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jmhopton

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About jmhopton

  • Birthday June 22

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Location:
    North West England
  • Interests
    reading, ballet, dogwalking

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  1. Gosh, fancy you remembering Emeralds. Yes I did manage my Sarasota tickets thanks, with a little help from my friends, and upgrading my membership to Friends+. Been dreaming of seeing Sarasota since seeing their lockdown streams and was determined not to miss seeing them if this proves to be their only visit. Fingers crossed as it's sold well and months ahead of the actual performance dates, they may return for the end of the Ashton celebrations (or even before). I too think it would have been a good idea to have at least staged the Gala on the main stage so people would be guaranteed at least one performance with a good range of seats. I know they're only doing small pieces but the RB post lockdown performances consisted of pas de deux and small pieces and no one said they were too small.
  2. I started a thread on Jan 1st this year as I usually do, for a 2024/25 wish list.
  3. Yes, Nutcracker working for me too. Looking good for Bayadere, and hopefully will be available for a while for those who can't make the broadcast on the 29th.
  4. On Roberta's link here it goes to the ballet website and says it will be streamed with this link (theirs is shorter). https://iumusiclive.music.indiana.edu/ Do you have to subscribe? Is it geo blocked? Would be interesting to see it.
  5. Yes, what is the overall PR strategy at the ROH? Are they solely dependent on social media? Some attractive posters outside/inside the building/bus stops/tubes may attract new viewers/tourists or perhaps re connect to previous ones who may not have been for a while. Perhaps a clip from the Macmillan Insight in the cafe area might help. It's a pity they don't seem to do many of the attractive posters they used to (too expensive?) I've got 3 lovely posters; of Alina in Giselle, Acosta/Nunez in Fille, and Putrov/Marquez in Cinderella. These are immediately attention grabbing and attractive and would encourage anyone to go and see these productions. Occasionally you do see posters in tube stations and they had a Cinderella London bus for the new production but today they seem mainly dependent on social media which is presumably where they think their 'new audience' will come from. A bit more attention to affordable ticket prices might make them retain more regulars who are being priced out of the art form they love.
  6. I'm with you, OnePigeon. I was never that keen on Sleeping Beauty until Hayward/Campbell performances converted me in a big way. I've never really enjoyed Swan Lake (though I don't know if I've ever confessed this before!) For some reason the white acts have always bored me though I love them in Giselle and Bayadere. Despite the wonderful casts I've only booked for Vadim and Fumi and had to think about doing even that. It's frustrating Vadim hardly ever seems to have matinées.
  7. Thanks Emeralds, apart from coughing a bit I'm much better now. Just as well as I'm starting jury service next week for the first time and am a bit apprehensive about the whole thing without the extra stress of not feeling well to add to it. At least I've got future performances booked to look forward to and keep me going if things get stressful. Thanks for altering my previous font, Alison. I knew it wasn't right but didn't know how to alter it.
  8. I forgot to say previously (head still a bit woolly, or even woolier than usual!) that I thought Vadim and Fumi were terrific together, certainly the best partnership I've seen him in apart from Nuñez (apart from possibly Morera though sadly he didn'tget chance to develop that for very long). Hopefully he'll keep Nuñez for at least some of the classics but it would be great to see him with a more regular partner for other ballets as well as a possible one off partnership, for example Osipova, for other ballets. Would love for him to reprise the Onegin debut he never made with Osipova, for example. This isn't intended to denigrate the Fumi/Will partnership at all, they are wonderful together, but all dancers need some variety with partners as well as rep. to stop getting stale and to bring a challenge to a familiar role. Matthew Ball seems to be branching out a bit also instead of always dancing with Yasmine. Anyway, I thought Vadim and Fumi went really well together and had great chemistry and am looking forward to their swan lake and Winter's Tale to see where their new partnership takes them.
  9. Coming in rather late with my review of the second Vadim/Fumi Manon as I've been feeling a bit off colour with a lurgy that lead to me cancelling their first performance, something that's never happened before. I thought the performance was really splendid, though perhaps slightly more uneven castwise than the Osipova one where every main cast member was just so good. In the Osipova cast, Alex as Lescault and Magri as his mistress gave (I thought) definitive interpretations; Gary has got Mr GM down to a fine art and Lukas BB was a menacing debut gaoler. With Vadim, Joe Sissens was a debut Lescault who was really good for a beginner though he lacked something of Alex's charm and detail. One of the other Forum members pointed out something I noticed which was quite funny; one of Madame's elaborate bows came off her dress and landed on the floor quite close to Sissens who of course was 'drunk'. He looked at it and I was fascinated wondering what he'd do. Would he fall over trying to pick it up? He made a couple of grabs at it and managed to pick it up without falling over and looked at it in a rather bemused 'what do I do with it now' sort of way and tried to put it in his jacket buttonhole! When he failed he just threw it on the table. The whole thing just took about 10 seconds (less time than it takes to type it) but was fascinating. Letitia Dias was his mistress and I really like her as a dancer but she suffered a bit by comparison to Mayara. Mr GM was Christopher Saunders and there's been quite a bit of negative comment on the Forum about his previous performances being not nasty enough. I was surprised as until this run he was always my favourite GM and I loved Gary as the Gaoler but this time I found Christopher didn’t hold my attention. Someone said they kept forgetting he was there and I found that too; even though I was quite close to the stage I didn't really notice him that much. Gary was the gaoler, and what a performance as always! I just wish he could play Mr GM and the Gaoler every night! The only real overlap is that fantasy bit in the 3rd act and the gaoler isn't in it that much. I'm sure they could find a substitute. In the office scene he really encourages Manon to engage with him. He wants some 'sport'; he's not interested in a dull, lifeless girl, he wants a spark, a struggle. He forces her to look at him and gestures