Blossom

They have said (as posted earlier on ticket pricing) that the proposed prices include subsidies from their donors. I think that it's likely that without these prices, their deficit will grow, but until they can find new sources of income (clearly ACE cannot be relied on and I expect the current ACE review to be self marking of homework), their options are only to increase prices and possibly increase their deficit if they need to offer discounts, or increase their deficit from the start, which I can't imagine is considered a sound way to do business.

You can’t compare stream/dvd to the live performance. Trust me, it is elevated by significant proportions, it works much better live.

I suppose it depends on the funding model. Does ACE or a private patron top up the difference or does this add to the deficit?

In terms of the 40% off push on social media, I hope everyone is sharing this with as many of their ‘real life’ friends as possible. Surely the best way to demonstrate that prices are too high is to ensure they now sell out. I actually can’t understand why it hasnt sold better other than pricing.

Links - Sunday 19 May 2024 Review – Scottish Ballet, A Streetcar Named Desire, Sadlers Wells, London: Marianka Swain, Telegraph Review – Ballet Black, Heroes, Barbican: Tanica Psalmist, Get the Chance Wales Review – Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Cinderella, Pittsburgh: Alexis Papalia, Trib Live Preview – Ballet Central, Mixed Bill, Newbury Spring Festival: Trish Lee, Newbury Today Preview – New Jersey Ballet, Sleeping Beauty, New Jersey: Staff, Tapinto.com Preview – Lake Tahoe Dance Festival: Texas Ballet Theater Staff, En Face Magazine Preview – Ballet West, 6th Choroegraphic Festival: Asian Voices, Salt Lake City: Ballet West Staff, En Face Magazine Article – Degas’s dancers don’t just show ballet’s beauty – they reveal a sinister system of sexual exploitation: Alice Robb, Telegraph Article - Anna Pavlova “Get my Swan costume ready”: Alanna Love, En Face Magazine Article - Margaret Qualley Draws on Ballet Training at the ‘Kinds of Kindness’ Premiere: Tom Olsen, Globe Echo News - The Royal Swedish Ballet search for a new Artistic Director: Graham Spicer, Gramilano News - Joffrey Ballet School partner to offer degree in dance for New York trainees: Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal

I upgraded to a seat (well before the discount unfortunately) and have scs d39 available although not as a swap.

Quite excited for Pantuso and Newton Severgnini. Only have one date which will work for the latter.

I actually meant Puck but my brain is fried today. Makes a lot more sense!!

Ooh do we assume Daichi and Liam Boswell will be dancing Bottom (or as my son misremembered the name when learning about the play at primary school, ‘Butt’) then?

Fascinating - love this sort of insight. Incidentally, tours of the Globe Theatre come with a lot of that wonderful historical context and are particularly pertinent when visiting as a school group to delve deeper into a specific play…

@Sophoife posted this insightful article about ROH's commercial plans to offset their c£17.5m deficit in this morning's links. I think it provides some much needed perspective. Hopefully these sorts of corporate partnerships will be fruitful and will longterm impact things like pricing. Until then, it feels that ROH are between a rock and a hard place...

@Sim further to interval conversation yesterday, Chat GPT came back with this answer as to why Perdita and Florizel choose to flee specifically to Sicila... Some things obviously just can't be conveyed in dance or mime... They choose Sicilia because they receive aid from Camillo, a Sicilian lord in exile who serves Polixenes. Camillo has his own desire to return to Sicilia after many years away from his homeland, and he suggests the destination, knowing that the king of Sicilia, Leontes, has been penitent and lonely since the losses of his wife and children years earlier. Although Florizel does not know Leontes personally, the ties between their families and the suggestion by Camillo guide their decision. Sicilia thus represents a place of potential safety and refuge from Polixenes, under the assumption that Leontes would be sympathetic to their plight and more accepting of their love.

