So last night I saw Hello Dolly! with the Divine Miss M and didn't have to donate a kidney! Of course the Divine Miss M in this case was Miss M(urphy). Some people in the audience muttered that they wanted to see Midler (I guess the sign to the left didn't tip them off?). But once Donna Murphy stepped off that trolley and started singing, I think the entire audience was like "Bette who?" Donna really sang the living daylights out of a role that's often associated with divas of a certain age with a limited vocal range. She can belt, she can interpolate high notes, she can sing while doing all sorts of physical comedy, in other words she was absolutely amazing! It was one of the most joyous nights in the theatre that I've ever experienced.
It's not really fair to compare the rest of the cast to how they were in March. That was early in previews and they were still figuring out what worked, what didn't, and the comic timing. What I can say though is how much they've grown over the past few months. Everyone is funnier, more extroverted, more of an ensemble. The award for Most Improved goes to David Hyde Pierce, whose timing in his lines is now actually hilarious, and his singing has become more confident as well.
"Penny in my Pocket" didn't seem like an end-of-intermission filler. Kate Baldwin has also made Irene Molloy a lot sexier. I also really noticed the antics of Jennifer Simard as Ernestina Money a lot more. Even performances that were excellent in previews (Gavin Creel's Cornelius, Taylor Trensch's Barnaby, Beanie Feldstein's Minnie) were that much funnier last night.
Now Divine Miss M(urphy) vs. Divine Miss M(idler). I can't really say who is better -- it's apples and oranges. Bette's performance was more based on her old concert schticks, which the audience adored. I never saw her concerts, so some of the humor went past my head. Bette's comedy is more of the stand-up variety. For instance the little one-liners she would throw in during the "Hello Dolly!" production number were classic stand-up comedian tricks. Donna Murphy relies more on physical comedy/slapstick to get her laughs. She has a rather goofy, even girlish persona and a joie de vivre that was endearing. Donna's Dolly was also sexier. Murphy is such a beauty -- a real MILF (Matchmaker I'd Like to F...). Just one example: the famous eating scene became rather sexual with Murphy -- instead of just stuffing her face, Murphy had a multiple food orgasms. Her body shook and writhed with each dumpling. Also, I got more of a sense that this Dolly was really mentoring the young, stupid and in love crew (Cornelius, Barnaby, Minnie, etc.). It was more of an ensemble performance, perhaps because the audience wasn't so focused on seeing Bette.
The biggest difference between them was in vocal ability. Bette's voice is now showing its age, and so she conserves it for the big numbers, and there's no Broadway belting. This is not a bad thing -- in fact, the fragility of Midler's voice, its occasional raspiness, gives Dolly a more vulnerable sound. When Midler's Dolly says she's been struggling for 10 years, you believe her. Donna Murphy's on the other hand has a set of Pipes!!! She could do things vocally that weren't possible for Bette. Added high notes, Ethel Merman-like belting. It was thrilling when she unleashed her voice -- THIS was a classic Broadway Voice with a capital V! Because her voice was so strong, Jerry Herman's score SOUNDED better. The end of "When the Parade Passes By" was thrilling with Donna's extra vocal flourish. Her vocal security also allowed her to do way more stage business while singing.
If you were to ask me which performance to see, I'll say: both interpretations are wonderful, but Donna's can be seen for less than three figures.
UPDATE: On July 2 I took my mom to see Hello Dolly! with the very same cast. My mom enjoyed the show a lot. She was especially taken by the dancing ensemble (Waiter's Gallop) was her favorite and Gavin/Kate/Taylor/Beanie as the four lovers, and especially Gavin and Taylor. She didn't really like the storyline of Dolly and Horace. "It doesn't resonate with me" she declared. She did like how both Dolly and Irene had to work for a living. But overall she loved the show. So ... definitely a good momsical choice.
I rarely stage door but this time I just wanted to express my appreciation towards the cast. They ALL came out and were very gracious and signing and pictures. Here's me with Donna Murphy, Beanie Feldstein, and Gavin Creel:
I also saw Bandstand last week. Bandstand manages to be one of those musicals with an excellent score and choreography but a book that's too unfocused to really be a great musical. Richard Oberacker's score both mimics the 1940's swing/big band style without sounding dated. "Love Will Come and Find Me Again" and "Welcome Home" I can imagine will be mined by Broadway divas long after Bandstand closes. The first is a classic torch song, the second a thrilling 11 o'clock number. Andy Blankenbuehler deservedly won a Tony for his choreography -- again, it's obviously based on 1940's style dance but also looks contemporary. So for the music and dancing, Bandstand is definitely worth seeing.
