alison Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Oh good Cheers me up slightly for missing Lauren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 In fact, possibly more than just "slightly"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Please report back Alison!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 45 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said: Ball and Clarke are very new to leading classical roles. Casting them with Ballerinas who can look after themselves is probably a good idea at the moment. Doesn’t mean that they will not dance these roles with preferred partners in the future. True.....although I would say that Yasmine Naghdi can look after herself too, even though this is a debut. She has in all of her other debuts, and Aurora isn't a walk in the park! She danced it three times in one week during her debut season of that ballet. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 7 hours ago, Xandra Newman said: In this case it seems so. Nunez having danced O/O last night can't be asked to dance it again tonight, Lamb is dancing O/O tomorrow and also can't be asked to dance O/O twice in a row, Osipova I guess is not in the country right now and Naghdi cannot be asked to replace an O/O before having danced her own scheduled debut this coming Monday so that leaves Management only with Takada as replacement of the injured Cuthbertson. That sounds entirely sensible; but are there no 'covers'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 5 hours ago, Sim said: Yes I am sure that was his reasoning, but neither of them had previous experience dancing SB or Giselle before, and they are all three ballets of the same difficulty in various ways. 3 minutes ago, bridiem said: That sounds entirely sensible; but are there no 'covers'? Sorry - just realised this has been discussed above. But I hope there IS someone else available in case! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretN7 Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 1 hour ago, annamk said: He just posted on twitter that he's looking forward to making his debut as Benno this evening James Hay as Benno with Claire Calvert and Yuhui Choe as sisters. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 52 minutes ago, MargaretN7 said: James Hay as Benno with Claire Calvert and Yuhui Choe as sisters. Nooooooooooo Claire and Yuhui are my dream sister lineup and I'm going tomorrow!!!!😢 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 53 minutes ago, MargaretN7 said: James Hay as Benno with Claire Calvert and Yuhui Choe as sisters. That's interesting as Claire Calvert is doubling up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, capybara said: That's interesting as Claire Calvert is doubling up! Claire normally posts that she's going to be X tonight on Instagram when she's got a performance but her last post was last night, a gorgeous pic of her as an Act 3 Princess. I sound like I'm in denial about tonight, don't I 🙃 Edited May 22, 2018 by Rob S 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, MargaretN7 said: James Hay as Benno with Claire Calvert and Yuhui Choe as sisters. Very lucky to be here again for these three, let alone Takada and Bonelli....plus Heap again in the Spanish... BTW the swan wings have flown.... Edited May 22, 2018 by Richard LH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRR Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Also here tonight, snapped up a return at the last minute. Very excited to see Bonelli with Takada and a new PdT couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 (edited) Some rather belated thoughts on Saturday's performance & my second viewing of the new Swan Lake. I was impressed by William Bracewell's debut as Siegfried. He appeared so assured, with strong partnering & I thought it was a really good foundation to build on. His acting came across especially well, with his portrayal of a naive Prince Siegfried. In fact, he looked at his Odette so totally adoringly, I'm not surprised that by the close of Act II she was melting into his embrace. And it made the tragedy of Siegfried's inadvertant betrayal with Odile so much harder to bear. There was a lot I liked about Akane Takada's O/O; her dancing was lovely. If Akane Takada is not an innately theatrical dancer, in the way say Zenaida Yanowsky is, I get the impression (including from The Times' April 2017 interview) that her acting is an area she will continue to develop. Her Odile came across as merciless & coolly enticingly glamourous; her Odette vulnerable yet with a quiet dignity which I felt were interpretations which played to her strengths. Marcelino Sambe's Benno was good fun & as another poster has said, this worked really well with William Bracewell's take on Siegfried. At second viewing, it really struck me how much more dancing & prominence Benno has in Act I than Siegfried. I can see why Mark Monahan made the comments he did on this in his review. Though I guess Benno's role does provide a good opportunity to see other talented male dancers in the company. I'd like to see some other interpretations of Von Rothbart, as I've not yet quite made up my mind on what I think about this role. Though I imagine it's a tough challenge for the character artists to project the kind of manipulative villainy required, especially over such a prolonged time when V-R is less active but still very visible on stage, such as when sat by the queen in Act III & in parts of Act I. I'd also prefer Act III to have a slightly less frenetic pace at its climax, when