penelopesimpson Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 All I can see him down for this season is three performances of Raven Girl. What is going on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 …also Monotones in November and the new Wheeldon in February. ROH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Does he not do "classical" roles. Never seen him cast for R & J, Swan etc. Is that his choice or is he not considered good enough? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A frog Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 He isn't cast in the classical ones, but he is usually cast in MacMillan, in the past few runs he did R&J with Melissa Hamilton and Leanne Benjamin. His absence from this run might have more to do with theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) He has danced Romeo many times with dancers such as Cuthbertson, Galeazzi and Hamilton. He has also danced Albrecht with Benjamin A frog you just beat me to the button Edited October 8, 2015 by Tony Newcombe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Edward Watson must be approaching the age of 40 now. I guess it is more likely his choice not to dance in the classics. Romeo really is a physically demanding role after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Edward Watson must be approaching the age of 40 now. I guess it is more likely his choice not to dance in the classics. Romeo really is a physically demanding role after all. I SO hope we will see him do Mayerling just once more. I think with him absent there is a lack of what I would term emotional male leads. Great hopes for Alexander Campbell. I adore Macrae but for me he does not do emotion. Edited October 8, 2015 by penelopesimpson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Does he not do "classical" roles. Never seen him cast for R & J, Swan etc. Is that his choice or is he not considered good enough? 'good enough?' It would be hard to think of anyone better at RB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I SO hope we will see him do Mayerling just once more. I think with him absent there is a lack of what I would term emotional male leads. Great hopes for Alexander Campbell. I adore Macrae but for me he does not do emotion. If you want emotional you need look no further than Matthew Ball....we got a good hint of it in his Lensky, and his Romeo confirmed that this is a wonderful dance actor/danseur noble in the making, who can move a whole audience to tears. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 'good enough?' It would be hard to think of anyone better at RB I meant in the sense that, for example, Ashton requires a certain type of skill to convey the steps etc. Not good enough was perhaps not the correct expression. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Not all dancers are suited to Ashton, or even Ivanov/Petipa for that matter. I would rather see a dancer appear in fewer productions but which play to his strengths, than miscast in a style that clearly doesn't suit. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I SO hope we will see him do Mayerling just once more. I think with him absent there is a lack of what I would term emotional male leads. Great hopes for Alexander Campbell. I adore Macrae but for me he does not do emotion. I was having this conversation about Mayerling with a friend just the other day! I fear that if he hasn't formally retired the role yet, he probably will have done by the time the RB next get around to doing it. *Are* we likely to see Mayerling again at the RB any time soon? I'm thinking back to the casting last time and almost all of the Rudolfs and Mary Vetseras have since left the company. Apologies if off-topic! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 OMG. Edward Watson has just replied to my Tweet. The second one i`ve had from him.!!! Told him we were talking about him, in the nicest way possible on this Forum. He said "Thanks for the concern. Not going anywhere. Just decided not to perform Romeo for a while". So there you have it,from the horse`s mouth. God,I wish I could go to the ROH and watch him dance,just once. [Wish I could go to the ROH just once.] You all don`t know how lucky you are to be able to go multiple times. Just once in my lifetime would be an absolute joy. Anyway,thanks to my Tweet reply, i`m now a happy bunny for the afternoon.!!! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 OMG. Edward Watson has just replied to my Tweet. The second one i`ve had from him.!!! Told him we were talking about him, in the nicest way possible on this Forum. He said "Thanks for the concern. Not going anywhere. Just decided not to perform Romeo for a while". So there you have it,from the horse`s mouth. God,I wish I could go to the ROH and watch him dance,just once. [Wish I could go to the ROH just once.] You all don`t know how lucky you are to be able to go multiple times. Just once in my lifetime would be an absolute joy. Anyway,thanks to my Tweet reply, i`m now a happy bunny for the afternoon.!!! Ooh, lucky you. Please tell him he is much missed and if you can, ask if we are going to see him in Mayerling again. I can't bear the thought that he won't do another one. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummykool Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 ..... if you can, ask if we are going to see him in Mayerling again. I can't bear the thought that he won't do another one. I asked him that very same question at the stage door after Solo for Two. He smiled and said he hoped so. Fingers crossed.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Ooh, lucky you. Please tell him he is much missed and if you can, ask if we are going to see him in Mayerling again. I can't bear the thought that he won't do another one. Sent him a second Tweet ,passing on your message,Penelope. Might not be so lucky to get another reply though.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Well Edward Watson has just sent me TWO replies.!! Saying [to Mayerling] "I hope so". Then he sent me another reply,saying,he will be "Dancing a lot in the New Year".!!! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Lisa you are just going to have to treat yourself to going to the ROH! I will PM you about a very cheap place to stay!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Well Edward Watson has just sent me TWO replies.!! Saying [to Mayerling] "I hope so". Then he sent me another reply,saying,he will be "Dancing a lot in the New Year".!!! Thank you SO much. I adore Ed, he is exactly my type of dancer. Not to say I don't love everyone else at RB but, for me, he just has the certain special something. His Winter's Tale was fab and as for Mayerling, well... