24 replies to this topic

[Dale]

ABT is going to perform this fall at NJPAC in Newark. The company was one of the original performing groups at NJPAC but has not visited in more than a decade.  It's a mixed bill with Seven Sonatas by Ratmansky, Company B and a ballet by Millepied.

[DeborahB]

Dale, on Apr 22 2010, 02:43 PM, said:

ABT is going to perform this fall at NJPAC in Newark. The company was one of the original performing groups at NJPAC but has not visited in more than a decade.  It's a mixed bill with Seven Sonatas by Ratmansky, Company B and a ballet by Millepied.

Great to know! I was at NJPAC for the first time  recently to see Patti LuPone. I was impressed with the venue -- it reminded me (a bit) of
Avery Fisher.

[richard53dog]

Dale, on Apr 22 2010, 07:43 PM, said:

ABT is going to perform this fall at NJPAC in Newark. The company was one of the original performing groups at NJPAC but has not visited in more than a decade.  It's a mixed bill with Seven Sonatas by Ratmansky, Company B and a ballet by Millepied.

That's good news for me. It seemed like we would have to forego a fall ABT season this year but this is a tidbit at least. Plus NJPAC is SUPER convenient for me, I live in the north part of Newark. I can drive down to NJPAC practically more easily than I can get to a movie theater!

[Dale]

Ambonnay, there's no French restaurant in downtown Newark. We do have wonderful Brazilian/Portuguese restaurants. Within walking distance of NJPAC, you can go to restaurants at NJPAC, they're good. Don Pepe's is on the way to NJPAC - it's gone downhill in recent years - but it's close. Maize is an upscale continental (accent on the Portuguese) restaurant in the Robert Treat Hotel, which is right across the street from NJPAC. Halsey Street is a few blocks away and has several restaurants on it. Or you can go in earlier and go to the Iron Bound - Adega Grill or Mompou (tapas) are good.

[richard53dog]

Dale, on 15 July 2010 - 11:22 AM, said:

Ambonnay, there's no French restaurant in downtown Newark. We do have wonderful Brazilian/Portuguese restaurants. Within walking distance of NJPAC, you can go to restaurants at NJPAC, they're good. Don Pepe's is on the way to NJPAC - it's gone downhill in recent years - but it's close. Maize is an upscale continental (accent on the Portuguese) restaurant in the Robert Treat Hotel, which is right across the street from NJPAC. Halsey Street is a few blocks away and has several restaurants on it. Or you can go in earlier and go to the Iron Bound - Adega Grill or Mompou (tapas) are good.

My favorite place in Ironbound is Casa Vasca on the corner of Elm and Propect . It'a actually Basque (Vasca) rather than Spanish or Portugese. Unfortunately it's several blocks in the opposite direction from Penn Station than NJPAC is. I never combine the two but then I don't have to , I live in the north part of the city so either is an easy trip for me.

[Ambonnay]

Dale and richard53dog -- Thank-you  

Do you know if the PATH train runs late enough to take people back to Manhattan after the performance in the wintertime?  I wasn't sure if summer hours are different.

[aurora]

Ambonnay, on 15 July 2010 - 01:52 PM, said:

Dale and richard53dog -- Thank-you  

Do you know if the PATH train runs late enough to take people back to Manhattan after the performance in the wintertime?  I wasn't sure if summer hours are different.

The PATH runs all night doesn't it? I know it does from Jersey City...

[richard53dog]

aurora, on 15 July 2010 - 02:01 PM, said:

Ambonnay, on 15 July 2010 - 01:52 PM, said:

Dale and richard53dog -- Thank-you  

Do you know if the PATH train runs late enough to take people back to Manhattan after the performance in the wintertime?  I wasn't sure if summer hours are different.

The PATH runs all night doesn't it? I know it does from Jersey City...

Yeah, unless it has changed recently PATH runs all night. Also the commuter trains run from NYC to Penn Sta Newark but I don't know what the schedule is like. But it's a bit nicer than PATH which is like the NYC subway.

[Dale]

richard53dog, on 15 July 2010 - 11:50 AM, said:

Dale, on 15 July 2010 - 11:22 AM, said:

Ambonnay, there's no French restaurant in downtown Newark. We do have wonderful Brazilian/Portuguese restaurants. Within walking distance of NJPAC, you can go to restaurants at NJPAC, they're good. Don Pepe's is on the way to NJPAC - it's gone downhill in recent years - but it's close. Maize is an upscale continental (accent on the Portuguese) restaurant in the Robert Treat Hotel, which is right across the street from NJPAC. Halsey Street is a few blocks away and has several restaurants on it. Or you can go in earlier and go to the Iron Bound - Adega Grill or Mompou (tapas) are good.

My favorite place in Ironbound is Casa Vasca on the corner of Elm and Propect . It'a actually Basque (Vasca) rather than Spanish or Portugese. Unfortunately it's several blocks in the opposite direction from Penn Station than NJPAC is. I never combine the two but then I don't have to , I live in the north part of the city so either is an easy trip for me.

That is a very good restaurant. But, you're right, it is in the other direction. I recently discovered Spanish Tavern, which is wonderful. Lovely wood paneled room, classy service, delicious food. But it's a little too deep into the Iron Bound. Fornos of Spain is close by Newark Penn.

