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The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker, December 2018 - January 2019


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1 hour ago, Xandra Newman said:

It seems Yasmine Naghdi doesn't dance the Rose Fairy any longer :(  She danced it as a Soloist, and as a First Soloist for the worldwide Cinema relay, but she only danced the Sugar Plum Fairy during the current run. 

 

Has the Rose Fairy been danced by ANY principal in recent years? It was highly unusual for Hayward to continue to dance Clara until last year, two seasons after her promotion.

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Yanowsky, Nunez, Galeazzi, and Lamb all danced Rose Fairy as principals. The Rose equivalent in Balanchine's production (Dewdrop) is also frequently danced by principals at NYCB.

Edited by MRR
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8 hours ago, RuthE said:

 

Has the Rose Fairy been danced by ANY principal in recent years? It was highly unusual for Hayward to continue to dance Clara until last year, two seasons after her promotion.

 

I guess the reason why Naghdi didn't dance the Rose Fairy this year could be because she also had her scheduled performances as Irina soon after she danced all her SPF performances. 

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It looks as though my plans this week are likely to get messed up again.  If anyone's still looking for a (not particularly good) stalls circle standing for tonight's performance, do send me a PM with contact details in case I need to get rid of my ticket for this evening at fairly short notice.

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I'm glad that reading this forum has made me aware of cast changes being displayed on the screens. I've just had to watch the display 3 times over in order to note down 8 cast changes (some evidently caused by others) for tonight. My cast sheet now looks a mess! While I probably wouldn't have recognised many of the changes - certainly not the Mouse King! - I do like to know accurately who I'm seeing at any type of theatrical performance.

Edited by Dawnstar
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3 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm glad that reading this forum has made me aware of cast changes being displayed on the screens. I've just had to watch the display 3 times over in order to note down 8 cast changes (some evidently caused by others) for tonight. My cast sheet now looks a mess! While I probably wouldn't have recognised many of the changes - certainly not the Mouse King! - I do like to know accurately who I'm seeing at any type of theatrical performance.

And while you were noting all this down there were probably people queuing to buy food and drink - it's a totally daft place to put the screen, as anyone with a scrap of sense would have known

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36 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

 

And while you were noting all this down there were probably people queuing to buy food and drink - it's a totally daft place to put the screen, as anyone with a scrap of sense would have known

 

I'm afraid so. I did try not to get too much in the way but kept having to move to try to see past the moving heads in front of me. There was a list at the programme desk but I'd've been even more in the way there as the print was so small it would only have been legible stood right in front of the desk, & I could hardly do that with numerous people queuing for programmes.

 

Tonight was my first time seeing the ROH's Nutcracker live (I've seen 2 cinecasts) & my first live Nutcracker since 1995. I really enjoyed it, especially the latter part of Act 1, from the transformation scene onwards, & Act 2. I was very pleased that Avis was the only one of the 3 originally-announced men to appear tonight, as I particularly wanted to see his Drosselmeyer live. He was just as good as expected. When Bracewell replaced Bonelli I wasn't sure how he'd look opposite Morera, given he must be at least a dozen years younger, but in the event I thought they looked fine together (well, as fine as anyone can in those wigs!) & both seemed very good in their solos too. In the divertissemebts I was pleased to see several of the dancers who I'd liked in Patineurs last month: Hamilton (Rose Fairy*), Storm-Jensen (Arabian), Acri (Chinese & Clara's partner), Hinkis (Vivandiere & Mirliton) & Magri (Flower replacement).

 

*I gather from reading this board that she's not considered to be that good in classical roles but fortunately my knowledge of ballet technique is too limited to be able to tell.

 

ETA: It also handily finished 7 mins earlier than scheduled so I managed to get a half an hour earlier train. Lovely.

Edited by Dawnstar
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11 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

Quite simple - bring back the change of cast lists!

 

Or at least produce them when there are loads of changes, as it sounds as though there were tonight, so that people don't clog up sales points trying to note everything down (not all of us have suitable photo-taking equipment)

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A rather different and very pleasing cast change experience for me tonight.  I was just about to take a photo of the cast change notice at the desk in the main foyer and was offered a cast change slip.  I don’t think the offer was because I was struggling as I’d only just got my iPhone out and I was the only person about at the time so there was plenty of space etc.  I was extremely grateful to take the slip.  I said I thought the slips had gone and was told they continued to hold a few but didn’t put them out for people to help themselves.  I rather got the impression that in the past many cast change slips were simply discarded and left in the theatre at the end of the performance.

