. . . that is, the third week of December.
Ana Sophia Scheller and Robert Fairchild will be the Sugar Plum Fairy and Her Cavalier on Sunday, December 18th at 5PM at the New York City Ballet. Ana Sophia carries more classicism than most NYCB ballerinas and her artistry has been developing in amazing ways these past two years. Keep her performances on your radar.
What a great Hot Tip, Haglund! However, I'm already seeing ABT's Nutcracker on the 17th and the Bolshoi film of same the morning of the 18th. Can I possibly add a third Nutcracker to the weekend? I am very tempted....
Posted by: Angelica Smith | December 03, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Hi Angelica.
Chances are good that Ana Sophia and Robert will get another performance or two or three. And don't forget to watch the NYCB Nutcracker LIVE on PBS Wednesday, Dec 14th if you can - or tape it. All of these Nutcrackers can make a balletomane a little nutso.
Posted by: Haglund | December 03, 2011 at 04:09 PM
It's on my calendar! Thank you for the reminder!
Posted by: Angelica Smith | December 04, 2011 at 06:30 PM
You're welcome. Also, I just learned today that the least expensive ticket for Dec 18th at 5pm is $67 in the 4th ring. They haven't begun selling 4th and 5th ring sides yet, I was told, but that they would also be sold at $67. In my book, $67 is too much for ANY Nutcracker performance anywhere including and ESPECIALLY the 4th ring at NYCB. Therefore, I'm not going to the performance nor to any further performances of NYCB Nutcracker where the company attempts to gouge the consumer with that kind of ticket price. In most previous years, I've gone to a half dozen or so NYCB Nutcrackers - this year, one.
As much as I love going to the ballet, it is still discretionary.
Posted by: Haglund | December 04, 2011 at 07:43 PM
I'm glad to hear you say that, Haglund, because when I went online to see about purchasing tickets, the prices astounded me. $150 for Orchestra seats? No no no. Even for Mariinsky it was $125 at the Met, until the last minute, when I think it went up to an astronomical $175. What do they call that new-fangled way of pricing seats? Something-or-other pricing, which means that they'll adjust the price of the tickets to get as much as they can for every seat. Ah, yes, "dynamic pricing," talk about euphemisms. It has become like the airlines, maybe worse. I'm not going to NYCB's Nutcracker at all--one on PBS in the comfort of home, two of ABT at BAM, and the film of the Bolshoi will get me through the season.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | December 07, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Well, those $67 tickets have just been jacked up to $89. LOL. No thanks.
What's it going to look like on national television and in the nation's movie theaters when the cameras show a half filled orchestra level and a nearly empty fourth ring on Dec. 13 & 14? That's the way it looks right now. Is NYCB going to have a sudden "fire sale" to fill the theater or just paper it with students and free handouts at the local hotels? If the seats are empty, it's a newsworthy topic for the PBS host if he/she dares to go there - perhaps quizzing Peter Martins at intermission about all of the empty seats.
Posted by: Haglund | December 07, 2011 at 06:11 PM
Dream on. But I'll watch the intermission.
Posted by: Angelica Smith | December 07, 2011 at 09:14 PM