Sim

He was 61, just.

Yes I was there, and it was a lovely speech. It is such an honour that she dedicated this run of performances to him.

This wonderful-looking mixed bill opens tonight. All discussion here please.

Ha ha yes.....and this is how it would have looked:

Gorgeous photo BBB....thank you!

I will also be at Sadlers Wells but am very happy how I ended the run last night!

3rd April!! 😄

An absolutely superlative performance tonight from the whole cast. Naghdi and Sambe were stunning, Stix-Brunell (what a beautiful debut as Mercedes!) and Ball dynamite together, Avis a resolute Don, O'Sullivan her usual lovely Amour and Gartside a revelation as Lorenzo....he brought the character to life like no-one else has. Huge applause and standing ovation at the end, and I can't remember a company performance of this ballet that deserved it more. I am still reeling from the buzz of that Act 3 pdd.....wow! A truly special night. Huge thanks to all those wonderful artists for bringing me such a feeling of pure joy!

I dreamed a couple of years ago that the RB had run out of Odettes/Odiles, so in desperation they were getting me ready to go onstage and were giving me final touches to my hair and makeup in the wings, and some final advice about how to do the steps. At that point I woke up in a cold sweat.....I would have looked like one of the hippos in Fantasia had I gone onstage like that!! 😂

Thanks for the photos, DonQ Fan. It was lovely to see you on the night, albeit briefly!

You will love tonight....a fabulous cast all round!

In record time.....both tickets are spoken for!

I now have to attend another event on this date, so I have two SCS tickets to sell: 30 and 31, right in the centre; great view, £11 each. Cast is Hamilton/Clarke. I am at the ROH tonight and on April 13th so can can hand them over then, or post them out. Please PM me if interested. Thanks, Sim

Elvis Nudo???!!!! What a glorious name!!!

I thought so too. I couldn’t believe that this tosh could be in The Times as anything other than a joke. Sadly, but not surprisingly, it seems I was wrong.

Dear Friends, In accordance with Kevin's wishes, we are organising a get-together to celebrate and remember him and his life. His funeral has taken place in Basel, but there are many people who couldn't attend who want to commemorate this special person. The event will take place on Saturday, 27th April from 2pm - 5pm in the downstairs studio at ENB's headquarters in 39 Jay Mews, London, SW7 2ES. Aside from the above, this event is also a fund raiser for Cancer Research. We will be asking for a donation at the door of £10 per person. This is to help cover the costs of the event, but also will ensure that we have a good donation to give to the charity in Kevin's name and memory. We thank you in advance for your generosity. Because the studio capacity is limited, and because we need to let the caterers know numbers in advance, could you kindly let Simonetta know by 22 April whether you will attend. Please email your reply to simatzkevevent@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there. Best wishes, Simonetta and Matz

I love The Frick Collection. So many things to do in just a few days!

Some of the links to anything Russian on the programme last night were tenuous at best. I think that with all the last minute changes they probably just had to include people and things and not worry at that point about the Russian icon side of things....they just needed people on stage. Given all the changes (many of them last minute), I think it was a good programme. I liked seeing different pieces in addition to the usual gala fodder. Luckily I was on a freebie, but I too would have been disappointed had I paid a lot of money for a ticket and then seen virtually none of the advertised participants. I don't know why there were so many changes. I wonder if it had anything to do with the ballet festival in St. P? Or do dancers just decide they can't be bothered, or have better things to do? One of the reasons I almost never go to these things is for this reason; I was disappointed too many times. Having said that, I enjoyed the evening although it wasn't what it could/should have been. However, seeing such wonderful pdd from Naghdi/Sambe and Lamb/Watson was a joy. I liked Julian McKay very much, and Sergio Bernal. Nothing like a bit of flamenco for a Russian gala!!

Fumi Kaneko replaces Lauren Cuthbertson tonight. I really liked her as Kitri, so it should be good. I'm not going, so I hope someone will kindly report back!

A lot of us know each other already but next time you are at the House let us know in advance and we can arrange to meet up.

I was standing nearby and it was very loud and very distracting. Today I was standing in the same place and a woman coughed loudly all the way through Act 2 of DonQ. People complained to the usher, and I told him it was like being in a Victorian TB ward. She should have done the decent thing and left the auditorium.

My cup runneth over...two magical debuts in less than 48 hours! What a wonderful and confident debut from Mayara Magri today. She was cheeky, funny, flirtatious, and all to such musical and classy dancing 💃🏻! Partnered by a superb and equally cheeky and flirtatious Alexander Campbell, the chemistry between them was sizzling. Gary Avis was a touching Don whose clarity of gesture really told his story. Lovely, assured Queen of the Dryads from Claire Calvert, and Bennet Gartside made me giggle out loud! A huge ole to Nicol Edmonds for taking over the role of Espada in Act 3 and doing a fine job! I hope Reece Clarke is ok. A joyous afternoon where the sun and warmth outside were met with equal intensity inside. Bravo to all!

Yes, you should definitely try Katz's. If you are a vegetarian, forget it. If not, have a look at the video and challenge yourself to one of the 'beef encounter' sandwiches, or any variation of pastrami or salt beef (has to be on rye!). This is the place where the famous "I'll have what she's having" scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. https://www.katzsdelicatessen.com/

If it's your first trip there, I highly recommend this boat tour. It goes around the whole island so you get an excellent idea of the lie of the land, plus you get an out of work actor who is the on board guide and always hilarious. It is 2.5 hours long, but well worth a morning. Book it in advance. Everyone who I have recommended this to and who have done it have loved it and said it gave them real insight into the city and its history. I did it again a few years ago with my husband and daughter and they both loved it. You can also see my old school from it so very wistful for me!! https://www.circleline.com/sightseeing-cruises/best-of-nyc How long will you be there?

It was a schools’ performance so probably not!