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penelopesimpson

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Everything posted by penelopesimpson

  1. penelopesimpson
    The power between them just jumps off the page
  2. penelopesimpson
    It’s not hip enough for the marketing people. Social media - or nothing. Result: empty seats
  3. penelopesimpson
    In my case, whereas I would probably have gone to three performances, of Manon, I am limiting to two. I buy good seats but the prices are now too high to come as often so Lucy Sinclair has achieved her wish. I’m missingThe Triple Bill and only one Coppelia.
  4. penelopesimpson
    I think the ticket sales problem is worrying. Economic times seem to be getting harder. I notice it in my small home town and in Bath where I spend a lot of time. More and more shops closing and even Theatre Royal Bath not as solidly booked as it used to be. I think ROH have been spectacularly wrong in their timing of raising ticket prices and that the Open-Up project was ill-conceived against a shaky economy. Yes, I've heard the argument that everything was (allegedly) funded by private subscription but I cannot believe it was all hypothecated. If there was that much money sloshing around from donors, it might have been wiser to keep some for a rainy day and not raise seat prices to a level that is clearly acting as a deterrent. Add to that the own-goal of seemingly discouraging regular customers, and the marketing dept who seem to have been the lead on all of this, have pursued the wrong strategy. Typically, the head of that department has now moved on. Ticket sales are down, restaurants remain far from full and the building is now housing far too many people who have nothing to do with the Arts and little intention of becoming involved. Coppelia has sold well but this production seems to be an exception across both ballet and opera. Worrying time.s
  5. penelopesimpson
    It is surely an individual emotional connection that defies any specific logic. I always had it with Cojocaru and Kobborg who just made my heart lift and my stomach flutter, Asylmuratova likewise. Yes, all wonderfully accomplished dancers but each with that little something extra. I never felt I was watching performing artistes, more that I was part of the narrative with them. Edward Watson has never failed me and since I first saw Francesca in Rhapsody, I have been entranced by her. She has gone on, for me, to become the most glorious portrayer of so many roles. She tugs every emotional string and her Manon is one of the great ballet experiences. It is so sad that she and Ed Watson have missed each other in time because they would have taken the Cojocaru/Kobborg spot which, for me, is still vacant. I have no connection with Sarah Lamb because delightful as she is, I find her somewhat glacial. Maria Ella is the consummate all-rounder but has never moved me. She has a sunny persona which works in some areas but I don’t see Macmillan as her thing. Her best role for me was Mitzi Caspar where all that knowing experience fits the role. I thought she should not have done Juliet but I am looking forward to her Swan Lake. Its all down to personal preference. I like my ballerinas to wring every last drop of emotion out of me !
  6. penelopesimpson
    If money is no problem, then go for Grand Tier rather than Stalls Circle because the rake is much better. If not, try Stalls but not the first six rows. I like K or L or somewhere around there. For some ballets - Bayadere for instance, I prefer to be higher up and would go for Balcony or Ampi because you want to see the patterns, but for SB I would recommend going closer.
  7. penelopesimpson
    When is the Dante project?
  8. penelopesimpson
    Thanks for that Balletyas. I have been and remain completely puzzled about this, almost feeling that there is something everybody else know that is a secret. He had a bad injury which we are told is now behind him and then he disappears. Soares and Bonelli are both still dancing major roles yet Watson has vanished. Maybe it is his choice, maybe he isn't fully fit, maybe KOH doesn't want to cast him - who knows. I do not want to know the ins and outs of his personal life or his medical history but surely when one has been a major artiste with the top ballet company it is reasonable to keep fans informed of what is happening? I can imagine the chattering if Muntagirov had simply vanished! Anyway, this is a Manon thread so I will shut up but .... I am still left wondering what is going on.
  9. penelopesimpson
    Thank you for that which is reassuring. For a dancer who has contributed so much to RB and to ballet generally, he does seem to have been forgotten. A run of posts about somebody called Robert Tewsley who only a few people have ever heard of yet Watson is never mentioned or discussed. For my own part, I find it odd.
