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Finnbarr

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  1. Finnbarr
    I think this is charming. Thank you for drawing our attention to it. The orchestra is rather good isn't it and the ballerinas are beautiful dancers. Who knew the EU sponsored ballet?
  2. Finnbarr
    Delightful evening at ROH on Wednesday. Nutcracker world now fully restored post Covid. 24 snowflakes, live children singing, RBS children as toy soldiers and mice. The tree grew and didn't get stuck. And the sleigh/milk float glided across the stage without an impeding step (caused by the tree failing to grow). Madison Bailey is a really characterful Clara. What's the percentage chance of a Clara becoming a principal? Rest of the cast also charming. Leo Dixon stood out as Harlequin and a Chinese dancer. As the house lights went down who should slide into the empty seat next to me but Kevin O' Hare. He didn't engage me in conversation ( preoccupied with a young man and older woman across the aisle . A new recruit and his agent?) but if he had, these would be my questions: are the angels on pointe under their robes? what was Gary Avis saying to the toy bunny drummer? He was having a quite animated conversation during the party dances. I don't understand the ending. Drosselmeyer lays Clara on the drawing room floor before disappearing into the clock. But then Clara appears outside the house in the street still in her nightie where she meets the Nephew. How come? I can take my tree down now One de- merit. My favourite bumbling old retainer with the candelabra didn't feature. I hope he hasn't retired.
  3. Finnbarr
    Now I have a question for the experts. The Fairy Godmother as an old crone was played by Olga Sabadoch who seems to be a guest character artist. Why would this be?
  4. Finnbarr
    By the way just to add that Meaghan Grace Hinkis returned after a long absence through injury as the Autumn Fairy. Lovely to see her
  5. Finnbarr
    Chers colleagues: this is a ballet! A charming fairy tale retold in music, dance and mime. The beautiful score so well played by the orchestra, the sublime choreography, the entrancing dancers, the ravishing costumes and sets, the surprising lighting effects and the illusions all contributing to the magic. If you haven't seen it yet do go and try to take some children or even grown ups not well acquainted with ballet. I think it will be a Christmas treat for some seasons to come. Natalia Osipova is a thrilling dancer and consummate actress and Reece Clarke has a very natural princely demeanor- and a huge jump! I loved it when Natalia was laughing behind her hand at the antics of the Ugly Sisters. The bit where she wheeled excitingly around her Prince several times accelerando was breathtaking and really well conducted by Johnathan Lo. The Jester was a huge bonus and his athleticism was quite breathtaking. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Do go.
  6. Finnbarr
    Fonty- are you Alistair McCauley in disguise? You didn't enjoy this new production of Cinderella, we get it. But is is really necessary to be quite so destructive in your criticism ? I read this forum to see reviews of the casts that are not reviewed by the papers and which I haven't seen. Could we go back to that please?
  7. Finnbarr
    Annette Buvoli was a really lovely Lilac Fairy projecting the grace and calm reassurance that Claire Calvert does so well. I think it will become her role. Leticia Dias also stood out as one of the fairies and Princess Florine. Both destined for promotion I think.
  8. Finnbarr
    Ilana Salenko is guesting as Odette/Odile. Lucky you!
  9. Finnbarr
    Last night's performance to a full house at The Coliseum was excellent. Emma Hawes played a gentle and rather sorrowful Odette as if she knew how it would all end and a coquettish and rather mean Odile. Her technique was faultless, including her fouettés. Aitor Arrieta was a little shorter than her when she was en pointe and although very athletic with great jumps somehow didn't quite make his mark as Siegfried. Maybe that was because I couldn't stop thinking how much he looked like Emmanuel Macron. The corps was fabulous, with Precious Adams' porte de bras particularly beautiful as one of the big swans. The French horn nailed one of of three of the difficult intervals in the big swan section so it's not only the ROH that has that problem. It's obviously very difficult! The orchestra was excellent. There was some sort of problem during the first act when the stage started to flood with dry ice during the peasants rejoicing bit, completely inappropriately. It was coming from underneath one of the tables and made it look as though the stage was on fire. The cast and orchestra just carried on regardless, not missing a step or beat, as they did later on when we were treated to a loud hiss for about a minute which was obviously part of the same problem. Great professionalism, everyone.