==

More about the ballets themselves - I think ABT is sort of making a mistake with this program. The Taylor fine, but I think bringing in both new ballets...the NJPAC audience is loyal and smart but also a bit conservative. For the first visit in so many years away, ABT should have scheduled Company B, the Ratmansky and then added something like Theme and Variations, Birthday Offering or Bruch Violin Concderto. A program like that would satisfy everybody: The 40s music, with something a little news and romantic and then something classical and rousing.This isn't the City Center crowd. Yes, we have universities close by but it's not a college audience. For those of you familiar with the NJPAC crowd, what do you think?

[richard53dog]

Dale, on 15 July 2010 - 05:33 PM, said:

[



More about the ballets themselves - I think ABT is sort of making a mistake with this program. The Taylor fine, but I think bringing in both new ballets...the NJPAC audience is loyal and smart but also a bit conservative. For the first visit in so many years away, ABT should have scheduled Company B, the Ratmansky and then added something like Theme and Variations, Birthday Offering or Bruch Violin Concderto. A program like that would satisfy everybody: The 40s music, with something a little news and romantic and then something classical and rousing.This isn't the City Center crowd. Yes, we have universities close by but it's not a college audience. For those of you familiar with the NJPAC crowd, what do you think?

Well, setting aside the consideration of what the typical NJPAC audience would expect, I would say from my own taste I'd rather see a program such as you describe. Company B, Seven, and a neoclassical piece sounds just fine to me! But even in theoretical terms, I think it would be a more balanced program, particularly considering how infrequently ABT visits. You're right, it's not a college audience, it's a suburban one.

[mimsyb]

richard53dog, on 16 July 2010 - 04:40 AM, said:

Dale, on 15 July 2010 - 05:33 PM, said:

[



More about the ballets themselves - I think ABT is sort of making a mistake with this program. The Taylor fine, but I think bringing in both new ballets...the NJPAC audience is loyal and smart but also a bit conservative. For the first visit in so many years away, ABT should have scheduled Company B, the Ratmansky and then added something like Theme and Variations, Birthday Offering or Bruch Violin Concderto. A program like that would satisfy everybody: The 40s music, with something a little news and romantic and then something classical and rousing.This isn't the City Center crowd. Yes, we have universities close by but it's not a college audience. For those of you familiar with the NJPAC crowd, what do you think?

Well, setting aside the consideration of what the typical NJPAC audience would expect, I would say from my own taste I'd rather see a program such as you describe. Company B, Seven, and a neoclassical piece sounds just fine to me! But even in theoretical terms, I think it would be a more balanced program, particularly considering how infrequently ABT visits. You're right, it's not a college audience, it's a suburban one.

But the Millepied piece, while difficult to endure musically at times,is a "yowza" ballet and great fun to watch.  And it uses quite a few dancers which neither "Seven Sonatas" or "Company B"  does. (I love both, however).  Just seeing Danill Simkin do that amazing jump is worth the price of admission.   They're doing both of the new  ballets in D.C. as well as in London so it's a good warm up to see how the ballets play in a space other than Avery Fisher Hall from last Fall.  I'm hoping they'll bring them to the Met next Spring.  Time to wake up those suburbanites!

[Dale]

mimsyb, on 16 July 2010 - 01:03 PM, said:

But the Millepied piece, while difficult to endure musically at times,is a "yowza" ballet and great fun to watch.  And it uses quite a few dancers which neither "Seven Sonatas" or "Company B"  does. (I love both, however).  Just seeing Danill Simkin do that amazing jump is worth the price of admission.   They're doing both of the new  ballets in D.C. as well as in London so it's a good warm up to see how the ballets play in a space other than Avery Fisher Hall from last Fall.  I'm hoping they'll bring them to the Met next Spring.  Time to wake up those suburbanites!

It's hard to wake up empty seats.

And "those suburbanites" are the same people who attend Lincoln Center. Then replace the Ratmansky with the Millepied. The program is just not balanced.

[DeCoster]

I have seen dance before (Momix and Ailey) at NJPAC, and I believe the sight-lines are much better than Avery Fisher, and--now that I think about it--also City Center for that matter.  I sat in the front row of the second ring for Momix, and the seats were terrific.  For that reason, I am really looking forward to seeing Seven Sonatas and EHAO again in this space, which is certainly more appropriate for dance than AFH (it has wings!).

I hope hope hope Stella dances Seven Sonatas with Alexandre Hammoudi.  They are wonderful together.

From my visits to NJPAC, the audience actually seems younger than the MET.  They mostly do modern and ethnic dance programming, and it does seem to sell.  The photos of EHAO look edgy and a bit sexy in the brochure.  Maybe they are going for some of those modern dance regulars who wouldn't normally venture into New York City for classical ballet.

[Ambonnay]

Casting is out for NJPAC. Not surprisingly given Gillian's time to be spent in New Zealand (however much she tries to fulfill ABT commitments), Hee Seo is being showcased.

Newark, New Jersey

Company B
Company

Seven Sonatas
H. Seo
X. Reyes
S. Abrera
D. Hallberg  
H. Cornejo
G. Saveliev

Everything Doesn't Happen at Once
I. Boylston
M. Gomes

[abatt]

I don't think Murphy has been cast in Seven Sonatas in the past.  The role being danced by Hee Seo was originated by Julie Kent, and Hee Seo was in the alternate second cast, I believe.  Gillian might turn up in Company B, since she has performed in that ballet during prior seasons.  Gillian and Jared Matthews were seated in the row in front of me at a recent performance of Career Transition for Dancers at City Center, so she is definitely in town.  I believe the company is rehearsing for the new Nutcracker now.