San Perregrino

The cat is out…. I wonder will a new production be ready for December 2024? And, if BCF suggestions turn out to be true there’s to be no RB Nutcracker at the end of this year. So, unless NB brings its Nutcracker to London, a bit of a Nutcracker shortage threatens the capital next festive season with currently only BRB confirmed at the Royal Albert Hall.

I just managed to watch this before it goes offline. Thank you so much for the link. How refreshing to see a recent new piece of work properly lit to display the dancers and the choreography in such a way that it complements their talents and shows them to their best advantage. McGregor could & should learn from this. The Hamlet section choreography had echos of McGregor’s Inferno from Dante Project and made me think how much better the latter would perhaps have been received if it had been better lit. Hamlet and The Tempest worked best for me. The combination and interweaving of classical and modern dance vocabularies illustrates that it is not necessary to throw away the ‘old’ in order to bring in ‘the new’. The talents and stage charisma of Shale Wagman and Antonio Casalinho are exceptional. I may save up to travel to see them live. R&J didn’t have the same impact and would perhaps be better enjoyed live. I found both the singers and the singing distracting and definitely wouldn’t have had them centre stage with a solo was being danced. Very pleased to have been able to watch this.

And the overall enthusiasm for modern pieces extends beyond their opening nights, not just for McGregor but also for example . Such enthusiasm as is shown by the audience for classical is equally evident amongst the demographic that modern appeals to. Any opening night audience be it classical or modern is likely to be partisan and invitees chosen carefully. This is commonplace and doesn’t equate to ‘match fixing’.

Giselle waits in the wings

@Fonty I totally agree with you on this point. Friday’s partial standing ovation in the orchestra stalls at the ROH was motivated by a half dozen or so ‘Vadreamers’ in the front row jumping to their feet even before the curtain rose on the dancers. Whilst not without its hiccups and loose ends, it had been overall a beautiful performance by the Company but did it merit a standing ovation? Not in my book.

Playing Devil’s advocate here as I have no particular ax to grind, can I flag up that McGregor’s works (both Woolf Works & Dante Project, and to a lesser extent Untitled) were hugely acclaimed in the ROH auditorium last year garnering standing ovations at several performances. Nuñez’s performance in Woolf Works was lauded both on BCF and at the Stage Door and I suspect that if Muntagirov danced McGregor that the Stage Door & Floral St would be similarly filled with enthusiastic fans and ‘Vadreamers’ as it was on Friday.

Sorted thanks

I’m surprised that Valentino Zucchetti is still listed as dancing the Nutcracker on January 13th. I’d be delighted if he does take the stage but given that he has withdrawn from all Nutcrackers this season to date due to injury it is unlikely. Perhaps a substitute has yet to be decided upon or perhaps as this is possibly the last RB Nutcracker until 2025 Valentino is hoping to be fit in time.

Perhaps the promotion, rather than being in advance of a possible role, is a delayed one that is in recognition of Giacomo’s wonderful dancing to date and could be given once he had proved himself as the Nutcracker. It also makes it possible, in theory at least, for him to be promoted again at the end of the season.

no joy (again) for me with Friday Rush so if anyone finds that they can't use their SCS or central balcony standing ticket please message me. many thanks

As it was for Taisuke on the 3rd January

Ticket donated to ROH.

