June 22, 2009
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FINAL TWO WEEKS
OF ABT'S 2009 SPRING SEASON
AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Casting for the seventh and eighth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2009 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
Sir Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia will be given seven performances beginning June 29,#44; with Gillian Murphy, Maxim Beloserkovsky, Carlos Lopez and Gennadi Saveliev in the leading roles. Debuts for the week include Alexandre Hammoudi (Orion) on Tuesday, June 30, Diana Vishneva (Sylvia), Ethan Stiefel (Aminta) and Jared Matthews (Orion) at the Wednesday, July 1 matinee, and Daniil Simkin (Eros) and Cory Stearns (Orion) at the Wednesday, July 1 evening performance. Roberto Bolle will dance the role of Aminta for the first time with ABT on the evening of Wednesday, July 1. Staged for ABT by Christopher Newton, Sylvia is set to music by Léo Delibes and features costumes and scenery after original designs by Robin and Christopher Ironside. Additional designs for the revival of Sylvia are by Peter Farmer and lighting is by Mark Jonathan. Sylvia received its World Premiere in 1952 by The Royal Ballet and was first performed by ABT in 2005.
Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomes will lead the Company’s first performance of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet on Monday, July 6. On Thursday, July 9, Hee Seo and Cory Stearns will make their New York debuts in the title roles. Romeo and Juliet is set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev, with scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton.
Superfund Asset Management, Inc. is the sponsor of American Ballet Theatre’s 2009 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre’s Costume Fund. J.P. Morgan is the Official Sponsor of Make a Ballet. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Official Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. ABT’s 2009 Spring Season is also made possible with public funds from the National
Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. ABT acknowledges The Toni and Martin Sosnoff New Works Fund for its generous support of the 2009 Metropolitan Opera House season.
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2009 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $19-$130, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City.
Complete casting follows:
| SEVENTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 29, 7:30 P.M. | SYLVIA – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, Lopez, Saveliev |
| Tues. Eve., June 30, 7:30 P.M. | SYLVIA – Herrera, Gomes, Scott, Hammoudi* |
| Wed. Mat., July 1, 2 P.M. | SYLVIA – Vishneva*, Stiefel*, Salstein, Matthews* |
| Wed. Eve., July 1, 7:30 P.M | SYLVIA – Wiles, Bolle**, Simkin*, Stearns* |
| Thurs. Eve., July 2, 7:30 P.M. | SYLVIA – Murphy, Beloserkovsky, Lopez, Saveliev |
| Fri. Eve., July 3, 8:00 P.M. | SYLVIA – Vishneva, Stiefel, Salstein, Matthews |
| Sat. Mat., July 4, 2 P.M. | SYLVIA – Herrera, Gomes, Scott, Hammoudi |
| Sat. Eve., July 4, 8 P.M. | NO PERFORMANCE |
| EIGHTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., July 6, 7:30 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Vishneva, Gomes, Cornejo |
| Tues. Eve., July 7, 7:30 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Dvorovenko, Bolle, Salstein |
| Wed. Mat., July 8, 2 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Murphy, Hallberg, Matthews |
| Wed. Eve., July 8, 7:30 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Herrera, Gomes, Lopez |
| Thurs. Eve., July 9, 7:30 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Seo+, Stearns+, Salstein |
| Fri. Eve., July 10, 8 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Reyes, Cornejo+, Lopez |
| Sat. Mat., July 11, 2 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Murphy, Hallberg, Matthews |
| Sat. Eve., July 11, 8 P.M. | ROMEO AND JULIET – Dvorovenko, Bolle, Salstein |
*Editors please note first time in a role:
Tues. Eve., 6/30 – Hammoudi (Orion) in Sylvia
Wed. Mat., 7/1 – Vishneva (Sylvia), Ethan Stiefel (Aminta), Matthews (Orion) in Sylvia
Wed. Eve., 7/1 – Simkin (Eros), Stearns (Orion) in Sylvia
**Editors please note first time in a role with ABT:
Wed. Eve., 7/1 – Bolle (Aminta) in Sylvia
+Editors please note first time in a role in New York:
Thurs., 7/10 – Seo (Juliet), Stearns (Romeo) in Romeo and Juliet
Fri., 7/11 – Cornejo (Romeo) in Romeo and Juliet