Royal Ballet Casting Autumn 2016/17

[SwissBalletFan]

As reported by Gramilano on his website:http://www.gramilano.com/2016/06/royal-ballet-autumn-season-full-dates-casts/

 

The Royal Ballet has released the casting for their Autumn Season, from September 2016 until January 2017. Roberta Marquez will return as Guest Artist to dance two farewell performances in one of her signature roles as the wayward daughter Lise in La fille mal gardée.

 

LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE

27 and 30 September at 7.30pm / 5, 6, 10, 13, 18, 21 and 22 October at 7.30pm/30 September at 2.30pm/15 October at 2pm and 7pm

Roberta Marquez returns as Guest Artist to dance two farewell performances in one of her signature roles as the wayward daughter Lise.  Francesca Hayward makes her debut as Lise and making their debuts Colas are Valentino Zucchetti and Marcelino Sambé.

Choreography – Frederick Ashton
Music – Ferdinand Hérold, arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery
Conductor – Barry Wordsworth
Scenario – Jean Dauberval 
Design – Osbert Lancaster
Lighting design – John B Read

 

CASTING
27 Sep / 30 Sep Laura Morera, Vadim Muntagirov
6 Oct Francesca Hayward*, Marcelino Sambé*
30 Sep (mat) / 15 Oct Yuhui Choe, Valentino Zucchetti*
5 Oct / 10 Oct / 18 Oct Natalia Osipova, Steven McRae
13 Oct / 21 Oct Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov
15 Oct (mat) / 22 Oct Roberta Marquez, Alexander Campbell

* Role debut

 

ANASTASIA

26, 28, 31 October at 7.30pm/ 29 October at 1.30pm and 7pm/2, 5, 8 November at 7.30pm/12 November at 1.30pm and 7pm

ROH Live Cinema, Wednesday 2 November

Last performed by the Company in 2004, Gary Harris will stage Anastasia having personally assisted MacMillan on many of his productions. Former Royal Ballet Principal Viviana Durante, who danced the title role in 1996, returns to coach a new generation of dramatic interpreters in this landmark revival. This production includes a number of exciting debut performances and is the first work to be screened as part of the Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season 2016/17 on Wednesday 2 November.

Choreography – Kenneth MacMillan 
Music – Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky and Bohuslav Martinu
Conductor – Simon Hewett
Production realization – Deborah MacMillan
Designer – Bob Crowley
Lighting designer – John B Read

 

CASTING

Anastasia/Anna Anderson, Kschessinska, Her Partner, The Husband, Rasputin, Tsarina, Tsar

26 Oct / 29 Oct /  2 Nov†
Natalia Osipova*, Marianela Nuñez*, Federico Bonelli, Edward Watson, Thiago Soares, Christina Arestis, Christopher Saunders

28 Oct / 31 Oct / 5 Nov / 12 Nov (mat)
Lauren Cuthbertson*, Sarah Lamb*, Steven McRae*, Thomas Whitehead*, Nehemiah Kish*, Itziar Mendizabal*, Gary Avis

29 Oct / 8 Nov / 12 Nov
Laura Morera*, Akane Takada*, James Hay*, Bennet Gartside*, Ryoichi Hirano*, Kristen McNally*, Gary Avis

* Role debut

 

CHROMA / NEW MCGREGOR / CARBON LIFE

10, 14, 16, 17 & 19 November at 7.30pm

The centrepiece of the McGregor celebration comprises a new commission with one of the world’s greatest living composers, Steve Reich, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday. Pakistani artist Rashid Rana joins the creative team as designer, alongside Lucy Carter as lighting designer.

This mixed programme also includes the first revival of McGregor’s Carbon Life which premiered in 2012 and fuses the designs of Gareth Pugh with music by multiple Grammy Award winner Mark Ronson.

 

CHROMA 

Choreography – Wayne McGregor
Music – Joby Talbot and Jack White III
Orchestration – Christopher Austin
Conductor – Koen Kessels 
Set designer – John Pawson 
Costume designer – Moritz Junge 
Lighting designer – Lucy Carter

 

NEW MCGREGOR

Music – Steve Reich
Conductor – Koen Kessels 
Designer – Rashid Rana
Lighting designer – Lucy Carter              

 

CARBON LIFE

Choreography – Wayne McGregor
Music – Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Conductor – Koen Kessels 
Designer – Gareth Pugh  
Lighting designer – Lucy Carter    

 

CASTING

CHROMA

10 Nov / 14 Nov / 16 Nov/ 17 Nov / 19 Nov
Lauren Cuthbertson, Sarah Lamb, Federico Bonelli, Steven McRae, Calvin Richardson* and dancers from the Alvin Ailey Company

