Manon – Prepare to Be Seduced Opens the 2014/15 Season American Ballet Theatre’S Marcelo Gomes Appears As Guest Artist
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#13 Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon – Prepare to be Seduced Opens the 2014/15 Season American Ballet Theatre’s Marcelo Gomes Appears as Guest Artist October 24, 2014… Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, which opens the 2014/15 season on November 8, 2014 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The opening night cast will feature Principal Dancers Sonia Rodriguez and Guillaume Côté in the roles of Manon and Des Grieux. Principal Dancer Jillian Vanstone and Corps de Ballet member Harrison James will also perform the lead roles. Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson will dance Manon opposite Guest Artist Marcelo Gomes as Des Grieux. Mr. Gomes, a native of Brazil, is a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre in New York City and one of the most sought after dancers of his generation. Mr. Gomes returns to the National Ballet after 10 years, last performing with Ms. Hodgkinson in The Sleeping Beauty in 2004. Performing the role of Lescaut and Lescaut’s Mistress on opening night will be Principal Dancers Piotr Stanczyk and Xiao Nan Yu. Corps de Ballet member Jack Bertinshaw and Principal Dancer Svetlana Lunkina and Corps de Ballet member Francesco Gabriele Frola and Second Soloist Jordana Daumec will also perform the roles. Last performed by The National Ballet of Canada in 1999, Manon is one of MacMillan’s – and modern ballet’s – most dramatically powerful works. Manon features set and costume design by Peter Farmer and is set to a score by Jules Massenet, orchestrated and arranged by Martin Yates and performed by The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. Based on a late 18th-century novel by Abbé Prévost, Manon follows the fortunes of the eponymous courtesan, whose ill-fated love for the naïve student Des Grieux drives her from the Parisian demi-monde to the swamps of Louisiana. Returning again this season is the National Ballet’s popular and free Ballet Talks which will take place in R. Fraser Elliott Hall at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The Ballet Talks will begin one hour before the performance with seating on the orchestra level only and will be on a first come, first serve basis. The Ballet Talks for Manon will be led by Ballet Master Lindsay Fischer. Principal Casting Manon Sonia Rodriguez (November 8, 12, 13, 15 at 7:30 pm) Jillian Vanstone (November 9, 13, 15 at 2:00 pm) Greta Hodgkinson (November 14 at 7:30 pm/November 16 at 2:00 pm) Des Grieux Guillaume Côté (November 8, 12, 13, 15 at 7:30 pm) Harrison James (November 9, 13, 15 at 2:00 pm) Marcelo Gomes* (November 14 at 7:30 pm/November 16 at 2:00 pm) Lescaut Francesco Gabriele Frola (November 8, 12 at 7:30/November 15 at 2:00 pm) James Whiteside* (November 9, 13 at 2:00 pm/November 13 at 7:30 pm) Jack Bertinshaw (November 14 at 7:30 pm/November 16 at 2:00 pm) Patrick Lavoie (November 15 at 7:30 pm) Lescaut’s Mistress Svetlana Lunkina (November 8, 12, 14 at 7:30 pm/November 16 at 2:00 pm) Jordana Daumec (November 9, 13, 15 at 2:00 pm/November 13 at 7:30 pm) Xiao Nan Yu (November 15 at 7:30 pm) *Guest Artist Casting subject to change. Manon is presented by Chloé Fragrances. Performance Sponsor: Deloitte LLP, November 14 at 7:30 pm Guillaume Côté is sponsored through Dancers First by Emmanuelle Gattuso and Allan Slaight. Sonia Rodriguez is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin in celebration of her 25th Anniversary year. Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White. Marcelo Gomes’s appearance is made possible by a generous donation from Ned & Georgina McLennan. The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development & Culture Department; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages; and the Government of Ontario through the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Catherine Chang Christine Achampong Senior Communications Manager Publicity Coordinator 416 345 9686 x302 416 345 9686 x332 [email protected] [email protected] national.ballet.ca national.ballet.ca #15 Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon Opens Saturday Marcelo Gomes and James Whiteside Appear as Guest Artists Photography Exhibit by Aleksandar Antonijevic November 7, 2014… Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancers Marcelo Gomes and James Whiteside will perform in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, which opens the 2014/15 season on November 8, 2014 