Sim

I will just say that at yesterday's matinee there were quite a few children around, and they all behaved impeccably. A little girl sitting in front of me kept turning to her parents and cracking a huge smile and a little gasp each time the swans appeared. That little gesture made me so happy. That's what it's all about.

Believe me Lin, had there been any reviews our amazing Links ladies would have found them! My turn tomorrow so I will keep a special eye out for anything about this programme.

So, Vadim does what James does in the clip above, then immediately does another. A sight to behold!

Well that’s good news at least! I feel so bad for Anna-Rose.

Mine said Madison so they obviously changed it nearer to show time, hence no announcement.

I have just arrived home on a beautiful high. Thanks to someone's generosity I was able to be at this very special performance. Thursday night was wonderful, and this soared even higher. Fumi's Odette is a beautiful, vulnerable creature, and we can see her physically and emotionally change from being frightened and wary of Siegfried to trusting him totally, and daring to love him. This makes the later deception even harder for her to bear, and we can completely understand in Act IV why she doesn't accept his abject apology from the beginning: we watch her learning to trust him once more, with every look, every gesture. Her arms are things of beauty, her eyes astonishing. As Odile, was there ever such a temptress? She is beautiful and she knows it. She doesn't have to work hard to beguile this Siegfried; he has no chance against such allure and is like a lamb to the slaughter. She mocks him with a smile, with her eyes she bats him around like a cat playing with a mouse in the garden. She lusciously, languidly, lasciviously luxuriates in her seductiveness. It wasn't only Siegfried who was under her spell; I think the whole audience was. Her fouettes were marvellous as always, and I agree with @Linnzi5 that Will's dancing has improved leaps and bounds (pardon pun!). But with these two, the technical side doesn't really matter to me. Theirs is a partnership that is so intimate, so empathetic, so pure that sometimes I think they don't even need an audience; they delight in each other so much. Every little look, every little extra touch....all of it adds up to a whole that is very special and very rare. I must also give a shout-out to the absolutely glorious corps de ballet. They are in great form and for me are currently up there with the best of the Russians. When they descend on Von Rothbart at the end of the ballet it's all I can do to stop myself from shouting 'go get him....girl power!' because that's what they convey. They are together, they are a protective veil for Odette, and when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for them they are going to make damn sure that VR pays for it. Like real swans, they are graceful but fierce when they need to be, whilst remaining beautiful. Excellent dancing from the entire cast....Valentino Zucchetti's tambourine seemed to have a life of its own in the Neapolitan Dance (he dropped it, and then so did the usher he threw it to!). Also, Isabella Gasparini danced it with him, when it was listed as Madison Bailey. No announcement, so it must have been a last-minute change. Ditto Ashley Dean replaced her as a cygnet; no announcement. I do hope Madison is okay. A wonderful way to end the long weekend, and I extend a huge thanks to everybody on that stage (and in the orchestra pit) for making me so very happy.

Except that she would chew him up and spit him out whenever she got bored of him!

Another sublime performance today that almost reduced me to tears from the sheer beauty of it. Deep sigh.

Hi Janet. I have sent you a DM. x

Yes, I do understand that. But as I said, why show the tickets as available to the public when they are clearly NOT available to the public? Why not simply say '31 tickets available for access holders only' or whoever they have set them aside for? Then, once they are ready to be sold to the public and released, just remove the words 'for access holders only' so that it then reads as 31 tickets are available for anyone to buy?

I have just had a look and you're right: there is no availability anywhere in the House. @LinMM you may be right, but quite frankly they shouldn't show tickets as being available until they actually ARE available...

Hi Swan. Please may I have this ticket? Please DM me with your details. Thanks!

Thank you Bridie for explaining our 'fatuous rationale' so clearly to those who don't understand.

Yes...that's not news to me!

Hello. If anyone finds themselves with a spare SCS/Balcony standing or cheapish seat for Monday's matinee (Will/Fumi) I will be delighted to divest you of it! Many thanks, Sim

Hi please can I have this i still available?

I notice that Lensky is listed as "Onegin's Friend." Is this always the case with this company?

Janet, @Sebastian is selling one if you look in the Opera & Music thread!

Bonjour Amelie et bienvenue au forum! Many thanks for your post. 😀

Sounds a bit suspicious to me!

Oh joy. Oh pure, unadulterated, beautiful joy. I refer to tonight’s Swan Lake.

@JNC Laura was a wonderful Titania and I will be thinking of her in June.

So much to be happy about with the casting: Hayward/Sambe should sizzle in The Dream. Naghdi/Richardson will be beautifully romantic in The Dream. Osipova/Bracewell...somewhere between the two! I am thrilled to see that Romany Pajdak is returning, albeit for one performance only. I do hope that this is a warm-up for gracing the stage once again next season, not a farewell.

Yep. Hope to see you there.

Ditto! See you there.