ABT Woolf Works Met 2024

[ABT Fan]

I'm pasting Drew's link from another thread on Woolf Works below, and also another one that has some additional info on the ballet. Looking forward to seeing this and curious how Ferri will look now.

https://www.abt.org/events/woolf-works/

https://www.abt.org/ballet/woolf-works/

[NinaFan]

All of the reviews I’ve read about this ballet are glowing and refer to story lines, special effects etc., but I’ve been unable to find any reviews that actually go into the dancing. Can anyone who is familiar with the ballet give me an idea of what the dancing is like. Thank you!

[ABT Fan]

Here are two links showing the process and parts of the choreography:

 

Edited June 23 by ABT Fan

[abatt]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/arts/dance/woolf-works-abt.html

NY Times preview and article about the ballet, including comments by Ferri.

[NinaFan]

20 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

Here are two links showing the process and parts of the choreography:

 

Thanks ABT Fan. Looks very intriguing and I loved watching Osipova.

[abatt]

Is it possible to tell who will be dancing the lead in the center section of the ballet (i.e., Osipova's role in the above clip) at the ABT performances.  The way the listing is laid out I'm not sure.  

[balletlover08]

3 minutes ago, abatt said:

Is it possible to tell who will be dancing the lead in the center section of the ballet (i.e., Osipova's role in the above clip) at the ABT performances.  The way the listing is laid out I'm not sure.  

I know when Misseldine is listed she is dancing the Osipova role (should also be listed in casting with Frenette and Royal). It's possible she will have other roles in the performance but at Segerstorm she only danced the lead in Act II.  I think Hurlin is also dancing that role. 

[ksk04]

1 hour ago, balletlover08 said:

I know when Misseldine is listed she is dancing the Osipova role (should also be listed in casting with Frenette and Royal). It's possible she will have other roles in the performance but at Segerstorm she only danced the lead in Act II.  I think Hurlin is also dancing that role. 

Misseldine and Hurlin share the role, that's right--neither of them had another role in the run at SCFTA and the cast list for the Met suggests the same, so just two different casts for the second act (Orlando) section (as least as it is now!). I posted the role break downs from SCFTA here, if you are interested: Woolf Works Cast, Who Is Who

[volcanohunter]

Since it's unlikely to affect ticket sales at this stage, I'll point out that Woolf Works is available to subscribers of ROH Stream

https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/woolf-works-2017-digital 

[abatt]

About last night at ABT - Ferri is truly remarkable.  She looks great and is still remarkably flexible.  And those gorgeous feet!

I found the final section very moving and powerful.  The contemplation and reflection on your life as you know it must and will soon end.  I found this very touching personally as I have witnessed the surrender of life to death due to illness.  I perceived the other dancers in the third section to comprise the waves, and Ferri is buffeted about in the waves through lifts executed by her partners. I found the first section very interesting, and was able to follow the narrative because of familiarity with Mrs. Dalloway and with the book the Hours.

But that middle section became monotonous.  First, I found it much more difficult to follow any narrative thread in the middle section.  Also, the choreography was repetitive and too busy.  It was more typical McGregor work - pull me, stretch me, hyper extend me, I am Gumby.  Not my thing.  It was accompanied by elaborate lighting effects.   

Kudos to the sensitive performance of Cornejo.

Curious what others thought.

Edited June 26 by abatt

[WLH]

Mostly agree with you abatt! WOW to Ferri, what an honour to see her. An ethereal, anchoring presence, the most beautiful arms. 
Final section was my favourite and Camargo definitely stood out to me throughout. In the middle, Gumby section (lol), I did think Hurlin was quite amazing! despite the choreography not being to my taste.. too large a cast, overwrought, etc. Does anyone have any thoughts on Roxander’s performance? 
Wasn’t my favourite of Richter’s music, but a very English ballet, and Michael Clark came to mind.. 

Not sure who else at ABT would do the Ferri role Justice, I would say maybe Seo. It requires a true artist. 

[abatt]

9 minutes ago, WLH said:

 

Not sure who else at ABT would do the Ferri role Justice, I would say maybe Seo. It requires a true artist. 

Yes.  I think Hee Seo would do well with this, particularly since Bell will be her partner.  I just exchanged into Hee Seo's performance on Thursday. This work  requires someone with a liquid upper body in the lead role.    