 

I very much enjoyed tonight’s performance and will post some thoughts later.

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19 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

I didn’t know Hamilton was dancing the rose fairy this season - has she danced it previously? The view that she isn’t good in classical roles isn’t held by everyone here.

 

I can't help on that but she was on the cast list this evening, not one of the last-minute replacements, so must be doing the role "properly" this season. That's good to read. I've liked her in what I've seen her do so far so was thinking about trying to see her as Juliet but then while browsing old threads the other day I came across a number of quite critical comments on her technique so I'm not sure.

 

Another point: tonight was the first time I've sat in the stalls circle for ballet (though it's been my preferred location for opera for years) and I was pleasantly surprised at how little dancing I missed from B86. I was afraid that the restriction would be worse for ballet than opera but actually it was if anything less bad. Any comments on whether Nutcracker is particularly well-designed/blocked or are ballets in general mostly okay from side stalls circle?

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11 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I was pleasantly surprised at how little dancing I missed from B86. 

 

I sat in B86 for the Triple Bill 2 January and found some things were out of view, particularly in the Concert where there was much laughter from the audience at large but those near me were having to guess what was going on - the husband with his dagger, some of the corps misalignments.  That said, I think it’s a pretty good seat and relatively close to the stage, excellent for much of Winter Dreams.

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14 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

Another point: tonight was the first time I've sat in the stalls circle for ballet (though it's been my preferred location for opera for years) and I was pleasantly surprised at how little dancing I missed from B86. I was afraid that the restriction would be worse for ballet than opera but actually it was if anything less bad. Any comments on whether Nutcracker is particularly well-designed/blocked or are ballets in general mostly okay from side stalls circle?

It's my seat of choice and I find that while you miss the extreme side of the stage the overall.view is good. If you can get them, B 82-85 and the equivalent on the other side are excellent.They're raised, so good if you're short, and proper seats, not the bench type. Trouble is that there are very few and they go quickly. And for opera they're about the only near affordable comfortable seat in stalls circle!

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8 hours ago, ninamargaret said:

It's my seat of choice and I find that while you miss the extreme side of the stage the overall.view is good. If you can get them, B 82-85 and the equivalent on the other side are excellent.They're raised, so good if you're short, and proper seats, not the bench type. Trouble is that there are very few and they go quickly. And for opera they're about the only near affordable comfortable seat in stalls circle!

 

After reading this, I checked the price of these seats, both for opera and for ballet.  To my amazement, I found that your favoured seats (B82-85) were cheaper for both Faust and Tosca than for Romeo and Juliet!  For Faust, the price is £76.  For Tosca, the price is £79. For Romeo and Juliet, the price is £85!  Historically, as far as I'm aware, opera has always been much more expensive than ballet as the costs are much higher.  How can they possibly explain this radical change in the pricing structure? It's not as if it's a new production which needs to recoup its costs.

 

Edited to add that I've just noticed that this £85 price for Romeo and Juliet extends around the stalls circle to the bench seats close to the stage (eg as far as B97 on the right  and B16 on the left.  £85 for seats from which the view for ballet is most definitely restricted.

 

I realise this post is off topic for the Nutcracker thread.  Maybe a moderator could  move it to a more appropriate thread?

Edited by Bluebird
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11 hours ago, ninamargaret said:

It's my seat of choice and I find that while you miss the extreme side of the stage the overall.view is good. If you can get them, B 82-85 and the equivalent on the other side are excellent.They're raised, so good if you're short, and proper seats, not the bench type. Trouble is that there are very few and they go quickly. And for opera they're about the only near affordable comfortable seat in stalls circle!

 

I find the benches comfortable enough most of the time. The only time it was really uncomfortable was seeing Meistersinger from one, especially the 2 hours of Act 3. Yes, there is a lack of cheaper stalls circle seats. I realise that it was necessary to remove the stalls circle seats nearer the stage for the pit but it does mean there are now very few stalls circle seats that are affordable. It would have been nice if they'd dropped the prices of the next blocks to compensate for removing the cheapest 2 blocks of seats, but no.

 

2 hours ago, Bluebird said:

 

After reading this, I checked the price of these seats, both for opera and for ballet.  To my amazement, I found that your favoured seats (B82-85) were cheaper for both Faust and Tosca than for Romeo and Juliet!  For Faust, the price is £76.  For Tosca, the price is £79. For Romeo and Juliet, the price is £85!  Historically, as far as I'm aware, opera has always been much more expensive than ballet as the costs are much higher.  How can they possibly explain this radical change in the pricing structure? It's not as if it's a new production which needs to recoup its costs.