everything appears to be happening at once & I feel I can't take it all in properly. I'd especially like to have more time to appreciate the black swans & frustratingly I keep missing their entrance due to being caught up in the action elsewhere on stage at the time! Although it's a great moment theatrically, I've also started wondering if V-R seizes power / control of the Kingdom at the end of Act III, why Siegfried's number one priority is to immediately dash to the lakeside to apologise to Odette? Wouldn't he be trying to defend his kingdom, his mother & his subjects? Maybe I'm just being too prosaic & unromantic. And where does the lake begin in Acts II & IV? Is the lake even really visible? After sitting pretty centrally in the front half of the amphi, I have no idea. I've asked a few other people & even though they were sitting in other parts of the auditorium, they couldn't answer that question either. It looks as though there might be shallow water ripples on the dark stage floor, but I can't be sure. If they are representing shallow water, then various cast members were dancing or entering / exiting through them which seems odd! I previously posted my impressions of the Act IV ending from the opening night & I'm afraid these haven't changed. It just doesn't move me & feels all wrong. Others will feel differently, but I keep wondering why on earth this ending was chosen. Unfortunately, I also find the vision of Odette up on the hydraulic lift rather naff. It probably didn't help that on Saturday, from the central-ish front amphi, after Odette has jumped to her death I could see her moving off the stage from behind the rock & then saw her again behind the scrim (?) getting ready for the hydraulic lift moment. Overall, I'm just not engaging emotionally with this production so far. I can admire the dancing, costumes, sets etc. And there is a lot to admire about this Swan Lake. But after two performances, sadly it's just not touching my heart. Though if anything can change that, it will be Yasmine Naghdi's debut O/O - experience has taught me to pack extra tissues for her performances in narrative ballets. Roll on the 28th, double Swan Lake day! Edited May 22, 2018 by Indigo Formatting issues :( 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Indigo said: Roll on the 28th, double Swan Lake day! Agreed: on this note, I wonder whether programming Ball's and Naghdi's debut on the same day was in part to satisfy the likes of us.* As for getting a chance to get more to grips with the production, I feel as if I should be taking a list of things to look out for in with me! * Edited to add: something similar happened with the Hayward and Naghdi Giselle debuts, so maybe there's something in my theory. Edited May 22, 2018 by Lizbie1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said: As for getting a chance to get more to grips with the production, I feel as if I should be taking a list of things to look out for in with me! That's exactly what I've been doing - making a mental list before the show. I felt that I needed to when it was pointed out to me that I hadn't seen the courtier Von Rothbart at the very outset. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 It was another great performance by the whole cast tonight, and it was good to see Bonelli and Takada gelling so well at short notice. James Hay went down very well, and I loved Kay and O'Sullivan in the Neopolitan. I think Indigo sums up Takada pretty well above. If anything I think she improved tonight on her fine performance on Saturday both technically and dramatically, although it may just be that I am getting more familiar with, and appreciative of, the nuances of the choreography and mime now (third time)! Perhaps because of this, and the fact that I had a better view for Act 4 than before - (I even spotted the lake, Indigo !) the ending felt more powerful and logical too this time. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 22 hours ago, Lizbie1 said: It's no bad thing to be considered a suitable partner for Osipova. She's one of the biggest names in ballet, after all! Yes I agree Osipova is an amazing ballerina. I am full of admiration for her artistry. And I think it's fantastic that he is considered suitable to partner her, and he definitely is. It's just that I love the beautiful partnership he has with Nagdhi and I'm hoping to see a lot more of it 😍 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 I thought it was a bit of a mixed bag yesterday evening. I liked Akane Takada very much: she combines excellent technique with a vulnerability and fragility that works for the white act but she is equally convincing playing the vamp in the black act. Unusually for him, Federico Bonelli seemed initially rather bland and subdued, he looked washed out in the costume. He is still a reliable partner even if he is now past the heyday of his solo virtuosity. He wisely chose to execute a more modest version of the black act solo than Vadim Muntigirov but even so, he seemed strained. However, it all came together in the last act; for me there is still no one who runs on to the stage with the depth of yearning that Bonelli can convey. This partnership was at it's best in the final pdd and I appreciated the beauty of Scarlett's additions considerably more than I did on the opening night. Nonetheless, the final moments where Siegfried disappears to gather the body of the dead princess still sits uncomfortably with the music. These days nothing James Hay does is less than sublime in my eyes and his Benno was no exception. He has a beautiful classical line, so the costume which unfortunately tended to make others look like the Nutcracker, is more flattering on Hay. His dancing was superb; IMO he is the only man in the company whose classical technique rivals Muntagirov in its brilliance. His characterisation had an appropriate warmth and dignity. From my vantage point (stalls circle standing) the corps seemed slightly ragged - but frankly with the sheer number of shows and stage calls they must be exhausted. