Silke H

NYCB has 47 Nutcracker performances this season, and they squeeze those in from 24th November through 31st December.

I love the RB's friendly, smiley snowflakes. As @LinMM said, they are magical. Plus, they are paving the way for Clara and Hans-Peter to get to the Kingdom of Sweets. And if that isn't something to smile about then I don't know what is 😃

I would love a proper snowstorm back too, not just the soft fluttering. However, I have heard from a reliable source that the reduced number of snowflakes has been approved by Sir Peter Wright (not just as a Covid measure) and that they will keep that to account for injuries and sickness 😢 Let's hope that the powers that be realise that a proper blizzard is so much more fun to watch and at some point return to the waltz's original number of snowflakes

01 March 2022

Hi Anna - I've just messaged you. Thanks

It was Stanislaw Węgrzyn

Instagram 17-11-23 Facebook - 2023 run

possibly. you might be right, @Dawnstar but in any case, I think it's a typo by an unknowledgeable or non-caring ROH admin person as Sumina Sasaki has just a few minutes ago put her earlier wall post up in her stories.

I own the Pulsio Air and am happy with it. Comes with 5 different heads (currently £69.99 on their website) and you can choose from 6 different colours. Dispatch was quick and efficient. Can recommend.

Is there another error on the cast sheet for tonight? Mariko Sasaki is listed as Queen of the Dryads but I was expecting to see Sumina Sasaki. Sumina even posted on her IG about it this morning. I am happy to see either Mariko or Sumina (both are gorgeous dancers) but I would expect a note on the cast sheet if Mariko is replacing Sumina tonight. https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/don-quixote-by-carlos-acosta/cast-list/56226

That would be you and me then. I'm going for the cast around Ms Osipova but not really for her. Admittedly, I think Kitri is the only RB role I appreciate her in. 🤐

My notes on Saturday's matinee: I very much enjoyed Ms Osipova's act 1 but thought that act 2, particularly the solo, is not really in her wheel house and she didn't look all that comfortable. In act 3 Ms Osipova was again in her element and she delivered - even if some parts of the choreography had been adjusted! However, I must admit, I agree with @Paco that I could clearly see in Ms Osipova's face how much effort she had to put in to execute certain jumps and other technical feats that used to come easy to her. Her walking back on stage after each of her solos to take a bow like she was a farmer's daughter and not a ballerina playing an innkeeper's daughter was a sight to behold 🤭 Reece Clarke's Basilio debut was accomplished and his technique has improved so much over the last few years. With his height (and long legs) his switch leaps looked most impressive. But his Basilio characterisation was the sweetest yet cheeky and slightly cocky and even more noteworthy than his technical execution. The way he adored Kitri and kissed her hand after that naughty ear-whisper in act 2 where where she hits at him... And kudos to Mr Clarke for always being prepared to just go with whatever Ms Osipova unexpectedly throws at him, sometimes quite literally herself. Fabulous debuts also from Annette Buvoli (Mercedes) and Lukas Brændsrød (Espada). Theirs is another partnership I'd like to see more of, and I so wish Ms Buvoli was partnered by Mr Brændsrød for her Sugar Plum Fairy debut. 2 further lovely role debuts were Sumina Sasaki (Queen of the Dryads) and Mariko Sasaki (Kitri's friend). So many debuts in that show. And great ones at that. A thoroughly enjoyable Saturday afternoon, spent at one of my favourite places in the world.

That used to be their "party-trick", they did that also when guesting with the Mikhailovsky Ballet in NYC in November 2014. Their Don Q and Flames of Paris then were quite the show-off-spectacle 😆

Facebook Don Q album Instagram 11 Nov 2023 matinee

I couldn't agree more. All three of their shows were fabulous

I don't think he was injured as he finished Act 1 and was back as one of the gypsies in act 2 and danced Fandango lead couple in act 3

It was that horrible backwards jeté around the fellow matadors in the final diagonal where all matadors are always hesitant and careful. I’m surprised we haven’t had any stumbles before

yes, definitely empty seats in the main part of the Amphi, and only a handful of occupied slips seats (upper and lower). I can't really speak for the rest of the auditorium but I think I also spotted a few empty seats in the orchestra stalls

I agree with @Scheherezade - we sat a few seats apart in the Amphi and the disruption by filming, feet shuffling, people talking to their friends (across empty seats as they had roomily spread out), audience members coming and going as they pleased, drinking from crinkly plastic bottles... all this added to the over-enthusiastic clapping and whooping did not make for a pleasant viewing. I actually stayed with friends in stalls circle for the 3rd act, where at least the whooping was less

squashed by his Nutcracker Trepak replicating friends...

I presume broadcast microphones are aimed at the stage/orchestra pit, not the audience, which is probably for the best 🙂

This is not correct. The poorly sold Anemoi were offered to staff and their families at a discounted price, not "given away" nor to the same group that was in attendance last night (unless of course they are coincidentally family of ROH staff)

I am very pleased for the cinema goers to have enjoyed the evening, there must have been some very clever editing going on. In the house we were a little underwhelmed (at least the regulars I spoke with). The audience was clap-happy at every minor break in the music and even along with the music in parts. Too much whooping and screaming with most claps. Generally noisy and "unresty" with lots of filming attempts. Very distracting. But also, there were a rather unusual number of minor (and one larger) mishaps on stage going on. Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed with the performance and have missed the chemistry between Kitri and Basilio that I have felt with other couples. My favourites of the evening were Gamache, Espada and Kitri's friends.

well, this is odd, cast list for tonight states Leo Dixon again as lead gypsy couple, same as in last Saturday's matinee. I guess the cinema-published cast list is incorrect admittedly, Valentino only told me a coupe of weeks ago that he hopes to be back for Nutcracker Prince and Hans-Peter, but reading the cinema cast sheet I had hoped he recovered earlier than anticipated. https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/43/don-quixote-by-carlos-acosta/cast-list/56674

Lovely to see Valentino Zucchetti being back on stage dancing (lead gypsy couple)