26 November 2007

Damned Cablevision

I watch hardly any television, but I got all excited reading the paper this morning. In December, Ovation is running the Battle of the Nutcrackers: four different versions with a chance to vote on your favorite. I'd watch that in a minute, and so would the little girl. But, our cable provider doesn't carry Ovation. I am bereft.

Watching the "same" thing over and over again is a terrific way to train the eye and sharpen one's critical faculties. In this case, two of the productions are pretty traditional (New York City Ballet and the Bolshoi), while two are a bit more out there (Mark Morris and Matthew Bourne). But they all use the same music, and the same basic story line.

Again, I am bereft. We'll have to make do by listening to lots of "covers" of the Tschaikovsky score and dancing around the kitchen ourselves. Damned Cablevision.

11 comments:

S said...

Oh, that sounds like great fun! I wonder if we have Ovation?

(I won't rub it in if we do, promise.)

niobe said...

Oh no. Any chance that you could get one of your many fans to record it for you? We don't get Ovation either, or I'd definitely do it.

Julie Pippert said...

Can you mimic the event by renting DVDs of the same four?

It sounds great!!

Julie
Using My Words

painted maypole said...

i am hoping to take the May Queen to a local productions this weekend. It will be her first time. In fact, you reminded me that I need to go call about that.

I don't think we get ovation, either, or I would do that, too. Would love to see the Matthew Bourne one in particular.

Anonymous said...

We don't get Ovation, either. (We almost never even turn on the TV anymore, unless it's to watch DVDs. And even that is rare these days.)

I do like the idea of seeing the various interpretations like that. I'm always intrigued to see how the same story/song/character is treated by different artists. I actually have a thing for song covers as well as fairytale reinterpretations for just that reason.

So this Nutcracker fest sounds right up my alley. Of course, so does dancing around the kitchen.

dawn224 said...

I've never even *heard* of Ovation....

BipolarLawyerCook said...

I've seen Bourne's Swan Lake, and that's enough to make my brain a-tingle with ideas about what he would do with Nutcracker.

Unknown said...

I've never even heard of Ovation. The show sounds awesome, though.

thirtysomething said...

Ovation? Well, the idea was nice anyway.

Julia said...

Must check our lineup. I wants it, I wants it.
Would they put them online?

Melissa said...

I get it (came in the same tier as BBC America), but I'm in Austin which does you no good whatsoever. But thanks for the heads up on the airing!