Edited June 26 by abatt

[FauxPas]

BTW: On the ABT calendar site and the Met website in "Woolf Works" the dancers are listed alphabetically, not in a role order.  That is why Misseldine's or Hurlin's name will show up in a different place on different nights.

[nysusan]

I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. Parts of it were beautiful - Ferri, of course and throughout the piece, the Camargo/Roxander 1st acct pdd and the 1st act dances for the 3 women, young and old Clarissa and Sally. Sounds like I liked a lot in the first act but I liked most of it, didn't love much of it.

 

I agree that the 3rd act was very moving and that the second act was inscrutable. I don't typically dislike the kind of dancing McGregor gave us in the 2nd act but it was very hard to make anything out (except the fabulous Hurlin) and I got bored quickly.

 

I am going to see it again so my opinion may change.

 

Roxander was wonderful. So far this season he is showing himself to be quite an artist.

[cobweb]

I saw Woolf Works last night. I was left with mixed feelings. Keeping in mind our recent discussions on this board about what makes for a good story ballet, I note that Woolf Works has many promising features: based very loosely on narrative (eg, in an appropriate, not overly detailed way), strong visual images to evoke different scenarios, powerful and memorable interactions. Also McGregor is obviously an experienced choreographer who knows how to effectively move people around the stage. The main issue for me was the music, which I found monotonous and overwrought in the extreme. Also I feel it would have benefitted from more variety of tone, both in music and choreography. With a few exceptional moments, it felt very flat to me, most especially in the long middle section. Also, so heavy and ponderous in tone! After the first section I was hoping that the Orlando section would include some humor, since Orlando the novel is very funny. Alas, there was no humor. This is the first McGregor work I'm seeing, and given all the positives, I'm hoping he has some range and that his other works differ in tone, and music. Hoping!

In terms of the dancing, after being very steeped in NYCB and seeing little of ABT in recent years, the difference in physique and style is striking. The fluidity of dancers like Hurlin and Fleytoux was incredible. It was hard to tell who was who in the middle section, but if I successfully identified Roxander, he looked great, dancing with clarity and theatricality. I also liked him and Camargo in the first section. And it is a pure treat to see Alessandra Ferri. 

[Royal Blue]

I neither expect nor want to "get" everything in my first viewings of Woolf Works at the theater. First, this is a work that I can watch many times and would welcome the opportunity to do so. Second, the choreographer's task was to create an appealing ballet dealing with difficult subjects and themes that could be appreciated by a balletgoer of modest familiarity with Virginia Woolf. It was not to explain everything about her life and work, especially since she is known for her use of the fascinating but extremely difficult stream of consciousness style of writing in her most notable novels. Woolf's literary reputation is great to begin with. The ballet should simply enhance an interest already there. My view is that Wayne McGregor and everyone else who played a key role in the creation of Woolf Works succeeded in this. 

This is a ballet that by no means is solely dependent on the two roles initially announced in casting. Hardly any other ballet arouses such a keen interest in wanting to view every dancer in the cast. (Unlike the previous posters, Orlando and "Becomings" also intrigue me.) I am interested in how the roles sort themselves out in the theater, and which of the dancers assigned a part—from my vantage point at least—makes a splash. I will say that in the video, for one, Sarah Lamb was extraordinarily impressive. 

Yes, Virginia Woolf's queerness is relevant and important to understanding her work. However, everything I can glean from my limited knowledge about her strongly suggests that, like all great artists, she had something vital to say about all humanity. 

[MarzipanShepherdess]

Saw the Tuesday NY premiere of Woolf Works. Mixed feelings about it, but I'm glad they've brought it into their rep and definitely want to see it again.

One reason I want to see it again is to be able to approach it with recalibrated expectations. I love Woolf and while I think it's definitely helpful to know the plot of Mrs Dalloway to see this work, the second and third acts have only the loosest relationship to Orlando and The Waves. On first viewing I felt disappointed and puzzled that the second and third acts didn't capture the spirit of their stated inspirations more, which I'm sure inhibited me from appreciating what was there to enjoy. 