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Lisa you are just going to have to treat yourself to going to the ROH! I will PM you about a very cheap place to stay!! Thank you,Lin. The insane thing is I was a full time student at Urdang in 1984 when it used to be on Shelton Street in Covent Garden. Was in the area every day. Never got round to buying myself a ticket though. And in those days,you could buy yourself a standing ticket for a pound. [Kicks herself]. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Yes I do remember those days! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunrise Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Wasn't Irek Mukhamedov in his late 40s and well retired when he was invited back to the ROH for his swan song in Mayerling? I'm sure Watson has some years left and Mayerling does seem to come around semi-regularly. ☺ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Wasn't Irek Mukhamedov in his late 40s and well retired when he was invited back to the ROH for his swan song in Mayerling? I'm sure Watson has some years left and Mayerling does seem to come around semi-regularly. Irek Mukhamedov was aged 44, I believe. Jonathan Cope was also into his 40s when he last essayed Rudolf. Both of these dancers were stunning in the role. So, yes please, Ed Watson at 40 will do more than nicely. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummykool Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Talking of swan songs, Johan Kobborg was 41 (or near it) when he and Alina danced a truly memorable Mayerling before leaving the Royal ballet. Not that I want Ed to even think of retiring yet.....I just want to see him dance Mayerling again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Does he not do "classical" roles. Never seen him cast for R & J, Swan etc. Is that his choice or is he not considered good enough? As others have mentioned, he's done Romeo - possibly more times than anyone else in the company at the moment, and with a number of Juliets. I think he said once he wouldn't have minded having a go at doing Siegfried. Personally, I would have been intrigued to see what he'd have made of the character - and for that matter of Florimund - although I can't visualise him doing the big pdd in either ballet. Not all dancers are suited to Ashton, or even Ivanov/Petipa for that matter. I would rather see a dancer appear in fewer productions but which play to his strengths, than miscast in a style that clearly doesn't suit. So would I, but don't imply that he doesn't do Ashton Apart from Monotones, off the top of my head he's also danced Oberon (last *seriously* good performance of The Dream that I saw from the RB), Palemon, Symphonic Variations, Troyte in Enigma Variations, Daphnis (shame that was never revived ) - not to mention being one of the side boys in Scènes de Ballet, back in the days when it was cast with First Soloists rather than First Artists. I was having this conversation about Mayerling with a friend just the other day! I fear that if he hasn't formally retired the role yet, he probably will have done by the time the RB next get around to doing it. *Are* we likely to see Mayerling again at the RB any time soon? I'm thinking back to the casting last time and almost all of the Rudolfs and Mary Vetseras have since left the company. Apologies if off-topic! I was going to say I was expecting it back next year, but since you've mentioned the shortage of Rudolfs still around I'm starting to wonder. Certainly hope so ... Talking of swan songs, Johan Kobborg was 41 (or near it) when he and Alina danced a truly memorable Mayerling before leaving the Royal ballet. Not that I want Ed to even think of retiring yet.....I just want to see him dance Mayerling again! He did say something fairly recently along the lines of "another couple of years" - I don't remember the exact quote. On the other hand, oddly age doesn't seem to be a major factor in terms of one's ability to dance Rudolf, given how many performances from dancers in their 40s we've already mentioned. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 "Thanks for the concern. Not going anywhere. Just decided not to perform Romeo for a while". "not ... for a while". Implies that the role is still in his active repertoire, which is good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanartus Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Mayerling will definitely be revived in either 2017 or 18 to mark 40 years since its creation. So hang on in there Ed! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penelopesimpson Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share Posted October 9, 2015 Mayerling will definitely be revived in either 2017 or 18 to mark 40 years since its creation. So hang on in there Ed! Best news I've had all week. I've got the DVD of the Mukhamedov version and its stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) I was going to say I was expecting it back next year, but since you've mentioned the shortage of Rudolfs still around I'm starting to wonder. Certainly hope so ... Shortage of Rudolfs - really? By 2017/18, in addition to Ed Watson, there will surely be (in alphabetical order!): Matthew Ball; Federico Bonelli, Vadim Muntagirov; Thiago Soares (perhaps) and, hopefully, Thomas Whitehead who displayed his strong credentials for the role in a piece by Kristen McNally shown in the Linbury a few years ago. I have always thought that Gary Avis would have been particularly fine but the moment for him may have passed. Edited October 9, 2015 by capybara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 And not forgetting Bennett Gartside, who also made a great impression when he danced Rudolf last time round. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina G. Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Bennett Gartside is one of my all time favourites, together with Gary Avis! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Shortage of Rudolfs - really? I think the reference was more to the fact that Acosta, Kobborg and Pennefather wouldn't be around. Whether any of the others mentioned make it to dancing the role by then is probably anyone's guess: they might do, or they might not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Getting back to Penelope's original question, I don't think anyone mentioned The Winter's Tale, did they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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