I’m guessing that Oregon Ballet Theatre is doing very well with their ticket sales for their Emerald Retrospective this week – I tried to buy tickets to their Friday night performance and the only tickets available were over $100 each – too rich for my blood! I’m glad that the less expensive seats are selling well, however. I think that this mirrors a trend with the Oregon Symphony where the less expensive seats are selling quite quickly, but the most expensive seats (dress circle, etc.) are often the last to sell. I’m not sure if patrons are waiting for last-minute discounts, but it is a sign of overall belt tightening due to the tough economic climate.
I was also glad to see mention over at ArtScatter of the lack of a live orchestra (with the exception of the Ravel, which featured pianists Carol Rich and Susan Smith) for this show, and the impact it had on the dancers and the audience.
The loss for financial reasons of the ballet orchestra this season is a giant setback — recorded music just doesn’t supply the magic of the moment, the lightning interplay of dancers and musicians that gives a ballet the visceral impact of right here right now — and I realized that I had spent the first several minutes of Emeralds disappointed, keenly feeling the loss of the orchestral dimension, until Iino’s arrival with her hands and feet helped me slip into the reality of what was there on stage.