June 13, 2005
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIFTH AND SIXTH WEEKS OF AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE'S 2005 SPRING SEASON AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Gillian Murphy to debut as Medora in Le Corsaire on Saturday, June 25
Carlos Acosta to debut as von Rothbart in Swan Lake on Saturday, July 2
Casting for the fifth and sixth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2005 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
The fifth week will begin with the Season’s final four evenings dedicated to the work of legendary choreographer Michel Fokine, including Les Sylphides, Petrouchka, Le Spectre de la Rose and Polovtsian Dances.
On Thursday, June 23, the Company will give the first of nine performances of Le Corsaire, with Julie Kent, Julio Bocca, Angel Corella, Xiomara Reyes, Jose Manuel Carreño and Herman Cornejo in the leading roles. The Friday, June 24 performance will feature the debuts of TamƒØs Solymosi as Conrad, Sascha Radetsky as Lankendem and Danny Tidwell as Birbanto. Debuts for Saturday, June 25 include Gillian Murphy as Medora, Stella Abrera as Gulnare and Carlos Lopez as Birbanto at the matinee, and Herman Cornejo as Lankendem and Jesus Pastor as Birbanto at the evening performance. With choreography by Konstantin Sergeyev, after Marius Petipa and staging by Anna-Marie Holmes, after Petipa and Sergeyev, Le Corsaire features music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo and Prince Oldenbourg. Based on the Lord Byron poem The Corsaire (1814), the ballet has sets and costumes by Irina Tibilova with additional costume designs by Robert Perdziola.
Swan Lake will have its first performance on Friday, July 1, led by Gillian Murphy, Jose Manuel Carreño and Marcelo Gomes. Debuts for the week include David Hallberg as von Rothbart at the matinee on Saturday, July 2 and Carlos Acosta in the same role on Saturday evening. Choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, Swan Lake is set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown.
Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre and Cole Haan is a Leading Benefactor. Graff Jewelers and Northern Trust are the 2005 Season Sponsors at The Metropolitan Opera House. ABT’s 2005 Spring Season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2005 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $22-$92, are available at the Met box office, by phone at 212-362-6000 or online at metopera.org. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City.
Complete casting follows:
| FIFTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 20, 8 P.M. | FOKINE CELEBRATION LES SYLPHIDES – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, Kajiya, Fang PETROUCHKA – Bocca, McKerrow, Gomes LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – H. Cornejo, Reyes POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Acosta, Part, Hidalgo |
| Tue. Eve., June 21, 8 P.M. | FOKINE CELEBRATION LES SYLPHIDES – Kent, Hallberg, Butler, Hamrick PETROUCHKA – Bocca, Abrera, Gomes LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Corella, Riccetto POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Radetsky, C. Corella, Paris |
| Wed. Mat., June 22, 2 P.M. | FOKINE CELEBRATION LES SYLPHIDES – Abrera, Gomes, Kajiya, Fang PETROUCHKA – H. Cornejo, Reyes, Stappas LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Acosta, McKerrow POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Saveliev, Abrera, Hidalgo |
| Wed. Eve., June 22, 8 P.M. | FOKINE CELEBRATION LES SYLPHIDES – Riccetto, Saveliev, Liceica, Boone PETROUCHKA – Corella, Abrera, Zhurbin LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE – Tidwell, Reyes POLOVTSIAN DANCES – Carreño, Boone, Paris |
| Thur. Eve., June 23, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Kent, Bocca, Corella, Reyes, Carreño, H. Cornejo |
| Fri. Eve., June 24, 8 P.M | LE CORSAIRE – Wiles, Solymosi*, Acosta**, Riccetto, Radetsky*, Tidwell* |
| Sat. Mat., June 25, 2 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Murphy*, Beloserkovsky, Stiefel, Abrera*, Saveliev, Lopez* |
| Sat. Eve., June 25, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Herrera, Gomes, Carreño, Reyes, H Cornejo*, Pastor* |
| SIXTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 27, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Herrera, Gomes, Carreño, Reyes, H. Cornejo, Radetsky |
| Tue. Eve., June 28, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Kent, Bocca, Corella, Reyes, Carreño, H. Cornejo |
| Wed. Mat., June 29, 2 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Herrera, Gomes, Acosta, Riccetto, Radetsky, Pastor |
| Wed. Eve., June 29, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, Stiefel, Abrera, Saveliev, Lopez |
| Thur. Eve., June 30, 8 P.M. | LE CORSAIRE – Wiles, Solymosi, Acosta, Riccetto, Radetsky, Tidwell |
| Fri. Eve., July 1, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Murphy, Carreño, Gomes |
| Sat. Mat., July 2, 2 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Herrera, Corella, Hallberg* |
| Sat. Eve., July 2, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Kent, Bocca, Acosta* |
*Please note: First time in a role:
Fri., June 24 – Solymosi (Conrad), Radetsky (Lankendem), Tidwell (Birbanto) in Le Corsaire
Sat. Mat., June 25 – Murphy (Medora), Abrera (Gulnare), Lopez (Birbanto) in Le Corsaire
Sat. Eve., June 25 -H. Cornejo (Lankendem), Pastor (Bibanto) in Le Corsaire
Sat. Mat., July 2 – Hallberg as von Rothbart (Ballroom) in Swan Lake
Sat. Eve., July 2 – Acosta as von Rothbart (Ballroom) in Swan Lake
**Please note: First time in a role with ABT:
Fri., June 24 – Acosta (Ali) in Le Corsaire