He's spot on about Kent Stowell and Francia Russell at the ballet. They were also real jerks to their employees, at least when I worked there in the late 80s.

Love love love Mark Morris - he has a great relationship with Boston, another middle-sized city. You could have asked what it was like getting booed in Brussels...as the first (and only?) American dance troupe to have been given carte blanche fellowship for a year in Belgium. Maybe it was too mid-sized itself?

Have to agree with everything he said about art,arts culture, artists and how they relate to provincial cities, Seattle specifically and "world class" anything.

And, the remarks about the banality of PNB are dead on.

How many times can you see bland, fairy tale ballet with a stage full of 6 year old bunheads and an audience full of their frustrated East side mommies?

"People resent excellence." Nawww... I think they just resent being seen as a stepping stone to greater things. Some take pride in being some small part of a great one's career, and some bristle at being seen as a stop-over.

Morris is an asshole who is enamored of his celebrity ability to get away with rudeness and treating people poorly. But bless his cranky little heart. He's saying things that need to be said, and that no one in Seattle has the guts to say publicly.

Stowell's choreography is a blight upon Seattle, and I consider it borderline abuse of the talented professionals at PNB to continue to make them do it. (But word on the street is that Peter Boal is contractually obligated to have a certain amount of Stowell each season. Anybody know for how long that will be in effect?)

Anyway, it will be a fabulous show this weekend! All my best to the saints at OtB who have apparently not yet strangled Mr. Diva Morris, and to the reporters who have braved his temper!

Could you point out when you edited down the article? I was looking for "proud of Seattle, which is not a compliment" paraphrase that I thought was awesomely rich. Why did you have to take that one out?

@ 6. Somehow that got dropped along the way. Thanks for noticing—we'll get it back in there.

KHG. Point well taken, but I suspect a lot of Stowell choreography still in rotation has a vast amount to do with budget. Stowell choreography already belongs to PNB, other reputable work needs to be bought and paid for. Even when borrowing a minimalist production for a short time there is vast expense for a company. Multiply that by a multiple mixed rep season and the flagging economy and Seattle's propensity to build new sport stadiums and glass museums instead of investing in its existing arts programs. I'm sure you will find some of your answer. The rest may lie more or less with an idiot board of directors who purchase their place of control. Its just a guess, but story ballets sell tickets in Seattle, and unfortunately as with everything else, the dollar rules it all.

@3 Michael, as a dad of one of your "bunheads" I probably don't have good perspective on your comment but you have to also respect the bottom line. Those kids and fairytale ballets sell tickets. Just have a look around McCaw Hall for the 'World Premiers' comming up and notice how many empty seats there are compared to Cinderella. While I enjoy (and I'm sure the dances do too) the newer ballets I will sit through the disney ones to pay for them.

@3 Michael, as a dad of one of your "bunheads" I probably don't have good perspective on your comment but you have to also respect the bottom line. Those kids and fairytale ballets sell tickets. Just have a look around McCaw Hall for the 'World Premiers' comming up and notice how many empty seats there are compared to Cinderella. While I enjoy (and I'm sure the dances do too) the newer ballets, I will gladly sit through the disney ones to pay for them.

Sorry for the duplicate post. P.S. I adore MMorris, wish I could attent the OTB show.

I used to be fat, drunk, and stupid like Mark Morris.
I gave up Bacchus and discovered a whole new world.
Maybe if he tried it, he might finally produce something worthwhile.
BMcK

8. It's sad that PNB does not consider 'bring in a choreographer to make new work' a viable option.

But then again, I find Seattle's scratch-an-itch I'm-supposed-to-watch-this because-it-shows-I'm-cultured fondness for PNB's squalidly traditional ballet sad as well. The mere idea of sitting through any of their shows horrifies me.

@13 Gomez, are you as stupid as you sound?

PNB brings in outside choreographers - Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa to name just a few off the top of my head. You've obviously never gone to any of Peter Boal's "Director's Choice" or "New Works" programs, so shut the fuck up.

Yes, they haven't produced a new full-length story ballet in awhile, but as #8 MFM points out, it's most likely a matter of budget: Choreographing, designing and producing a full-length ballet from the ground up costs of shitload of money, and the last time I checked, nobody in Seattle was pooping out gold bricks.

Recycled work posing as new work, guys.

@16 Recycled how? Care to expand? The Mark Morris piece that will debut at PNB in November is a world premiere. He's in town rehearsing it with the PNB company right now. The other three pieces in the same show are also world premieres. So is the Paul Gibson piece coming up in March, and so is the Christopher Wheeldon piece next June. Perhaps you couldn't be bothered to know that, since you're apparently horrified by the notion of actually experiencing something before you criticize it. Or maybe you're just too busy coming up with brain-dead zingers like "squalidly traditional." Seriously, what was the last ballet you saw at PNB, and what about it seemed dirty to you?

I find your scratch-an-itch I-fancy-myself-an-artist-so-I'm-entitled-to-shit-all-over-everything commentary obnoxious and, as usual, grossly under-informed.

Can someone please let Mark Morris, his "love child" that has been tracking him down (genes and all)... Tell him to think back to 1994..

and no. this isn't a joke..