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Romeo is meant to be  a boy, after all, so I can't see the issue with slight stature... and  I would find it very bizarre if the RB were to start casting principal roles on the basis of hair colour... :)

 


  As unquestionably brilliant a dancer Steven is (arguably the best principal male in the current company), and as heartfelt an actor he also  is,  his slight stature and pale colouring inevitably make him an unconvincing Romeo.

 

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'...I wonder why they have given Macrae so many peformances of R&J..'

 

Above all, why did they give him this all-important streamed broadcast?  Were they were presented with the date and were unable to change the announced cast?  As unquestionably brilliant a dancer Steven is (arguably the best principal male in the current company), and as heartfelt an actor he also  is,  his slight stature and pale colouring inevitably make him an unconvincing Romeo.

 

I can't see that this makes for an unconvincing Romeo- there must be other reasons for thinking so.

Romeo is meant to be  a boy, after all, so I can't see the issue with slight stature... and  I would find it very bizarre if the RB were to start casting principal roles on the basis of hair colour... :)

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... and  I would find it very bizarre if the RB were to start casting principal roles on the basis of hair colour... :)

 

I do sometimes wonder if various companies have not cast on the basis of hair colour, though ...

 

Bill, I'm very glad to see that your full-stop key is still working.  I was starting to wonder :D

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Does anyone have any views on McRae/Salenko from last night???  I'm not seeing them until later in the run so would be interested to know what people think.

Posted on previous page.  Basically, did not catch fire for me.  I adore Macrae but not as Romeo; I just don't think he has the acting skills although of course his technique is second to none and he gave a flawless performance.  Salenko was lovely but the partnership just didn't do it for me but I must stress this is a personal opinion with which other more knowlegeable posters may disagree.

 

Alexander Campbell stole the show and I felt he had everything it takes to be Romeo.  Seeing Muntagirov and Lamb on Thurs so will have a comparison.

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My sister and I are booked to see Lauren Cuthbertson/Federico Bonelli cast on the 17th October, can't wait, I have the pairing on blu-ray, when they last filmed it for the cinema I think, so it will be very exciting to be seeing them together life, as I enjoyed it very much from watching it on the blu-ray. And to hear Prokofiev's score as well, just counting down the days.

 

MacMillan's 'Romeo and Juliet' is the version I've grown up watching, as I had the Ferri/Eagling pairing on VHS and later when it was transferred to DVD, so it's a dream come true to be seeing such a classic ballet production in it's home! 

 

Slowly ticking off my MacMillan ballet's as well, seen so far Gloria, Manon & Song of the Earth, I think next I would really like to see Mayerling, so I hope they bring that back somewhen!

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On the subject of Romeo and Juliet, we have a feast in store at the Lyceum in nearby Sheffield with no fewer than five related events.

There is the play itself which carries a warning on the theatre website, that it 'may' contain strong language. Don't they know? After all, the play has been around for a while! This production is the actual, original play, not one of those re - imagined versions set perhaps, in a supermarket check out queue circa 1985. Doesn't say it is anyway. :huh:

Next up is Page to Stage, which I suppose speaks for itself. Then a Touch Tour, which is an opportunity for people who are visibly impaired, to acquaint themselves with the lay out of the stage and the scenery.Then there is a workshop, a technical stage tour and finally, a 'meet the cast' coffee morning.

Wow, that is pretty thorough. 

In keeping with the dearth of dance in Sheffield, there is no ballet whatsoever, anywhere.

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In keeping with the dearth of dance in Sheffield, there is no ballet whatsoever, anywhere.

 

Although I am very much looking forward to going up to see Northern Ballet dance 1984 there next month!

 

No R and J tickets this time around for me (counting the pennies) but there are dancers I'll be really interested to see (primarily Nagdhi, Ball, Hayward, Muntagirov) when it inevitably comes back...

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In the end I decided to go this evening but I left at the first interval as I found the performance rather flat and actually felt quite bored during the long first act. Lamb did not win me over. I just find her cool (although her dancing is polished). Muntagirov seemed a bit ill at ease and actually seemed to make heavy weather of some of the earlier lifts (the balcony pdd went smoothly though). The sound from the orchestra was rather thin to my ears, which didn't help my enjoyment of the performance; it's a shame as it's such a stirring and evocative score. 

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In keeping with the dearth of dance in Sheffield, there is no ballet whatsoever, anywhere.

 

Northern Ballet are performing their magnificent production of 1984 at the Lyceum in a couple of weeks:

 

http://northernballet.com/1984

 

They are also performing David Nixon's production of Swan Lake next March (tickets now on sale).