Osnes and Leavel, photo @ Jeremy Daniel
The cast is excellent -- most of them were obviously chosen for their ability to play their own musical instruments (this is one of those musicals where the singers are also the musicians), but they all exude a fresh charm. Corey Cott as Donny is given the thankless task of reciting some of the musical's most clichéd lines but he does so, can sing well, and isn't afraid to make Donny abrasive and unlikable. Laura Osnes (Julia) has an incredible set of pipes and the ability to take a rather loosely sketched, humorless character (she's a grieving widow who can write lyrics and sing, and that's about it) appealing. Beth Leavel has perhaps the best lines as Julia's mother and brings some much-needed comic relief to a story that's otherwise rather self-serious.
But the book can't decide what it wants to be -- a serious examination of the effects of PTSD among returning WWII vets, OR a good ol' Mickey-and-Judy-let's-put-on-a-show extravaganza OR a love story OR an indictment of the sleazy practices of the music business. It tries to do too much all at once and as a result makes little emotional impact. There's no follow-through with so many storylines. One minute the trombonist (Geoff Packard) has been kicked out of his house by his wife for erratic behavior, but in the second act his storyline is dropped completely and he's just in the band, playing happily. Other stories are telegraphed so obviously (like the one with Julia's late husband and Donny) that when the Big Reveal finally happens we're already impatient and ready to move on. Despite the wonderful voices, music, and choreography, Bandstand is definitely a missed opportunity.
Tonight ABT bid farewell to one of its most beloved artists. After the fraught finale of Cranko's Onegin the sold out crowd screamed and yelled their appreciation for Diana Vishneva. Her longtime stage partner Marcelo Gomes hugged and comforted her. Confetti streamed down from above, the stage was covered in flowers, ABT colleagues marched onstage with hugs and more bouquets, and Diana looked simultaneously sad and elated as she basked in the love of the audience. Oh yeah, Diana's husband also made an appearance. The Diana and Marcelo Lovefest Curtain Call Routine was dialed up an extra notch tonight. He swung her around in an embrace as confetti fell. He fell to his knees in obeisance and she fell to her knees in response. She cried, they kissed, they nuzzled. It's really the Show After the Show. Usually I find their routine cloying, but this was her farewell, so it was almost cute.
Bedroom pas de deux, photo @ Gene Schiavone
Not much needs to be said about the performance -- Diana and Marcelo are old hats at this ballet and know exactly what to do with their roles. Their timing in their pas de deux is so precise, yet they're able to maintain the illusion of this spontaneous passion. Those lifts (torch lifts, upside down lifts, sideways lifts, one hand lifts, basically lifts in every position imaginable) looked effortless. Diana's portrayal of Tatiana eschewed some of the girlish mannerisms she had included in the past and thus had more sincerity. Her pliant back, expressive face, and soft arms were as exquisite as ever. Gomes usually is such a warm stage presence that the cold, priggish Onegin isn't a natural fit for him, but he also was able to make it work. His Onegin was a ladykiller who knew his effect on women. When he ripped up Tatiana's letter and crumpled it in her hands he walked away smugly, as if he'd made another conquest AND rejected said conquest. Onegin might not be the greatest ballet, but Diana and Marcelo's passion and commitment elevated the material. Roman Zhurbin made a winning Gremin -- stolid, but exuding a quiet decency that made Tatiana's loyalty understandable. Isabella Boylston (Olga) and Blaine Hoven (Lensky) were a nice, youthful foil for Diana and Marcelo's mature passion.
