Royal Ballet - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (March 2013)

[zxDaveM]

Here are a couple of sample photos from the current revival of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the Royal Ballet. Young Beatriz Stix Brunell has made the part her own, I reckon!

 

Royal Ballet - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (White Rabbit, Brian Maloney; Alice, Beatriz Stix-Brunell)
© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr



Royal Ballet - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Rupert Pennefather, Beatriz Stix-Brunell)
© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr



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Set from DanceTabs - The Royal Ballet's The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland 2013
Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr
By kind Permission of the Royal Opera House

Edited March 18, 2013 by zxDaveM

[alison]

Thanks, Dave.

 

Does anyone know whether Wheeldon's made any more changes to it this time around, or do we now have something approaching a definitive version?

[zxDaveM]

Thanks, Dave.

 

Does anyone know whether Wheeldon's made any more changes to it this time around, or do we now have something approaching a definitive version?

 

In the Insight, Jacquelin Barrett said not, and I can't say I noticed anything different from this time last year.

[annamk]

Here are a couple of sample photos from the current revival of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the Royal Ballet. Young Beatriz Stix Brunell has made the part her own, I reckon!

 

 

The Friends rehearsal was the first time I'd seen her dance Alice and I thought she was fabulous !

 

 

 

Edited to make sense !

Edited March 18, 2013 by annamk

[Arky]

Lovely pictures, Dave - thank you. Beatriz is a great dancer and I was delighted to see her dance Alice again on Saturday.

 

Unfortunately she doen't appear to have had many roles since she was a made a soloist last year. Let's hope the autumn will bring her more.

[chrischris]

How full are the friends rehearsals usually? Never been, and just wondered whether they were performing in front of a full house, half full, just a few people etc

[loveclassics]

Lovely photos as usual Dave.  Many thanks.  I saw Ms Brunell last time she played Alice and I agree that she is perfect in the role.

[loveclassics]

How full are the friends rehearsals usually? Never been, and just wondered whether they were performing in front of a full house, half full, just a few people etc

I've only been lucky enough to go to a few and found the house pretty full above the dress circle level but mostly photographers in the stalls with a lot of empty seats behind them.

[bangorballetboy]

Lovely pictures, Dave - thank you. Beatriz is a great dancer and I was delighted to see her dance Alice again on Saturday. Unfortunately she doen't appear to have had many roles since she was a made a soloist last year. Let's hope the autumn will bring her more.

Unfortunately Stix-Brunell has been injured for most of the season so far which meant she has missed out on a number of planned roles.

[Arky]

That explains a lot, bangorballetboy. Let's hope Beatrix can continue to flourish again now she is fit again. I feel that she has a great future ahead of her.

[Ian Macmillan]

Thinking back to the opening run of Alice in 2011, my recollection is that the critics were rather overwhelmed by the effects - as I was myself at times - but the reviews so far this time sound different in that regard.  (By the way, Debra Craine gave the show a 4* review in today's paywall-protected Times.)  Just a thought.

 

And I'm delighted to see the reviews that Zenaida Yanowsky is getting as Queen of Hearts - it sounds as if she's in an even higher and more manic gear than back in 2011.  Can't believe I'm missing her this year - even the cinema performance in Cambridge is sold out.

 

And anyone else fail to recognise Sarah Lamb with black hair?

[alison]

There's the odd seat at Hatfield Odeon, if that's any use.  Otherwise, I don't know how accessible Stratford and Hackney are for you?

[Nina G.]

Lovely photos as usual Dave.  Many thanks.  I saw Ms Brunell last time she played Alice and I agree that she is perfect in the role.

 And so will be Yuhui Choe! .... as well as a few other dancers I can think of

[chrischris]

Finally got round to seeing this on Monday night. I enjoyed it. Stix-Brunell was a good Alice, Pennefather was impressive and I enjoyed the whole cast of characters. I don't really think it's one for me though. A little bit too much like a pantomine

[zxDaveM]

Just got back from seeing it in the cinema, with the Sarah Lamb cast.

 

Pros of cinema visit: sitting down for not much cash and with a decent view; back home in less time than getting to the tube from ROH; superb closeup views; sound was well balanced and rich/detailed; the mini-films about the ballet, characters, and creators, and back-stage bits, were fun and informative (think most online now)

 

cons of cinema visit - the cinema I went to is a bit of a dive these days; no cast sheets again (last time at Nutcracker, they at least turned up at half time); the wider angle shots not so crisp, and very blue tinted; sometimes the shot wasn't on the bit you wanted to see; its still cheaper to stand in ROH

 

Overall though, enjoyed the experience once in my seat, and glad I went. I hadn't noticed watching it live - not even when photographing - how much of the projections are on the dancers (well, Alice really) in scenes such as the 'doors' (with the 'drink me' and 'eat me' bits). The HD cameras really picked that up - and not in a good way.

[Ann Williams]

I've just got back from seeing it too, at the Vue in Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, where a disastrous technical blip towards the end nearly ruined it for us all; the screen suddenly went blank,  the lights came and we were treated to about ten minutes of ads for the Vue Cinema with the sounds of the ballet still audible (Stephen McRae tapping).  At last the relay came back, just as a lovely Lamb-Bonelli pdd began and all was well until the end -  seven or so minutes later -  when the screen and went blank again to allow the management to apologize and  hand out complimentary tickets for a future Vue showing.

