NYCB cancels 1st Winter week & muddles schedule

NYCB has announced that it has cancelled the first week of its Winter Season and withdrawn a number of large-scale ballets (full length Swan Lake, Diamonds).  Yet, they're still proceeding with other large scale works such as DGV.

This is a tremendous disappointment, especially considering today's report in NYT about how well the Met Opera has been able to meet casting dilemmas head-on through the use of understudies and imaginative solutions. That same article points to NYCB's ultra-conservative position that it will shut down performances if as few as three people in the company test positive. NYCB employs more than a thousand people and relies on hundreds of volunteers. A three-person threshold is a bit ridiculous, in our opinion.

Having just enjoyed a second performance of The Music Man which has a cast of over 40 people on stage every night along with a packed orchestra pit, and which doesn't blink an eye at the thought of throwing understudies on stage after their only rehearsal that same day, we have to wonder what NYCB is saving all of its dancers for.

We'll be asking for our money back. Everyone should demand full refunds and go straight to The Music Man. This is the most extraordinary Broadway musical that we've seen in decades. Hugh Jackman is The Master of the Musical -- in total control of the stage and has the audience in the palm of his hand every second. The whole cast is exceptional and happens to include a former NYCB Nutcracker Prince and an ABT-JKO student. The understudies are brilliant. It is such a good time and will make you forget about what you're missing at NYCB.

(Edited to add)

There is presently a January 20th performance on the calendar which is identified as Opening Night and shows a bill of Serenade, After the Rain, and Symphony in C. The site won't allow ticket purchases, however.

If the website is accurate, this would certainly be a welcomed turn of events -- unless of course someone decided to screw the patrons with dynamic pricing -- but my sense from the past few weeks is that NYCB's IT department is kind of like this:

 

 

Comments

[Haglund]

Total chimpmania on the NYCB website. As of an hour ago there are three new Opening Nights listed for 1/18,1/19, and 1/20.

[Solor]

Maybe somebody is monkeying with the website?

[Haglund]

If so, I say, let the chimps run the place. I like their latest idea.

[Haglund]

The chimps have now removed the "Opening Night" dates. Oh well, they were a nice thought. Now we're left with the thought of opening the Winter Season without a Balanchine ballet -- not something anyone likes to see, ever.

[Zachary]

Hey Haglund, if you want to see Diamonds, the casting for Bolshoi in cinema's Jewels on January 23 was just released:

Emeralds: Anastasia Denisova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Ivan Alekeyev, Klim Efimov

Rubies: Maria Vinogradova, Elizaveta Kokoreva/Dmitry Smilevsky

Diamonds: Svetlana Zakharova, Jacopo Tissi

I'm most excited to see Zakharova in Diamonds since I do not believe she's danced it since 2011 (and based on your previous reviews, I think this will be a Bolshoi Diamonds with gaynors that will look arched).

[Haglund]

Wow, thanks Zachary. Lots of people have been waiting for this casting.

[elfantgirl]

I just got to see The Music Man, and Haglund is right - it's extraordinary, and I think the most outstanding dancing on any stage in New York right now. It's a classic musical best known for its music but here the dancing is the star. Go ahead and take out a second mortgage if you need to - you'll feel you got your money's worth and for best seats, try to buy before the (expected rave) reviews come out after opening night on Feb 10th.

[Haglund]

So glad you were able to see it!! I plan to go back prior to opening night. You're right - it's worth taking a second mortgage to see but the tickets are fairly reasonable right now. They seem to use dynamic pricing; so, it's a good idea to check daily.