ABT Romeo & Juliet Met 2024

[angelica]

7 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

I also saw Jose Sebastian as Paris, which was at the same performance as Crispino's Benvolio.

How was Criispino''s Benvolio? I saw clips of  him partnering  Brandt in a coaching session of Don Q and I thought he was excellent.

[NinaFan]

41 minutes ago, angelica said:

How was Criispino''s Benvolio? I saw clips of  him partnering  Brandt in a coaching session of Don Q and I thought he was excellent.

I thought he was very good.  Wow, in which role did he partner Brandt during the Don Q coaching session?

[angelica]

12 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

I thought he was very good.  Wow, in which role did he partner Brandt during the Don Q coaching session?

Brandt often posts Instagram clips of her coaching sessions with @irinamaxemma. For some roles, she needs to have a partner. That was the case when she was preparing Kitri in the studio. On one or two occasions some time ago, Luigi Crispino was doing the partnering (he wasn't being coached) and I thought he was excellent. I wondered at the time if he was going to be promoted. Since then, nothing. But maybe the new AD has noticed him.

[NinaFan]

39 minutes ago, angelica said:

Brandt often posts Instagram clips of her coaching sessions with @irinamaxemma. For some roles, she needs to have a partner. That was the case when she was preparing Kitri in the studio. On one or two occasions some time ago, Luigi Crispino was doing the partnering (he wasn't being coached) and I thought he was excellent. I wondered at the time if he was going to be promoted. Since then, nothing. But maybe the new AD has noticed him.

That is pretty impressive rehearsing Basilio with Brandt.  He certainly looks like he has the personality for the role. Let's hope we see a lot more of him.

[angelica]

17 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

That is pretty impressive rehearsing Basilio with Brandt.  He certainly looks like he has the personality for the role. Let's hope we see a lot more of him.

I hope so too.

[ABT Fan]

22 minutes ago, NinaFan said:

That is pretty impressive rehearsing Basilio with Brandt.  He certainly looks like he has the personality for the role. Let's hope we see a lot more of him.

Crispino was one of the few toreadors who really had the Spanish flair in Don Q. I always noticed him. 

[ABT Fan]

Any thoughts on last night?

[ABT Fan]

This afternoon was pretty much everything I would want it to be.

Whatever ailed Seo during her SL was thankfully gone and she was her usual lovely, deeply moving self. She gave a highly nuanced performance clearly demonstrating her transition from shy, unassured, yet spritely girl to a young woman hit by a thunderbolt and drunk in love. Stearns was competent yet a strong partner. He and Seo do have a wonderful chemistry and during the balcony and bedroom pas they were believably enraptured with each other. The rest of the ballet and strangely at the crypt, Stearns was a blank. Seo adds a number of nonballetic touches making her portrayal even more believable. From the way she grabbed Stearns’ shirt to how her head and body followed him around. 

After all the years seeing this ballet I finally got Zhurbin as Tybalt. He is mesmerizing in every dramatic role he plays but his Tybalt is a masterclass in stage acting. His Tybalt is more aggressive than others and I wish the others would pay attention. That is how it’s done.

Susan Jones is always the perfect nurse or mother - the right mixture of being loveavble, funny, a sweet rolly-polly without becoming a caricature. Seo pulled her forward during bows a few times. Is she retiring????

Benvolio is Ribagorda’s best role and I’m happy he’s still cast in this despite being an older corps dancer.

Roxander was, as expected, the star of the show, bringing the house down with his quintessential Mercutio. He is a star. Period. He will make an excellent Romeo some day. 

Edited July 13 by ABT Fan

[MoMo]

1 hour ago, ABT Fan said:

This afternoon was pretty much everything I would want it to be.

Whatever ailed Seo during her SL was thankfully gone and she was her usual lovely, deeply moving self. She gave a highly nuanced performance clearly demonstrating her transition from shy, unassured, yet spritely girl to a young woman hit by a thunderbolt and drunk in love. Stearns was competent yet a strong partner. He and Seo do have a wonderful chemistry and during the balcony and bedroom pas they were believably enraptured with each other. The rest of the ballet and strangely at the crypt, Stearns was a blank. Seo adds a number of nonballetic touches making her portrayal even more believable. From the way she grabbed Stearns’ shirt to how her head and body followed him around. 

