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Fonty

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  1. Fonty
    Goodness, David! You don't have to read any particular thread if you feel it has no further appeal for you. But it IS about the McGregor triple bill; therefore I would expect people to be expressing their opinions on that topic. Speaking personally, I am finding the thread both interesting and entertaining.
  2. Fonty

    Room 101

    Fonty replied to taxi4ballet's topic in Not Dance

    The council responsible for the place where I grew up (Banstead, in Surrey) is putting forward new plans to "modernise" the High Street, which currently is used a lot by locals. This is because it has things such as a library, day centre, church institute, and community hall, as well as attractive old buildings with shops below and flats above, houses, and restaurants. Oh, we even have a pub. Their plan is to knock all the non retail buildings down, including the library, and build lots of new blocks of flats with ground floor retail space. They say this will "revitalise" the High Street. As they plan to build over the only existing car park, I can't see who will be using it. It will simply kill off the entire High Street.
  3. Fonty
    I think you have completely missed the point I was making, Varnatus.
  4. Fonty
    I haven't noticed that the McGregor programmes have attracted a particularly young crowd. I have seen more young people, and children especially, at the more traditional triple bills. I suppose it depends on where you sit. I have no problem with the RB performing new works, and tackling something in a more contemporary style from time to time. And I also have no problem with their dancing a piece by McGregor. While it is perfectly obvious he is not my personal favourite, I have seen two or three pieces by him that I have enjoyed. I am not so narrow minded that I cannot watch something new and different. There are quite a few Balanchine ballets that are not to my taste either. And that is tantamount to sacrilege in some quarters! The issue I have is with McGregor's appointment as the resident choreographer. Apart from anything else, he will be the person that the next generation of choreographers will be watching and learning from. And that is the real problem I have. His style is hardly the one to watch,in order to create a new work in the classical style, however many dancers he puts in pointe shoes.
  5. Fonty
    I find myself wondering what Monica Mason was thinking when she appointed Wayne McGregor in the first place. Was it bums on seats? I know nothing about his history prior to his RB appointment. Did he have a huge following already? Was the thinking that a new audience, who had never visited the Opera House before, would walk through the doors and find out that ballet was really not as highbrow as they thought? I do hope that it wasn't some sort of pressure from somewhere, that said that ballet wasn't relevant to young people today, and the RB needed to "modernise" in order to appeal to the next generation.
  6. Fonty
    Presumably they will be bringing this Giselle back to London at some point?
  7. Fonty
    It is not that far down, Alison. A very short walk. I don't know what it used to be before. It is quite small, and it may have an open courtyard at the back. I went last winter, so I didn't look outside, but I have a vague memory of what might have been french doors at the back.
  8. Fonty
    I had an excellent meal in Miz en Bouche in St John St. They do a pre theatre menu, but I can't remember how much it was. Moro is pricy, not the place for a quick meal. It is lovely though (or it was the last time I went, several years ago.)
  9. Fonty
    She still gives it 3 stars, though, which means she must have got something out of the evening. I notice that the Alvin Ailey dancers get very favourable reviews. Why did McGregor include them this time round? Any particular reason?
  10. Fonty
    Well, none of them, apart from Mr Monahan, have been too critical about it. One of the things that struck me is that nearly all have watched closely and found depths to the new piece, and expressed admiration for the way in which McGregor works, even if they haven't been totally smitten. Even Luke Jennings, who has been rather scathing about this style of dancing in the past, seems quite reasonable by his standards. They seem to be saying, "Well, this is progress, and we have to move with the times." I await Mr Crisp's review with keen anticipation. If he went, that is.
  11. Fonty
    My goodness, the cast for that first performance!
  12. Fonty
    I have finally had a chance to read the press reviews, and I find myself feeling a bit bewildered. Broadly speaking, apart from Mark Monahan, they all seem to find a great many positive things to say about Multiverse, and are awarding high marks for the programme overall. I am startled by the contrast between their opinions and the ones on here. There are many people who post on this ballet forum, who are keen, knowledgeable and, above all, regular, long term ballet goers. And by and large, I am not picking up a lot of enthusiasm for it (she said carefully...) So I am scratching my head, wondering why critics, who can be incredibly snooty and lukewarm about many ballets that I consider to be the great classics, can be so much less critical of McGregor's new work.
  13. Fonty
    I think I enjoyed that one as well. It is a sad fact that nothing would persuade me to go to a triple bill of Wayne McGregor offerings. Not even if someone gave me a free ticket. Seen one, seen 'em all, as far as I am concerned. Well, ok, Woolf Works was a bit different. But only because the wonderful Ms Ferri was in it.
  14. Fonty
    I am a little confused as to what sort of voting system America has. Is it the same as the Alternative Vote that Nick Clegg was trying to push through in the UK?
  15. Fonty
    Wow, was it really THAT bad?
  16. Fonty
    Yet more sad news.
  17. Fonty
    That's shocking! I appreciate the ROH has to make money on its catering. , but there are limits. The Amphitheatre restaurant is quite nice, but you are still paying £35 for a 3 course meal. Add on a modest bottle of wine and some coffee, and you are sneaking up to the £50 a person price bracket. Still, I suppose that looks good value in comparison with the Paul Hamlyn Balcony restaurant, where you would be paying the sharp end of £60 for a meal, and that is without any drinks. And to add insult to injury, the menus are not particularly exciting, and the food hardly stretches the kitchen. If I am paying those prices, I want Fine Dining, with Capital Letters, not the sort of thing that I can knock up myself very easily.
  18. Fonty
    Oh dear, I hope that is not in anticipation of the effects of the future catering arrangements!
  19. Fonty
    If the Opera House is planning to get more people in to the restaurants, then perhaps they should do something about the wickedly over priced and rather indifferent food they serve. It is one thing to dish out this sort of stuff to a captive audience, and quite another to expect people to pay for that sort of thing when they have many other choices. I was once treated to a meal in the Floral Hall restaurant, and the best way I could describe it is upmarket school dinner. With a Ritz price tag.
  20. Fonty

    RIP Jimmy Young

    Fonty posted a topic in Not Dance

    With all the excitement of the US election, the death of Jimmy Young seems to have slipped through the net. He was one of my favourite radio presenters, and I think his interviewing technique was one of the best.
  21. Fonty
    Sorry, I am fleeing Britain for Europe. I am lost for words.
  22. Fonty
    So have I. And I am not even voting. I must say, this must have been the longest election campaign in American history, isn't it?
  23. Fonty
    From looking at the pictures, I am not clear as to where non ticket holders will be allowed. I haven't been able to get to the Opera House for some time, and the info is not clear on the website.
  24. Fonty
    I have used them, and I never had them expand to that extent. I put our entire wardrobe in several of these when we were renting our house out for two years, and our clothes survived with no problems. However, I have heard other people say that repeated use causes the seal to become less efficient. If the contents are not going to be swimming in water, the only other cheap method that I can think of are the sort of waterproof bags used by sailors and watersports people for protecting their belongings. I've never used one, so cannot recommend anything.
  25. Fonty
    That was lovely, John, thank you. I am always overjoyed to see Durante dance, she was one of my all time favourites.
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