 

NEW MCGREGOR
10 Nov / 16 Nov / 19 Nov
Lauren Cuthbertson*, Sarah Lamb*, Marianela Nuñez*, Francesca Hayward*, Olivia Cowley*, Myara Magri*, Anna Rose O’Sullivan*, Federico Bonelli*, Steven McRae*, Edward Watson*, Paul Kay*, Eric Underwood*, Matthew Ball*, Calvin Richardson* 

14 Nov / 17 Nov
Itziar Mendizabal*, Akane Takada*, Beatriz Stix-Brunell*, Yasmine Nagdhi, Fumi Kaneko*, Leticia Stock*, Ryoichi Hirano*, James Hay*, Nicol Edmonds*, Marcelino Sambé*, David Donnelly*, Luca Acri*, Tristan Dyer*

 

CARBON LIFE

10 Nov / 16 Nov / 19 Nov
Marianela Nuñez, Francesca Hayward*, Akane Takada*, Olivia Cowley, Beatriz Stix-Brunell*, Edward Watson, Ryoichi Hirano, Tristan Dyer, Paul Kay, Eric Underwood

14 Nov / 17 Nov
Claire Calvert*, Anna Rose O’Sullivan*, Leticia Stock*, Yuhui Choe*, Mayara Magri*, Matthew Ball*, Reece Clarke*, Alexander Campbell*, Fernando Montaño*, Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød*

* Role debut

THE NUTCRACKER

23, 25 November at 7.30pm/29 November at 1pm/1, 6, 8*, 15, 28 December at 7.30pm/19 December at 7pm/ 24 December at 12 noon/27 December at 2pm and 7pm/31 December at 12 noon and 5pm/2 January at 2pm and 7pm/4 and 9 January at 2.30pm and 7.30pm/5, 6, 10, 12 January at 7.30pm/7 January at 7pm

†  ROH Live Cinema, Thursday 8 December

Returning to Covent Garden in Peter Wright’s 90th year, The Nutcracker will also be screened live in cinemas on Thursday 8 December and will feature a series of exciting debuts from across the Company.

Choreography – Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov
Original scenario – Marius Petipa
Music – Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Conductor – Boris Gruzin (to 28 December) / Dominic Grier (from 31 December)
Designer – Julia Trevelyan Oman
Production and scenario – Peter Wright
Lighting designer – Mark Henderson
Production consultant – Roland John Wiley

CASTING

Sugar Plum Fairy, the Prince Clara, Hans Peter, the Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer

23 Nov / 1 Dec / 8 Dec†
Lauren Cuthbertson, Federico Bonelli, Francesca Hayward, Alexander Campbell, Gary Avis

25 Nov
Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Valentino Zucchetti, Christopher Saunders

29 Nov (mat) / 24 Dec (mat)
Francesca Hayward*, Alexander Campbell, Anna Rose O’ Sullivan, James Hay, Thomas Whitehead

6 Dec
Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Emma Maguire, Luca Acri, Christopher Saunders

15 Dec
Laura Morera, Federico Bonelli, Emma Maguire, Luca Acri, Christopher Saunders

19 Dec
Laura Morera, Federico Bonelli, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Valentino Zucchetti, Christopher Saunders

27 Dec (mat)
Beatriz Stix- Brunell*, Nicol Edmonds*, Isabella Gasparini*, Benjamin Ella, Alastair Marriott

27 Dec (eve)
Yasmine Naghdi*, Matthew Ball*, Leticia Stock, Marcelino Sambé, Bennet Gartside

28 Dec
Hikaru Kobayshi, Ryoichi Hirano, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Valentino Zucchetti, Alastair Marriott

31 Dec (mat)
Claire Calvert*, Reece Clarke*, Isabella Gasparini*, Benjamin Ella, Thomas Whitehead

31 Dec (eve)
Akane Takada, Valentino Zucchetti, Emma Maguire, Luca Acri, Christopher Saunders

2 Jan (mat)
Fumi Kaneko, Nehemiah Kish, Leticia Stock, Marcelino Sambé, Alastair Marriott

2 Jan (eve)
Akane Takada, Valentino Zucchetti, Emma Maguire, Luca Acri, Thomas Whitehead

4 Jan (mat)
Hikaru Kobayshi, Ryoichi Hirano, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Tristan Dyer, Bennet Gartside