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRR Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 (edited) Yes, I appreciated Takada more on a second viewing. Perhaps sitting father back flatters some of her work: she has wonderful rippling swan port de bras with pliant extension and a very regal back. I still didn't find myself especially moved as her dramatic instincts don't always translate to the back of the house, but overall she seemed freer than on Saturday. Her suicide scene in both shows seemed rather anti-climactic, however. She acquitted herself well with a new partner, and her strong technique helped her in this regard. Takada's fouettes were weaker than on Saturday, and there were a few partnering issues which showed a lack of rehearsal, but these are minor quibbles. Bonelli is a subtle prince, favoring a more introspective approach than Bracewell on Saturday. Technically he is showing his age in some areas (his arabesque is much lower), but his cabrioles, if not especially big, were very clean, and he finished the variation with a nifty double tour-pirouette-double tour sequence out of Theme and Variations. He was obviously pacing himself throughout the beginning of the ballet to have enough left in the tank for Black Swan pas and Act IV. Actually without Muntagirov onstage, Siegfried's role has seemed very limited in this production aside from partnering. He gets three pas de deux with O/O, but only one real variation in the whole ballet and hardly any dancing at his own birthday. Bonelli's small-scaled interpretation made this all the more evident. Pas de trois was a mixed bag. James Hay's dancing has amazing clarity, articulation, and vigor, surpassing the challenges technically with flying colors. Yuhui Choe has given perhaps the best performance of the second girl's variation so far: wonderfully serene and lyrical. I'm not normally fan of Choe, but the classical, princessy roles suit her perfectly. Claire Calvert was the one weak point, perhaps an off night? She has beautiful feet but otherwise looked tired and detached. The first girl's variation has plenty of batterie which is not her strong suit, and she had some strange spacing to her manege (both the turning sequence in the first variation and the saut de basque in the coda). One random comment, but watching Matthew Ball among the 12 corps men in Act I already makes me jealous for those who will see his Siegfried. Just standing onstage, he already looks a prince. Edited May 23, 2018 by MRR 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 (edited) 51 minutes ago, MRR said: Actually without Muntagirov onstage, Siegfried's role has seemed very limited in this production aside from partnering. He gets three pas de deux with O/O, but only one real variation in the whole ballet and hardly any dancing at his own birthday. Bonelli's small-scaled interpretation made this all the more evident. This is one of the aspects of the production that I don't understand. Scarlett stated several times that he wanted his Swan Lake to be Siegfried's story but he then lets Benno have the more obvious stage time and the more prominent costumes. I think that I have already suggested that even a moody Prince could dance a bit with the corps either side of the Act 1 pas de trois but, instead, he is left to lurk by a bench or leave the stage entirely. I know that, in addition to the 'black swan variation', there is the lovely soliloquy between Acts 1 and 2 and that the Prince breaks free at times in the Act 4 pas de deux but, since HE is the man on the journey, we need more dancing from him - whoever is playing him. Edited May 23, 2018 by capybara 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Yes, having still only seen this on opening night, I did wonder then what the difference was between Siegfried here and in any other production of SL. I didn't notice that he had much more to do than any other Siegfried, so I too was a bit deflated by this lack after having been told that this production would reflect Siegfried's story much more. Maybe the reason that SL is not being shown again next season is so that Liam can tweak the production, and maybe then show it in final, final form next time out! I would love for him to change the ending..... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sim said: Maybe the reason that SL is not being shown again next season is so that Liam can tweak the production, and maybe then show it in final, final form next time out! I would love for him to change the ending..... Me too. In fact, I've just composed a letter to him requesting that he do just that!! (Flaming cheek, I know.) 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Please feel free to tell him that many of us agree with you about the ending, Bridie, as do some of the critics, as well. Do let us know if you get a response!! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 13 minutes ago, bridiem said: Me too. In fact, I've just composed a letter to him requesting that he do just that!! (Flaming cheek, I know.) I don't think so. It would be a foolish choreographer who ignored feedback and Liam Scarlett has shown a willingness to tweak in the light of experience before. Were I in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to resist taking a peek at comments on the ROH and this website as well as the published reviews. I wonder whether he does? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 25 minutes ago, capybara said: I don't think so. It would be a foolish choreographer who ignored feedback and Liam Scarlett has shown a willingness to tweak in the light of experience before. Were I in his shoes, I wouldn't be able to resist taking a peek at comments on the ROH and this website as well as the published reviews. I wonder whether he does? I sure hope so....he would find largely positive comments but with just a few suggestions of how the production can be made even more appealing and successful. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Sim said: Yes, having still only seen this on opening night, I did wonder then what the difference was between Siegfried here and in any other production of SL. I didn't notice that he had much more to do than any other Siegfried, so I too was a bit deflated by this lack after having been told that this production would reflect Siegfried's story much more. And then we get a prologue with Odette's backstory ... I'm still wondering what happened about the "Siegfried will be on stage virtually all the time" bit, too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terpsichore Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Just a quickie to say that I am back from the Smoke and thoroughly enjoyed last night's performance of Scarlett's Swan Lake at Covent Garden. I have seen a lot of performances of Swan Lake in my time but IMHO yesterday's was one of the best ever and indeed one of the best performances of anything that I have seen at Covent Garden. I appreciated the upgrading of Rothbart's role from scary cape waving sorcerer on a rock to even more scary ambitious and scheming court insider. It added an extra dynamic to the story and for me made it more realistic. The enhanced role was danced convincingly by Bennet Gartside. From where I was sitting (row L1 in the stalls) he reminded me a little bit of Mr Putin. I had chosen the 22 for my foray south in order to see Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli. Kevin O'Hare came on stage just before the start to say that she had been injured. I do hope not seriously. Her place was taken by Akane Takada who had only danced the role once before on Saturday according to O'Hare. She was enchanting and I was not in the least disappointed by the casting change though I hope to see Cuthbertson in the role one day. Bonelli was still there and he was great. I appreciated all Macfarlane's set designs but particularly the last scene featuring the rock in monochrome. I also liked the costumes especially the uniforms of the men and Benno and Siegfried's outfits in particular. It was worth the astronomical ticket price and the tedious journey there and back relieved only by the pleasure of bumping into Michelle Richer in the buffet car. The train had been delayed by signalling problems just outside Donnie and had to wait at Newark and Grantham to make way for fast trains. At Peterborough it broke down altogether. So much for re-nationalization. Michelle and I had to stand for the last bit of the journey but we had a great chat so time passed quickly. I have written a longer review in my blog if anybody is interested. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 9 minutes ago, Terpsichore said: Her place was taken by Akane Takada who had only danced the role once before on Saturday according to O'Hare. In that production. She had already danced it several times in the previous production - and I have a feeling she may have replaced Cuthbertson in that one, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 Via Twitter: "Town&Country" magazine tweeted this link: http://www.townandcountrymag.co.uk/Culture/yasmine-naghdi-swan-lake-at-the-royal-opera 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 The Swan Lake and Me event before the show tonight (23th May) featured Zenaida Zanowsky, William Bracewell and Olga Evreinoff being interviewed by Christopher Cook (who hadn't seen the new production!). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 17 minutes ago, capybara said: The Swan Lake and Me event before the show tonight (23th May) featured Zenaida Zanowsky, William Bracewell and Olga Evreinoff being interviewed by Christopher Cook (who hadn't seen the new production!). ‘I was just wondering, did you ever consider having more horses in it?’😂 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Newman Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Xandra Newman said: Via Twitter: "Town&Country" magazine tweeted this link: http://www.townandcountrymag.co.uk/Culture/yasmine-naghdi-swan-lake-at-the-royal-opera Such a shame they didn't show/use any photos of her as Odette/Odile Why a photo of her as Giselle when the interview is all about Swan Lake ! ?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 33 minutes ago, Rob S said: ‘I was just wondering, did you ever consider having more horses in it?’😂 I wasn't at the event, but funnily enough, the other night Mr Indigo was asking me whether his favourite RB performer, Peregrine the Pony, might be in Swan Lake or any of the other ballets in the 2018/19 season!!! 😁 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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