her to 'come on'. Really sickening and chilling. I'll have to see if there's a recording with him. Vadim and Fumi were incredible and, for the first time, I actually saw de Grieux make his entrance. Usually you look up and he's there as if by magic. Vadim can make even walking about the stage quite engrossing which is fortunate as there's a lot of that in Manon for De Grieux to do. His first solo was a thing of poignant beauty, just like a young man whose emotions have been touched for the first time and he's not sure what is happening to him. His subsequent pas de deux with Fumi saw the awakening of that burgeoning desire for both of them. When it ended it was as if neither could believe what is happening to them. I don't think Manon is that innocent. She's not being sent to a convent for nothing as she is very keen to latch on to the old man's money and run off with it. When she walks on she seems to be assessing people in the Inn yard scene in quite a calculating way. Someone on the Forum said it's de Grieux who is the real innocent here, ultimately led astray to cheat and murder for the woman he loves which certainly seemed to be how Vadim played it. In the next scene you don't get the impression Fumi is that keen on GM. She puts up with his needs and demands to save them both (her and her brother) from poverty but you don't get a sense of engagement with him. For her, it seems to be a business arrangement. When she leaves she seems to linger by the bed for longer than most thoughnid like it if some Manons followed that with a backward look when they leave with GM. Act 2 starts off with the harlots as usual. Lescault and de Grieux arrive and he does his drunken dance with his mistress which was very good and got laughs, though when he throws his glass to his mistress she didn't make a thing of it like Mayara did; gesturing to her dress now stained with wine in disgust. When Manon makes her entrance she sees De Grieux right away but ignores him but doesn't actually turn away from him like some Manons. At this point when Osipova went to greet Lescault she pulled a face an waved her hand in front of her face to highlight his drunken breath which I always think rather effective. Fumi is visibly affected when De Grieux picks her up in the dance where she's passed around. It's as if she really wants him and to be with him but daren't with GM there. Vadim's solo is hearbreaking; as if he's being tortured. The few seconds at the end when he just stares at her, pleading, would melt a heart of stone. As Balletfanp said 'I wish someone would look at me like that'! He is visibly distressed with having to cheat at cards but manages to go through with it and they exit after the fight. The next scene is her taunting him with her earrings and bracelet to say she's still got some of the trappings of wealth and Vadim getting angrier with her though I don't think Fumi actually touched the earrings like Morera did in the coaching. As someone said, her control of him is starting to slip and he's starting to see her for what she is. Then the murder of Lescault which is terrible as always. The final scene was really heartbreaking; Vadim trying to breathe life into her, almost by force and Manon getting weaker and weaker; the pas de deux is always heartbreaking but they seemed to bring it to a new level of anguish so you're left feeling drained and in tears as though it's actually happened. Vadim, desperately looking from side to side as if a doctor is going to materialise to save her. His final silent, tortured scream is something I'll never forget. A real tour de force and a fitting end to an amazing evening. The applause and cheering nearly brought the roof down.
  10. So am I, and very put out. I'm not coming to see it as they haven't seen fit to schedule any matinées and I can't afford an overnight, especially for a triple I don't really know anything about. Also, Vadim isn't being filmed in A Winter's Tale. Must be one of the very few years (if not the only one) he hasn't been filmed in any cinema relay. Not a great way for the RB to celebrate his 10th anniversary.
  11. Went well for me this morning as well. In and out quickly and confirmation fairly quickly too. Like Mary, I upgraded to Friends+ just on the strength of the summer of Ashton and I wasn't disappointed. Also amazing to see some standing tickets available in the SC main house (not something I'm really used to seeing). I'm in a bit of a fix re Ashton booking as I targeted the 6-9 June period so I can see a RB rehearsal/first night on 6th and 7th and all Sarasota's 3 programmes on the 8/9 with 3 overnights all together (like Lizbie1, 7 performances in 4 days!) However, I had to book for my husband not knowing if he'd be able to make it as we're relying on our dogwalker to dogsit and she's not sure yet if she can make it though I'm keeping everything crossed. Otherwise we'll have to go separately; not nearly as much fun. One of the dogs is diabetic and needs insulin injections twice a day so we can't put her in kennels. Poor Terry has been great in staying home looking after them while I swan off to the ballet but I'd love for us to enjoy the Ashton together so I'm keeping everything crossed. The last performances we were at together was a wonderful mixed bill in 2019; Firebird, Month in Country and Symphony in C; amazing! We saw Vadim twice in Month and once in Symphony and it was a wonderful 3 nights. Am keeping everything crossed it can be replicated this year. Was able to buy a seat for Terry and a standing ticket just behind for me to cut down on the expense for the Ashton main house. Also 2 standing tickets for Winter's Tale (£14 instead of £63!) so hopefully over the year the extra subscription will pay for itself. Plenty of availability left for main house but Sarasota seems to be selling fast, especially the weekend. Pity they couldn't do that final weekend in the main house then everyone could see all programmes. On the plus side it hopefully sends a clear message to Kevin that there are plenty of people who want to see Ashton! I asked if there would be extra tickets released for ordinary Friends booking and public booking and someone from the Friends said there will be some tickets made available for public booking but didn't mention any for Friends.
  12. Also, if the free returns applied to everyone, not just patrons, some Friends may be temped to buy more tickets than they really need to hedge their casting bets and then if they're slow to return them, make the ticketing situation worse for everyone.
  13. I bet he said 'Mr Barrowclough would never have done that' as he did it!
  14. Saw this headline and got all excited at a faint hope that they MAY be dancing Merry Widow. Of course they're not. Just something I don't want to see, or (as I don't really know what is is) something I'm not willing to spend a lot of money on transport and possibly accommodation on.
  15. And even more stupid to have 2 evenings when both companies are dancing at the same time.
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