Here is a video of the curtain call that was uploaded to YT:
Flowers and confetti, photo @ George Etheredge
Diana was blessed in many ways. She was born with a classic stage face -- huge eyes, cherry lips, thick dark hair, that all managed to catch the light in the best way. Her face could look doll-like or sophisticated depending on the ballet. Her frame was petite but her limbs were elongated and her arms had that beautiful tapered look. She received the best training at the Vaganova Academy and became a star at both the Mariinsky and other companies around the world in record time. At ABT she found a wonderful partner first in Vladimir Malakhov and later in Marcelo Gomes. Just billing Vishneva and Gomes was often a sell-out for ABT -- the two of them complemented each other perfectly. His partnering skills always made her look stunning and her intensity pushed him to greater emotional heights. Their highly staged, over-the-top curtain calls (where Marcelo prostrates himself on one knee, and the two of them don't look at the audience, but instead kiss and nuzzle the whole time) became almost as anticipated as the performances themselves.
Vishneva and Gomes, photo @ Andrea Mohin
I first saw Diana Vishneva in 2006 performing Giselle. I still consider Giselle her best role. I saw Diana's Giselle several more times over the years and it was always a unique experience -- she put on tons of black eyeshadow, her face was ghost white, she added extra layers of tulle to her dress, and frankly looked scary. There was a fierceness to her Giselle that was unmatched. In Act 1 when she found out about Albrecht's betrayal she always ripped Bathilde's necklace and threw it on the floor with a ferocious rage. In the Mad Scene she avoided any lithographic prettiness as her mouth drooped open and her hair flew wildly all over her face. In the second act, the speed of her turns during the Wili initiation, the way she stared down Myrtha, and her habit of not pledging love to Albrecht during the final moments of the ballet made Giselle as much of a ghost story as a romance. It was unique and unforgettable. Marcelo Gomes was her Albrecht for the latter portion of her career but to me the most memorable Giselle was the one she did in 2006 with Vladimir Malakhov. I had never seen that kind of demented, off-kilter portrayal, and it made me rethink the entire ballet. Her later performances of the first act were tamer than the wild-child 2006 portrayal but she was still remarkable in her intensity and her Act 2 remained the same ghostly, spooky marvel.
Vishneva and Zverev in Ratmansky's Cinderella
Vishneva was a diverse artist in her prime. In later years she shrunk her classical ballet repertory. None of her other roles quite rose to the heights of her Giselle, but she was still a special artist in all of them. Her Nikya in Bayadere had all the Russian attributes -- flexible back, beautiful coiling arms, a way of infusing each step with beauty. At ABT she danced MacMillan's two most famous heroines: Manon and Juliet. Her Manon was seductive and calculating. and she and Gomes (de Grieux) had sizzling chemistry together. She was also a wonderfully passionate Juliet, although the kind of raw naturalism that MacMillan wanted isn't really in Diana's DNA. For a great rendition of her Juliet I recommend the commercial video from the Mariinsky. Lavrovsky's choreography fits her better. I adored her wistful, winsome Cinderella in Ratmansky's otherwise uneven version for the Mariinsky. When she toured with the Mariinsky in 2008 she performed a slinky, over-the-top Zobeide in Fokine's Scheherazade that really lit the stage on fire. It's a shame she only did Ashton's Sylvia a few times as she was wonderful as the huntress. A few not-so-memorable roles: her Odette/Odile was surprisingly low-impact, mannered and fussy. She couldn't save Alberto Alonso's atrocious Carmen. She also did not have the best taste in modern dance projects.
Vishneva as Aurora, photo @ Gene Schiavone
Diana's final and greatest triumph, however, was when I saw her Ratmansky's new/old Sleeping Beauty two years ago. She was by then nearly 40 and there was chatter about whether she'd be able to fulfill the requirements of a ballet that is considered the ultimate test of classical technique. No one should have worried. Vishneva put on a master class for the youngsters on how it's done. She was the only Aurora I saw who conquered all the technical challenges of the role, and her characterization of Aurora really made an arc from young and bubbly to dignified and queenly. When she held that final triumphant balance in the Rose Adagio, the audience started roaring and for good reason.
This is Diana's own lovely tribute to her time at ABT. I think it speaks for itself. Farewell Diana. She was that rare combo: a true artist, a true ballerina, and a true star. ABT audiences were lucky that this star traveled to this galaxy. She was one-of-a-kind and will be missed.