It’s always interesting how one’s personal filters affect perceptions of a production. Observed in isolation ENB’s version has much to commend it and this is borne out by the repeat audiences that it has attracted for a decade. That said, the cumbersome clunky ‘Tonka’ toy (!spoiler alert!) remote control Nutcracker fills me with dread, could Clara really fall in love with such a thing? And, the first few national dances are not enough to fill the vast Coliseum stage and induce a feeling in me of having been short-changed. When danced to a high quality they are acceptable but at a recent show, the Chinese was all over the place and, i felt like I was watching four girls on a hen night dancing around their handbags rather than watching the Arabian. It is high time for a new production and that may well be forthcoming under Aaron S Watkins. The current RB production is the standard by which most regular ballet goers judge other productions and that is a very high bar indeed. With its refreshing scaled-down Northern Ballet’s version is eminently watchable. Before Christmas, watching the newly refurbished BRB Nutcracker, (FYI, a trip that is worth making from London), I heard it commented that the second act seemed to have been set in a suburban cemetery with its fake columns and oversized plastic flowers and symbols reminiscent of a child’s grave. Admittedly the production is bright, brash and colourful and decidedly ‘nouveau riche’ in its presentation compared to the ‘old money’ understated presentation of the RB version. Even so, I thought the comparison to a suburban cemetery rather harsh. Having seen both productions several times I accept them for what they are. Both productions regularly receive rapturous receptions. I came away thinking that the genius of Sir Peter Wright is that he knew not only the strengths of the dancers he worked with but he could also read his audiences in both London and Birmingham and created productions to please and entertain, literally for generations, in both cities.

I only really know the ballets that I have seen and have little knowledge of those I haven't. that said, I'll try almost anything any least once. I love Macmillan's R & J, it truly is the best of the bunch, but it is still fresh in my memory so I can easily wait another year to see it. I also love Onegin but is there another Cranko ballet that is worthy of being staged by a UK company? I haven't seen The Judas Tree live so it would be good to stage that. Le Corsaire is a lively romp with some fantastic showpiece dancing. RB Giselle had too short a run last time round so I'd happily welcome that back. Alice is overdue a revival. La Bayadere IIRC contains some beautiful balletic moments and should not be consigned to the censorship bin. If it can be danced in Paris it can be danced in London. (Paris is dancing La Fille in March and it is on the horizon in London so doesn't need to be added to a Wishlist). I miss Dances at a Gathering, Symphony in C, Within the Golden Hour & Raymonda Act 3. all ballets which simmer and/or sizzle. Playlist 1 & 2 would add energy to any company and, in the absence of printed cast sheets, is an ideal way of identifying dancers as they helpfully have their names on their backs. (I wasn't so taken with the extended version). Northern Ballet's Nutcracker would be welcome back down south again, it's a refreshing contrast to the beloved RB classic masterpiece. Scottish Ballet's Cinderella would also be welcome down south, I'd see it at least once for its novelty value. (actually I'd have to see it twice due to the role reversals) Spartacus I haven't seen it but friends rave about it so "In the Upper Room" and, as this is a Wishlist, Kunstkamer.

Everyone’s circumstances are different but with a bit of planning it could be done relatively cheaply.

I have a central standing ticket to rehome for Wolf Witch Giant Fairy in the Linbury Theatre on Saturday 6th January 2pm. Face value £5. please send a DM if interested.

Who is still standing and able to balance after last nights festivities….? 🙂

The London New Years Day Parade kicks off at 12.00. www.lnydp.com It might impact access routes to the ROH for 13.30 Nutcracker.

The London New Years Day Parade kicks off at 12.00. www.lnydp.com It might impact access routes to the ROH for 13.30 Nutcracker.

the two events aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive 😉 (we live in modern times but yes, written with tongue in cheek)

The exit lift and the red run differ depending on who is dancing.

It’s post-Friends priority booking so I suppose that’s something to be thankful for. Not being a Tîmes subscriber, I wonder what the ticket offer includes?

Matthew Ball was in the audience for act 2. Perhaps his head is already in Manon or Meta mode whilst Lukas BB is still in Nutcracker. There’s the possibility that Lukas BB may pick up another couple of shows if Reece Clarke’s injury is more than fleeting. (I hope it isn’t).

Yes I made a boo boo re the Manon booking period so deleted my text as can’t delete the whole thing

Lukas BB was every inch a Prince. Assured and confident, calm and gracious. He inhabited his role and delivered precise and polished choreography infused with the joy of knowing that one is in the right place at the right time. A privilege to see his debut. I’d buy a ticket for Swan Lake were he to be cast as Siegfried. (IIRC he danced a beautiful pas de deux at the Friends Celebration in the Paul Hamlyn hall back in October 2022).