October 7, 2008
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR ABT'S
2008 NEW YORK CITY CENTER SEASON
Additional Pas de Deux to Include Flames of Paris
Performed by Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin
Casting for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 season at New York City Center was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
American Ballet Theatre’s Fall 2008 season will open on Tuesday, October 21 at
6:30 P.M. with a Gala performance highlighted by the pas de deux from Antony Tudor’s Romeo and Juliet (Romeo’s Farewell), danced by Gillian Murphy and David Hallberg, Time, a solo choreographed by Craig Salstein and performed by Michele Wiles, and the New York City Company Premiere of Paul Taylor’s Company B. The program will also feature the pas de deux from Act III of Don Quixote, an excerpt from Jiři KyliƒØn’s Overgrown Path and a performance of George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations.
The World Premiere of Lauri Stallings’ Citizen on Wednesday, October 22, danced by Paloma Herrera, Isabella Boylston, Nicola Curry, David Hallberg and Blaine Hoven, will highlight the first week at New York City Center. Sarah Lane, Devon Teuscher, Melissa Thomas, Cory Stearns and Sean Stewart will debut in the ballet at the Sunday, October 26 matinee. A work for five dancers, Citizen is set to music by Max Richter with costumes by April McCoy and lighting by Ryan J. O’Gara.
Other debuts for the first week include Cory Stearns in Theme and Variations on Wednesday, October 22, and Jose Manuel Carreño (The Young Man from the House Opposite), Veronika Part (Eldest Sister) and Sarah Lane (Youngest Sister) in Pillar of Fire at the matinee on Saturday, October 25.
The Revival Premiere of Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling on Tuesday, October 28, led by Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo, will highlight ABT’s second week at NY City Center. Paloma Herrera and Marcelo Gomes will debut in the leading roles on Wednesday, October 29. Set to music by Michel Colombier and Percy Grainger with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, Brief Fling received its World Premiere in 1990 and was last performed by ABT in 1991.
The Revival Premiere of Antony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilas on Wednesday, October 29, will be led by Julie Kent, Cory Stearns, Kristi Boone and Roman Zhurbin. On Thursday, October 30, Melissa Thomas, Thomas Forster, Veronika Part and Vitali Krauchenka will dance these roles for the first time. With music by Ernest Chausson, this production of Jardin aux Lilas was staged by Kirk Peterson and features scenery and costumes by Peter Cazalet and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. Jardin aux Lilas was first performed by Ballet Theatre during the Company’s inaugural season in 1940 and was last performed by ABT in 2001.
Several pas de deux have been added to performances during the second week of ABT’s NY City Center season, including Flames of Paris on the evening of Tuesday, October 28, and the matinee on Sunday, November 2, danced by Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin. With choreography after Vasily Vainonen and music by Boris Asafiev, the pas de deux from the full-length Flames of Paris was first performed by ABT in 1972. Xiomara Reyes and Gennadi Saveliev will debut in the pas de deux from Antony Tudor’s Romeo and Juliet (Romeo’s Farewell) on Thursday, October 30, and Michele Wiles and David Hallberg will perform George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux at the matinee on Saturday, November 1.
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Fall Season at New York City Center, priced from $25-$110, are available online or by calling CityTix at 212-581-1212. Performance-only tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s Opening Night at NY City Center are priced from $30 to $135. NY City Center is located on West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in New York City.
Michelob Ultra is the Official Sponsor of the 2008 New York City Center season. Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Sponsor of ABT’s Costume Fund. J.P. Morgan is the Official Sponsor of Make a Ballet. American Airlines is ABT’s Official Airline. Northern Trust is the Leading Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Additional support has been provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Complete casting follows:
