The Royal Ballet: Manon, London, March-May 2018

[Fiz]

I am blown apart by tonight. Muntagirov made me cry at the end. It was absolutely wonderful!

[Sim]

Do read ToThePointe's review of this cast posted further up the thread. She says it all so well.  I didn't see the transmission tonight, but this cast blew me away a couple of weeks ago. 

[Balletfanp]

I saw the live performance on Thursday but the close-ups of Lamb and Muntagirov in the cinema just now were heart-wrenching. Oh, the end.... I feel an emotional wreck now. They were amazing.

 

Couple of comedy moments - the cleaner shuffling past behind Ore and Darcey pulling a Henry the Hoover, and plainly oblivious to the fact that she was being live streamed all over the world 😂 - and Hirano and Muntagirov after the end of Act 1, during which they had been half killing each other, strolling past with their arms chummily round each other! Much laughter in the cinema at those two moments!

[JohnS]

Highlight for me in the cinema was the final PDD - thank you Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov, absolutely blazing.  I also enjoyed Vadim's exquisite dancing throughout.  Less sure about the earlier Acts as I didn't find Sarah's Manon as convincingly sensual and controlling as some - perhaps not helped by the camera work at the start where we couldn't see her feet.  I was slightly too conscious that I was struck with how well executed much of the choreography was in the PDDs in the first two Acts.  But what will stay in the memory I'm sure is that closing PDD.

 

Very much enjoyed Ryoichi Hirano's Act 1 Lescaut, a real thug, but I'm afraid I thought Act 2 completely over the top, as with Itziar Mendizabel's Act 2 Mistress.

[alison]

1 hour ago, Balletfanp said:

and Hirano and Muntagirov after the end of Act 1, during which they had been half killing each other, strolling past with their arms chummily round each other!

 

Not to mention Avis and Hirano doing something similar after the end of Act II, when one had been fully killing the other.

 

Gorgeous dancing from Muntagirov tonight - not that I expect any less from him! - and I may have some difficulty occasionally reading Lamb from a distance, but she was clear as a bell on the big screen.  Unfortunately, owing to being in the cinema and not being allowed to look where I wanted, I got a bit distracted during her Act II solo - I kept wondering how long Bracewell et al were going to be able to hold that position during the "freeze frame" where nobody but the 3 main protagonists is actually moving onstage - it really seems to last forever!

[Richard LH]

(Cinema viewing).

Like some others, if I am reading correctly,  I thought Lamb and Muntagirov progressed throughout, from a rather  underwhelming Act 1,  to a more convincing Act 2 and a suitably powerful and emotional Act 3, where they really gave it all they had, and a bit more.

Similarly  I thought Hirano  looked a bit out of his comfort zone at the start but that he got back into it later. I enjoyed his drunken dance, albeit perhaps he went a bit over the top, and I also really enjoyed Mendizabel's dancing and characterisation. 

The camera shots did manage to lose some of the overall  effect by concentrating on extreme close ups at the expense of the broader scenes. It's always going to be slightly annoying when someone else chooses what they think you should be looking at, out of (at times) a whole  bunch of action across the stage.

I'm not sure I needed Ore and Darcey's take on the ballet  during the interval, for this production.

Finally, though,  I think we have a new  RB star - Henry the Hoover. I was disappointed he didn't actually  make it on the stage for Act 3 as there did seem to be a lot of cleaning up needed in the dock area. Surely it it's not  too late to fit him in as a divertissement?  - perhaps pulled around by Lescaut  as part of his drunken scene....

 with thanks to AO.com

Edited May 4, 2018 by Richard LH

[Balletfanp]

I must say I didn't find Act 1 underwhelming myself. I thought the bedroom pas de deux was everything he would expect, passionate, ardent, and of course beautifully danced!

[aliceinwoolfland]

Haha I think Henry would make a great walk on role!

 

Every time I see Manon I’m blown away by the music. There are so many shades of light and dark in there. (And as a clarinetist it’s wonderful to hear so much woodwind )

[annamk]

2 hours ago, Richard LH said:

(Cinema viewing).

