RuthE

Hasn't it historically been the case that the standing tickets aren't put on sale for galas? There are no SCS or Balcony standing places available (unless they have just sold out), but Lower Slips Standing tickets are available...

I didn't get along with ballet the first time I tried it, at the age of 29, but 12 years down the line I've been back in the studio for a year with a regular (male) teacher, building on the same combinations throughout a term with the same group of students, and I really enjoy it. I'm two weeks into Improvers now, with the same teacher, and not completely out of my depth! From what you've said, it sounds as though once you've been at it for a couple of months consistently, you'll have the hang of the basics and be more comfortable in classes that aren't the specific thing you're used to.

Her debut is tonight...

All sorted now

Thank you! Have now responded.

Facebook tells me that on this day five years ago, I (and no doubt many others on this forum) saw double-Onegin, with Mendizabal/Kish/Stix-Brunell/Edmonds/Stepanek in the afternoon (from a front-row seat, as I recall - ah, for the days when you could get good seats for a reasonable price at matinees...) and Nunez/Soares/Takada/Muntagirov/Hirano in the evening

*bump* Still looking...

i don’t know about house left, but on house right, the staircase goes all the way into the basement by the new 2nd entrance to the main Ladies’ loos. If you head from the old foyer as if to go down this right-hand side staircase, the lift is on your right just as you pass the upward flight of stairs.

Five casts, all with that thrown-together feel, less than a full year after the best-cast revival of it I've ever seen... It's the production I've seen more often than any other opera production (indeed I'd be surprised if there are people who've seen it more times than I have) and even I struggled to convince myself that there were singers I probably really ought to check out this time round.

Also, the casting - as is so often the case with Royal Opera revivals of standard rep - gives the impression of having been a bit thrown together. It's not that the individual singers aren't appealing, more that one often doesn't get that "oh yes, wouldn't those two be lovely together" feeling. Often, when there are several casts, I reckon I could put all the singers back into a pool and re-combine them in a more attractive way. That said, I did see it last week, and found the combination of Sonya Yoncheva and Charles Castronovo rather lovely, not least because (like some of our Royal Ballet favourites) he is such a supportive and generous colleague to whoever he is partnering. Aida Garifullina left a strong impression as Musetta, too. But I don't like the production, and I don't know anyone who does! Considering that Richard Jones is, on the whole, one of my favourite directors, and I was really looking forward to his Boheme on the basis of his considerable track record with Puccini (I'm thinking especially of Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi and La fanciulla del West - his Tabarro lacks atmosphere), it's incredibly disappointing that it turned out so boring. And as others suggest, the recent hike in ticket prices is certainly a factor.

When I was last there on Tuesday night, my ticket wasn't zapped because of a problem with the scanner(s). And there's still at least one door on which there is never a member of staff - the one into the Stalls Circle on the left, nearest the stage - and perhaps the doors into the Upper Slips as well, unless they have put ushers there since they introduced the scanners.

Yes - I'll be totally honest and say Hinkis is not a favourite dancer of mine, but in this role I think she's perfect. I wish I'd known you were there! I agree, Mendizabal was terrific.

Maybe they were getting him mixed up with the other Strausses?

It's worth noting that the dress rehearsal is, unusually, on a weekday evening.

Also I imagine quite expensive to put on, as it's long.

If anyone has a spare decent SCS or central Balcony Standing ticket for this Friday's performance, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

It is not the case that Marianela Nunez debuted as Tatiana in 2015 - she also danced it in the previous run, in 2013.

Indeed - it made such a huge difference. Having not seen it since mid-December, I didn't realise this was the first time it had been done.

I loved the way she finished in the final pose almost with a shrug, as if to say "look how easy"...

I had to click "like" on this, I'm afraid - not because of the frozen shoulder, but just for the mental image!

I'm not seeing it this time, but have seen it 3 or 4 times in the past, and this point has always troubled me - it seems a happy and triumphant ending, despite the fact that the secondary couple supposedly drowned not 30 seconds earlier...

Happy to report that she’s back, and sounding wonderful.

I wear either a leotard with 3/4-length leggings over the top, or a leo and tights with a chiffon skirt. Depends how I feel on the day - I'm really curvy, have gained a few pounds recently, and I find there's a fine line between feeling confident and feeling large!

Sonya Yoncheva has posted on twitter this morning saying that she is ill and hopes to be back for the next performance. Common sense dictates that if an artist were to cancel for non-genuine reasons, they definitely would not choose press night to do so.

I love the smell of (good) red wine - but it's quite a strong smell, and therefore a sensory distraction when (a) my eyes and ears are meant to be focusing on a performance, and (b) I haven't chosen to have it within smelling distance.