4 Jan (eve)
Fumi Kaneko, Nehemiah Kish, Anna Rose O’ Sullivan, James Hay, Gary Avis

5 Jan
Yuhui Choe, Valeri Hristov, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Tristan Dyer, Bennet Gartside

6 Jan
Sarah Lamb, Matthew Golding*, Leticia Stock, Marcelino Sambé, Alastair Marriott

7 Jan / 10 Jan
Iana Salenko, Steven McRae, Anna Rose O’ Sullivan, James Hay, Gary Avis

9 Jan (mat)
Sarah Lamb, Matthew Golding, Leticia Stock, Marcelino Sambé, Thomas Whitehead

9 Jan (eve)
Yuhui Choe, Valeri Hristov, Emma Maguire, Tristan Dyer, Bennet Gartside

12 Jan
Sarah Lamb, Matthew Golding, Emma Maguire, Tristan Dyer, Bennet Gartside

*Role Debut

† ROH Live Cinema, Thursday 8 December

 

[alison]

Thanks, SBF. Some of this we knew already, but I don't remember the Hayward/Sambe Fille! But Zucchetti isn't a role debut, surely?

[bangorballetboy]

Thanks, SBF. Some of this we knew already, but I don't remember the Hayward/Sambe Fille! But Zucchetti isn't a role debut, surely?

Yes, this casting info was all available a few weeks ago (patrons and senior friends having already booked), including Hayward and Sambé (I've checked my booking script from last week to make sure). Zucchetti was scheduled to dance Colas last season but was injured and did not dance.

[SwissBalletFan]

Yes, this casting info was all available a few weeks ago (patrons and senior friends having already booked), including Hayward and Sambé (I've checked my booking script from last week to make sure). Zucchetti was scheduled to dance Colas last season but was injured and did not dance.

 

 

I checked on this forum...sorry to have missed it, where was it posted? 

[Bluebird]

I checked on this forum...sorry to have missed it, where was it posted? 

 

It didn't have its own thread.  That's possibly why you missed it.  Here's the initial posting (the mistake in Fille casting was later corrected)

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/12179-royal-ballet-201617-season/?p=169683

[SwissBalletFan]

It didn't have its own thread.  That's possibly why you missed it.  Here's the initial posting (the mistake in Fille casting was later corrected)

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/12179-royal-ballet-201617-season/?p=169683

 

thank you.

[jmhopton]

Is it right that Matthew Golding is only dancing 3 Nutcrackers in the whole of the autumn season? That doesn't seem very much unless he's guesting elsewhere.

[alison]

Is it right, or is it correct?

 

There *are* potentially other roles in Anastasia I suppose he might dance.  Otherwise, the autumn rep isn't really "his thing", is it - especially with that McGregor bill?

[aileen]

I don't think that this all McGregor bill is a good idea. You get the same dancers appearing in two or three works. Actually, Muntagirov has a big gap in his Autumn season: nothing after Fille until Nutcracker.

[alison]

I don't think that this all McGregor bill is a good idea. You get the same dancers appearing in two or three works.

Which is why we have some dancers guesting from Alvin Ailey: there was one dancer I thought was excellent in Chroma in the recent cinema broadcast, and others were very good.

 

Kish also has nothing to do except Anastasia and Nutcracker, for that matter. I suppose all these things do even out overall: after all, penelopesimpson (and others) was complaining about how little Ed Watson was cast last season.

[Wulff]

Don't forget that there are 6 performances of Sleeping Beauty scheduled between 21 Dec and 3 Jan concurrently with Nutcracker, and casting for these has yet to be announced. Then there are a further 19 performances of "Beauty" between 15 Feb and 14 Mar, so a lot of casting slots remain to be filled.

[alison]

My goodness, I hadn't realised that.  I'm surprised that Kevin O'Hare would schedule both at the same time, given the large demands both make on the company.  At least they're in a similar style, I suppose.

[FLOSS]

We have become used to programming which only gives the corps interesting work on an intermittent basis. We don't notice this because we are, understandably, interested in the performances of individual dancers rather than what work the corps is being given at any particular point in the season.

 

I have just started to read Sir Peter Wright's biography and that has prompted me, once again, to think about the two Royal Ballet companies and how they develop or fail to develop the dancers that they recruit.The Covent Garden company has always had the pick of the crop from the Royal Ballet School and yet it seems to me that Birmingham Royal Ballet and its predecessor companies have always been better at developing their dancers than the London based company. At Covent Garden opportunities for development are limited because of the size of the company, the number of Principal dancers whose performances have to be accommodated and above all the choice of repertory. Filling the weeks between September and late November with MacMillan blockbusters may do wonders for the company's finances and the Principal dancers' fans but they provide few developmental opportunities for dancers in the lower ranks of the company because in stark contrast to Ashton, MacMillan tends to use the corps as animated wallpaper. Members of the corps may be encouraged to create their individual backstories and have tiny vignettes in a MacMillan ballet but they are rarely given anything substantial to dance and certainly nothing that maintains and develops classical technique.  ..