Like some others, if I am reading correctly,  I thought Lamb and Muntagirov progressed throughout, from a rather  underwhelming Act 1,  to a more convincing Act 2 and a suitably powerful and emotional Act 3, where they really gave it all they had, and a bit more.

 

Live viewing here and I agree with you. 

 

First time I've seen Muntagirov's DG and maybe I was expecting too much of his opening solo but I was disappointed, likewise with the Act 1 pdds.

 

I was underwhelmed by Lamb's brothel solo, she lacked Osipova's sensuality. However, from then on Lamb/Muntagirov pulled out all the stops and it was worthy performance. It seemed to me that whereas Osipova chose to portray Manon as a girl who ultimately cared more about the money than DG, Lamb chose the alternative, both work with such thoughtful dance actresses. The end didn't move me to tears but I can't remember when Manon last did that. 

 

There are compensations in not spending most of the ballet eyes glued to the main man, there is the opportunity to appreciate all the terrific little cameos going on around the fringes : James Hay's beggar chief, Stix-B and Kaneko's courtesans arguing over Ball. 

Hirano impressed me, I don't usually warm to him but I enjoyed his powerful Lescaut. Some people might have found it a bit OTT but I thought it worked. 

[Sim]

12 minutes ago, annamk said:

 Stix-B and Kaneko's courtesans arguing over Ball. 

 

And who can blame them?! 

[Fiz]

I do enjoy the insight chats we are given. I thought Darcy - I think it was Darcy - was very perceptive when she told Beatrix S.B. to mask her intentions before she pushed Kaneko otherwise it would be too obvious that they knew what was about to happen.

[Richard LH]

24 minutes ago, Fiz said:

I do enjoy the insight chats we are given. I thought Darcy - I think it was Darcy - was very perceptive when she told Beatrix S.B. to mask her intentions before she pushed Kaneko otherwise it would be too obvious that they knew what was about to happen.

Yes the pre-recorded pieces were good, it was the live comments and interviews that seemed a bit below par this time IMO.

[Richard LH]

2 hours ago, aliceinwoolfland said:

Haha I think Henry would make a great walk on role!

 

Every time I see Manon I’m blown away by the music. There are so many shades of light and dark in there. (And as a clarinetist it’s wonderful to hear so much woodwind )

Yes the music is wonderful. Each time I hear it I pick up on another lovely theme I hadn't really clocked before. Well done Martin Yates and the whole orchestra ! 🙂.

[Vanartus]

8 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Yes the music is wonderful. Each time I hear it I pick up on another lovely theme I hadn't really clocked before. Well done Martin Yates and the whole orchestra ! 🙂.

Ah...sorry but I still prefer the original orchestration...

[Anna C]

Darcey seemed to struggle more than usual last night; as ever, only when reading the autocue.  Ore however clearly isn't dyslexic so why don't they have him reading all the autocue parts and let Darcey do the interviews?  She's so much more fluid and less anxious when speaking off the cuff.

 

It was clearly only at Cineworld and perhaps only at ours, but near the end of Act 1 a red star (the Cineworld logo) appeared on screen, overlaying the dancers.  It made us all jump and I thought perhaps one of the ROH Camera Operators had pressed some sort of "effects" button  but I suspect it was a more localised problem. 

 

Daughter and I loved the live stream and having seen Lamb/Muntagirov at the ROH in 2014 (?) it was fabulous to see the same pairing on screen as Lamb in particular benefits from the close ups.  As much as I adore Muntagirov's dancing, I must say I preferred the Nuñez and Bonelli bedroom pdd on the whole.  I think last night's partnership warmed up gradually and really came into its own in Act 3.

 

I've only ever seen Avis as the Gaoler up until now, but goodness, his GM is extraordinary.  So powerful, handsome, and at the same time, utterly repulsive.  