Last night Sarah Lane made a last-minute substitution for an injured Maria Kochetkova in Swan Lake. This was Sarah's New York debut in the role, and after a banner season where she's triumphed in Ratmansky's Whipped Cream and Giselle, the buzz and anticipation in the sold-out auditorium was high. It was generally thought that if Sarah could bring down the house as Odette/Odile, a promotion to principal would happen.
Odette/Odile is not as natural of a fit for Lane as Giselle. Sarah Lane doesn't have a physique that screams "swan." She's petite and her limbs are beautifully proportioned but not elongated. Her extension is decent but without the height and dimensions she did not fit the aesthetic of the traditional Swan Queen. Also, she's a natural allegro dancer with fast limbs and quick footwork. (Whipped Cream took advantage of this to an absurd degree.) The drawn out adagio movements of Odette were sometimes clipped short -- no languorous poses. With that being said, it's remarkable what she was able to do as Odette. Her arms are soft and fluttery. Not the majestic flapping arms, but certainly boneless enough. She has a wonderfully flexible, pliant back. Her Odette variation was marvelous -- those sissones that seemed to scream "I want to be free!" along with a fast. exciting coda that established Odette's independent spirit. And as always with this dancer, there's this quiet intensity that is riveting to watch.
She had a worthy partner in Daniil Simkin. Simkin put aside his usual arsenal of tricks and partnered Sarah beautifully in the lakeside scene. The overhead lifts went off without a hitch. What's more, Simkin did something that also doesn't come naturally to him -- he emoted. This was a Siegfried who was in awe of Odette. He often lowered his head as if in obeisance to her. Simkin's youthful look gave us a reminder that this prince is young and wet behind the ears. He's not Albrecht.
After the white lakeside act was over the general consensus was that Sarah would have an easier time with Odile. Alas, this was not the case. Sarah's Odile came across as incomplete in characterization -- more rehearsal time no doubt would have helped. She smiled a lot directly towards the audience but didn't project much besides a vague coquettishness. The tender rapport that she and Simkin had in the lakeside scene did not carry over to the Black Swan pas de deux. There were a few partnering bobbles, nothing major, but enough to throw off the flow of the adagio. Sarah's Odile variation was technically fine, but she hasn't figured out the trick of dancing for the ballroom crowd yet. The exhibitionism that is very much a part of Odile wasn't there with Lane. And ... those 32 fouettés. Sarah started strong -- single, single, double, but abruptly stumbled out of them with some extra music to go, and couldn't hide her disappointment. So the moment of triumph for Odile was overshadowed by Lane's visibly crestfallen demeanor. There's no doubt Sarah has a better Swan Lake performance in her. Hope she's given another chance.
Speaking of those fouettés -- ABT audiences often complain that there's a lack of consistency and artistry in the 8 week Met season. Well, I'm just going to put it out there that ABT's audience is part of that problem. Much of the audience seems to only care about the fouettés (which is about one minute of music in a 2.5 hour ballet) -- after Sarah fell out of her sequence, she received nothing but golf claps. This couldn't have been good for her nerves and for her future performances. Likewise, Daniil did not get applause until he started doing his usual fast turns, double tours, and other tricks. As long as the audience continues to treat the ballet as a display of circus tricks, ABT has no reason to coach dancers to focus on the finer details. Just churn out 32 fouettés (for the women) and 540's (for the men) and you're good.
This was illustrated last night by the audience APPLAUDING Simkin as he jumped into the lake and made an impressive arc with his body. Come on now. That's just vulgar. And the audience ignored the very beautiful final duet between Odette and Siegfried. Purple Rothbart (Alban Lendorf last night) usually gets the loudest cheers of the night for a very brief if flashy solo.
Alban Lendorf as Purple Rothbart
As for the production, I've avoided it for years and I'm not in a hurry to revisit. It's a very basic Swan Lake which captures little of the poetry of the ballet. First of all, Purple Rothbart: he's become a huge audience favorite but he adds nothing to the story. The fourth act is abridged beyond recognition -- the beautiful, mournful dances of the swans has become reduced to some marching in front of what I call the "swamp curtain." The whole thing lasts 12 minutes, of which way too many are taken up by the Green Swamp Thing gyrating in the background. Only the Ivanov-choreographed lakeside scene isn't really tarred by the general Disney-ish, shallow feel of the production. The swan corps were very sloppy last night -- arms, wrists, and fingers all not in sync, many sickled feet. The pas de trois was well-danced by Joseph Gorak, Cassandra Trenary and Skylar Brandt but Gorak's been dancing this number for years. It can't be good for his morale that he's still stuck with the pas de trois.