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Mr. Gomes, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, will dance Des Grieux opposite Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson as Manon on November 14 at 7:30 pm and November 16 at 2:00 pm. In his National Ballet debut, Mr. Whiteside, also a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, will appear as Lescaut opposite Second Soloist Jordana Daumec as Lescaut’s Mistress on November 9 and 13 at 2:00 pm and November 13 at 7:30 pm. Based on a late 18th-century novel by Abbé Prévost, Manon follows the fortunes of the eponymous courtesan, whose ill-fated love for the naïve student Des Grieux drives her from the Parisian demi-monde to the swamps of Louisiana. Last performed by the National Ballet in 1999, Manon is one of MacMillan’s – and modern ballet’s – most dramatically powerful works. During the Fall Season, Former Principal Dancer Aleksandar Antonijevic’s photography exhibit, Till We Meet Again, A Love Letter, will be featured in the lobby of the Four Seasons Centre of the Performing Arts with16 stunning portraits of Artists of the National Ballet. Manon is presented by Chloé Fragrances. Marcelo Gomes’s appearance is made possible by a generous donation from Ned & Georgina McLennan. The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development & Culture Department; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages; and the Government of Ontario through the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Catherine Chang Christine Achampong Senior Communications Manager Publicity Coordinator 416 345 9686 x302 416 345 9686 x332 [email protected] [email protected] national.ballet.ca national.ballet.ca Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan Staged by: Patricia Ruanne, Karl Burnett & Anthony Dowell Music: Jules Massenet, arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates Set and Costume Design: Peter Farmer Lighting Design: Robert Thomson World Premiere: The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden London, United Kingdom, March 7, 1974 The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: May 2, 1996 Manon is presented by Chloé Fragrances. Marcelo Gomes’ appearance is made possible by a generous donation from Ned & Georgina McLennan. Performance Dates: November 8 – 16, 2014 Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts Based on a late 18th-century novel by Abbé Prévost, Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon follows the fortunes of the eponymous courtesan, whose ill-fated love for the naïve student des Grieux drives her from the Parisian demi-monde to the swamps of Louisiana. Manon dispenses the mythical and allegorical themes of narrative dance and presents a story that is grounded in a historical context with complex characters who are fueled by greed and lust. Last performed by The National Ballet of Canada in 1999, Manon is one of MacMillan’s – and modern ballet’s – most dramatically powerful works. Quotes “MacMillan used all the modern dramatic techniques at his disposal to engage our emotions, then filled his scenes with choreography that is a wonder to watch.” The Toronto Star, 1998 “Manon is ballet at its finest... A triumph for The National Ballet of Canada.” Toronto Sun, 1996 “Raw, earthy Manon a superb ballet... The high inventiveness of the choreography makes for compelling spectacle all on its own.” The Globe and Mail, 1996 Page 1 of 1 Manon Synopsis Act I Scene I – The courtyard of an inn in Paris The courtyard at the inn is frequented by actresses, gentlemen and the demi-monde from Paris. Among them are Des Grieux (a young student), the wealthy Monsieur Guillot de Morfontaine and Lescaut, who is there to meet with his sister Manon on her way to enter a convent. A coach arrives bringing Manon and an Old Gentleman who is very attracted to her; Lescaut notices this and takes the Old Gentleman into the inn to come to an arrangement with him over Manon. Manon remains outside and meets Des Grieux. They instantly fall in love and decide to escape to Paris with the help of the money that she has stolen from the Old Gentleman. Lescaut and the Old Gentleman come out of the inn, having made a bargain, and to their dismay see that Manon has disappeared. Monsieur Guillot de Morfontaine tells Lescaut that he too is interested in Manon and because of Guillot de Morfontaine’s wealth Lescaut promises to find Manon and persuade her to accept him. Scene II – Des Grieux’s lodgings in Paris Des Grieux is writing a letter to his father but Manon interrupts him by declaring her love for him. Des Grieux goes to post the letter, and in his absence Lescaut arrives with Monsieur Guillot de Morfontaine.