art_enthusiast

8 minutes ago, Peony said:

 My cancelled Nutcracker last year was definitely over a month but I’d have to look at the card statement

Oh so would it be the actual monetary value instead of gift certificate credit?

(Unless you purchased it with ticket credit originally I assume)

Just now, RHowarth said:

Indeed - the box office team are as likely as any other to have been hit by Covid absences. 

Yes. When I last spoke to them though, the respondent told me a lot were working from home (she herself was at the time)

Don't wish to be pedantic but does anyone have any idea when credit returns for cancelled performances might be issued?

Bit confused though because opera on the main stage seems more unaffected. Nabucco today and Tosca on Wednesday seem to be going ahead this week.
And Wolf Witch Giant Fairy on Tuesday/Wednesday.

10 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

Can we see a silver lining in Dawnstar not missing Magri's debut?

 

ETA: or at the least not having a dilemma over it.

 

🙂

Gutted to be missing Magri's debut!
And the Nutcracker in general, as I guess there are hardly any tickets left for performances after January 3rd - if they are not also cancelled?

I won't be seeing the Nutcracker at all then, as I believe there are hardly any tickets available after January 3rd.

Oh well - I hope they all recover soon, extremely sad for Magri/O'Sullivan and the others debuting roles. I was especially looking forward to seeing Magri in the SPF role.

2 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

Blimey - looking on the ROH website, and they have marked all Nutcrackers up to and including the 3rd Jan as cancelled. Is everyone else getting that? I've not had an email about it as yet - has anyone?

Yes...oh dear.

19 hours ago, Fonty said:

Very slightly off topic, I suppose, but carrying on from the previous posts, I just checked to see how old Morera actually was, and I was quite surprised to see that Sarah Lamb is also in her early 40s, and that Nunez will reach the big 40 in  March. .  These dancers are still marvellous, and my first choice for so many different things.  

Thank goodness the RB doesn't have have an obligatory retirement age like the Paris Opera ballet. 

 

Indeed - and Natalia Osipova is 35, definitely still an amazing dancer.
I know they've all had injuries during their career, as every dancer experiences - maybe not that many though?

I believe Steven McRae has said that minimising injury is the best way to prolong a dancing career, and it seems that these dancers have been able to do this well, given their demanding schedules etc. I suppose the pandemic period of physical rest has also helped them in this respect.

59 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Well probably the one you need to see is Muntagirov...I believe most think he has it “all”

On the other hand it’s nice to have a bit of variety in dancers. 
There’s nothing wrong with a few slightly shorter Princes in stature either lol! 
 

 
Indeed, height definitely doesn't affect dancing quality!

15 minutes ago, Sim said:

Lovely performance from the four leads tonight.  The whole evening really cheered me up.  
 

I was imagining Ashley Dean as a future Juliet.  

I found her performance as a young Beatrice in the Dante Project very impressive.

So who danced with Fumi in the Nutcracker matinée today?

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

 

I wonder if a tech person or two might be off ill or something, and the rest are busy processing the returns. They might have to get extra staff in to man the phones to sell tickets. What’s more worrying for the ROH (or should be!) is that the opera Tosca is due to start in less than 5 hours and they still have over 100 tickets unsold and people can’t get through- the tickets are perishable. Great cast it is too - Freddie Di Tommasio is incredible and got rave reviews. At least RB has till tomorrow morning for the matinee. I’m going to leave it for several hours as mine is not so urgent. Best of luck, FionaE, and everyone trying! 

What's worrying is how their entire website system is built - its failure shouldn't be dependent upon the absence of one or two people (especially not in this current day and age!). I'd be interested to know how they built the website, and how its format leads to things like this happening...

14 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

It is highly unjust and wrong that as one of the most popular and dependable principals at the time, Chadwick was not given a medal and retired amid flowers and cheers (she could definitely have continued dancing for a lot longer)  but instead was treated so disgracefully. A stupid decision. Glad the House and the company are run so much better now. 

Indeed! It seems very absurd to want to let go of a Principal, especially due to the additional maturity and artistic expertise they bring to their dancing - as evidenced by many of the most experienced principals now.

2 hours ago, jmhopton said:

I've still got the series on video somewhere.  Never got round to transferring it to dvd as I found it disappointing and irritating.  I was hoping to find out how the ROH was run, how it was decided what ballets/operas were to be staged, the staging process, how the opera company was formed, is there a permanent chorus equivalent of the corps de  ballet; all these sorts of things. Instead the concentration seemed to be on extraordinary not ordinary events, such as substituting star singers at the last minute and management throwing phones across the room. Presumably the makers thought that made for more interesting TV but it was a big turn off for me. I think there was something about one of the dancers having her contract terminated but no explanation seemed to be given. 

Thanks for all the above replies everyone - sorry to have misdirected the topic slightly.

