June 17, 2008
CASTING ANNOUNCED
FOR FINAL TWO WEEKS OF
ABT'S 2008 SPRING SEASON
AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
Julie Kent and Jose Manuel Carreño to Lead
Revival Premiere of The Merry Widow on Monday, June 30
Casting for the seventh and eighth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
The Revival Premiere of Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow will take place on Monday, June 30, led by Julie Kent as Hanna Glawari, Jose Manuel Carreño as Count Danilo Danilowitch, Xiomara Reyes as Valencienne and Gennadi Saveliev as Camille. Paloma Herrera, Marcelo Gomes, Maria Riccetto and Sascha Radetsky will debut in these roles on Tuesday, July 1. The evening performance on Wednesday, July 2 will feature Irina Dvorovenko as Hanna Glawari, with debuts by Maxim Beloserkovsky as Count Danilo Danilowitch, Yuriko Kajiya as Valencienne and Jared Matthews as Camille. The Merry Widow is set to music by Franz LehƒØr, orchestrated by John Lanchbery, with scenery and costumes by Desmond Heeley and lighting by Michael J. Whitfield. Adapted from LehƒØr’s operetta of the same name, The Merry Widow was premiered by The Australian Ballet in 1975 and received its ABT premiere in 1997.
The season will conclude with eight performances of Giselle, beginning Monday, July 7, led by Nina Ananiashvili in the title role, Angel Corella as Albrecht, Gennadi Saveliev as Hilarion and Gillian Murphy as Myrta. David Hallberg will debut as Albrecht at the matinee on Wednesday, July 9, opposite Irina Dvorovenko as Giselle, and Herman Cornejo will dance the role for the first time on Thursday, July 10, opposite Xiomara Reyes as Giselle. Set to music by Adolphe Adam and orchestrated by John Lanchbery, Giselle was staged by Kevin McKenzie with choreography after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa. The two-act ballet features scenery by Gianni Quaranta and costumes by Anna Anni. This production, with scenery by Quaranta and costumes by Anni, was created for the film Dancers in 1987. Giselle is generously supported through an endowed gift from Anka Palitz in memory of Clarence Y. Palitz, Jr.
Superfund Asset Management, Inc. is the sponsor of American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Saks Fifth Avenue is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre’s Costume Fund. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. ABT’s 2008 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.
Tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Metropolitan Opera House season, priced $25-$106, are available 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 30, 8 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Kent, Carreño, Reyes, Saveliev* |
| Tues. Eve., July 1, 8 P.M | THE MERRY WIDOW – Herrera*, Gomes*, Riccetto*, Radetsky* |
| Wed. Mat., July 2, 2 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Kent, Carreño, Reyes, Saveliev |
| Wed. Eve., July 2, 8 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky*, Kajiya*, Matthews* |
| Thur. Eve., July 3, 8 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Kent, Carreño, Reyes, Saveliev |
| Fri. Eve., July 4 | NO PERFORMANCE |
| Sat. Mat., July 5, 2 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Herrera, Gomes, Riccetto, Radetsky |
| Sat. Eve., July 6, 8 P.M. | THE MERRY WIDOW – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Kajiya&##44; Matthews |
| EIGHTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., July 7, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Ananiashvili, Corella, Saveliev, Murphy |
| Tues. Eve., July 8, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Kent, Stiefel, Radetsky, Wiles |
| Wed. Mat., July 9, 2 P.M. | GISELLE – Dvorovenko, Hallberg*, Stappas, Murphy |
| Wed. Eve., July 9, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Herrera, Gomes, Saveliev, Part |
| Thur. Eve., July 10, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Reyes, Cornejo*, Stappas, Wiles |
| Fri. Eve., July 11, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Vishneva, Carreño, Saveliev, Murphy |
| Sat. Mat., July 12, 2 P.M. | GISELLE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Stappas, Part |
| Sat. Eve., July 12, 8 P.M. | GISELLE – Kent, Stiefel, Radetsky, Wiles |
*Please note first time in a role:
Mon. Eve., 6/30 – Saveliev (Camille) in The Merry Widow
Tues. Eve., 7/1 – Herrera (Hanna), Gomes (Danilo), Riccetto (Valencienne) and Radetsky (Camille) in
The Merry Widow
Wed. Eve., 7/2 – Beloserkovsky (Danilo), Kajiya (Valencienne) and Matthews (Camille) in The Merry
Widow
Wed. Mat., 7/9 – Hallberg (Albrecht) in Giselle
Thurs. Eve., 7/10 – Cornejo (Albrecht) in Giselle