MildConcern

Now taken!

Hi all - selling a ticket for Don Quixote rehearsal as I forgot I already have brunch plans! Amphi A-39 £25 12:30 start on Saturday 30 September It is an e-ticket so I can email it to the taker.

Crikey - this casting is putting a spanner in my winter booking plans! So very excited about Kaneko’s debut. On one hand, terrific that we finally get to see her with Muntagirov. On the other, Bracewell’s Des Grieux was one I was sorely anticipating and I was hoping they would be cast together. But seeing as Bracewell is with Naghdi, I must see both casts! Echoing the above comments re Melissa’s public performance - I am so relieved she hasn’t been dropped from the roster. I saw her debut in 2014(!) partnered by Matthew Golding and remember her being utterly divine. Also excited for Richardson, remembering his gala performance with Takada last year in the role. Slightly disappointed not more debuts are scheduled. Did we really need Bolle, who hasn’t done any strenuous partnering for a good few years? Of course the female principal situation is very bloated at the moment, with neither of Magri or O Sullivan getting a run out, but typing the above re Hamilton made me recall that she and Francesca made their Manon debuts as lowly soloists in the same year. How unlikely that is to happen to young potentials now.

I found it interesting in Muntagirov's autobiography that he states he has said he won't dance modern works because he doesn't want it to detract from his classical technique, and management have respected that. He obviously came to the RB as an established principal, but I suspect this would've panned out quite differently if he was hired by the RB on graduation - in that I don't think he would've been able avoid dancing to styles that are not his preference.

I can see from my ROH account that my last trips to see Manon in October 2019 set me back £18 for a restricted view amphi ticket. This season, that same ticket will cost £49. I can't see how a £31 increase is justified, even with the cost of living crisis. As it is, I am minded to pick the one cast I am most excited about (probably Kaneko debut if that happens), splash out for a central stalls ticket and be done with it (rather than seeing multiple casts from the amphi as I have usually done).

I think I have now been successful. Despite only being able to start putting tickets into my basket at 9:30, most of the seats I wanted were still available, which indicates that most people were also struggling. This still wiped out a good hour of my working morning, when the entire ordeal should have been over in 10 minutes!

Friends and Young Friends booking this morning... I cannot for the life of me book anything as I keep running into the "exceed ticket limit" message despite having nothing in my basket. Now have been on hold with box office for 20 minutes. Most unimpressed.

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen a young couple, dressed to the nines, come up to the side amphi, looking in confusion for their seat, only to discover with panic that it is a standing ticket. How they don't see this when they are booking, I don't know as it is very well signposted on the website. This is often followed by a row and not returning after the first interval...

One of fifty here! I don't think I'd be half as passionate about ballet and opera as I am now (and pay full price for so many tickets) if it wasn't for the fantastic exposure the Young ROH scheme gave me. As a person who would've only wanted to book for Swan Lake and Giselle otherwise, £10 stalls student standby tickets lead to me falling in love with Ashton, listening avidly to Strauss operas... it gave me the 'bug' true and proper. Those were the days! As a result, I feel rather cheered now when I occasionally look down from my amphi seat at a stalls full of excited young theatregoers who are getting the same opportunities I once had!

I believe Hayward has been frank about stamina issues she faced during Swan Lake and which (in my humble opinion) were apparent from the audience. Admittedly, she seems to be fine with Aurora (although I didn't see her during her performances this run), but maybe she views Kitri as more in the O/O wheelhouse.

30 Swan Lakes!??! Someone get the corp ladies a bottle of wine already...

I will see 1 or 2 casts in Don Q - I would see more if the Acosta production didn't infuriate me. Manon and Swan Lake are never unwelcome! Pleased about Anemoi, less so about the Cellist. I like the Dream triple bills, but wish we could have something instead of Rhapsody, which as much as I love it, we saw recently. I will probably see Dante again (intrigued by another dancer in the Watson role) but will give Winter's Tale a pass.

To add onto the Naghdi praise, she was by some distance my favourite Tita in LWFC. Though I do seem the unlikelihood of nominating her over Hayward, who was Wheeldon's choice for the first cast.

A rather interesting interview with Kevin O'Hare where he discusses, among other things, giving principals the freedom to guest elsewhere. (I think this interview is from last year in Brno and is interspersed with lovely clips from La Bayadere, but it has only just be uploaded!)

As though to whet the appetite for next season, Bolle has posted a short clip on his instagram story of Kaneko and Muntagirov rehearsing Don Q for his upcoming Friends show. Unlikely they are cast together on ROH stage, but it seems they have started getting rehearsal time in!

As much as I am hesitant to say it (given how much I ADORE Kaneko/Bracewell), the fact that Kaneko / Muntagirov are frequent gala partners and are performing R&J on Japan Tour makes me wish they could have a big Macmillan together on ROH stage. However, if Kaneko’s debut Manon is not with Bracewell I will feel rather put out! I scarcely see Muntagirov in big 3 act ballets because (whisper it) I don’t really connect with Nunez as a dancer and so I also enjoy the rare occasions where he is partnered with Lamb, Naghdi and others. I loved Osipova and Bracewell together in Month - but see above reservation about splitting up Kaneko/Bracewell, who I consider to be the finest RB partnership in the past decade. I also enjoy Naghdi/Ball and have done ever since their R&J debuts.