 

Hirano was a revelation; satanic but with moments of high comedy.  I know others thought it a little OTT but I loved his drunken scene and that enchanting pdd with Mendizabal who I think is also a gifted comedic dancer.   Lovely to see Ball and Stix-Brunel who were both excellent, although sad that Choe was indisposed.

 

So looking forward to seeing Cuthbertson and Clarke on Monday. 

 

 

[Bluebird]

50 minutes ago, Fiz said:

I do enjoy the insight chats we are given. I thought Darcy - I think it was Darcy - was very perceptive when she told Beatrix S.B. to mask her intentions before she pushed Kaneko otherwise it would be too obvious that they knew what was about to happen.

 

Two of the prerecorded sections (with interviews and rehearsal clips) are now on the ROH YouTube channel. 

 

Why The Royal Ballet love dancing Manon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4QATQZdaFQ

Getting in character: rehearsing the roles of Manon's courtesans (The Royal Ballet):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BksLIedtAeI

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by Bluebird

[Lizbie1]

14 minutes ago, Anna C said:

Darcey seemed to struggle more than usual last night; as ever, only when reading the autocue.  Ore however clearly isn't dyslexic so why don't they have him reading all the autocue parts and let Darcey do the interviews?  She's so much more fluid and less anxious when speaking off the cuff.

 

I completely agree and don't understand why the producers don't!

[Sim]

Thanks so much, Bluebird.  I look forward to watching those during my lunch break today!! 

[Balletfanp]

36 minutes ago, Anna C said:

It was clearly only at Cineworld and perhaps only at ours, but near the end of Act 1 a red star (the Cineworld logo) appeared on screen, overlaying the dancers.  It made us all jump and I thought perhaps one of the ROH Camera Operators had pressed some sort of "effects" button  but I suspect it was a more localised problem.

 

 

 

No, I was at Vue in Plymouth and we had the same thing - wasn’t sure what was going on!

[alison]

And I was at an Odeon, and we had it too!  We also had a total of I think 4 sound cutouts, but fortunately they were only momentary.

[J_New]

And in Cambridge Picturehouse ..... plus the sound kept cutting out for a couple of seconds at various times

 

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by J_New

[jmhopton]

20 minutes ago, Anna C said:

It was clearly only at Cineworld and perhaps only at ours, but near the end of Act 1 a red star (the Cineworld logo) appeared on screen, overlaying the dancers.  It made us all jump and I thought perhaps one of the ROH Camera Operators had pressed some sort of "effects" button  but I suspect it was a more localised problem. 

 

 

No, it happened at the Odeon at Preston too. I wondered what it was so it's good to have an explanation. I thought for one horrible moment it was the producer trying something 'artistic' and hoped it wasn't going to happen throughout and was relieved when it was obviously a one-off mistake.

 

I have slightly mixed thoughts about the performance as a whole; mainly that it didn't seem to move me as emotionally as the Osipova/Shklyarov performances I saw live at the ROH. I was trying to analyse why and I think a lot of it was down to Sarah Lamb's performance. it was beautifully danced but I didn't get the raw emotion off her I did off Osipova, consequently I didn't seem to get as emotionally involved in the performance itself. I wished when I saw those performances that they were the ones to have been filmed and, on the whole, I still wish that though Vadim's performance was superb as always; his line, elegance and yet passion made for a beautiful interpretation and I found myself wishing (not for the first time) that he had danced the role with Osipova. I think they would have been breathtaking together. I know it's a silly, small thing but I found Sarah Lamb's wig in the last act too smart and styled. it looked as it she'd just had a 'Peter Pan' haircut whereas Osipova's was wild and somehow 'uglier'. Macmillan was never afraid of having his ballerina's look 'ugly' when he thought it necessary and I think he would have approved of Osipova's look more than Lamb's in the last act. Also I didn't feel the raw emotion in the gaoler's scene that I felt with Osipova. The final pas de deux was breathtakingly spectacular, though as always I  wondered what happens next to De Grieux, alone in a swamp in a foreign country with the body of his only true love and wanted for murder!