 

Over the years the careers of dancers have withered and died at Covent Garden while those of dancers thought to be less obviously talented have blossomed and developed in the old touring company and continue  to do so at Birmingham. The difference between the two companies is that the smaller company provides far more opportunities for young dancers to perform and develop than are available at Covent Garden. At Covent Garden it is possible for a dancer to disappear whereas in a company the size of BRB that is impossible. In the past at Covent Garden dancers have had to wait so long for their opportunity to show what they were capable of doing that by the time they were given their chance they were, for various reasons, incapable of delivering the goods.

 

The selection of ballets for the coming Covent Garden season which led so many to complain about the safe, uninspiring and boring programming and some to groan "Not Fille again! They've only just done it.", is what is needed if dancers like Clarke and Katsura are to develop and grow as artists and achieve a place in the company which their obvious talents suggests they merit. It is the Petipa classics created to display the riches of the nineteenth century imperial companies and the ballets of Frederick Ashton which provide opportunities for development in a way that MacMillan's do not. The former give nearly everyone on stage an opportunity to dance and expose flaws and technical weaknesses the latter give a limited number of performers an opportunity to dance and often provide opportunities for dancers to conceal their faults by acting.

 

Only time will tell whether the director has got the scheduling wrong but at least it is a move in the right direction. It is only this sort of programming that will provide the environment in which he can grow his own Principal dancers rather than buying them in from other companies.  

Edited June 29, 2016 by FLOSS

[Jan McNulty]

A couple of points:

 

1.  Have you had a look at the BRB 2016/17 season Floss???

 

2.  Dancers can and do disappear within BRB.

 

3.  I agree that dancers in small companies tend to get greater opportunities.

 

4.  Thinking about bullet 3 above, should the Royal Ballet be reduced in size to, say, 70 dancers to help give dancers more developmental opportunities?

 

5.  Light the blue touch paper and stand well back!

[David]

 

"....... should the Royal Ballet be reduced in size to, say, 70 dancers to help give dancers more developmental opportunities?"

 

An interesting suggestion. Are you looking to one or more specific tiers or a 30% reduction at across the board at every level?

 

[Melody]

I think to do justice to both the classical repertoire and the size of the ROH stage, a significant reduction in the company size probably wouldn't be a good move (although with more and more funding cuts, who knows...).

 

It sounds from what FLOSS said that a careful choice of repertoire is more important than the physical size of the company in providing opportunities.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Melody

[FLOSS]

Janet I have seen the repertory announced for the BRB's next season I am afraid I don't find it very enticing. I am not overly keen on Bintley's Cinderella and the rest  of it does not seize my imagination  I shall be interested to see how Bintley manages with his Tempest. It is deceptively simple as a story but i recall that Nureyev made a hash of it.  Can you tell me whether the season as a whole will give more junior dancers a chance to be taxed, develop and shine?

 

I am not advocating that the RB should be.reduced in size. It is not really big enough to do a ballet like Beauty full justice as it is. I think that what is required is a few more ballets that could be cast from the junior ranks that would give us a chance to see what they can do when they are not being used as the ballet equivalent of spear carrier. It is repertory choices that are at the root of the problem. or so it seems to me.

The company does not need to buy in repertory all it needs to do is programme works like Les Rendezvous  Les Patineurs and Capriol Suite.

 

As far as the Ashton repertory is concerned it would be nice to think that his works might enjoy a higher profile than they have during the last thirty years or so and are recognised for the developmental opportunities that they provide and that  Ashton specialists like Paul Kay might get recognition for their skills. Personally I would keep at least one Principal position for the demi caractere dancer who really create characters rather than taking the easy option of displaying their technique with a character like the Jester But perhaps the most important factor in all this would be management recognising that casting unsuitable dancers in Ashton's works does nothing for the reputation of the choreographer, the company or the dancers concerned. Casting dancers who can't dance quickly and cleanly enough or can't do particular steps is ridiculous but it happens.,

Edited July 4, 2016 by FLOSS

[Jan McNulty]

Janet I have seen the repertory announced for the BRB's next season I am afraid I don't find it very enticing. I am not overly keen on Bintley's Cinderella and the rest  of it does not seize my imagination  I shall be interested to see how Bintley manages with his Tempest. It is deceptively simple as a story but i recall that Nureyev made a hash of it.  Can you tell me whether the season as a whole will give more junior dancers a chance to be taxed, develop and shine?