Act I: Ferri and Cornejo were absolutely fantastic in this.  I agree with @abatt and @WLH that the ABT dancer who could best do this justice would be Hee Seo. Ferri brought such interiority and charisma: she held the stage even when not in motion. Cornejo was both a whirlwind (I marvel at how much speed he still has) and a wonderful partner to Ferri. Lea Fleytoux deserves accolades for her performance as Young Clarissa, she brought so much energy and grace. I'd love to see her getting the same kinds of opportunities SunMi is getting, she deserves them. Roxander was astonishing as Evans. He and Camargo's dancing together was great. 

Act II:  Orlando is such a lush, sensuous book but this isn't what seems to have captured McGregor's attention.  The staging and music felt quite cold and futuristic to me, with a low-lit, hazy bare stage and lots of lighting effects. I didn't like it as a representation of Orlando, but there is much to enjoy in the choreography though I think McGregor exhausts his ideas and would have benefitted from trimming it. Hurlin was wonderful, bringing a lushness to the final pas de deux especially that felt like a new high for a dancer know best for her speed ("Hurricane Hurlin"). People seemed to LOVE this act: big applause, lots of excited exclamations in my section of the theater.

Act III: This is really more of a dramatization of Woolf's suicide than a representation of the Waves. It opens with a recording of Gillian Anderson reading the entirety of Woolf's suicide note, which I felt was a pretty heavy-handed, gratuitous artistic choice.  As dance, though, it was beautiful. Ferri was moving, as was Cornejo in the tenderness of his partnering. It is quite a sad note to end the evening on. I would have preferred "Becomings" to close out the evening, which I think would have been in the spirit of Woolf's work, in which humanity goes on beyond the confines of any individual life.

I can't help but feel there's a bit of a missed opportunity here. Obviously Woolf did kill herself, but her work has so much joy, sensuality, humor, and liveliness. That comes through very little here. I wish McGregor had thought more about what she wrote and less about her suicide.

[nysusan]

Times review is in and it's negative

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/26/arts/dance/review-woolf-works-mcgregor-american-ballet-theater.html

 

 

[nanushka]

I’m curious about the opening recording and text. I thought someone above wrote that it was an actress (Gillian Anderson?) reading the suicide note. But Seibert says this:

“At the start of “Woolf Works,” a three-act ballet by the British choreographer Wayne McGregor based on novels by Virginia Woolf, we hear part of what is reportedly the only extant recording of Woolf’s voice. It is a writer’s loving complaint about her materials: words. Used by everyone, they are full of echoes and associations, she says. A writer can invent new ones but can’t use them in an old language like English, because words hang together.“

I’ve never heard the recording of Woolf’s speaking voice but I’ve heard about both recording and voice, particularly that she spoke with the very highest of British accents, in correctness and class 10 steps above the Queen. (And there’d hardly be a recording of Woolf reading her suicide note, to mix the two accounts. Didn’t the film of The Hours start with Kidman reading from the note?)

Which of these accounts best matches what others heard? Is the recording credited in the program or elsewhere? Thanks for any additional information.

Edited June 26 by nanushka

[nysusan]

7 minutes ago, nanushka said:

I’m curious about the opening recording and text. I thought someone above wrote that it was an actress (Gillian Anderson?) reading the suicide note. But Seibert says this:

“At the start of “Woolf Works,” a three-act ballet by the British choreographer Wayne McGregor based on novels by Virginia Woolf, we hear part of what is reportedly the only extant recording of Woolf’s voice. It is a writer’s loving complaint about her materials: words. Used by everyone, they are full of echoes and associations, she says. A writer can invent new ones but can’t use them in an old language like English, because words hang together.“

I’ve never heard the recording of Woolf’s speaking voice but I’ve heard about both recording and voice, particularly that she spoke with the very highest of British accents, in correctness and class 10 steps above the Queen. (And there’d hardly be a recording of Woolf reading her suicide note, to mix the two accounts. Didn’t the film of The Hours start with Kidman reading from the note?)

Which of these accounts best matches what others heard? Is the recording credited in the program or elsewhere? Thanks for any additional information.

The ballet started with a recording of Woolf and the 3rd act began (if I recall correctly) with a recording of Gillian Anderson reading Woolf's suicide note. The Anderson voice over is noted in the program, Woolf's recorded essay "On Craftmanship" is mentioned in the act 1 synopsis.

[volcanohunter]

The recording of Woolf's voice

 

[nanushka]

Thank you both!

