So Sarah Lane has been pulled from ABT's MET production of Sleeping Beauty this spring. This performance was just one of two tickets (the other Stella Abrera's La Fille) that I planned on purchasing.
I can not describe how disappointed and livid I am over this insulting casting move by ABT. Instead audiences will now be subjected to limp noodle Seo as Aurora. Talk about doubling down on bad bets. ABT is still throwing dud cards out there hoping people will be stupid enough to watch inferior performers.
And it isn't only Lane being hamstrung. Stella Abrera despite being promoted to Principal status is still pulling clean up crew duties. She didn't receive a Swan Lake, Sylvia or Romeo & Juliet. I suppose she should thank the gods that she even received La Fille and one Sleeping Beauty. In a better world, a celebration of Giselle would have been planned with a showcase for Abrera's triumphant return to the role. But NOPE! No Giselle this year.
Instead we get another dud, we get the tap dancing Copeland in Firebird. Firebird, by all past accounts a failure of a ballet. But it's back this year because everything must celebrate the liar extraordinaire Misty Copeland. That picture of her as the Firebird is so awful, I can't believe the company is so proud of it. It looks as though she is farting fire out of her rear end. The only thing missing from the picture is a book of matches and a bucket of Atomic Fire Wings with the added note that they are now on sale for $5.99
Obviously NO ONE will be allowed to shine this year except for Copeland. We can't have ballet fans who missed Abrera's gorgeous Giselle last year clamoring to buy tickets to it this year. Sarah Lane must be buried in the desert so she can't even gain a bit of notice for her one title role.
What is also worrying is that it looks as if Joseph Gorak is on the shit list too. His transition to leading roles looks stymied to me. He is no longer in Romeo & Juliet nor has he been cast in leading roles in Swan Lake (perfect for him), Sylvia etc. He did gain one Sleeping Beauty but most likely because they were forced to use him. I can't help thinking that Joseph Gorak very likely took a stand for himself and Lane last Christmas when their Nutcracker partnership was destroyed. Now he is paying the consequences.
I'm done with this company. I've given up. And I can only hope that Sarah Lane is thinking of jumping ship to a company that will appreciate her, her talent and her beauty. Perhaps Royal Ballet would give her an opportunity. She and Steven McRae would look absolutely gorgeous together. I don't know, it would be sad if she had to leave New York. But worth it if she can dance the leading roles she deserves.
As far as my spring, it looks to me as if I will be spending it all at NYCB.
ETA: Metopera.org has updated their site again, Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo are once again listed as the lead dancers for the July 1st Sleeping Beauty. Hopefully this is the last of the misunderstandings and the casting remains unchanged.
This is not the first time Met Opera has caused major and minor upsets in regards to ABT cast lists etc. It seems obvious to me that someone or some people in one or the other (maybe both) company's PR office are asleep at the switch. I'm leaning more toward the ABT PR liaisons being slipshod since there were snafus over the cast lists at the upcoming Detroit Michigan Opera site.
ETA2: Now that the uproar is over, I've had time to think about the reaction this caused. It also highlighted how poor a reputation ABT has garnered. No one stopped for a second to think it was all a mistake. Most dance fans, including myself, thought it was completely possible that ABT would yank Lane out of a starring role. What is even more disturbing is that Herman Cornejo was speculated as a possible reason for the casting upset. It is surprising to consider that I, and some others, thought Cornejo was capable of throwing Lane under a bus just to get to a better dance opportunity. Which was unfair. I have to a say anytime I've seen him on stage, Cornejo has always projected a very caring, courtly, mild mannered and gentle personality. Then again maybe all his recent appearances with Alessandra Ferri are affecting him with a bit of negative publicity. Not only that, Ferri is a guest star this spring at ABT just to dance her fabled Juliet with Cornejo's Romeo. Hmmmmm. Whatever the deal is, this company has a lot of work ahead of it to restore good will toward itself. It just doesn't look good. However I'm happy that Lane still has her Sleeping Beauty appearance.Labels: american ballet theater, art, ballet, commentary, culture, dance
