Cescablue

On 01/03/2023 at 15:38, Sim said:

She is indeed dancing the role tonight in this cast.  She is a wonderful dancer, especially if you are a fan of beautiful classicism. I highly recommend you see her Aurora live, if you can.  

Well, I have just managed to snag myself a stalls seat for Sleeping Beauty on Wednesday! I was weighing up restricted view options on Friday rush when it appeared......felt like fate, and thus justified the expense!! Very excited!

Yes, that's right.

Just now, Sim said:

She sings in Act 3.

Thank you!  I think I was just too absorbed by the dancing today - will have to return to the DVD to check it out.

5 minutes ago, postie said:

 

Interesting. Fwiw, I saw men in tutu's and women not, as well as both n tutu's and neither. I saw men with their masculine bits tied down somewhere and virtually no bulge at all. I saw a lot of ungendered dancing in singles and in pairs.

 

I just didn't see what you saw. But i do have a cheap and cheerful standing ticket and will take care to note any open crotches.

I agree, Postie.  It just didn't strike me as sexual at all (I have no knowledge of the source material, so maybe that could be considered a flaw of the choreography as others have suggested it has a layer of sexuality), but I only saw extremely athletic and impressive dancing. Funny how we all take different things away from the same choreography., though I guess we all take different perspectives to it.

And now a totally daft question no doubt - where in the ballet does the soprano sing?! I didn't notice it today, and have never noticed it when watching the DVD either....  Thanks in advance! 

Just back from the matinee.  Alessandra Ferri was amazing - as expected - and it was dream come true stuff to see her after being a fan for more years than I care to mention.

The company really is amazing at the moment - so much talent.

Felt totally spoilt to see, as well as Ferri, Naghdi, Hayward, Bracewell, Richardson, Magri.  Joseph Sissens though, both as Evans and in Becomings - an absolute stand out, so talented! (and I always notice his beautiful soft arms!). 

7 minutes ago, MildConcern said:

Ferri, Avis, Naghdi, Bracewell - such a ridiculous spoil of delights. I also think Calvin Richardson will handsomely put his own spin on the role of Septimus, being very much in the 'style' of beloved Ed Watson. Very much looking forward to this evening!

I hope you have a wonderful time.  I was also thrilled to see Richardson and Sissens on the list - hoping the cast remains the same for the 11th March.

Tonight's cast sheet is available. https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/woolf-works-by-wayne-mcgregor/cast-list/51374

And it seems that Frankie Hayward is reprising her role as Sally in the Ferri cast.  

OK, I'm very happy - it appears that Yasmine Naghdi is taking on the Young Clarissa role in the Ferri cast.  I've never seen her dance in person before, but think she's amazing from seeing her on screen!

7 minutes ago, MildConcern said:

I've seen from social media that Ferri is rehearsing Waves with Bracewell! I think he will be a great fit for the role. And I think Osipova is with Clarke and Nunez with Ball 

I suppose we should have guessed that Osipova would be dancing with Clarke - she rarely dances with anyone else!

4 minutes ago, MildConcern said:

I've seen from social media that Ferri is rehearsing Waves with Bracewell! I think he will be a great fit for the role. And I think Osipova is with Clarke and Nunez with Ball 

Yes Bracewell was my guess earlier in the thread - certainly hope so as I'm going to the matinee next Saturday.

Fumi Kaneko and Nicol Edmonds in Act 2 tomorrow evening.

Just noticed that Melissa Hamilton has announced she's dancing the Orlando pdd with Calvin Richardson on 3rd, 9th (eve), 11th (eve), 18th (m) and 21st (e).

I would have liked to have seen RIchardson again - saw him as a Hungarian Officer in Mayerling in November.  Not to be this time.

I am so excited for this - going to see Alessandra Ferri at the matinee on 11th March.  Watching her in Romeo and Juliet with Wayne Eagling (yes, old VHS cassette!) was what made me fall in love with ballet.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows who else is cast in the run?  I've seen the odd snippet - William Bracewell is due to dance with Ferri (I'm assuming in the role originally danced by Bonelli) and also Gary Avis seems to have confirmed that he's reprising his role in Act 1.  The information on the website is confined to the leading ladies, so if anyone else has any more information I'd be interested to know who I could expect to see... thanks in advance!

The Hungarian officers were really good last night and I agree that Calvin Richardson is very eye-catching on stage. Their dance with Mayara was a wonderful moment of light in the middle of it all.  

Seeing Mayerling again has reminded me of one time I went 30 years ago (eek!) when Stephen Jefferies and Leslie Collier were in the main roles.  All was, obviously, very dramatic until the terrible finale when Jefferies fell against the screen and onto the floor - and the screen panels from either side closed over the top of him and trapped him in! Probably not the first or last time it happened, but the giggling from those around me did kind of end the drama of it all!

