Cinco de Mayo was observed in many parts of the city last night – in different ways. About cinco minutes into Zachary Catazaro’s debut as Apollo, a substance like slippery mayo on the grip of his lute caused him to let loose of it like Manny Machado heaving his bat. The delicate lute crashed to the floor several feet away from Apollo who froze in shock for a second. He improvised for a few chords and then walked upstage to retrieve the instrument and gently placed it on the floor next to his stool. But unfortunately, he was out of the game – not ejected, just dejected to the point where the embarrassed Apollo could barely function. Should Catazaro get another chance at the role (he is scheduled for it on Saturday), hopefully he will have received some counseling so that embarrassment will never again kill one of his performances.
The Muses realized that the deflated Apollo wasn’t going to recover and that the performance rested on their slim shoulders. They may have been wondering if the three of them would be able to drag Catazaro into the wings if he suddenly fainted from the stress. They kept their eyes on him. They kept their smiles mostly contained. It was a diverse group of muses: Sterling Hyltin, light and chipper as Terpsichore; Sara Mearns, studied and focused on Polyhymnia’s tasks; Ana Sophia Scheller, just fizzy grateful to be back doubling over as Calliope. Haglund has seen all of them dancer better, but their hesitance to let fly was understood.
Agon’s cast was a little less cohesive than usual. Ashley Hod and Unity Phelan are still new to their roles and more focused on throwing the force out than making the details interesting. Rebecca Krohn, on the other hand, has a thrilling control over the dynamics of her role and total control over the technical challenges. Her partner, Anthony Huxley, likewise. Both of these artists also possess a modesty that makes them all the more attractive to watch. Teresa Reichlen and Adrian Danchig-Waring, while extraordinary individually, didn’t account for more as a pair.
Sterling Hyltin and Russell Janzen (in his debut) performed Duo Concertant with quick feet and a sense of politeness. Janzen was more ready for the technical challenges than Catazaro was in Apollo, but both of these young men do not bend and use their upper bodies to the extent that they should.
Symphony in Three Movements was led by Lauren King (debut) & Antonio Carmena, Megan LeCrone & Sean Suozzi, and Tiler Peck & Amar Ramasar. Except for the first couple of kicks in back attitude while on pique which seemed very hesitant, Lauren had an excellent debut that showed technical growth and a new smooth coordination. How is it that those leg lines are getting longer and longer? Tiler and Amar gave their work together a sense of competitive challenge along the lines of what would be expected in Agon, but they were wonderful. While Tiler doesn’t have the mosquito-quality piques that Sterling Hyltin has in this role, she is just as charged on stage. Again last evening, the corps in Symphony shone gloriously.
The H.H. Pump Bump Award, a striking black and white Louboutin bootie, is bestowed upon Lauren King for her debut in Symphony in Three Movements.
26 responses to “NYCB 5/5
Lute Abuse at the Ballet”
Haglund, I’ve been a long time reader, and as a fellow victim of last night’s Apollo I feel compelled to comment. Poor Zachary Catazaro! Noticeably nervous from the get-go (who wouldn’t be?), when the lute went flying from his hands he turned whiter than his costume. Sterling was essentially on babysitting duty. Your description above made me laugh out loud.
As for the rest, I really can’t get enough of ADW these days, and I loved Anthony Huxley in Agon too. I was struck by Russell Janzen in Duo Concertante as well. To me, he is very much himself in his dancing — meaning, I guess, that he has authentic personal presence, a bit somber and a bit romantic. Whereas poor Zachary Catazaro seemed like a cipher Janzen seemed like the real thing.
Re-reading, I noticed I must be boy-crazy these days. Loved Tiler Peck too!
Anyway, that does it for B&W I, II, and III for me this season — next up are Bouder and Veyette in La Sylphide. City Ballet miming fills me with fear but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.
