Did anyone attend the Guggenheim's "Work and Process" last Sunday-Monday?K Mckenzie and gelsey Kirkland were going to discuss the new SB for ABT.Any reports,please.

Check out Dale Brauner's detailed account of the event for Dance View Times.

Wow, this sounds fascinating. But I was ALWAYS a sucker for Gelsey anyway.

Dale,
That was very interesting.The cast for the fairies' variations seems to be a very promising group. Can you remember who was doing the different variations?
With M Wiles doing Lilac Fairy during the openning night gala, we have an idea of the world premiere cast.

Dale Brauner's piece is a revelation. Thanks for the Llink.

The May Dance Magazine also has an article on the development of the production: "Christening a New Sleeping Beauty: American Ballet Theatre Brings a Legend Back Home."
Among the changes that will be included in the new production will be toThe article includes photos of Kirkland rehearsing the Rose Adagio and McKenzie rehearsing with Palmoa Herrera; A sketch of Tony Walton's Act III set; and Willia Kim's costume designs for Bluebird and for Princess Florine.

I'll certainly envy those who will attend the performances that will allow them to say: "I saw Kirkland's Carabosse!"

This issue also includes a series of interviews with dancers about their experience of dancing Aurora. Those who follow the on-going debate over NYCB's version might be interested in the following comment by the (now) Royal Ballet's Alexandra Ansanelli:

Me too! Reading that part about Gelsey performing made me smile. The whole article was very interesting.

Bart,
In the article, did Gelsey say that she will do Carabosse?That really will be something to look forward to.

Yes, she did.

The interviewer, Joseph Carman, writes:

Is there any way to find out which nights she'll be performing? Or if she'll be going to OCPAC as well?


Dream casting: Kirkland and Vishneva in SB on the same evening!!

This could rival Sorella Englund's Madge.

Very exciting -- and what she says about the fairies is so intelligent.

If these things can be realized, it sure is good planning.

If you go to abt.org now, there's a photo of Part and Gomes in Sleeping Beauty.

If anyone is headed over from the UK to see Kirkland's Carabosse, please pack me up in your bags as well...


Please please please....

I haven't read this thread for a while... what a surprise!

Pretty! I wish I could see Part and Gomes.

I'm already loving this as it seems that the sets and costumes will match the grandness of the music. If you look to the right of the picture, there is another picture of Julie Kent as Desdemona with Othello's huge hands encassing her head. The Fabrizio Ferri photo is brilliant, but makes me shudder considering how it all ends her.

I didn't see this posted in any other thread . . .

The current issue of Vanity Fair (Bruce Willis cover) has a one-page feature on Gelsey Kirkland. A beautiful photo of Kirkland in Alexander McQueen couture accompanies the short article by Laura Jacobs.

I read this in the Playbill magazine and don't like it one bit:



Why does McKenzie always feel the need to streamline everything?

I doubt that Gelsey would let him get away with too much trimming, given her fondness for authenticity. What worries me, however, is whether there will be a part in this new production for Mr. Franklin.

Catalabutte would be the main character role; I doubt they'd cast him as the king, the father of a 16-year old. (Although Tony Randall had his first child at age 77.) It's hard to imagine how the story would make sense without this character, let alone the mime. The royalty needs someone to blame for not inviting Carabosse.

I admit to finding there to be one too may adult fairy tale guest couples in the last act of Sleeping Beauty. I think Peter Martins's decision to stage Little Red Riding Hood with a child Red Riding Hood and a gaggle of children holding trees and creating the forest as a break from adults dressed in fur is a stroke of theatrical genius.

I don't think I'll bother with a New York trip after all. Sounds as if I might as well stay home in sweatpants with a "Highlights" DVD.

But dvd's don't have the likes of Part and Vishneva Auroras vs. Gelsey Kirkland as Carabosse! These battles of the
Will would even teach Nietzsche something!

Freddie Franklin was in DC this past week at a film premiere and I asked him what he was doing next. He said he would do the Friar (Romeo and Juliet) and the Tutor (Swan Lake) with ABT at the Met.

oh, i could see him as the king...

I could see perhaps dropping Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, since the choreography is fun but negligible. However the White Cat and Puss in Boots is a famous scene and short - why drop it??? The bit with the Five Ivans that the Royal Ballet dropped in with music from the Nutcracker I can do without. Don't some productions also have a Cinderella sequence with the Prince Charming chasing after Cinderella with a shoe? That is also dropped often.

So there you have it. The biggest fear that I had when I first read about this new Mckenzie-ABT production was that it would be shortened due to budget contraints, e.g., get the dancers out of their costumes before wardrobe, musicians & other unions can begin to charge 'overtime.' That was a major consideration with many recent ABT full-length classics such as the Swan Lake with a 'barely there' Act IV or compressing the Ashton Sylvia to two acts (while it was conceived as a two-intermission work & is produced thus in London). Let's not kid ourselves. Big-scale 'grand ballet' as can be enjoyed in Europe can never be presented in the USA. To enjoy complete productions of the classics, it is necessary to travel. Or buy the DVDs of European productions.

So much for the initial p.r. last fall that the new ABT version would be the 'ultimate...most complete...most authentic...most luxurious...yadah-yadah-yadah." [Let's all go to the initial thread about this production in BalletTalk to refresh our memories.] I knew back then that there was no way in 'blankety-blank' that ABT would present a complete production, a la Kirov or Royal Ballet. We can still look forward to what ABT is preparing and, if warranted, enjoy it thoroughly. But PLEASE let's not call it the "ultimate...most complete...most authentic..."

Sorry - I am very disappointed. But not surprised in the least.

C'mon, Natalia! You know they just can't help themselves. After all, we're talking about "AMERICA'S NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY®" (the "shout" as cut and pasted directly from the company's own website ).

