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Royal Ballet - Don Quixote - Spring 2019


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2 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Has Open Up increased running costs, though? (Genuine question!) And if it has, to what degree has this been offset by increased revenue from catering etc?

 

Catering is contracted-out, so I don't think there's a significant difference in cost by having an additional café/bar.  If there is an increase in cost, it's from running the extra events, and that is surely a good thing.

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3 minutes ago, capybara said:

I would have thought that there was a huge increase in the number and cost of 'Ushers', especially during the day.

 

But the house was open during the day before anyway so I don't think there's a significant increase there. There is, however, a bit more security, as there are more doors directly into the house.

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3 hours ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

But the house was open during the day before anyway so I don't think there's a significant increase there. There is, however, a bit more security, as there are more doors directly into the house.

On those occasions when I have come in via the piazza, the additional security arrangements have appeared entirely voluntary. Those entrants who have approached the security man have had their bags (cursorily) checked, those who have ignored him have been allowed to walk straight through. When I volunteered my bag, a small torch was shone across the top with no attempt to check the contents.

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Last Friday evening, entering via the piazza along with a number of others, all of whom walked straight past a security man who totally ignored everyone, my friends and I made a point of turning back to present the six or more bags that we had between us. The security man flashed a small torch across the top of my (unopened) handbag and made no attempt to look at or inside that bag or any of the other bags. Everyone else entering at the same time just walked straight through.

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28 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

Any link to photos taken during the General Rehearsal on Friday? Normally there is.

 

There was a photo in the print edition of today's Guardian.  I can't find it on line but have scanned it.  Apologies for the low resolution.  It was the only way I could reduce the size of the file so that I could post it here.

Don Q General rehearsal reduced.GIF

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1 hour ago, Xandra Newman said:

Thank you Richard LH.

This is a cinema teaser :) but I was referring to the usual link re. General Rehearsal photos normally provided on here 

Yes I know Xandra, sorry I didn't post this in response to your request...instead I was going to respond to that by linking to the Guardian pics of Yasmine and Marcelino, but Bluebird got there first!

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2 hours ago, Xandra Newman said:

Any link to photos taken during the General Rehearsal on Friday? Normally there is.

 

not all the photographers went to the general rehearsal, as there was a 'mini' photo call of the leads in the opening night cast, earlier in the week. Those have been posted earlier in the thread.

You'd have to search out the postings from some of those photographers to find the pics from the general - or the first two acts anyway, due to the fire alarm

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4 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Back to Don Quixote, here is a link to the Live Cinema cast list for tomorrow night....

 

http://static.roh.org.uk/showings/don-quixote-live-2019/en.pdf?_ga=2.162395900.1172474542.1550503105-1008816553.1550503105

I went to the rehearsal of this cast and have a full cast list.

With a big health warning, as this might not be accurate - here are some of the other characters:

 

Lorenzo - Bennet Gartside

Gamache - Thomas Whitehead

4 Rascals - Dyer, Acri, Junker, Serrano

6 Matadors - Dubreuil, Richardson, Donnelly, Brendsrod, Churches, Dixon

6 Gamache Women - Maeda, Atkins, Nikelski, Yu Hang, Townsend, Allnatt

 

8 Sequidilla couples

Ladies: 

Rosco, Buvoli, Dean, Dias, Lubach, Katsura, Bradbury, Sasaki

Men:

Yudes, Sissens, Aumeer, Bell, O'Brien, Jun, Emerton, Lee

 

Gary Avis played DonQ at the rehearsal, so appears to be have been replaced by Christopher Saunders.

All other main characters are the same as the online rehearsal sheet. 

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19 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

Gary Avis played DonQ at the rehearsal, so appears to be have been replaced by Christopher Saunders.

All other main characters are the same as the online rehearsal sheet. 

 

In the schedule of performances on his own website Gary Avis states that he is Lorenzo on Tue 19 Feb:

https://www.garyavis.com/schedule/

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21 minutes ago, JennyTaylor said:

Gary Avis played DonQ at the rehearsal, so appears to be have been replaced by Christopher Saunders.

All other main characters are the same as the online rehearsal sheet. 

 

Maybe at that rehearsal (which I was also fortunate to attend) Gary Avis played the Don because Christopher Saunders was 'taking' the rehearsal.

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11 hours ago, JennyTaylor said:

I went to the rehearsal of this cast and have a full cast list.

With a big health warning, as this might not be accurate

 

I don't know about that rehearsal Jenny but as well as Avis playing Lorenzo, I think there were one or two differences from your list of ladies/men groups when the Takada/Campbell cast played on Saturday.   Anyway this is the main cast list for tonight, as now displayed on the ROH website. I don't think they will publish any more details about the groups, so that will be an observational test. 

On Saturday Lara Turk was the lucky tavern girl who becomes   Gamache's final bride choice, as well as Dulcinea.