Haglund, I’ve been a long time reader, and as a fellow victim of last night’s Apollo I feel compelled to comment. Poor Zachary Catazaro! Noticeably nervous from the get-go (who wouldn’t be?), when the lute went flying from his hands he turned whiter than his costume. Sterling was essentially on babysitting duty. Your description above made me laugh out loud.
As for the rest, I really can’t get enough of ADW these days, and I loved Anthony Huxley in Agon too. I was struck by Russell Janzen in Duo Concertante as well. To me, he is very much himself in his dancing — meaning, I guess, that he has authentic personal presence, a bit somber and a bit romantic. Whereas poor Zachary Catazaro seemed like a cipher Janzen seemed like the real thing.
Re-reading, I noticed I must be boy-crazy these days. Loved Tiler Peck too!
Anyway, that does it for B&W I, II, and III for me this season — next up are Bouder and Veyette in La Sylphide. City Ballet miming fills me with fear but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.
Poor Zach Catazaro 🙁 Hope Saturday proves better for him.
Poor Zach Catazaro 🙁 Hope Saturday proves better for him.
I don’t know why I keep calling Zachary Anthony. My apologies and I made the correction in the post.
I’m sure that he will be recovered by the next time we see him although he may not ever live this down. Every year on Cinco de Mayo….
I don’t know why I keep calling Zachary Anthony. My apologies and I made the correction in the post.
I’m sure that he will be recovered by the next time we see him although he may not ever live this down. Every year on Cinco de Mayo….
Nicely done. What can you do but laugh when something like this happens!
Hey, the theater didn’t burn down!
Bravo to you, Haglund, for not making it a disaster but instead just a bad day at the office. Cinco de Mayo will never be the same!
Nicely done. What can you do but laugh when something like this happens!
Hey, the theater didn’t burn down!
Bravo to you, Haglund, for not making it a disaster but instead just a bad day at the office. Cinco de Mayo will never be the same!
True, SZ, I didn’t consider it a fatal disaster and will revisit Catazaro’s Apollo again at a later date if there is a 4th Ring Society/NYCB Society ticket available. But I wonder what the people in the Orchestra section who paid $164 ea. for their tickets thought?
True, SZ, I didn’t consider it a fatal disaster and will revisit Catazaro’s Apollo again at a later date if there is a 4th Ring Society/NYCB Society ticket available. But I wonder what the people in the Orchestra section who paid $164 ea. for their tickets thought?
I appreciate the tone of your commentary, Haglund. Zach Catazaro deserves compassion. Typically, performers learn quickly from mistakes as long as they don’t mentally block themselves. It’s not like he left his legwarmers on during a TV broadcast, as did a certain present AD when on stage for the crypt scene as Romeo with Makarova.
I appreciate the tone of your commentary, Haglund. Zach Catazaro deserves compassion. Typically, performers learn quickly from mistakes as long as they don’t mentally block themselves. It’s not like he left his legwarmers on during a TV broadcast, as did a certain present AD when on stage for the crypt scene as Romeo with Makarova.
True J. Now that I think of it, that whole sad, embarrassing, sloppy sliding down of the sweat pants in R&J represents what is happening at ABT right now. McKenzie should have been fired then, and he should be fired now.
Catazaro will be fine. He may even eventually be a very good Apollo.
True J. Now that I think of it, that whole sad, embarrassing, sloppy sliding down of the sweat pants in R&J represents what is happening at ABT right now. McKenzie should have been fired then, and he should be fired now.
Catazaro will be fine. He may even eventually be a very good Apollo.
You’re right, it was sweat pants and not legwarmers! I have it on a VCR tape.
You’re right, it was sweat pants and not legwarmers! I have it on a VCR tape.