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In the end I decided to go this evening but I left at the first interval as I found the performance rather flat and actually felt quite bored during the long first act. Lamb did not win me over. I just find her cool (although her dancing is polished). Muntagirov seemed a bit ill at ease and actually seemed to make heavy weather of some of the earlier lifts (the balcony pdd went smoothly though). The sound from the orchestra was rather thin to my ears, which didn't help my enjoyment of the performance; it's a shame as it's such a stirring and evocative score.

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Well that made me feel a little bit less guilty...I left after Act 1 too! Agree totally - didn't really think they worked as R&J but how I wished I had seen them in Manon. His schoolboy charm and her ice-blond charm must have been amazing in that particle last ballet as they so fit the lead roles in M. But it was R&J and for me it didn't gel dramatically enough for me to stick it out. My loss (I hope) as I think his Romeo was the most stunningly elegant I've ever seen it danced, and yes her Juliet has grace in abundance. Anyway a lingering cold led me away, and I hope his reviews are good.

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I stayed till the end, but also felt the performance never really took off. It got better towards the end, but the music was strangely muted and somewhat dull (how can this awesome score sound dull?) all the way through and put a severe damper on the performance for me. There was some fine dancing, but not enough chemistry for me to get involved in the story.

 

Some days are like that and it's often as much down to your mood as the performance itself. It probably didn't help that I was still buzzing from an intensely vibrant Orphee matinee which probably severely reduced my tolerance for a less than perfect Prokofiev rendering.

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As I don't really like R and J but go for the dancers I felt I would be making a biased comment, but apparently others felt the same, Vadim Muntagirov showed how brilliant the choreography for Romeo is, it came up looking new, (as he did in Manon), and Sarah Lamb danced beautifully and acted well, but the evening seemed rather tepid and I agree about the orchestra, I could hardly hear some of the music and it sounded thin, my concentration wasn't helped by the person next to me nodding off throughout the entire performance!

 

Pleased to see Valentino Zuchetti again as Mercutio, and I liked Yuhui Choe and Beatriz Stix-Brunell as two of the harlots, first time those characters didn't annoy me.

 

Of course there was always the disappointment of not seeing Natalia Osipova, possibly the real reason it fell flat.

 

 Very pleased to hear about the Orphee matinee, I can't wait to see it on Wednesday, I bought the programme yesterday to get more understanding of this opera.

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I'm glad it wasn't just me last night - I too found the whole performance left me cold.  Muntagirov's dancing was beautiful, but that was about the only real positive.  Maybe they will become more compelling with another performance or two but I'm not sure I see that happening.  I was also disappointed by Zucchetti and Hay as Mercutio and Benvolio - I was expecting so much more from these two dancers in these roles (although with them I suspect things will get better will successive performances).

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I am aware of the visits by Northern Ballet to Sheffield. Unfortunately, these are roughly six months apart and I hasten to add, that is not a criticism. In between there is next to nothing and I think there was a thread a while ago, about the lack of ballet/dance in Sheffield and possible reasons for it. 

I remember some years ago, attending the N.B.'s Romeo and Juliet and excellent it was too. The cast was thoroughly rehearsed in an exciting and engaging production.They knew it was good and were enjoying it as much as the audience.  I would like to see that again.

As for the R.B. possibly being a bit flat last night, I find peoples' differing perceptions interesting. It is of course true that one's mood can have a big effect on how one responds to a performance. I also think, and this may have been said before, that it must be hard for the dancers and musicians sometimes, particularly in a ballet like R&J, and when there are so many performances of the same thing, however experienced they are, to crank it all up again and make it seem fresh and spontaneous for another audience. Then again, sometimes it just falls flat for no particular reason. I have sat through some of these and you can't really put your finger on why? This is just my opinion.

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Yes, the whole cast was disappointing. All the men were rather bland and they needed to project much more to the upper reaches of the House. Speaking of which, my mood was not improved by paying so much (rather more than £50, actually) to sit in a cramped seat in the amphitheatre miles from the action. For the same amount of money one can purchase a great stalls ticket at Sadler's Wells (to see ballet with a live orchestra) and have enough left over to buy a couple of glasses of wine, a programme and a copy of Dancing Times. I'm going to have to be much more selective about performances at the RB in the future as the full length ones are becoming prohibitively expensive if the prices for R&J are anything to go by.

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Jacqueline, if the dancers and orchestra are finding it hard to summon up enthusiasm so early in the first run of the season then that does not bode well for the performances at the end of November.

No, it doesn't really does it, if it is a matter of enthusiasm. I have just realised this run goes into early December. This may be a stupid question but why are there such long runs of ballets such as R&J, Swan Lake etc. Why don't they break them up a bit and spread them across a year?