| FIRST WEEK | |
| Tues. Eve., Oct. 21, 6:30 P.M. | OPENING NIGHT GALA THEME AND VARIATIONS – Herrera, Gomes ROMEO AND JULIET Pas de Deux – Murphy*, Hallberg* TIME – Wiles OVERGROWN PATH Excerpt – Kent, Saveliev, Matthews DON QUIXOTE Pas de Deux – Reyes, Carreño COMPANY B (New York City Company Premiere) – Company |
| Wed. Eve., Oct. 22, 7:30 P.M |
BAKER’S DOZEN – Company CITIZEN (World Premiere) – Herrera, Boylston, Curry, Hallberg, Hoven THE LEAVES ARE FADING – Kent, Gomes THEME AND VARIATIONS – Wiles, Stearns* |
| Thur. Eve., Oct. 23, 7:30 P.M |
THE LEAVES ARE FADING – Reyes, Saveliev OVERGROWN PATH (New York City Company Premiere) – Company THEME AND VARIATIONS- Lane, Cornejo |
| Fri. Eve., Oct. 24, 8:00 P.M. |
OVERGROWN PATH – Company PILLAR OF FIRE – Murphy, Hallberg, Gomes, Bystrova, Butler COMPANY B – Company |
| Sat. Mat., Oct. 25, 2:00 P.M. |
BAKER’S DOZEN – Company CITIZEN – Herrera, Boylston, Curry, Hallberg, Hoven PILLAR OF FIRE – Kent, Saveliev, Carreño*, Part*, Lane* THEME AND VARIATIONS- Wiles, Stearns |
| Sat. Eve., Oct. 25, 8:00 P.M. |
THE LEAVES ARE FADING – Reyes, Saveliev OVERGROWN PATH – Company COMPANY B – Company |
| Sun. Mat., Oct. 26, 1:30 P.M. |
THE LEAVES ARE FADING – Kent, Gomes BAKER’S DOZEN – Company CITIZEN – Lane*, Teuscher*, Thomas*, Stearns*, Stewart THEME AND VARIATIONS – Murphy Hallberg |
| Sun. Eve., Oct. 26, 7:00 P.M. |
BAKER’S DOZEN – Company CITIZEN – Lane, Teuscher, Thomas, Stearns, Stewart PILLAR OF FIRE – Wiles, Hallberg, Gomes, Bystrova, Butler COMPANY B – Company |
| SECOND WEEK | |
| Tues. Eve., Oct. 28, 7:30 P.M. |
BALLO DELLA REGINA – Murphy, Hallberg FLAMES OF PARIS Pas de Deux – Lane*, Simkin+ OVERGROWN PATH – Company BRIEF FLING – Reyes*, Cornejo* |
| Wed. Eve., Oct. 29, 7:30 P.M. |
COMPANY B – Company JARDIN AUX LILAS – Kent, Stearns*, Boone*, Zhurbin* BRIEF FLING – Herrera*, Gomes* |
| Thur. Eve., Oct. 30, 7:30 P.M |
BALLO DELLA REGINA – Wiles, Hallberg ROMEO AND JULIET (Romeo’s Farewell) – Reyes*, Saveliev* JARDIN AUX LILAS – Thomas*, Forster*, Part*, Krauchenka COMPANY B – Company |
| Fri. Eve., Oct. 31, 8:00 P.M. |
ALL-TUDOR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION CONTINUO – Company JARDIN AUX LILAS – Kent, Stearns, Boone, Zhurbin ROMEO AND JULIET (Romeo’s Farewell) – Reyes, Saveliev JUDGMENT OF PARIS – Moore, van Hamel, Mathis, McKenzie, Barbee PILLAR OF FIRE – Murphy, Hallberg, Gomes, Bystrova, Butler |
| Sat. Mat., Nov. 1, 2:00 P.M. |
BALLO DELLA REGINA – Kajiya, Cornejo TCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX – Wiles, Hallberg JARDIN AUX LILAS – Kent, Stearns, Boone, Zhurbin BRIEF FLING – Herrera, Gomes |
| Sat. Eve., Nov. 1, 8:00 P.M. |
BAKER’S DOZEN – Company CITIZEN – Herrera, Boylston, Curry, Hallberg, Hoven PILLAR OF FIRE – Kent, Saveliev, Carreño, Part, Lane BRIEF FLING – Reyes, Cornejo |
| Sun. Mat., Nov. 2, 1:30 P.M. |
BALLO DELLA REGINA – Murphy, Hallberg FLAMES OF PARIS Pas de Deux – Lane, Simkin JARDIN AUX LILAS – Thomas, Forster, Part, Krauchenka COMPANY B – Company |
| Sun. Eve., Nov. 2, 7:00 P.M. |
BALLO DELLA REGINA – Wiles, Hallberg ROMEO AND JULIET (Romeo’s Farewell) – Murphy, Saveliev OVERGROWN PATH – Company BRIEF FLING – Herrera, Gomes |
*Please note: First time in a role:
Tues. Eve., Oct. 21 – Murphy, Hallberg in Romeo and Juliet (Romeo’s Farewell)
Wed. Eve., Oct. 22 – Stearns in Theme and Variations
Sat. Mat., October 25 – Carreño (Young Man From the House Opposite), Part (Eldest Sister), Lane (Youngest Sister) in Pillar of Fire
Sun. Mat., Oct. 26 – Lane, Teuscher, Thomas, Stearns, Stewart in Citizen
Tue. Eve., Oct. 28 – Lane in the Flames of Paris pas de deux; Reyes, Cornejo in Brief Fling
Wed. Eve., Oct. 29 – Stearns (Her Lover), Boone (An Episode in His Past), Zhurbin (The Man She Must Marry) in Jardin aux Lilas; Herrera, Gomes in Brief Fling
Thurs. Oct. 30 – Reyes, Saveliev in Romeo and Juliet (Romeo’s Farewell); Thomas (Caroline), Forster
(Her Lover), Part (An Episode in His Past), Krauchenka (The Man She Must Marry)
+Please note: First time in a role with ABT:
Sun Mat., Oct. 26 – Simkin in Flames of Paris pas de deux