Will Sarah be promoted to principal? Will ABT finally provide its dancers with the coaching and support they need? Will ABT's audience ever learn to look beyond the obvious tricks and learn to appreciate the subtler artistic details? I hope so, I hope so, and I hope so.
I mean, last night's couple only had four rehearsals. Wow.
ETA (June 17, 2017): Word came today that Uliana Lopatkina, the longtime ballerina of the Mariinsky, has retired. I didn't see Lopatkina as often as I would have liked, but the times I did see her the beauty and artistry of her dancing was unforgettable. Her Swan Lake lives in my memory as far and away the greatest Odette/Odile I ever saw, and reckon I'll ever see. She made time stand still with her uniquely mournful, elegiac Swan Queen. I was also fortunate enough to see her dance her cameo specialties such as The Dying Swan, La Rose Malade, and even some Balanchine: her adagio inSymphony in C was a master class of control. Her Nikyain La Bayadere was a bit too remote for me, but I couldn't argue with the beauty of her dancing. But Lopatkina's artistry extended even to pieces that were frankly sub-par. I remember beautiful legs and feet slicing through the trite choreography of Alberto Alonso's Carmen -- she alone made something sexy out of this tripe.
Over this week I attended a mishmash of performances. They ranged from good to mixed to awful.
Let's start with the good: a fun, entertaining performance of Le Corsaire from ABT. This season at ABT the principal women have been falling like flies due to injury (currently, Isabella Boylston, Veronika Part, Gillian Murphy and Maria Kochetkova are on the DL list). What this has meant is lots of opportunities for soloists, and the 6/8 performance showcased the talents both of veteran soloist Sarah Lane (Gulnare) and the newer Skylar Brandt (Medora). These two talented ladies managed to grab attention away from the men, whose pirate's chest full of ballet tricks usually dominate the ballet.
Skylar Brandt is a winning combination of technique, charm, and beauty. She has a natural stage face -- her large eyes capture the light. Her technique is formidable -- in act one her solo had attitude turns followed by triple pirouettes. You can see how strong her core is during the lifts -- she was so solid and never moved from position. But she's not just about the tricks. She has lovely arms, beautifully tapered legs and feet. She's small but dances big. Her pas de trois with Herman Cornejo and Jeffrey Cirio showed off her elegant line and tasteful style. Her fouttés were centered and clean in form and she sprinkled some doubles in the sequence. Later she did some clean, balanced Italian fouettés. Her portrayal also had an ebullience and sincerity that made Le Corsaire much less of a circus than usual.
This is Sarah Lane's season -- she's dancing with so much confidence and control. Her Gulnare was delightful. Her pas de deux with Simkin in Act One was wonderful. She did a beautiful series of backwards traveling changements and also held an extra long balance. She and Skylar were both beautiful in the Jardin Animé scene. The three Odalisques were mixed -- Cassandra Trenary as the first Odalisque was fast and crisp in the first variation, Katherine Williams charming in the second one, with those brisés but April Giangusero's Third Odalisque variation (a diagonal of pirouettes) didn't generate much speed or excitement and she fell awkwardly out of a final pique turn.
Now, the men: Herman Cornejo seems fully recovered from his injury, and his partnering of the petite Brandt was superb. Didn't think I'd ever see the day when Herman could do a Soviet-style upside down lift without any apparent effort, but I saw it tonight. His characterization of the pirate Conrad was full of his usual machismo and his cabrioles remain one of the 7 wonders of the ballet world. Jeffrey Cirio as Ali also has an impressive array of tricks, including a deliberately decelerating triple pirouette that ends with him sitting on the floor. But he doesn't really have the feline, exotic grace often associated with this role. Daniil Simkin as Lankendem has maybe the most impressive war chest and that's ironically his biggest limitation -- it's like he never developed out of that gala circuit mentality. But his Lankendem was funny and of course he ended with the obligatory 540. Craig Salstein (Birbanto) continues to be ABT's best character dancer followed closely by Roman Zhurbin (Pasha).