Regarding the series, I watched a few clips on YouTube and found it quite distasteful to see all the arguing (and swearing) about funding, and architectural complaints from the Covent Garden community. It seems more like a sustained reality TV argument than an in-depth portrayal of one of the most renowned theatres in the world, I assume that's what the producers were going for.

Also disliked the references to an 'elite' audience of the ROH, and the way they referred to such audiences as 'special' - it seemed quite derogatory to others.

Still great to see Fiona Chadwick (I've never heard of her much before, and have consequently looked up some of her performances) and also Anthony Dowell, and Darcey Bussell.

8 hours ago, alison said:

She did: they both featured in one episode of The House (which reminds me, I never did catch up with all of them on YouTube), being told that they'd got places with the company.  Little did we know then what either of them would go on to achieve ...

 

I didn't know about any growth spurts, though.

Just watched a few clips of the House on YouTube - very interesting historical look at the ROH and the different experiences and problems encountered by the RB and RO. 
Is there a thread about it potentially?

6 hours ago, Lenore said:

Not sure this is the right thread, but just as a heads up for those wondering about the seat views - was looking for tickets this morning (for Tosca, but tried for Swan Lake & get the same result) & I now get the option to ‘pay using the new checkout’. 
 

When I selected ‘yes’ to go ahead with that, it took me to a new seating plan which honestly hurts my brain a little (maybe it’s better on a laptop/computer - I’m on mobile). The upside is that the seat view preview is back when you select a seat. 

Not sure if this is just random, for now, as it does say feedback/suggestions are requested after checkout… 

 

Interesting, I didn't see this option when using the site today

45 minutes ago, Silke H said:

@Sim @LinMM At least there's some sort of choir this year.

In the very short-lived Covid version last year there wasn't even a recoding of the choir and the Waltz of the Snowflakes really felt a bit deflated with there being far fewer snowflakes and also missing something essential in the music without the choir.

Wow, it must have been very strange to hear that incredibly familiar music without the choir - I'm actually intrigued at to how it would have sounded though, and how they may have felt dancing without it.

23 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

I don't think I have ever seen Lamb/Muntagirov as dancing partners but now I wish I could!  I think they would be very well-matched in style and appearance/build.

I believe they did Manon together before? I've seen the recording and it's definitely amazing.

5 minutes ago, alison said:

The choir is recorded this year, I believe.  That's what it's sounded like so far, anyway.

Oh really? Because of Covid restrictions I assume.

2 hours ago, FionaE said:

You’ll likely have to travel somewhere (hopefully in Europe rather than further afield) to see performance #3 😉  I’m hoping for summer 2022 🤞

If Covid permits!

40 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

We both remarked on that, @FionaE.  I actually think Alina lifted him.  I know it sounds incredible.  And I agree it was incredibly moving and dramatic. 

Really makes me wish that they had recorded it!

On 27/11/2021 at 23:26, alison said:

 

I said that at his graduation performance, when he was in Lilac Garden - or Jardin aux Lilas, whichever they called it.  Not that there can be a "new" Watson, Dowell or whoever, but you know what I mean - I was referring to his acting potential more than anything, I think.

 

 

Indeed.  And hopefully we will get to discover more of what's exciting about him in the not-too-distant future.

Definitely. I loved his performance as Romeo with Fumi Kaneko, just incredible. Very evocative acting from both of them.

20 minutes ago, prs59 said:

 

RB might probably be playing rock/paper/scissors to decide who goes on instead.... 😉

that's what makes Nutcracker season interesting, the uncertainty of who will actually dance on the day/night....  it also tends to throw up some 'scratch' pairings which one might never have got to see otherwise.  we've already had Reece (Clarke) & Fumi (Kaneko).

Yes sure - I'm guessing it won't be William Bracewell, as he's already on that day!

12 minutes ago, EVWS said:

For anyone with tickets on Friday, Steven McRae has just posted on his Instagram that he won't be dancing the Sugarplum Prince - ROH website not updated yet though

Such a shame! But of course recovery is most important.

Do you know who might be standing in for him?

21 minutes ago, FionaE said:

I’m hoping to see her in lead role of the new Kyle Abraham, as she was in the short excerpt earlier this year.   And she is cast to do Juliet in the next run of R&J.  
 

Also she does get international guesting opportunities … regularly with Roberto Bolle (seems to be his first choice of partner) and also in Russia.   She performed Cathy Marston’s “In Our Wishes” with Lukas BB in St Petersburg at the annual Dance Open Festival in November.  How I wish for some video of that! 

Yep, would love to see that.

Did she do Manon with Roberto Bolle? I saw a video on the ROH YouTube of her rehearsing Manon with Matthew Golding. I don't believe there's any recordings of that performance?

I suppose it's not possible to predict when she might be doing the Arabian Dance in the Nutcracker again? (After tonight). I'm going in a few weeks and I was hoping to see her in that role, or as the Rose Fairy.