 

I am not advocating that the RB should be.reduced in size. It is not really big enough to do a ballet like Beauty full justice as it is. I think that what is required is a few more ballets that could be cast from the junior ranks that would give us a chance to see what they can do when they are not being used as the ballet equivalent of spear carrier. It is repertory choices that are at the root of the problem. or so it seems to me.

 

As far as the Ashton repertory is concerned it would be nice to think that his works might enjoy a higher profile than they have during the last thirty years or so and are recognised for the developmental opportunities that they provide and that  Ashton specialists like Paul Kay might get recognition for their skills. Personally I would keep at least one Principal position for the demi caractere dancer who really create characters rather than taking the easy option of displaying their technique with a character like the Jester But perhaps the most important factor in all this would be management recognising that casting unsuitable dancers in Ashton's works does nothing for the reputation of the choreographer, the company or the dancers concerned. Casting dancers who can't dance quickly and cleanly enough or can't do particular steps is ridiculous but it happens.,

 

 

Floss, David Bintley has been giving younger dancers chances and the promotion list issued today is very exciting but I am totally underwhelmed by the coming season!  Yes I am excited to see The Tempest but that, the Autumn mixed (which is all ballets that have been seen in the Spring) and Ruth Brill's new work in next Summer's triple is it for me.

 

The younger dancers tend to have lots of opportunities during midscale and that is my one hope for Spring 2016. 

[Jam Dancer]

I'm in a state of total despair   as I've only now realised that I will miss the debuts of Naghdi, Calvert and Stix-Brunell as SPF in The Nutcracker... suddenly not feeling so smug for having locked in flights out of the UK on December 19th before casting details became available although given the dates, it would've meant spending Christmas at home again this year. Now making mad dash to see if I can get ticket for Hayward's debut on  29th November.

[Two Pigeons]

I do so agree with what you have said FLOSS.

 

A great friend of mine always says that the RB takes the best dancers but BRB does more with what they have. I must just hope that the season after next has a bit more scope for development and interest to give opportunities for the up and coming dancers.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Two Pigeons

[bangorballetboy]

I'm in a state of total despair   as I've only now realised that I will miss the debuts of Naghdi, Calvert and Stix-Brunell as SPF in The Nutcracker... suddenly not feeling so smug for having locked in flights out of the UK on December 19th before casting details became available although given the dates, it would've meant spending Christmas at home again this year. Now making mad dash to see if I can get ticket for Hayward's debut on  29th November.

 

I'm pleased that I had the opportunity to sort out our flights after the announcement.  We're flying back in just in time for Stix-Brunell's show.    [sorry to rub it in]

[alison]

I've moved some of the postings which relate more to the Winter season into a separate thread: http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/13016-royal-ballet-casting-winter-201617/

[FLOSS]

As far as development opportunities are concerned I think that Sleeping Beauty could offer considerable possibilities for some of the talented recent recruits to show what they can do. It reallly depends on how far down the ranks the director feels he dare go. As far as we are concerned we shall stumble across most of these performances by chance as the roles that I am thinking of are no longer deemed sufficiently important to be announced in advance. They must know who they intend to cast as Bluebird and Florine and Lilac Fairy at each performance.

 

As far as the cost of Sleeping Beauty tickets is concerned years ago they cost considerably more than tickets for other full length ballets.At that time the company danced a text which included more of the Hunting scene than we see today  which meant that the performance lasted about a quarter of an hour longer than it does now. This meant that the performance finished well after 10.30 pm and the company incurred payments for overtime and that is why the tickets were more expensive.  Now the ballet performances never go beyond 10;30 pm I suspect that the ticket price is an attempt to cross subsidise other performances such as the revival of a ballet like Anastasia (top price £80) rather than covering the cost of the revival of Sleeping Beauty itself. I think that the company has decided that the demand for tickets for Beauty is not going to be much reduced by charging this sort of price.It will be interesting to see if it is correct in that assumption and even more interesting to see how expensive the tickets for Wolf Works and other exciting new works prove to be.

Edited July 13, 2016 by FLOSS

[Anna C]

General booking for Anastasia and the other autumn ballets isn't open until Tuesday, so looking at ticket sales now wouldn't give us a true picture.

[Bluebird]

 interesting to see how expensive the tickets for Wolf Works and other exciting new works prove to be.

 

If we compare the  Winter season to the Autumn  season,  Wolf Works has the same prices as Anastasia.  The Human Seasons/After The Rain/ New Crystal Pite  mixed bill has the same prices as the Chroma mixed bill. Only Sleeping Beauty has higher prices.