Second viewing for me and I am finding the music is growing on me. Interestingly, both the music sounds better from above (balcony - incidentally next to the sound desk, which suggests that the music has a little more help above the stalls level) and the set is more effective from a bit further back (first visit was booked by someone who likes to sit in stalls row G which frankly is too far forward). In addition to the music growing on me, I am finding that there are moments which consistently make me feel something - and actually found the moments where Leontes was 'fighting' with Hermione even more striking last night (likely Lauren Cuthbertson's interpretation). Another treat of a cast, mentally starting to put together my own fantasy cast. Very much enjoyed Cuthbertson/Corrales - booked specifically to see Cesar in this one - and Hayward Sambe, but the particular stand out performances for me were Melissa Hamilton (after this and Requiem, at a loss as to why she isn't seen as principal material) and the superb Marco Masciari. For the latter, I am expecting great things to come and find it a shame that we can't get a recording of him as Shepherd Son/Brother Clown as well as the wonderful Liam Boswell from Monday evening. Spotted Joby Talbot at the end of the second interval and Roberto Bolle was also in the house last night, plus it seems that at least one dancer from ENB was in attendance - possibly one of the later seat fills?

My friend last night was worrying a little as having checked the timing for her taxi, I thought a booking for 10.30 would give us a clear 15 mins. It didn't. Red run was done by 10.28 (thankfully Bow St, as predicted, would be a terrible squeeze so she was fine). Hoping to make it to the meet up spot for one of the intervals - I have a friend in tow.

I had to make time this morning to review the performance as, despite the music, I very much enjoyed it. Starting with the score, interestingly, I spent the evening with an opera lover, who particularly likes the music, although I challenged him to listen to it at home! In Joby Talbot's favour, I do find that the score becomes more tuneful with each act and the act 2 music still remained in my head as I was trying to get to sleep although completely unmemorable this morning. To paraphrase some of the reviews I've seen, this is one of - if not the best 21st century full length narrative ballet. I believe it's one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays, but the storytelling is exceptionally clear and maintains interest throughout and each act raced by. I am coming to terms with some of the new contemporary ballet vocabulary and for me, this blended well with the more classical vocabulary which I recognise. Wheeldon's style captures emotions and interactions well through each character's body language using every muscle in the body, facial expressions included. Having sat in prime position in the stalls last night, I'm looking forward to seeing how well this carries further back in the auditorium, as it is so integral to the characterisations. I liked the clever use of the male pas des deux to convey the relationship of the Kings, the changing styles between the different locations to convey the different lands. This was the first time I had seen TWT live and experience the set design which is simply but effectively done. The use of video projections to convey the boats travelling from one place to another was particularly well done and seamlessly integrated into the storytelling. The physical elements of the set used - from statues in Act 1 and 3, the tree in Act 2 to the physical boats at the end of Act 2 - were all integral to the action (some of the elements having choreography of their own). Matthew Ball was magnificent - in addition to being a fine dancer, this role demonstrates the strength of his acting. Yasmine Naghdi and William Bracewell played Perdita and Florizel with youthful abandon and conveyed their feelings of joy well. I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to see Liam Boswell and Marianna Tsembenhoi dancing Brother Clown and Young Shepherdess - it's always a pleasure to see them dancing and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the other young talent in the remaining casts that I will see. It was a huge treat to have so many big roles and to see Marianela Nunez, Mayara Magri as Hermione and Paulina and found myself debating which was the better role! Again, looking forward to future casts in order to make this decision. On the emotional front, as I mentioned in my post last night, I did feel the impact at times: when Leontes realises what he has done at the end of Act 1, when Polixenes reveals himself in Act 2 and in Act 3 when Paulina realises who Perdita is, when the family is finally reunited. Music is a factor, especially comparing with some of the classics, but I think it's also potentially because each step is so carefully choreographed that there is less abandon (and potentially less danger) vs MacMillan's choreography. I had wondered if I would manage 2 casts in one week not usually being the biggest Wheeldon fan, but can't wait for Wednesday night. The clear take away from this ballet is the power of Shakespeare's stories - and the power of ballet to tell his stories well. I look forward to the next choreographer and composer to take on the challenge of bringing one of his plays to life through actions and not words.