May 27, 2008
CASTING ANNOUNCED
FOR THIRD AND FOURTH WEEKS OF
ABT'S 2008 SPRING SEASON
AT METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
World Premiere of Twyla Tharp's Rabbit and Rogue
and Revival Premiere of Harald Lander's Études
Scheduled for Tuesday, June 3
Casting for the third and fourth weeks of American Ballet Theatre’s 2008 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.
The season’s final performance of Swan Lake will take place on Monday, June 2, led by Nina Ananiashvili, Angel Corella and Jared Matthews. 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.
Rabbit and Rogue, a new ballet by Twyla Tharp, will have its World Premiere on Tuesday, June 3, led by Herman Cornejo, Ethan Stiefel, Paloma Herrera, Gennadi Saveliev, Gillian Murphy and David Hallberg. The matinee performance on Wednesday, June 4 will feature debuts by Sascha Radetsky, Marcelo Gomes, Maria Riccetto, Jose Manuel Carreño, Kristi Boone and Cory Stearns in the leading roles. The work is set to a commissioned score by film composer Danny Elfman and features costumes by Norma Kamali and lighting by Brad Fields. Rabbit and Rogue, a co-commission with the Orange County Performing Artscenter, will be given seven performances through June 7.
Harald Lander’s Études will have its Revival Premiere on Tuesday, June 2, danced by Xiomara Reyes, Sascha Radetsky and Angel Corella. Debuts in the leading roles for the week include Jared Matthews at the matinee on Wednesday, June 4, Michele Wiles and Cory Stearns at the evening performance on Wednesday, June 4, and Mikhail Ilyin at the evening performance on Saturday, June 7. Last performed by ABT in 2000, Études is set to music by Knudaage Riisager, after Carl Czerny, and features costumes by Rolf Gerard and lighting by Nananne Porcher. The ballet will share the program with Rabbit and Rogue for seven performances through June 7.
Don Quixote will have the first of eight performances on Monday, June 9, with Gillian Murphy as Kitri, Ethan Stiefel as Basilio, Stella Abrera in her debut as Mercedes and David Hallberg as Espada. At the matinee on Wednesday, June 11, Herman Cornejo will make his New York debut as Basilio, dancing opposite Xiomara Reyes as Kitri. Cornejo previously performed the role with ABT in Tokyo, Japan in 2005. Other debuts for the week include Kristi Boone as Mercedes at the matinee on Wednesday, June 11, Maria Riccetto as Mercedes at the evening performance on Wednesday, June 11, Jared Matthews as Espada on Thursday, June 12, and Michele Wiles and David Hallberg as Kitri and Basilio on Friday, June 13. Don Quixote is set to music by Ludwig Minkus and staged by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones, after choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky.
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:
| THIRD WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 2, 8 P.M. | SWAN LAKE – Ananiashvili, Corella, Matthews |
| Tues. Eve., June 3, 8 P.M | ÉTUDES – Reyes*, Radetsky*, Corella RABBIT AND ROGUE (World Premiere) – Cornejo, Stiefel, Herrera, Saveliev, Murphy, Hallberg |
| Wed. Mat., June 4, 2 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Matthews* RABBIT AND ROGUE – Radetsky*, Gomes*, Riccetto*, Carreño*, Boone*, Stearns* |
| Wed. Eve., June 4, 8 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Wiles*, Stearns*, Corella RABBIT AND ROGUE – Cornejo, Stiefel, Herrera, Saveliev, Murphy, Hallberg |
| Thur. Eve., June 5, 8 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Matthews RABBIT AND ROGUE – Radetsky, Gomes, Riccetto, Carreño, Boone, Stearns |
| Fri. Eve., June 6, 8 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Wiles, Stearns, Corella RABBIT AND ROGUE – Cornejo, Stiefel, Herrera, Saveliev, Murphy, Hallberg |
| Sat. Mat., June 7, 2 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Matthews RABBIT AND ROGUE – Radetsky, Gomes, Riccetto, Carreño, Boone, Stearns |
| Sat. Eve., June 7, 8 P.M. | ÉTUDES – Reyes, Radetsky, Ilyin* RABBIT AND ROGUE – Cornejo, Stiefel, Herrera, Saveliev, Murphy, Hallberg |
| FOURTH WEEK | |
| Mon. Eve., June 9, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Murphy, Stiefel, Abrera*, Hallberg |
| Tues. Eve., June 10, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Herrera, Corella, Part, Gomes |
| Wed. Mat., June 11, 2 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Reyes, Cornejo+, Boone*, Radetsky |
| Wed. Eve., June 11, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Vishneva, Carreño, Riccetto*, Saveliev |
| Thur. Eve., June 12, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Dvorovenko, Beloserkovsky, Abrera, Matthews* |
| Fri. Eve., June 13, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Wiles*, Hallberg*, Part, Gomes |
| Sat. Mat., June 14, 2 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Murphy, Stiefel, Riccetto, Saveliev |
| Sat. Eve., June 14, 8 P.M. | DON QUIXOTE – Ananiashvili, Corella, Boone, Radetsky |
*Please note first time in a role:
Tues. Eve., 6/3 – Reyes and Radetsky in Études
Wed. Mat., 6/4 – Matthews in Études; Radetsky, Gomes, Riccetto, Carreño, Boone and Stearns in
Rabbit and Rogue
Wed. Eve., 6/4 – Wiles and Stearns in Études
Sat. Eve., 6/7 – Ilyin in Études
Mon. Eve.., 6/9 – Abrera (Mercedes) in Don Quixote
Wed. Mat., 6/11 – Boone (Mercedes) in Don Quixote
Wed. Eve., 6/11 – Riccetto (Mercedes) in Don Quixote
Thur. Eve., 6/12 – Matthews (Espada) in Don Quixote
Fri. Eve., 6/13 – Wiles (Kitri) and Hallberg (Basilio) in Don Quixote
+Please note first time in a role in New York:
Wed. Mat., 6/11 – Cornejo (Basilio) in Don Quixote