I don't want to sound negative. I did really enjoy the performance and I want to go to Southport and see the encore on Sunday as Preston cinemas aren't showing it (anyone from the Forum planning to attend?) I loved Hirano's Lescault as did the ROH audience. He got more laughs in his second act solo and especially the pas de deux and it was great to see the close-ups of his bemused, fuddled expressions. I particularly loved the hand gesture for Mendizabel to raise her leg to make it easier for him to grasp and the shot of him and Gary on their way to the dressing rooms arms round each others shoulders after Gary had killed him! James Hay's Beggar chief was brilliant and Mendizabel  and Clare Calvert were really good but I didn't like Thomas Whitehead's gaoler as much as either Gartside or Avis (especially Avis. I wish Gary could play Monsieur GM and the gaoler in the same performance). The close ups of Whitehead's expressions didn't do him any great favours. For some reason it reminded me of Alistair Sim as Scrooge! Anyway, another great performance and a great international statement that (for me at least) the RB is the best company in the world for being able to combine amazing technical dancing skills with equally amazing acting skills and where even the humblest beggar or harlot is constantly in character and plays their part in contributing to an amazing performance.

 

[bridiem]

2 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

I have slightly mixed thoughts about the performance as a whole; mainly that it didn't seem to move me as emotionally as the Osipova/Shklyarov performances I saw live at the ROH. I was trying to analyse why and I think a lot of it was down to Sarah Lamb's performance. it was beautifully danced but I didn't get the raw emotion off her I did off Osipova, consequently I didn't seem to get as emotionally involved in the performance itself.

 

 

I agree that no-one does 'raw emotion' quite like Osipova; but I think Lamb was hugely emotional, and that her persona matches Muntagirov's perfectly. They are both beautiful, elegant, honest, pure, stylish and sincere whilst also being tremendously ardent (good word) and intensely emotional. (As well as technically superb, of course.) I find that sometimes a slightly more 'interior' style is even more moving than a very extravert style (and maybe even works better with classical ballet, which requires emotion to be expressed within a very technical framework).

[Anna C]

How funny! It must have been an error at the ROH end then.  As the Cineworld logo is a star I just assumed it was at our end. 

 

I agree regarding Avis - it would no doubt be confusing were he to play the Gaoler and GM but his acting and characterisation is so exceptional in both those parts (as it is when he is Drosselmeyer). 

[Fiz]

Yes, we had the red star at the Lincoln Odeon too.

[Anna C]

4 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I agree that no-one does 'raw emotion' quite like Osipova; but I think Lamb was hugely emotional, and that her persona matches Muntagirov's perfectly. They are both beautiful, elegant, honest, pure, stylish and sincere whilst also being tremendously ardent (good word) and intensely emotional. (As well as technically superb, of course.) I find that sometimes a slightly more 'interior' style is even more moving than a very extravert style (and maybe even works better with classical ballet, which requires emotion to be expressed within a very technical framework).

 

I always think Lamb works so well in close-up.  Maybe because she sometimes fails slightly to project her emotions to the whole auditorium, unlike (for example) Nuñez in "Fille" and Cuthbertson's Juliet?  No disrespect meant but I agree that both Lamb and Muntagirov perhaps internalise their emotions more than some - this makes for a very interesting performance when filmed, especially in the close ups. 

[RuthE]

1 hour ago, Anna C said:

I agree regarding Avis - it would no doubt be confusing were he to play the Gaoler and GM but his acting and characterisation is so exceptional in both those parts (as it is when he is Drosselmeyer). 

 

Whenever I see him in either of the Nutcracker roles (Drosselmeyer or Dr Stahlbaum) I wish he could play both there, too! 

[aliceinwoolfland]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

 

I know it's a silly, small thing but I found Sarah Lamb's wig in the last act too smart and styled. it looked as it she'd just had a 'Peter Pan' haircut whereas Osipova's was wild and somehow 'uglier'. Macmillan was never afraid of having his ballerina's look 'ugly' when he thought it necessary and I think he would have approved of Osipova's look more than Lamb's in the last act.

