The Royal Ballet: Mayerling, Autumn 2018

[penelopesimpson]

11 hours ago, MissMonk said:

 

 

I too relay heavily on the cinema relays from ROH. I haven't read the rest of the thread yet but I'm pretty sure I'm one of the few actually excited for McRae's broadcasts. I make it no secret I am a fan of his (and Lamb especially together), but that aside, casting is not a democracy and the ROH is a company that seeks to make money. Just look at their social media stats and you'll see both McRae and Nunez are amongst the most followed ROH dancers by people world wide so it makes sense that they are cast in more broadcasts. People world wide who can't get to the opera house wants to see them.  It makes no sense to spread the broadcasts out more evenly.  Casting, ballet, and life isn't fair especially where money is involved. If we want to talk fair I don't think its fair to put down the dancers just because they're popular and get more broadcasts. They're popular for a reason, because they're talented and good at marketing themselves and people want to watch them. I get that people are upset and want to see others in the roles but that doesn't mean you need to put down the other people.

 

On a side note with all the lamenting of Bonelli/Morea not getting enough broadcasts compared to McRae, Nunez, Lamb, and Ospiova - No one seems to be commenting on the increased number of Muntagirov  broadcasts in the past year. Or that principals like Kish, Campbell, Hirano, and Soares rarely has any at all.

 

Also if you want to get technical, McRae has 20 cinema broadcasts where he played the lead in case you were wondering. Not including that "Fall of the house of Usher" which is a really weird one, and 5 that i know of where he was minor parts like Bratfish in 2009's Mayerling.

 

Though I would have liked to see Bonelli in this role as I very much like him.

 

I do apologize in advance if i have offended anyone, I just wanted to give my 2 cents on it.

 

20 Mins Later: Ok I read the rest of the thread. Good points everybody. I still stand by mine but meh. Lets just wish them all a great season and call it a day.

 

 

 

 

A well-thought out post with great truth.  RB has to make money and if the public want to see those they consider 'bankable stars,' then you can hardly blame management for its choices.  Personally, I think its a pity to show Macrae in Mayerling because it is not Macrae at its best, which means the audience are neither seeing the true star nor this absorbing ballet as it should be.  But you are absolutely right in what you say.

[yvonnep]

On 04/09/2018 at 16:23, penelopesimpson said:

A well-thought out post with great truth.  RB has to make money and if the public want to see those they consider 'bankable stars,' then you can hardly blame management for its choices.  Personally, I think its a pity to show Macrae in Mayerling because it is not Macrae at its best, which means the audience are neither seeing the true star nor this absorbing ballet as it should be.  But you are absolutely right in what you say.

 

Does RB make most money by cinema broadcasts and the DVDs they sell? If that is not the case, IMHO who gets relayed in cinema should be decided based on artistic merit instead of popularity, because it is also the company's responsibility to promote the best of the British ballet school, which in turn will produce more stars at RB and benefit the company financially in the long run.

 

P.S. Instead of a Mayerling broadcast I would rather get a Winter Dreams one which hasn't been broadcasted for more than two decades if I remember correctly, but that is another question of course

[MissMonk]

20 minutes ago, yvonnep said:

 

Does RB make most money by cinema broadcasts and the DVDs they sell? If that is not the case, IMHO who gets relayed in cinema should be decided based on artistic merit instead of popularity, because it is also the company's responsibility to promote the best of the British ballet school, which in turn will produce more stars at RB and benefit the company financially in the long run.

 

 

The ones who are getting the relays do have artistic merit. There's no debate here that the ones cast in these relays do not have it. Wanting to see someone else in a role or believing someone is not right for the role doesn't diminish the artistic merit of the ones their commenting against.

 

And the company is out to make money as they are a business, so if the royal ballet school dancers aren't good enough, why should they get priority just because they went there?

 

 

[Coated]

Thankfully we don't live in a world where experienced and reliably good dancers who were cast in the relay are artistically defective, nor is the upcoming crop of RB trained principals not 'good enough'. We all have our favourites, but it remains a truism that not every child can win the egg race on sports day. 

[JohnS]

Having thought a bit more about the Bonelli/Morera Mayerling and how fabulous it was last time, I decided to book for their second performance which brings to a close this run of Mayerling.  As a bonus I was pleased to see some reasonable La Bayadere rehearsal tickets had just been released.  For me it's Siegfried the next day so I'm relieved there's no performance during the day and I have chance to visit the galleries and see what 'Open Up' offers.

[Blossom]

Can anyone recommend a helpful and detailed plot summary which includes which women are which by the order on which they come on stage? My first Mayerling was last season and I was quite confused for a good stretch...  

 

As a result, can’t say I loved it, but I won’t be beaten!

[MissMonk]

41 minutes ago, Blossom said:

Can anyone recommend a helpful and detailed plot summary which includes which women are which by the order on which they come on stage? My first Mayerling was last season and I was quite confused for a good stretch...  

 

As a result, can’t say I loved it, but I won’t be beaten!

