Casting Announced For Final Three Weeks Of American Ballet Theatre's 2023 Summer Season At Metropolitan Opera House

Casting for the final three weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2023 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. 

Eight performances of the classic Giselle will begin on Monday, July 3, led by Hee Seo in the title role, Cory Stearns as Albrecht, and Chloe Misseldine in her New York debut as Myrta. Devon Teuscher will make her New York debut as Giselle on Tuesday, July 4, opposite Aran Bell as Albrecht. On Wednesday, July 5, the matinee will include New York debuts by Catherine Hurlin as Giselle and Daniel Camargo as Albrecht, alongside Fangqi Li in her debut as Myrta, while Zhong-Jing Fang will make her New York debut as Myrta at the evening performance. Joo Won Ahn will make his New York debut as Albrecht on Friday, July 7. 

Staged by Kevin McKenzie with choreography after Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa, Giselle is set to music by Adolphe Adam, orchestrated by John Lanchbery, with scenery by Gianni Quaranta, costumes by Anna Anni, and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. The world premiere of Giselle, one of the oldest continually performed ballets, occurred at the Theatre de l'Academie Royale de Musique in Paris on June 28, 1841.

The ballet was first presented by ABT (then Ballet Theatre) at the Center Theatre in New York City on January 12, 1940, with choreography by Anton Dolin and scenery and costumes by Lucinda Ballard. The leading roles were danced by Annabelle Lyon and Anton Dolin. ABT's sixth production, featuring scenery by Gianni Quaranta and costumes by Anna Anni, was created for the film Dancers, produced in 1987 by Cannon Films. This production's first public performance was given on March 20, 1987, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, with Marianna Tcherkassky as Giselle and Kevin McKenzie as Albrecht. The current staging is by McKenzie, using the Quaranta and Anni designs. 

The fourth week of ABT's 2023 Summer season will include eight performances of Swan Lake, beginning on Monday, July 10, with Isabella Boylston as Odette-Odile, Daniel Camargo as Prince Siegfried, and Jose Sebastian as von Rothbart. Joo Won Ahn will make his debut as von Rothbart on Tuesday June 11. Set to music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The ballet features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown, and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000, at The John F. Jennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent (Odette-Odile) and Angel Corella (Prince Siegfried).  

Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet will complete the 2023 Summer season with seven performances beginning Tuesday, July 18, led by Devon Teuscher and Aran Bell in the title roles and Carlos Gonzalez in his New York debut as Mercutio. Catherine Hurlin (Juliet) and Tyler Maloney (Mercutio) will make their New York debuts at the matinee performance on Wednesday, July 19, while Jake Roxander will make his New York debut as Mercutio on Thursday, July 20. Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis, and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965, and was given its ABT Company Premiere at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985, with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles.  

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2023 Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House begin at $30 and are available online, at the Met box office, or by phone at 212-362-6000. The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway and 64th street in New York City. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org. 

Complete casting follows. 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT's repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company. 

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.

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