June 8, 2006
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
FIFTH AND SIXTH WEEKS OF
AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE'S 2006 SPRING SEASON
AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Julio Bocca to Dance Final Performance with ABT
on Thursday, June 22
Casting for the fifth and sixth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon will be have its Revival Premiere on Monday, June 19 with Alessandra Ferri, Julio Bocca, Herman Cornejo and Gillian Murphy in the leading roles. The same cast will perform on the evening of Thursday, June 22, when Mr. Bocca will give his final performance with American Ballet Theatre. The performance on Tuesday, June 20 will be led by Julie Kent in the title role and will feature debuts by Jose Manuel Carreño as Des Grieux, Marcelo Gomes as Lescaut and Carmen Corella as Lescaut’s Mistress. Diana Vishneva will dance the role of Manon for the first time with ABT at the matinee on Wednesday, June 21, opposite Vladimir Malakhov as Des Grieux, with Gennadi Saveliev and Stella Abrera debuting as Lescaut and his Mistress. Xiomara Reyes, Angel Corella, Jesus Pastor and Erica Cornejo will debut in the leading roles at the Wednesday, June 21 evening performance. Staged for ABT by Monica Parker, Manon is set to a score by Jules Massenet and features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis with lighting by Thomas Skelton.
On Monday, June 26, the Company will give the first of eight performances of Swan Lake, with Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Marcelo Gomes in the leading roles. On Thursday, June 29, Gennadi Saveliev will dance the role of von Rothbart for the first time. 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 Corporation is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre.
Northern Trust is a season sponsor of ABT at the Metropolitan Opera House. ABT’s 2006 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. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre.
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2006 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $23-$100, 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 19, 8 P.M. | MANON – Ferri, Bocca, H. Cornejo*, Murphy* |
| Tues. Eve., June 20, 8 P.M | MANON – Kent, Carreño*, Gomes*, C. Corella* |
| Wed. Mat., June 21, 2 P.M. | MANON – Vishneva**, Malakhov, Saveliev*, Abrera* |
| Wed. Eve., June 21, 8 P.M. | MANON – Reyes*, Corella*, Pastor*, E. Cornejo* |
| Thur. Eve., June 22, 8 P.M. | MANON – Ferri, Bocca, H. Cornejo*, Murphy* |
| Fri. Eve., June 23, 8 P.M. | MANON – Vishneva, Malakhov, Saveliev, Abrera |
| Sat. Mat., June 24, 2 P.M. | MANON – Reyes, Corella, Pastor, E. Cornejo |
| Sat. Eve., June 24-, 8 P.M. | MANON – Kent, Carreño, Gomes, C. Corella |
| SIXTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 26, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Gomes |
| Tues. Eve., June 27, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Murphy, Corella, Pastor |
| Wed. Mat., June 28, 2 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Part, Gomes, Hallberg |
| Wed. Eve., June 28, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Vishneva, Carreño, Radetsky |
| Thur. Eve., June 29, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Saveliev* |
| Fri. Eve., June 30, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Kent, Gomes, Radetksy |
| Sat. Mat., July 1, 2 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Wiles, Hallberg, Saveliev |
| Sat. Eve., July 1, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Herrera, Corella, Pastor |
*Please note: First time in a role:
Mon. Eve., June 19 – H. Cornejo (Lescaut), Murphy (Lescaut’s Mistress) in Manon
Tues. Eve., June 20 – Carreño (Des Grieux), Gomes (Lescaut), C. Corella (Lescaut’s Mistress) in Manon
Wed. Mat., June 21 – Saveliev (Lescaut), Abrera (Lescaut’s Mistress) in Manon
Wed. Eve., June 21 – Reyes (Manon), Corella (Des Grieux), Pastor (Lescaut), E. Cornejo (Lescaut’s
Mistress) in Manon
Thurs. Eve., June 29 – Saveliev (Von Rothbart) in Swan Lake
**Please note: First time in a role with ABT:
Wed. Mat., June 21 – Vishneva (Manon) in Manon