MildConcern

Hirano has posted pictures from his surgery bed… amazing that he was able to exit the stage so gracefully in the circumstances!

If I can see Onegin and Giselle in the new season, I shall be completely satisfied. Dream casting - Muntagirov Onegin debut alongside Bracewell as Lensky. Can’t decide the Tatiana and Olga - maybe Kaneko (debut) and O’Sullivan respectively. Unlikely, but one can dream!

While I didn’t see as many casts as some (only managed Kaneko and Lamb casts live and Osipova on replay) I agree that the principal standard was exceedingly high in this run. That being said, the corps were more ragged than I’ve seen previously - in particular, uneven 3 ‘gentlemen’ in Act 2, and the beggar boys didn’t fare much better. One of my favourite (?) parts of choreography is the women from boat at the start of Act 3 (where they clutch their heads), but I found some of the emoting in this sequence a bit half hearted in the casts I saw, compared to previous runs. And I think we are in desperate need of new inspiration at the Monsieur GM role (Avis can’t be on every night!)

Thank you so much for the video upload @lady emily. What a gem for all of those unable to attend.

I sat in row B recently for Manon. The rake of the floor of decidedly less towards the front of the stalls so if someone tall sits in front of you, they will block your view slightly. And unfortunately I couldn't see the dancers' feet very well in Manon, and I am above average height! My preference is always to sit more towards the middle of the stalls or - even better - at the side of the Stalls Circle which gives both the proximity to the stage and a view of the dancers' feet!

Row A, Seat 99 | Stalls Circle - you basically can't get any closer to the stage than this seat! £99, I will return to box office tomorrow morning if no takers

While I also think Vadim is a very special dancer, a real jewel in the RB’s crown, I don’t think he should have an undisputed right to cinema relays. He has, together with Nunez, had the lion’s share of both first nights (with accompanying reviews in broadsheets) and cinema relays. While it is great for him, it really leaves slim pickings for the rest of the RB’s very talented stars. For instance, the small amount of footage that exists of Morera and Campbell in principal roles (not a secondary type character such as Mistress or Lescaut) is a real shame. We all have our favourites but I encourage the RB to share the unique exposure that cinema relays bring. Moreover, I’m not sure it’s even in Vadim’s best interests. I noted in the Manon thread that I thought his Des Grieux was much improved from previous runs. But it is unlikely his interpretation of this role will be filmed again, given already filmed in 2018 run. So in the case of Winter’s Tale where he is making a debut, it really makes sense to see how he develops the role first.

I remember a funny interview with Watson where he said he once danced Nutcracker in Japan (guest appearance offering a lot of money) and hated every second

I had already booked for Fumi but I’m thinking of swapping to the Bracewell date! I badly want to see them together in Swan Lake 😍

In a slightly weird move, the ROH has released whole blocks of tickets for many of the Spring SL dates. Given the grouping and number, it looks like these were held back from general sale. I include below a screenshot showing what I mean. In case anyone is still looking for tickets!

What a beautiful review @Balletfanp - and you reminded me that I had the same reaction regarding what you aptly name the “run-across-the-stage-and-fall-move”! I meant to bring it up because the fine margin they were leaving had me shocked (in a good way) - it really was a knife’s edge and shows an impressive amount of trust in each other.

It is really interesting to read Forum members' different reactions to the roles. For me, Osipova and Kaneko's respective Manons are very different (disclaimer - I have not seen Osipova this run, but I have seen virtually every one of her Manon performances in previous runs starting from her London debut with Acosta). Osipova's Manon always came across as a real agent of her own destruction - she is a candle that burns brilliantly at both ends, seeking pleasure and never destined for a long life of contentment. I always feel her sexual liberation very keenly, and there is an eroticism to the bedroom pdd when she dances, a young girl discovering adult pleasures. When her downfall happens, I feel that she does not so much exhibit remorse, but more despair that everything she worked for has disappeared. The relationship with Des Grieux is one of blazing attraction and first love, but I don't necessarily believe that it was destined to last in any event. This is Manon with very much a capital 'M' - she is the sun around which everyone revolves and falls into orbit. In the final pdd, I feel she is throwing herself into the grave with abandon - one last reckless fling (and Des Grieux happens to one left who supports her to the end). Kaneko's Manon (based only one run out so far!) is very different. I wrote about it above and as Sim says, her downfall comes about through a mix of brotherly manipulation and a predilection for luxury that sits uneasily with a private distaste of immoral means. There is an inner turmoil and a private battle of wills that is much more complex than 'I like him, but I also love money'. In Act 2, I think her sense of shame at being a courtesan comes across much stronger than most Manons I've seen. The bedroom pdd is flush with bright and promising love, not lust, and accordingly it comes across very differently. In Act 3, she is shell-shocked and catatonic at what has befallen her and vey much retreats into herself. Similarly, the final pdd is one saturated in regret and a doomed realisation at how she has caused Des Grieux to fall also. I came out feeling I'd experienced a real love story. It really is a matter of personal taste and we're very lucky to have such range to choose from!

I cannot agree more. I was so thrilled by Vadim when he first joined the RB - the beauty of his first Des Grieux was a real shock to the system. Over the years, I found myself taking the stunning classicism of his lines for granted and wishing that he would emote more even beyond the natural beauty of his dancing. I also (she says quietly) never found his partnership with Nunez emotionally demanding and so inevitably saw him less the more they danced together. Mayerling was a real turning point for my connection to him - I could not believe that this agonisingly tortured and consumed portrayal came from him. And he has gone from strength to strength since. HIs Des Grieux now glows, and when he looked at Kaneko's Manon last night, the love was from inside, not just his wonderful dancing. I am still agape - and counting the hours to Tuesday's performance.

Lots of wonderful feelings from this evening - in particular, Muntagirov. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him stronger. His interpretation has changed greatly since the very boyish des Grieux at his debut with Lamb. This came across strongly in his first solo where he portrayed an assured young man confidently displaying his ardour, rather than an enraptured youth and it worked very well. His solos in Act 3 were heartbreaking - he is now as strong dramatically as he is technically, which is a heady and deadly combination! The bedroom pdd and swamp pdd were “suspend time” sublime. The Muntagirov and Kaneko partnership is very different to the tender one she shares with Bracewell. This one is grand and buoyant, where everything from lifts to emotions are ‘large’ and it really soars in the pdd. The kisses and little touches of affection between them all felt extremely natural. I really look forward to seeing them together in Swan Lake. I was really sucked in by Kaneko’s Manon. Hers seems to feel familial bond more than perhaps the allure of gold. She never seemed as entranced by the jewellery as she did by Lescaut’s encouragement, and her first concern in the fight scenes was always for him. She displayed more coldness and ambivalence than most towards Monsieur GM - she was the puppet rather than the gravitational sun. Some of her acting really struck me - the way she bounced up full of beaming smiles immediately after bedroom pdd and also the sinuous slight disgust she had during the pas de trois with Lescaut and GM. Some of the acting in Madame’s parlour could perhaps be more varied, but it is a debut!

I remember thinking it was a shame when Hayward was announced as the replacement for Takada for Manon, when there is Hamilton with one performance and also plenty of female principal 'Manons-in-waiting'. This newest announcement makes it fall into place - it is fitting that Campbell's last performance is with a partnership that has brought us so much joy over the years. My favourite role of his remains his Bratfisch (he embodies it like no-one else) and I will be very sorry to never see it again.