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Yes, the whole cast was disappointing. All the men were rather bland and they needed to project much more to the upper reaches of the House. Speaking of which, my mood was not improved by paying so much (rather more than £50, actually) to sit in a cramped seat in the amphitheatre miles from the action. For the same amount of money one can purchase a great stalls ticket at Sadler's Wells (to see ballet with a live orchestra) and have enough left over to buy a couple of glasses of wine, a programme and a copy of Dancing Times. I'm going to have to be much more selective about performances at the RB in the future as the full length ones are becoming prohibitively expensive if the prices for R&J are anything to go by.

So, not just me then.  I had a great night on Thursday and enjoyed it but that was it.  There was no touching of the emotional heartstrings and I remain firmly of the opinion that Macrae is not Romeo.

 

As for mood, well I was feeling good that night so I'm not going to accept the blame!  However, I do agree that as ticket prices become stratospheric, one expects more and more.  I paid £127 for Stalls Circle and its a big ask.  I know losing Pennefather and then Osipova left RB with a big hole, but I don't think Macrae was the man to bridge the gap.  Why on earth didn't they call for Watson?

 

I have a ticket for Muntagirov and Lamb on Thursday but am going to return it and put the money towards something in the Winter season.

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I am aware of the visits by Northern Ballet to Sheffield. Unfortunately, these are roughly six months apart and I hasten to add, that is not a criticism. In between there is next to nothing and I think there was a thread a while ago, about the lack of ballet/dance in Sheffield and possible reasons for it. 

I remember some years ago, attending the N.B.'s Romeo and Juliet and excellent it was too. The cast was thoroughly rehearsed in an exciting and engaging production.They knew it was good and were enjoying it as much as the audience.  I would like to see that again.

As for the R.B. possibly being a bit flat last night, I find peoples' differing perceptions interesting. It is of course true that one's mood can have a big effect on how one responds to a performance. I also think, and this may have been said before, that it must be hard for the dancers and musicians sometimes, particularly in a ballet like R&J, and when there are so many performances of the same thing, however experienced they are, to crank it all up again and make it seem fresh and spontaneous for another audience. Then again, sometimes it just falls flat for no particular reason. I have sat through some of these and you can't really put your finger on why? This is just my opinion.

 

If you are located within Sheffield Jacqueline then Leeds, Nottingham, The Lowry and the theatres in Manchester are also within comparatively easy reach and are covered by English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet as well as Northern Ballet and other companies.  After a wonderful week with BRB at the Lowry, I have also got Rambert and The Trocks to look forward to over the coming weeks as well as more BRB and NB in various venues.  I know a couple of people who travel from Sheffield by train to all the venues I have listed.

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Yes, the whole cast was disappointing. All the men were rather bland and they needed to project much more to the upper reaches of the House. Speaking of which, my mood was not improved by paying so much (rather more than £50, actually) to sit in a cramped seat in the amphitheatre miles from the action. For the same amount of money one can purchase a great stalls ticket at Sadler's Wells (to see ballet with a live orchestra) and have enough left over to buy a couple of glasses of wine, a programme and a copy of Dancing Times. I'm going to have to be much more selective about performances at the RB in the future as the full length ones are becoming prohibitively expensive if the prices for R&J are anything to go by.

 

Suggest for your sanity that you avoid ROH in future, and enjoy the shows at Sadlers Wells instead.

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It is a little disappointing that some contributors are ready to dismiss a performance after the first act and then leave.People have commented that Sarah Lamb can be rather cold but, last night with Vadim Muntargirov, she was positively fizzing. If ever a Juliet was bowled over by a Romeo this one was. From the moment she saw him in the ballroom right through to the balcony scene she threw off any childlike inhibitions  and was determined to enjoy the passionate embraces. Who could blame her, since Muntargirov was a most eager and determined suitor, his dancing exhibited his grace, bearing and masterful technique. Although he has danced with Sarah Lamb on a number of occasions it should be remembered that until quite recently his rehearsals had been with Osipova. A late change of cast must require some adaptation and, although she has been dancing the role with Stephen McCrae, changing to a second partner for her as well needed to be worked on.

 

Congratulatons to Zuchetti who was back on the RB stage after a long period nursing an injury. He is well cast as Mercutio and his fight with Tybalt and death scene were accomplished.with great panache. I predict an even more confident performance next Thursday. Well done to the harlots, especially Yuhui Choe, showing another side to their classy dancing.

 

It is a pity that the performance is criticised as a whole if contributors find fault with the orchestral playing. The dancers are still giving their all.

Edited by nevsky
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No, it doesn't really does it, if it is a matter of enthusiasm. I have just realised this run goes into early December. This may be a stupid question but why are there such long runs of ballets such as R&J, Swan Lake etc. Why don't they break them up a bit and spread them across a year?

 

Every show I have seen this week was danced with great enthusiasm by all the dancers! 

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