'll go ahead and pick up that extra ticket for Murphy & Co. )

Edited Thursday at 08:39 AM by choriamb