 

I actually felt the same - I thought Lamb looked like a kind of fairy with a pixie cut! Not sure if that could have been helped but I felt that Osipova’s transformation was more shocking in terms of appearance. 

[Beryl H]

A beautiful performance from Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov, such elegance and emotion combined, no wonder they looked overjoyed at the curtain calls, lots of hugs and kisses!  Ryoichi Hirano was surprisingly funny as Lescaut, fantastic timing too, I enjoyed the drunken pdd with Itziar Mendizabal much more than usual.  Hope a DVD will be issued soon. Funny how quickly the intervals pass when there are interviews which I thought were interesting, although I'm not sure I like all the musical changes, the new interlude before the gaoler scene is very sad though.

[alison]

2 hours ago, jmhopton said:

No, it happened at the Odeon at Preston too. I wondered what it was so it's good to have an explanation. I thought for one horrible moment it was the producer trying something 'artistic' and hoped it wasn't going to happen throughout and was relieved when it was obviously a one-off mistake.

 

Exactly what I thought, too!

 

Quote

I have slightly mixed thoughts about the performance as a whole; mainly that it didn't seem to move me as emotionally as

 

... several I've seen in the current or previous runs - but probably more than some others.

 

Quote

though Vadim's performance was superb as always; his line, elegance and yet passion made for a beautiful interpretation and I found myself wishing (not for the first time) that he had danced the role with Osipova.

 

I still wish he'd made his debuts with Cuthbertson, as I believe was originally the idea?

 

Quote

I know it's a silly, small thing but I found Sarah Lamb's wig in the last act too smart and styled. it looked as it she'd just had a 'Peter Pan' haircut whereas Osipova's was wild and somehow 'uglier'.

 

That bugged me at the live performance - I'd always thought Manon had fairly matted hair in the final act, too - although isn't Hayward's actually quite neat as well, or am I confusing that with the wig she wore for Laiderette the other week?

 

Quote

James Hay's Beggar chief was brilliant and Mendizabel  and Clare Calvert were really good

 

I didn't think Calvert was in it last night (I can't be certain, because I didn't stay for the credits, but the ROH digital programme is unreliable as it still shows Yuhui Choe and not Fumi Kaneko.  Actually, it also said Bennet Gartside, and I don't remember noticing him)?  Agree about Hay.  Although ... is my memory misfiring, or didn't the interaction with Lescaut after GM has found his watch missing use to be that Lescaut - realising that the Beggar Chief is inevitably going to be found out, and severely punished - persuades him to pretend he found the watch and return it to GM, hence why GM tosses him a bag of money instead as a reward?  Why would you reward someone if you know they stole your property in the first place ("okay, you stole my Rolex, but here, have this less-expensive bag of money instead, since you gave it back")?  It makes no sense, but I don't think I've seen it done differently all this run.

[alison]

Incidentally, the digital programme (free if you noted down the promotional code ) contains Bussell's interview with Deborah MacMillan - and I guess any other prerecorded parts of the interval "fillers".  My timing was a bit off, so I didn't necessarily see all that was shown during the intervals.

[Bluebird]

17 minutes ago, alison said:

 

I didn't think Calvert was in it last night (I can't be certain, because I didn't stay for the credits, but the ROH digital programme is unreliable as it still shows Yuhui Choe and not Fumi Kaneko.   Actually, it also said Bennet Gartside, and I don't remember noticing him)?

 

Claire Calvert wasn't in last night's cast.  Also, there was a cast change slip (presumably too late for the digital programme). It had both cast changes on it:

Yuhui Choe was replaced by Fumi Kaneko as a Courtesan and Bennet Gartside was replaced by  Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød  as one of the Clients (although the cast change slip stated that he was replaced as one of the Gentlemen).  

Edited May 4, 2018 by Bluebird

[alison]

Ah.  Was Brændsrød dancing "Poodle"?