Thank goodness you have it on a VCR tape. Guard it forever. There’s a clip of the embarrassing mess on YouTube, but with ABT’s inclination to force down uncomplimentary videos from the internet (e.g. CFO William Taylor’s gag-inducing disclosure of ABT’s “Star Strategy”), one never knows how long the public will be able to watch the god-awful truth about McKenzie’s carelessness and lack of common sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfNbFm-zwf4
Thank goodness you have it on a VCR tape. Guard it forever. There’s a clip of the embarrassing mess on YouTube, but with ABT’s inclination to force down uncomplimentary videos from the internet (e.g. CFO William Taylor’s gag-inducing disclosure of ABT’s “Star Strategy”), one never knows how long the public will be able to watch the god-awful truth about McKenzie’s carelessness and lack of common sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfNbFm-zwf4
My husband and I were in the orchestra (but only $86 a piece) and he was kind of annoyed by the bad performance. I had bought the seats knowing it would be a debut but having seen Adrian’s glorious debut 1week earlier I was expecting something new but certainly not the disaster we got. I knew, even before Catazro dropped the lyre, when he was circling his arms, that he wasn’t going to be good. He didn’t look confident or commanding. And of course, after he dropped the lyre his performance was essentially over. A friend commented that in 20 years of seeing Apollo, she’d never seen someone drop the lyre. If I were Peter I would have pulled Catazro from the Saturday matinee but I heard he performed.
My husband and I were in the orchestra (but only $86 a piece) and he was kind of annoyed by the bad performance. I had bought the seats knowing it would be a debut but having seen Adrian’s glorious debut 1week earlier I was expecting something new but certainly not the disaster we got. I knew, even before Catazro dropped the lyre, when he was circling his arms, that he wasn’t going to be good. He didn’t look confident or commanding. And of course, after he dropped the lyre his performance was essentially over. A friend commented that in 20 years of seeing Apollo, she’d never seen someone drop the lyre. If I were Peter I would have pulled Catazro from the Saturday matinee but I heard he performed.
I agree, Lisa, about Catazaro’s initial impression when the curtain came up. Part of it may be the highly developed muscles across the back of his shoulders that tend to make him look perpetually hunched over and shortens the neck line which makes for a less god-like appearance. Eventually, he will figure it all out.
I agree, Lisa, about Catazaro’s initial impression when the curtain came up. Part of it may be the highly developed muscles across the back of his shoulders that tend to make him look perpetually hunched over and shortens the neck line which makes for a less god-like appearance. Eventually, he will figure it all out.
I saw his matinee yesterday and there was no lute dropping, nor any real sign of nervousness beyond one ever-so-slight stumble. He started off boyish, but wasn’t able to hold the performance – everyone’s focus seemed to turn to the much more assured muses, in my opinion.
(Meanwhile Sterling Hyltin can do just about anything these days, can’t she? She was cast in Apollo and Duo yesterday. Love your characterization of her as mosquito in Symphony in Three!)
Re: Agon. Teresa and ADW nailed the piece, technically, but I didn’t feel any connection between them. It was just too cool and aloof, though I did like some of Tess’s phrasing.
I saw his matinee yesterday and there was no lute dropping, nor any real sign of nervousness beyond one ever-so-slight stumble. He started off boyish, but wasn’t able to hold the performance – everyone’s focus seemed to turn to the much more assured muses, in my opinion.
(Meanwhile Sterling Hyltin can do just about anything these days, can’t she? She was cast in Apollo and Duo yesterday. Love your characterization of her as mosquito in Symphony in Three!)
Re: Agon. Teresa and ADW nailed the piece, technically, but I didn’t feel any connection between them. It was just too cool and aloof, though I did like some of Tess’s phrasing.
Thanks for the report, Missy. It’s good to hear that things worked out better for Catazaro.
He has only been a soloist for a year and has handled his second tier responsibilities fairly well. It’s a big jump up to Apollo. Although his debut was a mess, I saw no problems that can’t be overcome with diligent hard work.
Thanks for the report, Missy. It’s good to hear that things worked out better for Catazaro.
He has only been a soloist for a year and has handled his second tier responsibilities fairly well. It’s a big jump up to Apollo. Although his debut was a mess, I saw no problems that can’t be overcome with diligent hard work.