ABT's 2013 Spring Season Begins at the Met Opera House Tonight

Casting for the first two weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was recently announced by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

The season will begin tonight, Monday, May 13 at 6:30 P.M. with the Company's Opening Night Gala, featuring a pièce d'occasion choreographed by Marcelo Gomes, set to the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and danced by Julie Kent and Roberto Bolle. The evening will also be highlighted by full performances of Alexei Ratmansky's Symphony #9, led by Polina Semionova, Marcelo Gomes, Herman Cornejo, Simone Messmer and Craig Salstein, and George Balanchine's Symphony in C, led by Paloma Herrera, James Whiteside, Veronika Part, Cory Stearns, Xiomara Reyes, Daniil Simkin, Sarah Lane and JarEd Matthews. The program will also include Diana Vishneva and James Whiteside in an excerpt from Act III of Onegin, Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in the Le Corsaire pas de deux, Gillian Murphy in an excerpt from Sylvia and Hee Seo and David Hallberg in the pas de deux from Act III of The Sleeping Beauty. The World Premiere of Raymond Lukens' Cortège, set to music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, will be performed by students of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala is sponsored by Dior.

The first of eight performances of Onegin will take place on Tuesday, May 14, with Julie Kent, Roberto Bolle, Sarah Lane and Daniil Simkin in the leading roles. Gemma Bond and Blaine Hoven will debut as Olga and Lensky at the matinee on Wednesday, May 15 and Isabella Boylston will debut as Olga on Friday, May 17. Polina Semionova will dance the role of Tatiana for the first time with ABT at the matinee on Saturday, May 18, opposite David Hallberg as Onegin. Irina Dvorovenko will give her final ABT performance on the evening of Saturday, May 18 in the role of Tatiana, opposite Cory Stearns as Onegin. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, arranged and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze, Onegin is based on the poem of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The ballet received its World Premiere on April 13, 1965 by the Stuttgart Ballet in Stuttgart, Germany and was given its Company Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on June 1, 2001 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York with Julie Kent (Tatiana), Robert Hill (Onegin), VLADIMIR MALAKHOV (Lensky) and Maria Riccetto (Olga). This new production, with sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by James F. Ingalls, was premiered by the National Ballet of Canada on June 19, 2010 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada and was first performed by ABT on June 4, 2012 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The ballet is staged for ABT by Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne. Onegin is generously supported through an endowed gift from Ruth and Harold Newman.

On Tuesday, May 21, the Company Premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton's A Month in The Country will be led by Julie Kent as Natalia Petrovna and Roberto Bolle as Beliaev. Hee Seo and David Hallberg will debut in these roles at the matinee on Wednesday, May 22. Based on the play of the same name by Ivan Turgenev, A Month In the Country features music by Frédéric Chopin, arranged by John Lanchbery, with designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman and lighting by John B. Read. A Month in the Country received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on February 12, 1976, led by Lynn Seymour as Natalia Petrovna and Anthony Dowell as Beliaev. The ballet is staged for ABT by Grant Coyle.

A Month in the Country will share the program with Mark Morris' Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes and the revival of George Balanchine's Symphony in C. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a work for twelve dancers, is staged by Tina Fehlandt and features music by Virgil Thomson and costumes by Santo Loquasto. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes was given its World Premiere by ABT on May 31, 1988. An excerpt of the ballet was given its first performance at the Dancing For Life benefit at the New York State Theater on October 5, 1987. Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes is generously supported through an endowed gift from Monica, Stefano, Cosima and Tassilo Corsi.

On Tuesday, May 21, Symphony in C will be led by Paloma Herrera, James Whiteside, Veronika Part, Cory Stearns Xiomara Reyes, Herman Cornejo, Sarah Lane and Craig Salstein. The matinee on Wednesday, May 22 will feature debuts by Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in the third movement. Symphony in C, featuring music by Georges Bizet, costumes after Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, was given its World Premiere by the Paris Opera Ballet under the title Le Palais de Cristal on July 8, 1947 and received its United States Premiere by Ballet Society (now New York City Ballet) on March 22, 1948. ABT first performed Symphony in C at City Center in New York on October 23, 2001 and the ballet received its Revival Premiere on February 22, 2013 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center in Hong Kong, China. The ballet is staged for ABT by Merrill Ashley and Stacey Caddell.

Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo will lead the season's first performance of Don Quixote on Friday evening, May 24. This performance will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Ms. Reyes and Mr. Cornejo as Principal Dancers with ABT. Staged by Kevin McKenzie and Susan Jones, with choreography after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky, Don Quixote is set to music by Ludwig Minkus and features scenery and costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Natasha Katz. The McKenzie/Jones staging of the current production was first performed by ABT on June 12, 1995. This production was generously supported through an endowed gift from Anka K. Palitz, in memory of Clarence Y. Palitz, Jr.

American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet TheatrE. Northern Trust is the Leading Sponsor of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2013 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $20, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362-6000. Performance-only tickets for the Opening Night Gala begin at $25. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64th and 65th streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org.