  10. penelopesimpson
    I would have liked to see him dance it rather than coach. If he has finished with major roles, I would have liked some announcement some swansong, some form of tribute.
  11. penelopesimpson
    Oh, yes please. Shklyarov is the man! Its a shame this constant partnering with Osipova because I was a big fan but now I don't book for her performances because Hallberg just doesn't cut it for me.
  12. penelopesimpson
    Mary, my guess would be that the team responsible for the current situation have departed. I always wondered what Alex Beard was doing while it was all going on...
  13. penelopesimpson
    Hmm
  14. penelopesimpson
    Ryochi looks incredible in that costume
  15. penelopesimpson
    Lucy Sinclair's legacy. Many years in marketing taught me to beware the 'here today, gone tomorrow' marketing diva. They would make big changes to their brand, some of which might enjoy a temporary upswing, and then the diva concerned would depart for pastures new before the cows came home to roost. If they were really clever, they would then be able to claim that the new management hadn't got a clue - yes, Terry Leahy, I'm thinking of you.
  16. penelopesimpson
    Yes, it is the same agency. To be fair, the survey highlights many of the problems and difficulties that Ballet Forum members have identified in setting pricing strategy. But, I am not convinced that they sufficiently understand the ROH (especially ballet) where, most of the time, productions sell out. There are little gems like: 'Many Baker Richards clients have been able to significantly increase income by using dynamic pricing to unlock the value of tickets which were difficult to price accurately when they went on sale. This flexible approach to pricing recognises that the right price is what someone will pay for it.' I would expect marketing professionals at ROH to have a very good handle on pricing different productions, based on long experience. They do go on to say that some organisations have to consider subscribers and the social implications of public subsidy but I don't get the impression they understand that each organisation is different. What they do is make wonderful use of jargon which may have been attractive to Lucy Sinclair. Certainly it seems that ROH is now saddled with their legacy which they openly define: 'Versions of the ‘pay what you can’ approach appear to be popular, where people are trusted to make this judgement for themselves. But in our experience, except when carefully targeted, such as through outreach programmes, these schemes usually just lead to very low revenues and typically are disproportionately used by frequent attenders who would otherwise pay full price.' Quite how they are so sure that these frequent attendees are all able and willing to fork out ever increasing amounts of dosh is not defined.
  17. penelopesimpson
    Exquisite costumes. Thanks so much
  18. penelopesimpson
    Fiona: Just want to thank you for providing such a beautiful and full account of what must have been a memorable evening. I am deeply envious.
  19. penelopesimpson
    Thank you, Janet, for a genuinely helpful response.
  20. penelopesimpson
    Well, John, here's the thing. I book early, sometimes so that I can see the cast I want and get preferred seats but not having oodles of money to burn, it is sometimes a struggle having quite a lot of my funds tied up in RB tickets. But I accept this as the price I am willing to pay to indulge my passion. Maybe I am not as altruistic as yourself but yes, I don't mind admitting that I would feel a little sour if the person sitting next to me had got their seat at half price. And yes, Woolf Works has been revived once but Winter's Tale has had three runs and, enjoyable thought it is, for my money its not in the same league as WW.
  21. penelopesimpson
    Now THAT is informative, for which many thanks.
  22. penelopesimpson
    And I would know this, how? Look, it was a question, not an invitation to mortal combat. I have no problems with it, just wanted to know. How encouraging do you think this is to posters seeking information? Genuine question surely deserves polite answer?
  23. penelopesimpson
    Genuine question. If Wayne Macgregor is RB’s resident choreographer, why his his new work using RB dancers, being premiered in LA?
  24. penelopesimpson
    I understand that but there were rather a lot of Frankenstein’s! Do dancers really want to return to a piece that hasn’t found anaudience? I wonder - seems a bit of a stretch, not to mention bad for the bank account. We should consider that empty seats mean raised prices.
  25. penelopesimpson
    Geoff, brilliantly put.
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