 

Cast

DON QUIXOTE CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS
SANCHO PANZA PHILIP MOSLEY
LORENZO GARY AVIS
KITRI AKANE TAKADA
BASILIO ALEXANDER CAMPBELL
GAMACHE THOMAS WHITEHEAD
ESPADA VALENTINO ZUCCHETTI
MERCEDES MAYARA MAGRI
KITRI’S FRIENDS YUHUI CHOE, BEATRIZ STIX-BRUNELL
TWO MATADORS NICOL EDMONDS, BENJAMIN ELLA
GYPSY COUPLE ITZIAR MENDIZABAL, TOMAS MOCK
THE QUEEN OF THE DRYADS FUMI KANEKO
AMOUR ANNA ROSE O’SULLIVAN
DULCINEA LARA TURK
FANDANGO COUPLE GINA STORM-JENSEN, NICOL EDMONDS
TOWNSPEOPLE, MATADORS, ARTISTS OF THE ROYAL BALLET,
GYPSIES, DRYADS STUDENTS AND JUNIOR ASSOCIATES OF THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL

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Perhaps this is just the "new normal" - that productions, even "classical" ones, *are* taking a lot longer to sell than they used to?  After all, the run has been on sale since last autumn.  Even Romeo & Juliet appears to be taking a lot longer to sell than I'd imagined, given that it's been absent for 3 years.  The increased prices may also be having an effect, of course - but then, yer makes yer bed, and yer lies in it, as they say.

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16 hours ago, Richard LH said:

 

I don't know about that rehearsal Jenny but as well as Avis playing Lorenzo, I think there were one or two differences from your list of ladies/men groups when the Takada/Campbell cast played on Saturday.   Anyway this is the main cast list for tonight, as now displayed on the ROH website. I don't think they will publish any more details about the groups, so that will be an observational test. 

On Saturday Lara Turk was the lucky tavern girl who becomes   Gamache's final bride choice, as well as Dulcinea.

 

Cast

DON QUIXOTE CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS
SANCHO PANZA PHILIP MOSLEY
LORENZO GARY AVIS
KITRI AKANE TAKADA
BASILIO ALEXANDER CAMPBELL
GAMACHE THOMAS WHITEHEAD
ESPADA VALENTINO ZUCCHETTI
MERCEDES MAYARA MAGRI
KITRI’S FRIENDS YUHUI CHOE, BEATRIZ STIX-BRUNELL
TWO MATADORS NICOL EDMONDS, BENJAMIN ELLA
GYPSY COUPLE ITZIAR MENDIZABAL, TOMAS MOCK
THE QUEEN OF THE DRYADS FUMI KANEKO
AMOUR ANNA ROSE O’SULLIVAN
DULCINEA LARA TURK
FANDANGO COUPLE GINA STORM-JENSEN, NICOL EDMONDS
TOWNSPEOPLE, MATADORS, ARTISTS OF THE ROYAL BALLET,
GYPSIES, DRYADS STUDENTS AND JUNIOR ASSOCIATES OF THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL

As far as I could see, this is the cast who danced this evening, yes.  I enjoyed it very much in the cinema

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I saw the live screening tonight - full house in Wimbledon. Scintillating dancing from everyone, and such commitment and energy - just brilliant. In fact it was almost too much for me - there was so much activity and busyness and acting going on that I felt quite exhausted (sitting there in my comfortable seat...). Maybe it was seeing it all in close up that made it a bit much; it'll be interesting to see what it's like seeing it from the Amphi later this month. Takada and Campbell both pulled out all the stops. Unfortunately the second one-handed lift in Act 1 went wrong, but they dealt with it very professionally and the rest of the performance was immaculate. I did find Takada too reserved though; she smiled winningly, but I never felt she was actually inhabiting the character. But technically she was amazing and so beautiful. Campbell was brilliant technically AND I found him totally credible (and very amusing) as the charming, smitten lover. The rest of the cast worked their socks (or tights) off, and I thought Anna Rose O'Sullivan was a thrilling Amour - so fast, and so bewitching. I can't say that Don Q will ever be my favourite ballet (and I'd forgotten quite how bonkers the plot is), but it's worth seeing for all the superb dancing opportunities (and the striking design, in this production).

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Another wonderful performance tonight.  I am liking Akane Takada more and more each time I see her. I will hold my hands up and admit that it took me a long time to understand why she was made a principal, but now I totally get it and am a huge admirer of hers. I thought she did embody the character very convincingly, and maybe this came through more in the theatre than on the screen.  She is different from other Kitris in that her portrayal is perhaps more subtle...but she uses her eyes so well and so flirtatiously that it’s all there, but in a less overt way.  Her dancing is sublime, so assured and so beautiful.  Alexander Campbell was excellent...so much fun and a natural comedian.  Fumi Kaneko once again was luminous as the Queen of the Dryads, pulling out those Italian fouettés like very few can (bring on Lilac Fairy!), and Anna-Rose O’Sullivan sparkled like a diamond as Amour.  Valentino Zucchetti and Mayara Magri were fine as Espada and Mercedes, but they lack the sheer presence and chemistry of Hirano and Morera in the roles.  The whole cast had lots of fun, and therefore so did I!

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