Humility isn't in their nature.

How can Aurora have a 100 year sleep, when Kevin's libretto calls for a minimum
200 year leap in the timeline? Does it make sense to take the scenery and concept and jump
from the middle ages to the early 17th century? Is Lilac supposed to be Dr. Who, and
Aurora and her court supposed to be time travelers? Maybe I'm thinking too hard.
Secondly, this sounds about as unauthentic as it could possibly be. One would think the
Maryinsky's 1890 production concept were as complex as this, but it isn't. And yes,
where is Act 3? I think, either do it all, complete, or revive the 1941 "Aurora
Wedding," or do nothing. But please, don't cut Act 3 when you advertise the new production as
"after Petipa" and "authentic."

Kirkland Coaching Vishneva
This article, in which Diana Vishneva gives her interpretation of Aurora, is on Newsday.com today, but since it seems it may not be published in print until May 20, I was told I could post it here rather than on Links:


http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/arts/...-arts-headlines

I received an email advertisement from ABT today regarding their new Sleeping Beauty. It placed great emphasis on the importance of the balances in the Rose Adagio and the mental steel required to do them:


It's interesting how they are encouraging the audience to expect a very sound performance in that respect.

In reviewing the premiere casting, it seems that it would be so simple to just switch the lead roles and give us Murphy as Aurora and Part as Lilac. Maybe that is their backup plan if things look iffy as the premiere date approaches. Murphy only has one SB matinee performance, which in itself, looks suspicious.

Well, Murphy now will be doing two SBs. She replaces Kent June 2, evening with Stiefel. And Wiles will be Lilac opening night.

I have a ticket for Kent on June 5. Anyone know why Kent is out?

Is it possible Kent could be the backup if it is decided Part won't perform opening night?

Rosa, where did you see this? ABT's calendar still shows Kent on June 2, as does the printout I picked up at the Met on 5/29. The third source of info, the Met's website, is down for maintenance.

It is on the ABT calendar under performances. Murphy/Stiefel for June 2nd, 8PM.

I'm sorry, my error. I was looking at the Tuesday on the website (2nd day of the week ), not the Saturday. And thanks for the update.

Surely they have decided this by now. If Part were going to be out, it would have been announced shortly after the opening gala.
Hey -- after last night's performance, and many other similar ones, I have to wonder if those guys up there in the lighting booth know that their voices carry out over the whole Family Circle. I've never noticed this during opera. Is it a different crew for ABT, or do they figure that with the FC much less full during ballet, people won't hear?

No problem, carbro. I was starting to fear it was my computer or something. And you're welcome.

they wouldn't pull someone off a night on the off chance they were going to replace someone. At least it seems incredibly unlikely.

I hope Kent is ok!

I hope she is ok. But i'm very upset she isn't performing that night. That's the only night I can attened and I very much wanted to see her. Even if she performs another night, there's no way I can go.

All this "will she or won't she" talk is most depressing......it seems she cannot be forgiven for her Gala slip up.....There is no ABT ballerina I would rather see tomorrow night as Aurora....(I saw Vishneva in the Kirov restoration )

I agree atm711. I'm not discounting the Rose Adagio, but I can't wait to see Part in the whole of the ballet.

Have I missed something? Why all this talk about Part possibily being pulled from tomorrow's opening? Like Dale, I can't wait to see Part's Aurora this weekend!

Nor can I. I'm getting excited! :jumpy smiley:

The will she/won't she is idle speculation carried over from the gala thread in response to VP's literal faux pas in the Opening Night's Rose Adagio. I repeat, idle speculation.

I've never known a dancer to lose a role for messing up a single performance. And I've seen some really messed up performances!

After reading Dunning's article in the Times today I can only hope that Kirkland doen't overemphasize the character of Aurora to the detriment of the ballerina.....I would feel better if she admonished them to 'just dance' All this overanalysis---it's not Medea.

Absolutely, atm711! This is supposed to be the most purely classical of ballerina roles. Acting has never been the thing. I am perplexed by Kirkland's approach. I hope that we don't get a mad scene (a la Giselle) from Aurora when she pricks her finger with the knitting needle.

Acting is an important element in Sleeping Beauty? No! No! Swan Lake, and Giselle, the acting is essential. It is what separates great ballerinas from good ones- that ability to project two different characters in the same ballet.

I consider SB a ballet that is a really a dance exercise. Puss n boots and Carabose gets to act more than Aurora and the Prince. If you try to put in a dramatic element, it will probably come oot as comical. A definite no-no!!!!!

D. Vishneva

One thing I must mention before I attend the opening night is that what we will see this evening will be a work in progress.

Remember the first season of the McKenzie "Swan Lake" where McKenzie interpolated a solo for Siegfried into the "untouchable" second act grand pas? It disappeared the second season for the totally traditional Ivanov version.

So whatever happens tonight - no Puss n' Boots and White Cat, no Little Red Riding Hood, a post-spindle mad scene for Aurora, cerebral overintepretation, a shaky Rose Adagio from Part... that all may change by next week or definitely when this production returns in the future.

Let's give it a chance and keep our judgments at bay until it is seen before an audience. The costumes look pretty and appropriate as seen on the opening night gala. Tony Walton's sets look pretty in the sketches, photos and drawings I have seen. That is what can't be changed. Casting, choreography, staging, interpretation can all be adjusted in the future.

If Kirkland's second book is anything to go by, it's hard to imagine that she didn't coach every last gesture with a backstory.

Indeed, from Kevin McK in today's Times piece:

"Where our process differs is that she will attack the whole thing at once. She will teach the first tombé pas de bourrée with all its meaning and its back story, the character and what's happening at that moment . . . "