After all the years seeing this ballet I finally got Zhurbin as Tybalt. He is mesmerizing in every dramatic role he plays but his Tybalt is a masterclass in stage acting. His Tybalt is more aggressive than others and I wish the others would pay attention. That is how it’s done.

Susan Jones is always the perfect nurse or mother - the right mixture of being loveavble, funny, a sweet rolly-polly without becoming a caricature. Seo pulled her forward during bows a few times. Is she retiring????

Benvolio is Ribagorda’s best role and I’m happy he’s still cast in this despite being an older corps dancer.

Roxander was, as expected, the star of the show, bringing the house down with his quintessential Mercutio. He is a star. Period. He will make an excellent Romeo some day. 

Susan Jones posted this morning that today would be her last Nurse after 40 years. It is her signature ABT legacy role. And she has taught the role to many. Hee apparently wanted to acknowledge her. 

[aurora]

Just wanted to say how great last night was.

Hurlin and Royal had such a wonderful connection and her acting of the role was just tremendous. Her dancing was as well, but the naturalism of her--and Royal's--acting really stood out. Definitely one of my favorites in this role.

I'd also like to single out Eric Tamm for an especially vivid rendering of Paris--who was downright chilling in the scene in her bedroom.

Gonzales as Mercutio and Frenette as Benvolio were quite good, but paled somewhat compared to the cast of Roxander (who was a townsperson last night) and Ribagorda, who surprised me with how good he was as Benvolio.

Claire Davison was a very good Lady Capulet--much more affecting in the aftermath of Tybalt's death than Luciana Paris.

 

It is worth mentioning that the house was completely full. It had been really crowded on Wednesday evening, but it was fully sold out last night (and the night before, according to the usher). Even the lousy rear boxes on the sides (where you can't see much of anything) were full.

[NinaFan]

We were so pleased to see Susan Jones yesterday, but had no idea it was her last performance as the Nurse.  So glad we got to see her in her final performance.  She has always been the gold standard. On an entirely different note/different ballet, she was absolutely hilarious in The Bright Stream.

As far as Roxander...WOWWWWWW!  I think I was squealing (to myself of course)! Can't wait for him to be cast as the lead in a full length!

[abatt]

I was sitting next to some teenage boys.  Every time Roander performed they muttered wow. This is how you attract new audiences to the theater.  Roxander is the future of this company.  Let's go Susan Jaffe. Time to give him leading roles just as you did for Misseldine.  

[ABT Fan]

33 minutes ago, abatt said:

I was sitting next to some teenage boys.  Every time Roander performed they muttered wow. This is how you attract new audiences to the theater.  Roxander is the future of this company.  Let's go Susan Jaffe. Time to give him leading roles just as you did for Misseldine.  

Agree. I’m hoping for something juicy this fall and then Nutcracker to start.

[DPell]

I was at both shows yesterday. I know Hee’s not everyone’s favorite, but I really enjoyed her in this role. Roman, as always, have a great performance as Tybalt. Jake was Jake. In the evening, maybe it was just me, but there was more chemistry between Cate and Calvinthe. In the matinee. They both sold the young love. I second the above comment about Eric Tamm as Paris. With Eric and Blaine leaving, that opens up two slots for Paris next time Romeo comes back. In act 2 Calvin’s sword broke when he was dueling Thomas, but everyone played it off, and someone passed him a sword almost right away. That was the first time I’ve seen one of the principal’s swords break in Romeo. 

[abatt]

The sword breakage also happened at least 10 years ago.  The fun of live theater!

Hopefully this ballet will not make a return for at least two years. 

[MarzipanShepherdess]

Saw Royal and Hurlin on Saturday night in R&J. They were tremendous and remain my favorite of the current R&J pairs. They both really beautifully embody the giddy, dizzy exuberance of teenage love, and feel really well-matched in these roles.  It was a pleasure to see how they'd continued to refine their interpretations since I'd last seen them in R&J.  Gonzalez was very good dramatically as Mercutio, he's a fine actor.