  10. Finnbarr
    Just seen a wonderful performance of Nutcracker with Francesca Hayward as a light as a feather Sugar Plum Fairy. But, pray tell me, Ballet experts, what is the significance of the two stuffed lions that come on with Saint Nick? I don't remember them in the Christmas tradition. Am intrigued. I watched the behind the scenes video which is on streaming before I went and was amazed to discover that the tree is flat! Just shows how much I had been taken in by the magic as I always imagined it to be a perfect 3D Christmas tree ( and smelling of pine!)
  11. Finnbarr
    Hello, RB experts can anyone tell me who it is who plays the delightful old retainer who features in the Christmas party in The Nutcracker, wandering around with a candelabra as everyone goes to bed ? He has been in all the performances I have seen and I think he is a great comic actor. Is he an ex- dancer?
  12. Finnbarr
    I went to see Scottish Ballet's The Crucible last night. I am so glad that I did as it is a really striking production with a clear, thought provoking narrative. The music was excellent- no melodies but very dark and atmospheric. The dancing I though was superb although I thought there was a bit to much walking for a ballet! The pas de deux were full of emotion and very well danced. The revelation of the evening for me was Jerome Anthony Barnes as the Chief Witchfinder. At least I think it was him as there was no cast list in the programme. He projects a really strong stage presence and, with his long, lean physique, strikes a beautiful line. He is a principal at 23: Scottish Ballet may struggle to hang on to him. Thank you for coming Scottish Ballet and thank you Sadlers Wells for reminding me you are still there after the pandemic. Will be along shortly to catch Don Quixote!
  13. Finnbarr
    If I could just say that in my original post on this topic I went out of my way to say that I booked another performance of Anna Rose O Sullivan after her debut because I thought the Act 3 slip may have been a one off. But her second performance was also disappointing and whatever moves other dancers may substitute ( eg see Odile doing all pique turns in the historic black and white footage of the Kirov) what we saw was decidedly unmusical and jarring. I would be interested to know if she pulled it off on her third performance but you were all being too polite to say! I think it must be very different attempting Odile’s final solo after the ballerina has danced all of Odette in Act 2 and the Act 3 pas de deux and andante solo as compared to reeling off fouettés in the studio. Could more full dress rehearsals be helpful perhaps?
  14. Finnbarr
    The Sunday Times has a story in the early editions that William Bracewell and Reece Clarke have both been promoted to principal
  15. Finnbarr
    I saw Anna Rose O’Sullivan fall on her debut and I am afraid to say it did break the spell for me . I instinctively squeezed my eyes tight shut and worried about how the dancers as people must be feeling rather than investing in the characters in the drama. I subsequently paid again to see Marianela Nunez which I had not intended to do but I didn’t really feel I had seen a “proper” performance. I was rewarded with a faultless show and I felt that Marianela’s technical security meant that she could invest even more in the characterisation. I decided to see Anna Rose Sullivan’s second performance as I felt it may have been the audience clapping(why do people do that?) slightly out of time that put her off. But she pulled out at 24 fouettés stopped dead in the middle of a bar and stood still for a bit then wheeled away with a couple of pique turns. I still felt slightly short changed. At the last minute I went to see Lauren Cuthbertson and was hugely impressed. Here was a properly experienced principal who could execute all the steps gracefully and securely as well as projecting her own interpretation of the Odette/Odile character. That was worth £145. I do understand that different ballerinas have different strengths, and I have seen lovely performances by Anna Rose O’Sullivan, but I suggest that the director should take these into account when casting the ballets. I don’t think it is quite fair to the paying audiences to give them a dancer who isn’t confident that she can pull off certain parts of the choreography.
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