observations 3-9

Someone at the Kennedy Center has a wicked, devilish sense of humor, and we salute whoever it is.

Here's a screenshot from this afternoon of ABT's page on the KC website for its January 2017 run of Swan Lakes. It seems like ABT will be presenting its production, not in the opera house, but in the African Lounge at the Kennedy Center.

 

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We have been wondering why the brochures and Met Opera/ABT sites have been showing our lovely Stella Abrera as Gulnare in the old costume design prior to the refurbishment of the Le Corsaire sets and costumes last time around.

Well, according to the Met Opera website, ABT is going back to the original set and costume designs by Irina Tibilova rather than using the new splashy designs by Christian Prego and Anibal Lapiz which debuted in 2013.

Of course, this could simply be another sloppy website mistake by ABT and the Met. If it's not, then that is certainly an interesting turn of events after spending all that money on the new sets and costumes. The cost was shared with La Scala, but still, money was spent. We loved the new costumes and especially the sets, but we also love Gulnare's original beautiful yellow tutu. Our fear in returning to the old designs, however, is just what monstrosity in what horrible color will Medora wear for the famous PdT. Hopefully ABT already sold that bright blue eyesore that they had specially made for a few of the ballerinas. Maybe they'll return to the lovely original design for this spring, too.

Comments

[CMM]

The synopsis page on the ABT website http://www.abt.org/performances/Synopses/LeCorsaire.asp and the original season announcement from October http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=534 both seem to confirm the return to the Tibilova set and costume designs. As for Medora's PdT tutu, does this picture https://www.instagram.com/p/BB2-ZCDnVVH/ help at all in answering that question? (I am not familiar enough with the costumes to know.)

[Haglund]

Thanks CMM. I totally missed that at the time of the spring announcement (as did my friend Mussel on BA who can't seem to stop using this blog as an uncredited source for posts on BA. Pretty soon we're going to start using the tag line: "Haglund''s Heel-the only news that's fit to print on Ballet Alert.")

I wasn't able to open your Instagram link, CMM, but I'll try again later on another device. The original tutu can be seen in the video of Le Corsaire. Julie Kent's tutu is a lovely silver gray with some blue tones- just gorgeous.

Edited to add link to YouTube that shows the silver tutu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73AGYwofMdA

[Jennifer]

In other DC ballet news, ABT will be presenting 3 performances of Romeo & Juliet at Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center in July.

[Haglund]

Yes, I saw that Jennifer. It's interesting that since at least January, the Maryland travel agency Diversions has been selling tour packages entitled Misty Copeland at Wolf Trap with the date of her appearance. [http://www.diversionsinc.com/misty-copeland-at-wolf-trap1.html ] Their web page makes it clear that they had inside information on casting and were able to buy tickets in bulk before the general public. All of the rest of ABT's principals are compelled to keep their own casting quiet until the company publishes it - but not Copeland and her "team". It's an interesting double standard that benefits the one who complains about double standards that she perceives run rampant in ballet and deny her the stardom she deserves.

[SM]

One can only hope that at some point soon the regime at ABT will change and all the nonsense from Copeland and her "team" will be shut down for good. ABT needs a major overhaul.

[Haglund]

Indeed.