observations 12-30

Some potentially hopeful stirrings in the ABT Met Season casting have been sighted by our eagle-eyed Haglund'eelers. The Saturday evening Giselle cast has been relieved of its low-end Albrecht which opens up the possibility that the now-TBA could possibly evolve into a Murphy-Hallberg-Abrera performance. Wouldn't that be da bomb?

Unfortunately, poor Veronika got saddled with the ejected one for her Siegfried.

Also, changes are afoot for the Whipped Cream opening performance cast. Hopefully, it will go to a real ballerina. The real ballerina who we're thinking of, unfortunately, did not win the empty slot in Mozartiana. We would rather have seen Christine Shevchenko, who has now appeared in the slot, cast in The Golden Cockerel and Stella Abrera given the all-important Mozartiana. Actually, we wish that ABT would stop dancing Balanchine's works in New York until they can cease offending them (and us) with the likes of Boylston, Seo, and Copeland, and until they can get a Balanchine stager who is concerned about quality more than mannerisms.

That rep program that ABT plans to present in July is a waste. Just look at the Wednesday matinee: AfterEffect and Aurora's Wedding – that's it. And ABT should forget trying to make people interested in seeing The Nutcracker in July – or October 2017, for that matter. Everyone should save their money for the NYCB/POB/Bolshoi Jewels performances that will come up later in July. Do better, ABT.

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Just what exactly is going on here?

"I have another piece for piano and string quartet based on a Ted Hughes poem, 'The Crow Falls', which will be choreographed for the prima ballerina Veronika Part. We’ll be performing that next March in New York at the invitation of Philip Glass at Carnegie Hall. It's a very big project and a lot of work, but I'm incredibly proud of it".

That quote is from an interview with keyboard great Roger O'Donnell in Collide Art & Culture Magazine. [The correct name of the poem is Crow's Fall, not The Crow Falls.] The only thing that we see on the Carnegie Hall calendar where this would be a possibility is on March 16th when the Tibet House US has a 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert Celebrating Philip Glass's 80th Birthday. In addition to Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and Laurie Anderson, the line-up includes the Scorchio Quartet, an alternative classical group who used to hang with David Bowie. Boy oh boy, an evening with Veronika during the mid-March ballet drought would be The Cure for what ails us.

We need details, people. Let's go, let's go, let's go.

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Only three Nutcrackers left at NYCB. Don't know whether to cheer or cry, because the six weeks has produced such wonderful performances. Perhaps if Haglund doesn't win a Rush Ticket to tonight's Nabucco at The Met, he'll crack open the wallet for one last Nut.

 

 

Comments

[Angelica Smith]

Alas, Haglund, another year in which I'll have to pass on Veronika's SL. On the plus side of the ledger, however, I'm already planning to see Sarah's Saturday matinee Giselle, and how sweet it would be to spend a few hours in the city awaiting a possible Murphy/Hallberg/Abrera Giselle. I will have to temper my anxiety when they start to shuffle the casts around because you can go from win to lose in the blink of an eye.

[Haglund]

Well, Angelica. The UIEX got a tip that the blond one returns to ABT rehearsals next week; perhaps you should make those Saturday plans that you are dreaming about. Really.

[Elizabeth]

Oooooohh!!! Stella Abrera has been cast as the principal role in Onegin! Fantastic news!

[Angelica Smith]

Talk about dreams coming through!

[Angelica Smith]

Er, true.

[Lievy]

I know Veronika was dating Roger O'donnell from The Cure. This is the reason she is dancing.

[Haglund]

Hi, Lievy. Do we have the date correct? March 16th? Do you know the name of the choreographer? The poem on which this piece will be based is intriguing and right up Veronika's alley, so to speak.

[CMM]

Based on the just-posted Costa Mesa casting, I would say it's looking good for the not-yet-complete Met Gala casting of Whipped Cream....

[Haglund]

Yes, indeed. Thanks so much CMM. Will include this in a separate blog post momentarily.