[its the mom]

I am not surprised at the New York reviews, but I just thought I would share this thread from the Balletco forum. Woolf Works seems to have been very well-received in London when performed. 

Woolf Works - Royal Ballet March 2023 - Performances seen & general discussions - BalletcoForum

[WLH]

13 minutes ago, its the mom said:

I am not surprised at the New York reviews, but I just thought I would share this thread from the Balletco forum. Woolf Works seems to have been very well-received in London when performed. 

Woolf Works - Royal Ballet March 2023 - Performances seen & general discussions - BalletcoForum

Thank you for this.. I’m English and the whole time I was thinking that this is very suited to a UK audience. More “eccentric” ? Or less conservative? Works are more of the norm in the arts there generally, in my opinion. For better or worse, depending on individual taste 

[FauxPas]

I attended the Wednesday matinee of "Woolf Works" with Gillian Murphy, whose performance got praise on these boards in the earlier run at the Segerstrom Center in CA.

First of all, this is an uncharacteristic role for Murphy given that the "long skirt" dramatic acting roles generally don't come her way - except for Juliet in MacMillan's ballet.

Gillian's red hair and pale face evoked Virginia Woolf or an English writer from early in the last century.  I found that her restraint was effective but there was emotion and intention behind it.  Gillian's face could seem mask-like but there was repressed passion in the eyes.

Her body makes beautiful sculptural lines of McGregor's choreography and her technical strength allowed her to suspend motion and stretch out lines for extra effect.  Obviously, Ferri is a very special and different kind of dancer but I felt that what Gillian did really worked for her and the ballet.

In "I now, I then" Mrs. Dalloway section, Carlos Gonzalez danced very well as Septimus but didn't suggest the hollowed out shell that Edward Watson presented in the Royal Ballet 2015 premiere and filming (which I watched half of, I punked out midway through "Becomings" but will try to rewatch since I have now seen it live).  Gonzalez does have intensity.  Erica Lall was a sparkling, flirtatious Sally (her loss will be felt) and Sierra Armstrong was an impulsively romantic young Clarissa.  Thomas Forster had the right tall tweedy look as the mature Richard and danced excellently.  Joo Won Ahn was a bit blank as Peter but he also danced very well with elegant line and finish.  Kanon Kimura was anguished as Rezia and the intriguing Melvin Lawovi was very fine as Evans.

One thing I must mention is that this ballet has a lot of dancing roles and ABT is fielding three or four different casts, so neglected and unseen dancers from the corps and underutilized soloists are getting a moment in the sun.  This was very evident in "Becomings" where Andrew Robare had a major role and really turned it into a dance tour de force.  They need to pull him forward pronto.

Otherwise, I found "Becomings" kind of headache-inducing.  The relentless pounding ostinatos from Max Richter's score, the total lack of lightness and wit in the tone, the dark lighting with shafts of hard white light alternating, the unrelenting speed and contortions of the dancers.  It was high energy and I guess exciting but it didn't go anywhere and lacked humanity.  It seemed like a hard techno version of Kylian's "Petite Mort" but that one has more wit and style and variety.  

Everyone started out in male or female Elizabethan garb, then they dropped various costume elements with white leotards underneath and then at the climax dropped all gender specific clothing and were unisex in the white leotards.  There was a lot of really impressive dancing but the slicked back hair and kabuki makeup made it hard to recognize individual dancers.  The dark lighting, smoke effects, changing costumes and the fact that most solos lasted less than a minute contributed as well.  Skyler Brandt was in there but flashing in and out without making a great impression - Isabella Boylston did a bit better.  Chloe Misseldine did make a fine impression as did Patrick Frenette.  The laser show is impressive (and hardly registers on the Royal Ballet video from 2015) but it doesn't make up for the deficiencies elsewhere.  It is also quite long and exhausting.  I see why I didn't make it more than halfway through the video version.

"Tuesday" the final third of the triptych, I did like and found the imagery haunting.  That one I hadn't seen on video and it's lovely.  Fine work from Joo Won Ahn and Isabella Boylston.

I did like a good deal but didn't love "I now, I then", really didn't enjoy "Becomings" but did love "Tuesday".  

I think the ballet shows off the company very well and many dancers are getting opportunities and making the most of them.

Edited June 27 by FauxPas