My first (and probably last) performance of this run of Cinderella this evening. Overall I enjoyed acts 2 and 3 but I am in no haste to return. Production - I quite liked the set design. Changing Act 2 to a garden setting was rather effective. I didn’t have any problem with sight lines and the fairy godmother transformation was pretty seamless from where I was sitting (amphi front row centre left). The fairy costumes are awful, aside from godmother. Spring and Summer in particular resemble energy drinks. The light display at the start and the projections throughout were rather nice. Composition - Cinderella remains very low ranked in my ballet preferences and this production does nothing to elevate that. After the initial 10 minutes of the stepsisters, I would’ve happily cut the majority of the rest of their scenes - very few chuckles at their antics from those around me (indeed, a father close to me groaned and buried his head in his hands when they appeared at the start of Act 2). I can’t imagine the jokes improve on second viewing. The prince is woefully underused as others have said. Act 1 is far too long and easily the weakest dramatically. I rather wonder at the seasonal fairies - to me, they don’t provide enough narrative to justify their inclusion across all 3 Acts. I love Prokofiev symphonically, but this score is quite hard work. Performances - Kaneko and Bracewell a wonderful partnership as usual. Bracewell left me wishing that we did get to see the princely race across the world - anything to get him more stage time. Fumi’s Act 2 was wonderfully vibrant. I did believe their love story, which is half the battle with Cinders. I was more than surprised to find a lump in my throat during their pdd, which is rather telling! Gartside was a hoot and Hay a bit overpowered - though I don’t know if that is just the nature of the dynamic of those two parts? Certainly all laughs near me were gotten by Gartside. Hamilton very nice as godmother.

I for one really enjoyed reading Fonty's review, just as I appreciate and read everybody who takes the time to leave their personal thoughts and opinions on this forum. Finbarr - you say we should only review casts, rather than the production. I don't think that's a limitation that has ever been intended for this forum. After all, if Siegfried's black tights are indistinguishable from the dark backdrop, it doesn't matter who is dancing if I can't enjoy the dancer's efforts fully and it will hinder my enjoyment of the cast. Fonty gave measured and explained comments on the production, which I think is equally valid. This is after all a new production, never seen before, and regarding which there is plenty of excitement. Indeed, it being a new production is a huge part of why I intend to see this run at all (Cinderella not being a ballet I particularly enjoy). I think there is more than enough room for that here. I wouldn't like to think that others will be discouraged from leaving their reviews as a result of responses like these.

Yes, this is the main tragedy. Nikiya and Gamazatti are two of the most intriguing roles in the classical ballet repertoire, where the choreographic and dramatic demands are quite unique. Given that the RB has a very high number of female principals (I want to say a record high, but this might be easily disproven!), Bayadere could give everyone a 'run out', so to speak. As we have said extensively on other threads, the small amount of main stage performances for each principal is something that is hard to resolve. But alas! I was quite wistfully jealous at the Kaneko / Muntagirov / Naghdi Bayadere that was staged in Brno last year.

In addition to the wonderful excerpt of the Kaneko / Bracewell schools matinee curtain call posted earlier in this thread, ROH has now posted nearly the entire curtail call to its LinkedIn (link below). In addition to how lovely it is to see and hear the children's appreciation, it also gives some indication as to how the costumes appear on stage. I must say the Cinderella tutu does look like Sleeping Beauty's wedding tutu, but Fumi wears it very well. Excited to see this cast next week! https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7048676690801086466/

It is worth noting that this production of Turandot is also being retired, this being its final run. I suspect its successor, whenever it arrives, will not lean into the appropriation element as heavily.

That's the loveliest clip! How very exciting it must have been for the children. Hopefully inspiring too. Thank you for sharing!

I'll admit that the main reason Onegin is on my wishlist is because I've had a burning desire to see Muntagirov in another 'unpleasant' role ever since his Mayerling. And he did say when withdrawing in 2020 that he will be performing in its next run... That being said, Onegin was last on in spring 2020 shortly before the first lockdowns, so it may be quite early for a revival. I live in hope, however.

Bayadere and Onegin would be top of my wishlist, but I'm not holding out much hope! I hope an Ashton triple bill is on the cards. Manon is looking the most likely out of the Macmillan full-lengths. I would swap out Swan Lake for Giselle, but think that's unlikely to happen!

Would you be happy to explain more about why you thought McRae miscast? I haven't seen this (or any) cast yet, but my general opinion is that the pattern of late has to been cast any principal who 'wants a go', as opposed to maybe considering who would be the best fit. For example, James Hay is (to me) a much more natural Ashtonian dancer than some of the Princes cast!