 

That would be so nice. I attempted watching the 2009 one with Edward Watson. There are way too many characters. I haven't a clue who any body is.

[bridiem]

See https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/mayerling which includes a detailed plot summary.

[alison]

... but interestingly only lists one video, the Mukhamedov one.

 

I thought we had a list of who enters in the initial parade, but perhaps it was on the old site.

[Josephine]

I have found this page helpful (although there are omissions in the plot summary given here):

http://www.theballetbag.com/2009/06/22/mayerling/

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by Josephine

[bangorballetboy]

And the "family tree" with pictures can be found here

[Blossom]

4 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

And the "family tree" with pictures can be found here

 

So I actually found the family tree quite confusing previously because you can’t look at it as the ballet is running. I think I need to pick up a dvd to truly swot up!

 

thanks for the plot summary links!

[RuthE]

On ‎12‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 07:14, JohnS said:

Having thought a bit more about the Bonelli/Morera Mayerling and how fabulous it was last time, I decided to book for their second performance which brings to a close this run of Mayerling.  As a bonus I was pleased to see some reasonable La Bayadere rehearsal tickets had just been released.  For me it's Siegfried the next day so I'm relieved there's no performance during the day and I have chance to visit the galleries and see what 'Open Up' offers.

 

I'm doing that particular Ring cycle too, and have, like you, decided to fit in both the Bayadere rehearsal AND the Bonelli/Morera Mayerling on that Tuesday.  Like you, I spotted yesterday that the various "removable/wheelchair space" seats had been put on sale, and was able to get a good seat both for the rehearsal and for a performance of Bayadere I'd been waiting for.

Edited September 13, 2018 by RuthE

[alison]

Flipping heck, £34?!  I've rarely, if ever, paid more than £25 for those seats for a ballet before now.  Oh well, guess I'll keep looking for standing room, then.

[Richard LH]

2 hours ago, RuthE said:

 

I'm doing that particular Ring cycle too, and have, like you, decided to fit in both the Bayadere rehearsal AND the Bonelli/Morera Mayerling on that Tuesday.  Like you, I spotted yesterday that the various "removable/wheelchair space" seats had been put on sale, and was able to get a good seat both for the rehearsal and for a performance of Bayadere I'd been waiting for.

Those wheelchair seats are good ones to look out for, nearer the time, if they are not taken. ROH told me previously they are released about 8 weeks before the performance. 

[Richard LH]

On 12/09/2018 at 07:14, JohnS said:

Having thought a bit more about the Bonelli/Morera Mayerling and how fabulous it was last time, I decided to book for their second performance which brings to a close this run of Mayerling.  As a bonus I was pleased to see some reasonable La Bayadere rehearsal tickets had just been released.  For me it's Siegfried the next day so I'm relieved there's no performance during the day and I have chance to visit the galleries and see what 'Open Up' offers.

John (also Ruth) thanks for mentioning the (La Bayadere) rehearsal  - have just got a couple of tickets. Having not been to one before, I am wondering what to expect? Presumably it is a full dress rehearsal, being just before opening night? Any idea of the likely timing,  comfort breaks  etc.?! 😧

 

Edited September 13, 2018 by Richard LH

[alison]

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

Those wheelchair seats are good ones to look out for, nearer the time, if they are not taken. ROH told me previously they are released about 8 weeks before the performance. 

 

It totally varies.  I've known it be a few days after booking has opened.  Anyway, as I said elsewhere, given the unpredictability of whether you get a reasonable view or not, I'm not going to risk £30+ on them.  I mean, you really shouldn't be needing a booster cushion on top of a tall seat just so you can see over the people in front of you.

 

EDIT: Hang on, are we talking about the row C tall seats, as I was, or the row B movable seats?

[capybara]

42 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

John (also Ruth) thanks for mentioning the (La Bayadere) rehearsal  - have just got a couple of tickets. Having not been to one before, I am wondering what to expect? Presumably it is a full dress rehearsal, being just before opening night? Any idea of the likely timing,  comfort breaks  etc.?! 😧

 

 

The rehearsal is at 12.30pm and there are 3 acts and two normal length intervals. The only possible 'snag' is that, very occasionally, they run a fire drill with a rehearsal audience.

For La Bayadere, the 'General', as they call it is two days before opening night so it might feature the opening night cast. More often than not, the 'first cast' doesn't appear as it would be too close to their show.

 

For the most part, these rehearsals feel like a show although some principals may not dance full out. You have a treat in store.

[Richard LH]

Great, thank you capybara.

[ninamargaret]

3 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Those wheelchair seats are good ones to look out for, nearer the time, if they are not taken. ROH told me previously they are released about 8 weeks before the performance. 

are these SC Row B 82-85? if so they're lovely! Proper seats, raised a little. I 've had them for opera but never lucky enough to get them for ballet. There is a bit of an overhang from The grand tier but nothing major

[Blossom]

23 hours ago, bridiem said:

See https://www.kennethmacmillan.com/mayerling which includes a detailed plot summary.

This is perfect! 