Yes, there was definitely something going on with tickets in the stalls.  I can't understand why so many people leave it so late to get to the auditorium - I'm always just so excited to be there I go and take the atmosphere in as soon as I can! 

It was my first time in the House for Mayerling for about 25 years (Mukhamedov and Durante!). I loved it - I thought Sambe and Hayward had chemistry in spades, and the whole thing was emotionally devastating!  I was also struck by how engaged the audience was - those final moments when Mary and Rudolf hold the gun and just look at it - not a sound, except for their breathing from the stage.

I loved Itziar as the Empress - I believe she must have been in many of the performances this run.  She and Marci totally deserved their applause after the first act pas de deux, so very moving.

An aside - I believe Queen Margarethe of Denmark was in the royal box, ushered in by Kevin O'Hare.  In fact I think they may have held the curtain for her. 

7 hours ago, JohnS said:

Another astonishing evening, fabulous debuts, and a strong cast. I thought Marcelino Sambé and Francesca Hayward made for a great Rudolf/Mary pairing. They danced brilliantly together and to my eyes the complex moves simply flowed as if they were entirely natural, quite extraordinary. They both came across as equal parties to the joint suicide, equally committed, and that balance worked incredibly well throughout their scenes. 
I thought Sambé acquitted himself pretty well in his PDDs with Louise, Stephanie, and Larisch and his scene with Empress Elizabeth was gripping. But I thought his dancing with Mary was on a different plane.
I found Hayward’s Mary entirely credible and compellingly sensual. The card scene was fabulous with Hayward intoxicated with joy which then exploded in her scenes with Rudolf. This was a debut that we’ve been waiting for since her Manon back in 2014 and it certainly lived up to my very high expectations.

I very much enjoyed Sarah Lamb’s Larisch, Itziar Mendizabel’s Empress Elizabeth, and Mayara Magri’s Mitzi. Taisuke Nakao was a very sympathetic Bratfisch. 
I think the second performance on 30 November will be even stronger and I’m sure will be a fitting end to this extraordinary run of Mayerlings.

Very pleased to read this - am now even more excited to be attending next Wednesday for the final performance!

7 hours ago, alison said:

 

Also reported in relation to Act 1 of Mayerling, sometime late last century

 

I've read through 2 pages of comments on this thread and now can't remember what I was going to write!  Glad to hear the second Ball cast performance was good, because for me the first didn't entirely take off until the third act.  Pleased to hear good reports of the Sambé cast too, and looking forward to seeing that.

 

Oh, I know what I was going to ask: why on earth is Stephanie appearing in her nightie in the curtain calls?  Surely it used to be her shooting outfit?  It looks daft, because it's too much like Mary Vetsera's nightie.

I wonder if Stephanie appearing in her nightie is to help distinguish her from Princess Louise, who appears in shooting outfit in curtain calls?  Not all of the audience are as familiar with the dancers as the forum members!

2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I started crying watching Kaneko & Bracewell rehearse the balcony pdd.

You weren't the only one!

So sorry to see her go - I was hoping to see her as Juliet next season, but not to be - what a shame! Was always a treat to spot her on stage.

20 hours ago, bridiem said:

I was in tears too. Such consummate storytelling from Hayward and Campbell - every action, every feeling, every thought as clear as daylight and combined with beautiful, rigorous technical prowess and intense musicality. AND two dancing as one; they are so beautifully matched physically and have absolute confidence in each other so they can take risks, physically and emotionally. Utter brilliance. And Corrales was a wonderful Lescaut - a real scoundrel, but with the charm to get his way (until he gets out of his depth). Hayward's Manon was heartbreaking; the jewels and money were just a temporary attraction that would lead her and Des Grieux to a better life - in themselves they were no competition for him, this loving and sincere man and the only person not treating her as a commodity. They were a means to an end. I've never before noticed a Manon recoil in such fear from the ratcatcher (who was beside Monsieur G. M. at the time - i.e. a terrible warning to her of the danger of what she was doing, but a warning she ignored until it was too late. And Campbell showed me for the first time the moment that Des Grieux assents to 'help' Lescaut at the end of Act I - normally all I ever see is Lescaut twisting his arm and Des Grieux struggling bitterly. I always assumed the assent came between the acts, but this time Campbell nodded desperately and therefore took the story forward as it should. So many superb moments from both of them, and as a couple. Magnificent.

Absolutely agree - I loved Alexander Campbell as Des Grieux - and I loved his partnership with Francesca Hayward.  Thought Corrales was terrific too - charismatic and technically great!  Haven't enjoyed seeing Manon so much since Durante and Mukhamedov back in the very far-off day!