 

Apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, I enjoyed the show - Sarah Lamb's dancing was magnificent (truly. the only way I can describe it) and Bonelli - whose dancing is always perfect - was a romantic dream of a partner; he's my absolute favourite of the RB male dancers. I was sorry that the necessarily abrupt ending of the screening didn't allow for the cast list to appear because I couldn't recognise who was dancing what under the elaborate costuming and makeup, apart from Ed Watson and Zen (both terrific, Zen a real comic gem).  My only grumble was that I thought the music in Act 1 was pitched uncomfortably  high for a small cinema, but there may have been techinical reasons for this.  I loved the tweets, by the way, especially one from, I think, France saying "I want a jam tart NOW!"

[patsomerset]

I've just got back from seeing it too, at the Vue in Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, where a disastrous technical blip towards the end nearly ruined it for us all; the screen suddenly went blank,  the lights came and we were treated to about ten minutes of ads for the Vue Cinema with the sounds of the ballet still audible (Stephen McRae tapping).  At last the relay came back, just as a lovely Lamb-Bonelli pdd began and all was well until the end -  seven or so minutes later -  when the screen and went blank again to allow the management to apologize and  hand out complimentary tickets for a future Vue showing.

 

Apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, I enjoyed the show - Sarah Lamb's dancing was magnificent (truly. the only way I can describe it) and Bonelli - whose dancing is always perfect - was a romantic dream of a partner; he's my absolute favourite of the RB male dancers. I was sorry that the necessarily abrupt ending of the screening didn't allow for the cast list to appear because I couldn't recognise who was dancing what under the elaborate costuming and makeup, apart from Ed Watson and Zen (both terrific, Zen a real comic gem).  My only grumble was that I thought the music in Act 1 was pitched uncomfortably  high for a small cinema, but there may have been techinical reasons for this.  I loved the tweets, by the way, especially one from, I think, France saying "I want a jam tart NOW!"

Ann, we had the same problem with the sound at a Bolshoi transmission a year or so ago.  We found the manager in the interval who fetched a zapper, identical to the ones you use on your TV, and turned it down to an acceptable level in a flash!  I imagined it was beyond the control of the individual cinema but it seems not!  I agree uncomfortable levels of sound do spoil a performance.  I think cinemas still have a lot to learn about handling ballet transmissions and the audiences that go to them ie a cast sheet is good, people coming in late is not,  and the music does not need to dominate the performance

[sonik1965]

went to the cineworld (nottingham) showing of alice & had a very good time was luky that i had no probs with picture or sound issues it was my 1st

live relay and it was nice to see so many people there maybe not a sell out but not far off will be going to more in the future

[Lgny]

Just got back from seeing it in the cinema, with the Sarah Lamb cast.

 . I hadn't noticed watching it live - not even when photographing - how much of the projections are on the dancers (well, Alice really) in scenes such as the 'doors' (with the 'drink me' and 'eat me' bits). The HD cameras really picked that up - and not in a good way.

I was fortunate to see both the 27th and 28th performances live. The projections were not visible, at least to me, on the 27th but were visible, annoyingly so, especially during the scene you mention, during the performance on the 28th. There were no obvious lighting changes to explain the difference.

[alison]

So, McRae's back?  That's good to know.

[Arky]

Yes, Steven was brilliant as usual. Although Sarah Lamb danced well, I personally prefer Beatrice Stix-Brunell in the role.She is a wonderful dancer and throws herself into the part more, is very expressive and convincing as Alice. I think her youth helps too. On that note, it was good to see a good number of children at ROH last night.

Has anyone seen Yuhui's interpretation of Alice?

[MargaretN7]

Saw Yuhui's first performance as Alice last Saturday - delightful.

We may not have spring in our weather, but there was joyous spring in her Alice.

[Arky]

MargaretN7, I hope that they'll do Alice again next year, then I'll look out for Yuhui on the programme.

[capybara]

MargaretN7, I hope that they'll do Alice again next year, then I'll look out for Yuhui on the programme.

 

Of course, they are not doing Alice again next year. And the problem this year was that Yuhui was a replacement Alice and all seats were sold before her performances were announced. Those if us who may have already seen Lauren, Beatriz et al would especially have loved to catch Yuhui.

[Arky]

Capybra, I'd forgotten that. Pity. Ah well, the following year hopefully!

[JennyTaylor]

I went to the matinee today and we had Yuhui Choe and Nehemiah Kish - delightful.  I was particularly pleased to see Brian Maloney as the White Rabbit and Itziar Mendizaba was excellent as the Queen of Hearts. I always feel this is a show rather than a pure ballet but love it - pure enjoyment.

[Beryl H]

I'm looking forward to Thursday, I only booked Alice to see Beatriz Stix-Brunell and Rupert Pennefather, I have seen both before, but will be very happy to see Yuhui Choe, I've always thought she should have danced it, like Nehemiah Kish in this too.