Riva Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Hello from a long term reader and first time poster. I'm in a bit of a pickle preparing to book tickets to Giselle next year at ROH and hoped you good people could provide some insight into which cast to try and book (although understanding that we are always at the mercy of illness and injury). I've seen the production twice previously, Lamb/McRae and later Lamb/Golding when Sarah Lamb filled in for an injured Natalia Osipova who I had booked for as I'd heard that Giselle was her 'signature' role. Loved Sarah Lamb's performance on both occasions but would be interested to see how other dancers interpret it. I understand the options (apart from Lamb/Hirano) are Nunez/Muntagirov, Takada/McRae, Hayward/Sambe, Cuthbertson/Bonelli, Naghdi/Ball, Morera/Kish or Osipova/Halberg. Would be really keen to hear everyone's thoughts and very grateful for your advice, thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Hi Riva, nice to see you posting! There were some thoughts posted at the time the casting was announced: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riva Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 Ah thank you Geoff I'd forgotten about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Hello Riva and thanks for taking the leap out of the lurking shadows! I do hope you will keep on posting now that you've broken the ice. I myself and plumping for Naghdi/Ball and am especially disappointed that a certain Mr Campbell isn't getting a chance at Albrecht. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 All of them!! I am seeing all casts except Takada/McRae, Lamb/Hirano and Morera/Kish. McRae doesn't do it for me in the classical roles, Kish doesn't do it for me at all (although I loved Morera's interpretation), and although Takada danced the role beautifully from a technical standpoint, she didn't move me. I saw Sarah Lamb do it a few times last time as I had tickets for her performances and Osipova's, so I decided to skip her performances this time, simply from a financial point of view; I had to make some choices. Osipova/Hallberg as a partnership in Giselle are widely considered to be unsurpassed at the moment. She said in a recent interview that he is her favourite partner. I think that Naghdi/Ball, making their debuts together, will be wonderful, as they were in R&J and Sleeping Beauty. I haven't seen Hayward/Sambe in classical roles so can't really comment. Cuthbertson/Bonelli are gorgeous together as they always are. During the last run, Nunez/Muntagirov gave one of the most moving and beautiful performances of this ballet that I had seen for many years. Obviously this is all just my personal opinion and others will disagree with some/all of it, but art is subjective! I'm not sure if you are just wanting to see one performance or several, but the choice is excellent and is a very hard one as each couple has something wonderful to give to someone. Welcome to the forum, Riva, and do let us know what you end up with and, eventually, what you think of the performance/s. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 The Francesca/Yasmine debuts are really special, particularly given how wonderful their debuts in other roles have been in recent seasons and how we've been privileged to see them both flourish. I'm rather hoping Laura will be able to elicit a warmer, more engaging performance from her partner and I couldn't resist Natalia. So four for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 I agree with all your particular choices Sim Apart from the debuts of course have never seen Cuthbertson in that role so wouldn't mind seeing her but have seen all the others including Osipova ( though not with Hallberg) and she was truly wonderful so could be easily tempted to see her again too. But I think in the end if I can only go once it will be to one of the debuts that I feel most attracted this time round.....but which one???? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 If I was advising the original poster Riva though I would definitely say choose either Nunez and Muntagirov or Osipova and Hallberg You will get absolutely outstanding performances in this particular ballet from those two castings. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesrhblack Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Jan McNulty said: "especially disappointed that a certain Mr Campbell isn't getting a chance at Albrecht." I absolutely agree and am astonished. After his Florimund last season, this would have seemed a natural progression, ideally suited to his talents as a true dance actor. I can only think that it was the lack of a suitable partner. After initial success with Hayward in Nutcracker and Beauty, it now seems that she is to dance only with Sambé, and in the absence of Salenko, McRae is dancing with Takada. Very sad about this. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 I think that Sambé is wonderful but I have no idea why he would be chosen ahead of Campbell to partner Hayward in Giselle. Both partnerships have been proved to be very effective; but Campbell is really reaching (or at) the prime of his life as a dancer and both needs and deserves to do the major roles now, whereas Sambé is at a much earlier stage of his career. Ideally I would want both of them to do Albrecht; but to overlook Campbell is just mystifying. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riva Posted September 15, 2017 Author Share Posted September 15, 2017 Wow this is all really useful thank you so much for your thoughts! I'm inclined to plump for Osipova/Halberg or Nunez/Muntagirov, if only for the reason that (hopefully) Naghdi/Ball and Hayward/Sambe will presumably be performing for greater years to come and I will therefore have more of a chance of seeing them dance the roles the next time it's scheduled. But another part of me is loathe to miss a spectacular debut! To be honest I've not seen much of Francesca Hayward, Yasmine Naghdi, Marci Sambe or Matthew Ball previously. I always used to book Yuhui Choe and Alexander Campbell performances as my first choice (or any cast including Ed Watson!) but alas they don't appear to be partnered much these days. I've got a soft spot for Marianela Nunez, and looking forward to seeing her and Vadim Muntagirov in Sylvia. Enjoyed Akane Takada very much in The Dream, and Lauren Cuthbertson's Aurora. I might be able to stretch the budget to two performances if I do cheap amphi seats but doubt I can really afford more than that. I could book a day off work to go to a friends rehearsal but I don't think there's any way of knowing which artists are performing until you get there! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 It is often a debutant cast that does the rehearsal...... maybe in this case one cast will get the school's matinee and one will get the Friends' rehearsal?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 34 minutes ago, Sim said: It is often a debutant cast that does the rehearsal...... maybe in this case one cast will get the school's matinee and one will get the Friends' rehearsal?! Hayward/Sambe are shown online as dancing the Schools Matinee. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Ahhhh.....so everything crossed that the rehearsal could be Naghdi/Ball! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riva Posted September 20, 2017 Author Share Posted September 20, 2017 Right booked for opening night with Nunez/Muntagirov and last night with Osipova/Halberg. Went for better seats than normal as an early birthday present to myself. So excited!! Going to try for friends rehearsal tickets next week in the hope that it will be Naghdi/Ball, at the very worst it's a day off work watching ballet with a guaranteed great cast whoever is performing, so I'll be happy! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillykins Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I have tickets for Naghdi/Ball, really pleased. Would love to see another cast but only get one performance on access, I really do appreciate that! Don't seem to find it difficult to find wheelchair pushers! I would however pay well over the odds if Campbell was suddenly given a performance! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Naghdi/Ball and Hayward/Sambe here. This is one of the few occasions when I envy Londoners - I don't think there's a cast I wouldn't want to catch. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyTaylor Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 On 15/09/2017 at 14:31, bridiem said: I think that Sambé is wonderful but I have no idea why he would be chosen ahead of Campbell to partner Hayward in Giselle. Both partnerships have been proved to be very effective; but Campbell is really reaching (or at) the prime of his life as a dancer and both needs and deserves to do the major roles now, whereas Sambé is at a much earlier stage of his career. Ideally I would want both of them to do Albrecht; but to overlook Campbell is just mystifying. I think it's height - Hayward is the only ballerina Sambé can dance with. Desperately disappointed - nothing against him but I want to see the best partnerships and Hayward/ Campbell are IT. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 It’s Nela, Natalia, Frankie and Yasmine for me plus rehearsal. So excited for the latter two but the two former are simply wonderful. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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