The New York Times reported that the Metropolitan Opera will change its calendar starting in the 2020-2021 season. The opera company will extend its season to early June from early May and introduce a midwinter break in February. American Ballet Theatre’s eight week spring season historically starts after the Met Opera in early May and the extension will cut into the ABT season by three weeks. The Times article gave short mention to the impact on ABT, with a flip statement by the head of the Met Opera Peter Gelb: “Mr. Gelb said that the ballet would reduce its Met season to five weeks from the current eight.”
This is quite a shock as ABT’s eight week spring season dates back to its first Met season in 1977. I’m sure ABT is not happy about the Met Opera’s decision; clearly, ABT is a second class citizen subject to the whims of the resident organization. This has substantial implications for ABT as the bulk of its annual ticket sales is from the Met season.
Relative to other companies, ABT has a very odd performance calendar, with the majority of performances during the eight week season. The table below shows the distribution of performances for the 2018/2019 season. ABT will perform about 108 times this year with 58% of its work in the eight week Met season (63/108).
ABT has a very odd performance calendar, with 58% of its performances for the year in the eight week Met season
ABT’s performance count of 108 trails Royal Ballet by 21 performances (not including Royal’s July Los Angeles tour) and Mariinsky by 16 (not including any Mariinsky tours). All companies trail NYCB by a large amount, with NYCB committed to an impressive 169 performances not including its annual Saratoga run.
One reason for ABT’s odd schedule is a lack of a home theater, in contrast to New York City Ballet (Koch Theater), Royal Ballet (Royal Opera House), Bolshoi Ballet (Bolshoi Theater) and Mariinsky Ballet (Mariinsky Theater). Most of the performances at Koch Theater are by NYCB, with limited engagements from ABT in the fall for two weeks and Paul Taylor Dance in the spring, with one-off shows in between. The Royal Opera House, Mariinsky Theater, and Bolshoi Theater house the ballet and opera companies, with the two organizations as partners. As a result, performances for these companies are more spread out over the year. I envy ballet fans in London and Saint Petersburg with the ability to attend full-length performances most months of the year.
To compensate for the lack of New York work throughout the year, ABT does more touring, with about 30% of its performances (32 in 2018/2019) outside of New York, with annual engagements in Orange County, Washington, D.C. Kennedy Center, and Chicago. With a home theater, other companies tour less. In calendar year 2017, the Bolshoi Ballet toured for 21 performances (15 in Japan and 6 in New York) and 20 in 2018 (China, Korea, Milan, Riga). In 2018/2019, NYCB will perform four times in China, seven in DC, and Saratoga in July. With the exception of NYCB’s Kennedy Center D.C. stint, most of the touring by these companies is one-off runs.
Performances for 2018/2019 Season
ABT
Fall-Koch Theater…………………..13
Nutcracker-Orange County……..12
January-Orange County……………5
January-DC…………………………….7
March-Minnesota…………………….1
March-Iowa…………………………….2
March-Chicago………………………..5
Spring Met-2018 season…………63
Total……………………………………108
NYCB
Fall Season…………..28
October-China……….4
Nutcracker…………..47
Winter Season………41
April-DC………………..7
Spring Season………42
Saratoga………………??
Total………………….169
Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House Oct 8-June 14………129
July-LA………………………………………………??
Mariinsky Ballet
Sept 16-June 9……….124
What Next for ABT Schedule?
ABT must come up with alternative performing plans to make up for the lost three weeks, which is 24 performances. ABT already performs less than other major companies and further performance reductions would make it difficult to retain and attract dancers. Options include:
1. Perform During Met Break: ABT could break up the eight week season and perform during the Met Opera break in February. The stated reason for the winter break is that opera ticket sales are at their lowest in February. The lower ticket sales is odd. I am generally looking for things to do in February given the weather and lack of other events going on. Also, attendance at ABT tends to be low at the start of the season in mid-May, building up to a peak in June. The slow sales in mid-May for ABT is also puzzling. Maybe vacationers flock to the ballet in June. Whatever the reasons for the attendance patterns, ABT could take the opera house during the February Met break if it is three weeks. followed by a five-week season starting in early June.
2. Perform at Koch Theater in March: ABT could have a three-week season at Koch Theater after the NYCB season, followed by a five-week Met season in early June.
3. Leave the Met: ABT could waive a middle finger at the Met and leave entirely. The company could perform at Koch Theater in March as I noted above, followed by a five-week season at Koch after NYCB finishes its spring season in late May. City Center is also a performance alternative.
I favor the first or second options. The Met is not the greatest place to watch dance, but it is a grand house. It is a special place that gives me fond memories watching ABT for 30 years. Also, some ballets and special performances fill up the nearly 4,000 seat Met, which is much larger than the 2,600 seats at Koch Theater. Moreover, breaking up the eight-week spring season has advantages. The eight-week run is a burden on both dancers and fans. Soloists and Corps members dance almost every night and the physical strain is great. I enjoy the Met season, but jamming 2-3 performances a week for two months is not easy, only to have to wait for 10 months for its full length productions. Feast or famine over the course of the year.
I think this is very sad news. Yes, it’s a little odd to have to cram 63 performances into eight consecutive weeks, but ABT’s spring season at the Met is the highlight of the dance year for me and something I always look forward to.
In my opinion, absolutely no other theater can compare with the Metropolitan Opera House, so a three-week winter season at the Met might be the best option. However, New York City Ballet will also be performing across the plaza at the same time, and this will probably cut into ABT’s ticket sales. Attendance at the beginning of ABT’s spring season is low because ABT and NYCB are directly competing with each other in May. Then in early June, more people start going to the Met because NYCB’s spring season is finished. You love ballet. I love ballet. And presumably everyone reading this blog loves ballet. Realistically, though, there are only so many ballet lovers out there, even in a major city like NYC.
Performing at the Koch (State) Theater in March would be an OK option. But again, I don’t think that the Koch can compare with the Met. Something very special will be lost.
Also, performing at City Center or in one of the boroughs (as I’ve read on other blogs) would not be a good option at all. Of course, it would be better than nothing, but I probably wouldn’t bother attending. Even though ABT is my favorite ballet company, venues do matter. I think City Center is a terrible venue for dance. And I remember when ABT performed The Nutcracker in Brooklyn. I went to see it twice, and that was it. It wasn’t worth it to go out of my way for terrible seats at very inflated prices. I can get much better seats at the Met for less money.
I also wonder if ABT could perform extra weeks at the Kennedy Center. While this wouldn’t help NYC audiences, I’ve always thought that it would be nice if ABT had more of a presence in D.C. And it’s not that far from NYC (I go occasionally, about once a year, to see dance performances).
Thanks Betsey for your thoughtful comments. My preference would be for ABT to perform during the Met Opera break in February, breaking up the 8 week spring season. You are right that the competing NYCB winter season would cut into ABT’s sales. But this is also the case in early May as you mention. I hope that ABT will announce something regarding 2020 plans. Kent