[Richard LH]

16 hours ago, alison said:

 

It totally varies.  I've known it be a few days after booking has opened.  Anyway, as I said elsewhere, given the unpredictability of whether you get a reasonable view or not, I'm not going to risk £30+ on them.  I mean, you really shouldn't be needing a booster cushion on top of a tall seat just so you can see over the people in front of you.

 

EDIT: Hang on, are we talking about the row C tall seats, as I was, or the row B movable seats?

 

14 hours ago, ninamargaret said:

are these SC Row B 82-85? if so they're lovely! Proper seats, raised a little. I 've had them for opera but never lucky enough to get them for ballet. There is a bit of an overhang from The grand tier but nothing major

Alison, ninamargaret, I had in mind in particular SC B28-31 & B82-85 (removeable, standard) and C83-86 & C27-30 (tall, loose) but this shows all the wheelchair and companion spaces -

Edited September 14, 2018 by Richard LH

[RuthE]

Yes, I was talking about the row B seats personally.  I love them.  It's depressing to note that in the ROH's recent pricing structure review, the fixed seats next to them (B32-34 etc) have become the same price, even though they are far worse seats with poor sightlines.

 

(Edit: not sure if I've got the numbers right here as I was talking about the Balcony and I just noticed that at least part of the preceding discussion was about the Stalls Circle.  The seats I especially like in this category are the Balcony row B ones.)

Edited September 14, 2018 by RuthE

[alison]

I think all these seat price revisions must have been done by people who haven't actually sat through a performance in them.  What a surprise.

 

Do they release the spare seats for all the wheelchair sections simultaneously?  I've never noticed the others, but then I'm not usually looking at the Grand Tier and Stalls Circle at that time.

[RuthE]

I never notice any coming up in the Grand Tier (perhaps they are in highest demand and therefore usually sell out to wheelchair users) but I often see ones becoming available at the edges of Stalls Circle B-C at the same time as those in Balcony B-C.

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Do they release the spare seats for all the wheelchair sections simultaneously?

I think so, but you would need to check with the ROH to be sure.

[Sophoife]

On 30/08/2018 at 19:58, saki said:

To come back to Mayerling - other than Hirano, who is debuting

 

That could be exciting. I had the felicity of seeing Bonelli/Morera last year as my first live Mayerling, was so blown away I went to the box office in the interval and bought a ticket for that night (Soares/Cuthbertson). Then, thanks to @Bluebird I got one for Watson/Osipova as well. I would happily have watched any of those casts again, and ... well, the whole trip was timed around those shows, as Mayerling wasn't one of the cinema relays! 

Edited September 21, 2018 by Sophoife
Wrong content window for original content.

[imogensevans]

I’d be really grateful for a bit of advice about who to see in Mayerling.  I’ve previously seen Edward Watson and Carlos Acosta perform the role. I’ve booked to see the live relay, but I’m unsure about whether to see Hirano, Soares or Bonelli. 😬 I’m sure they’ll all give very different interpretations of Prince Rudolf. Any thoughts? 

 

Edited September 28, 2018 by imogensevans

[alison]

Well, people were raving about Bonelli last time around.  I had to miss virtually all the performances, so couldn't comment, myself. Hirano is a debutant, of course.

[ninamargaret]

2 hours ago, imogensevans said:

I’d be really grateful for a bit of advice about who to see in Mayerling.  I’ve previously seen Edward Watson and Carlos Acosta perform the role. I’ve booked to see the live relay, but I’m unsure about whether to see Hirano, Soares or Bonelli. 😬 I’m sure they’ll all give very different interpretations of Prince Rudolf. Any thoughts? 

 

Having seen Watson. McRae, Soares and Bonelli last time around, I'd say Bonelli. A beautiful performance, especially with Morera as Mary.

[Jamesrhblack]

Bonelli, with Morera and Cowley, was the absolute stand out cast last time for me: I was lucky enough to see all four. As it happens, he and Morera are the only cast I can see this time around because of Ring duties and I'm looking forward to it very much, albeit with a little trepidation lest they are unable to match eighteen months on what remains seared in to my memory as one of my great ballet experiences...

[imogensevans]

Thank you for all your advice about who to see as Prince Rudolf. I think it’ll have to be Bonelli. Hope I can find the theatre vouchers my mother-in-law gave me for my last birthday! 

[capybara]

I have just received this e-mail. So sorry for Edward Watson. Another wonderful opportunity for Matthew Ball.

 

Cast change for The Royal Ballet's Mayerling

8 October 2018 at 7.30pm
13 October 2018 at 1.30pm
13 October 2018 at 7pm
19 October 2018 at 7.30pm
20 October 2018 at 7pm

 

Our records show that you are due to attend a performance of Mayerling. We are contacting you to let you know that due to injury, Edward Watson will be replaced by Ryoichi Hirano as Crown Prince Rudolf for three performances of Mayerling on 8, 13 and 19 October. 

Ryoichi Hirano will be replaced by Matthew Ball as Crown Prince Rudolf for the matinee performance on 13 October and the evening performance on 20 October.

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by capybara