art_enthusiast

Might it be the Melissa Hamilton cast potentially? Interested in reports if it is, as I’ve booked for her performance

I actually loved Cinderella - the whole score came at the top of my Spotify Wrapped for last year, incidentally! I just think it's a bit soon to be seeing it again. I wish they would bring back Coppelia/Les Patineurs for Christmas 2024.

I have to say, if we have to choose between Cinderella/Fille for Ashton I would choose Fille. Cinderella is a bit too fresh in my mind to want to see it again for Christmas 2024. Regarding the Alain issue, isn't he a sort of knockoff version of Gamache in Don Q (I haven't seen Fille in full so not sure). And they were fine with presenting him as a figure of fun. So it shouldn't be a huge blocker.

It's nice that you offer. But in general, tourists shouldn't expect random passers by to immediately acquiesce to their photography requests.

I cannot STAND those people. If I see people like that in London, as a Londoner I make a point of walking in the background of their photos accidentally on purpose - shout out to the people who block the way on Waterloo bridge to take group selfies, when people are trying to walk to the ROH! The audacity. And tourists who ask me to take pictures of them - I’ve had that in Vienna, Lisbon, Prague, basically anywhere that I’ve travelled. Since when did I give the impression of being a photographer who works for free? I will mostly say no, I really don’t have the patience and most of the time I’m in a rush!

I'm also looking forward to seeing him in Swan Lake - I missed his performance in 2022 unfortunately. The last time I saw him on stage was the Nureyev gala in September 2022, when he performed a brilliant Laurencia with Natalia Osipova. Loved that. I last saw Akane in Mayerling in November 2022 - Hirano standing in for McRae, I thought it was a superb performance. I hope to see her back for Swan Lake in June. It certainly is such a shame for both of them, I really hope they recover.

Certainly can't wait to see her, Muntagirov, Sissens and Dias on the 27th - good luck to all of them. Particularly after seeing Joseph's rehearsal, wow. Also can't wait for his Swan Lake with Sasaki.

So promenade means standing on stage with them? I’m a bit confused about how that would work I would like to see Sissens/Hamilton though, two of my favourite dancers

Oh dear! I was so hoping she would make it. Wishing her well. Hopefully she can do Swan Lake later on in the run

I really enjoyed the performance last night. I booked for Marianna Tsembenhoi as Clara and I'm very glad I did, I thought she was just brilliant. She has a lovely amount of energy, innocence and radiance on stage, and seems particularly suited to this role, her acting is very natural. I hope to see her in similar roles in future, potentially Juliet - or Alice if they ever bring that production back (fingers crossed they do at some point soon). I do think the whole performance benefits a lot from casting age appropriate dancers in these childlike/adolescent roles - not that age should matter for roles like Clara or Juliet. However I'm very glad to see those at the Artist/First Artist level getting the opportunity to do these meatier roles, as they should be. I also really liked her partnership with Joshua Junker - I hope they're cast together again, they have a good connection. Aiden O'Brien was certainly a superb Drosselmeyer, as I knew from watching the Insight. Gorgeous Rose Fairy from Annette Buvoli. Mayara Magri and Reece Clarke were also lovely together. Reece added some dynamics to his solo, and Mayara's fouettés in the finale were very well executed. She had a slight stumble before the actual bulk of the Act 2 dancing started, just in the brief introductory bit to the Land of Sweets. She was absolutely on pointe (pun intended) for the main PDD and the Sugarplum solo. The one thing that doesn't really interest me is the Arabian dance - I agree with those who say it was better before. It's a shame because I love the music, I'm just not a fan of the RB version of it. I also think the costumes for the Arabian leave a lot to be desired compared to other productions. But on the whole, a lovely production - I was glad to catch it this time, especially if it isn't coming back next season.

Hi, just a quick question about booking seats with cameras potentially in view, for cinema streamed performances (Manon) Does anyone know which seats are usually blocked in the orchestra stalls? I’m hoping A 26 and 27 aren’t

Enjoyed the small smattering of snow yesterday - my rabbit enjoyed playing in it anyway! (Doing his own snowflake jumps) I’m looking forward to Nutcracker today and Manon next week!

Gross. They could at least go to the ladies toilet in the interval and do this sort of thing - I actually still find it annoying though, having the sinks clogged up by people gawping at themselves in the mirror and re-applying makeup or whatever. Not that I have issues with personal grooming, I just find it unnecessary to be doing so much of it when - no offence - no one is here to see you! We've come to watch the people on the stage, not the audience. Unless you're a celebrity being papped - which is somewhat unlikely to happen during a performance.

Just a quick question for all the very experienced ballet-watchers over the years - was it normal to eat and drink in theatres during the 1960s/70s/80s? Or has it made an unwelcome comeback now after being out of fashion for a while?

I haven't actually seen The Judas Tree, but what I've heard about it has put me off from trying to catch it on ROH Stream. I think when a piece descends into mostly gratuitous sexual violence, it does start to lose its meaning. I think in smaller doses, when it's actually part of the plot/character illustration/not overly graphic - like the Stephanie and Rudolf PDD in Mayerling, for instance - it makes sense. But if it's just unnecessarily focused on being as shocking as possible, it becomes very difficult to watch. I haven't really read any of Atwood's works fully, but I am familiar with the Handmaid's Tale, in particular the response to the show. I believe quite a lot of its audience started to fall away as the show went on, because it became too unnecessarily violent and graphic for them. It becomes exhausting and repetitive after too much exposure.

Not necessarily. I’m in my mid-20s so probably still count as youth (who knows) but I’m not always a fan of dystopian works. I think the demand for it has petered out somewhat as the world has steadily become more dystopian, particularly in recent years. Being far from death isn’t necessarily a good thing in today’s world.

Just checking, what’s Valentino Zucchetti’s current role? Would he be able to have the position?

Why not? I’m sure there will be some exciting R+J debuts, that would be my main reason for going anyway - given that I went so frequently in 2021/22. Hoping for Joseph Sissens as Romeo (which looks very likely given he performed it on the Japan tour this year) with Isabella Gasparini/Mariko Sasaki as Juliet, and hopefully many others.

I had to cancel my ticket unfortunately due to a scheduling clash. If there are seats left in January I might rebook for another performance. Would be interested to hear any opinions on the performances so far.

I agree. It's quite unnecessary to insinuate such things.

I think only the Swan Lake ones are on YouTube in full, unfortunately

Couldn't agree more. He stood out to me as one of the most handsome male dancers of the company when I first saw him (in October 2021's R+J as Tybalt with Fumi/William, when I first started watching live ballet). Of course all the dancers are, but he has a certain type of maturity in his look (and partnering ability) that I believe comes with age and experience. And it is very much appreciated!

That would be fabulous.

Hirano really impressed me in the Mayerlings of 2022 - he did three that I saw, with Osipova/Hamilton and Takada in place of McRae. Also loved him as Dante, and the princes in Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. I also really liked his performance in Corybantic Games, and in the 2022 Diamonds Gala with Lamb. And as Romeo to Hamilton's Juliet in the 2021/22 season. I also think he does a brilliant, menacing/dramatic Tybalt. If funds and timings allowed I would also book for his DG and Sarah's Manon (I thought she was brilliant in the one on the Stream with Muntagirov). Glad that I got to see her in SB/SL and Giselle though. I also thought her 2022 Mayerling with McRae was superb.

Same, I’m so glad I saw her and Luca. Brilliant performance.