The production is colorful but garish -- the hot pink tutus in the Jardin Animé scene. And let's not get into the racism and misogyny in the story, which ABT matter of factly prints out in its program: "Dealers and buyers fill a noisy bazaar where slaved girls are being treated. Conrad and his men arrive as Lankedem, the owner of the bazaar, is selling girls." Yeah, better not think about the story too much.
A week ago I saw the highly acclaimed A Doll's House Part 2. This quasi-sequel of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House got glowing reviews and is nominated for 8 Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Actress, Actor, Featured Actress (two nominations), Best Director. I didn't know quite what to expect.
Metcalf, Cooper and Houdyshell, photo by Brigitte Lacombe
It ended up being bar none the most disappointing theatrical performance this year. And maybe of all time? I really can't think of anything good about this play. Lucas Hnath's writing sounds like a womens' studies dissertation defense. The formula went like this: Nora presents her dissertation about freedom/marriage/empowerment, one of Torvald (Chris Cooper), Anne Marie (Jayne Houdyshell), or Emmy (Condola Rashad) challenge Nora on her thesis, and Nora defends her dissertation thesis some more. Wash, rinse, repeat for 1.5 hours. The whole time I wanted to scream "No one talks like this! You are not in academia!" By reducing Nora to a series of feminist tropes, it's taken all the complexity out of the Ibsen character.
I was also unimpressed by the acting. Laurie Metcalf projects a confidence that is fitting for the character but she's also one of those actresses who thinks shouting + exaggerated facial expressions + bug eyes = Acting. She made no attempt to temper her lectures with a conversational tone. It was just lecture, emote, lecture, emote, lecture, emote. Chris Cooper (Torvald) took the opposite approach which was mumble, make droopy eyes, mumble some more. Condola Rashad played Emmy as an automaton with a stiff, artificial speaking cadence. I don't know whether this was an accident or not but again, it made Emmy seem manufactured and not real. Only Jayne Houdyshell approached anything close a flesh and blood characterization. Boo. At least I got the tickets on TDF. Couldn't imagine paying full price for this stuff.
Darius Black, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Roman Mejia, photo @ Paul Kolnik
The SAB workshop this year also didn't have the excitement and quality of last year's workshop. Part of it was the programming -- Christopher Wheeldon's Scènes de Ballet, Peter Martins' Hallelujah Junction and Balanchine's Scotch Symphony are not the most exciting works. The Wheeldon is one of those "ballet class as ballet" works. The central motif is that there's a barre down the middle and on each side dancers are doing symmetrical moves, so it gives the illusion that they're dancing in front of a mirror. It involved 64 students. It's cute and harmless enough, but doesn't really showcase the talents of any individual dancers and Wheeldon doesn't develop or deepen this idea as the ballet progresses. A more creative choreographer might have had the dancers increasingly unhappy with their look in the mirror. Something. So this number ended up being both charming and tedious.
Hallelujah Junction is one of Martins' best works and it has plenty of opportunity for bravura dancing. In the evening performance Roman Mejia (son of Paul Mejia, Suzanne Farrell's ex-husband) wowed the crowd with various bravura steps and Mary Thomas MacKinnon (sister of NYCB corps member Olivia MacKinnon) and Darius Black were also impressive. The dancing was so exciting that Martins' Hallelujah Junction, became an audience hit (and Martins and "audience hit" rarely are ever in the same sentence). With all the cheering that went on during yet another bravura sequence Hallelujah Junction started to feel like a YAGP gala.
Domini and Zuniga, photo @ Paul Kolnik
Thankfully the program closed out with some Balanchine, even if its B-list Balanchine. Scotch Symphony has lovely costumes (pretty pink dresses for the girls, fancy looking kilts for the men), but the choreography just isn't all that interesting. Balanchine's corps work is usually masterful but here it was bland and unmemorable. The most amusing choreography is for a small girl dressed en travesti in mens' kilts -- in yesterday's performance, the bubbly, fleet footed Amarra Hong. The central couple were Andres Zuniga and Gabriella Domini. There were definitely some performance nerves and awkward partnering moments but they're young. Domini has a winning, dignified stage presence and Zuniga has lovely petit batterie.
The SAB workshops are always worth attending. I hope next year's program will be more appealing.
