Casting Announced For Final Two Weeks Of American Ballet Theatre's 2018 Spring Season At Metropolitan Opera House

Casting for the seventh and eighth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2018 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

Eight performances of Don Quixote will begin on Monday, June 25, led by Isabella Boylston (Kitri), Daniil Simkin (Basilio), Devon Teuscher (Mercedes) and Calvin Royal III (Espada). Debuts for the week include Zhong-Jing Fang as Mercedes on Tuesday, June 26, Hee Seo as Kitri and Christine Shevchenko as Mercedes on Friday, June 29 and Sarah Lane as Kitri at the matinee on Saturday, June 30. 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.

The season will conclude with eight performances of Alexei Ratmansky's Whipped Cream, beginning Monday, July 2, led by Daniil Simkin as The Boy, Stella Abrera as Princess Tea Flower, Thomas Forster in his New York debut as Prince Coffee and Sarah Lane as Princess Praline. Gabe Stone Shayer will make his New York debut as The Boy at the matinee on Wednesday, July 4. On Thursday, July 5, Arron Scott will debut as The Boy and Calvin Royal III will dance the role of Prince Coffee for the first time in New York. A special matinee performance will take place Friday, July 6 at 2:00 P.M. Set to a score by Richard Strauss, the ballet features scenery and costumes by Mark Ryden and lighting by Brad Fields. Whipped Cream received its World Premiere on March 15, 2017 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, led by Daniil Simkin as The Boy, Stella Abrera as Princess Tea Flower, David Hallberg as Prince Coffee and Sarah Lane as Princess Praline.

Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2018 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $22, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212-362- 6000. 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.