 

Edited to add that I've just noticed that this £85 price for Romeo and Juliet extends around the stalls circle to the bench seats close to the stage (eg as far as B97 on the right  and B16 on the left.  £85 for seats from which the view for ballet is most definitely restricted.

 

I realise this post is off topic for the Nutcracker thread.  Maybe a moderator could  move it to a more appropriate thread?

 

That does seem pretty ridiculous. By the time you've paid £85 for restricted view stalls circle you almost might as well be paying £106 for the cheapest stalls seats with much less restriction. Actually, maybe that's their cunning plan to try to get people to buy more expensive seats!!

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2 hours ago, Bluebird said:

Edited to add that I've just noticed that this £85 price for Romeo and Juliet extends around the stalls circle to the bench seats close to the stage (eg as far as B97 on the right  and B16 on the left.  £85 for seats from which the view for ballet is most definitely restricted.

 

I realise this post is off topic for the Nutcracker thread.  Maybe a moderator could  move it to a more appropriate thread?

 

I've copied it over to the "evidence-based marketing" thread, Bluebird.

 

(Incidentally, copying posts to another thread doesn't require Moderator privileges: anyone can do it, simply by selecting "Quote" on the original post, copying it from the posting box or whatever you call what I'm currently writing in, and pasting it into a different thread.  The curved arrow at the top of the quoted part takes you back to the post in its original location)

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Back home from yesterday’s Nutcracker and a few thoughts.  I very much enjoyed the evening - Gary Avis really is the consummate Drosselmeyer.  Anna-Rose O’Sullivan and Marcelino Sambe were excellently matched and I’m looking forward immensely to their Romeo and Juliet in the Spring.  The ending last night was brilliantly timed - it had been a bit rushed in the cinema relay if I recall.  I find Laura Morera a wonderful dancer, bringing such intelligence and depth to all her roles, combined with a fabulous technique.  This run I’d only seen the cinema relay so I’m not really able to comment but I like to think there’s something very fitting in having Laura close such runs, saving the finest wine till last as with Mayerling.  William Bracewell, replacing Federico Bonelli, was a fine Prince and I’m sure he’ll be able to relax a shade more in the final performance next week.

 

There’d been a few cast changes and one or two pairings looked a little mismatched to me - the supported jumps in the Chinese Dance.  Fumi Kaneko stood out for me as a Leading Flower and I do like David Yudes as Drosselmeyer’s Apprentice.  Koen Kessels set a cracking pace and beautifully shaped the score - one brass fortissimo apart, I really enjoyed the music, the first opportunity to see and listen to Nutcracker since Radio 3’s ‘The Listening Service: Nutcracker - Strange Enchantments’ with its fascinating insights into the original intentions and composition.  Well worth a listen.

 

I’d managed to get an excellent central Row A Grand Tier return ticket - a fabulous view giving a wonderful perspective of the entire stage.  Having read comments about people’s experiences at the Coliseum, I’m afraid I was very surprised by some local disruption.  Astonishingly a couple two to my right insisted in giving a running commentary  ‘it’s the Arabian dance etc’ and the man even started whistling the ‘tunes’ he knew.  Extraordinary.  Had I been next to them I’d like to think I’d have asked them to desist.

 

But this wasn’t going to mar a very enjoyable evening, my icing on the Kingdom of Sweets cake (and cherries) being able to thank Laura and Anna-Rose at the Stage Door, and one or two others, including Koen Kessels.  Laura’s Masha was unforgettable, particularly poignant for me, and Anna-Rose has made so much of her opportunities throughout the last year in such a range of ballets so thanks also to Bloomsbury Flowers for adding to the occasion.

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44 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Astonishingly a couple two to my right insisted in giving a running commentary  ‘it’s the Arabian dance etc’ and the man even started whistling the ‘tunes’ he knew.  Extraordinary.  Had I been next to them I’d like to think I’d have asked them to desist.

 

I have experienced this couple when I treated myself to a Grand Tier seat for Swan Lake, and once at an Ashton triple bill...

Perhaps they are regulars? They definitely need taking aside, or 'taking outside'😑

 

Sounds like a wonderful performance otherwise. Laura Morera is such a joy. I agree we should cherish her while we still have her.

 

 

 

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3 minutes ago, Mary said:

I have experienced this couple when I treated myself to a Grand Tier seat for Swan Lake, and once at an Ashton triple bill.

 

Many thanks Mary - given your past experience I’ll contact the Box Office and pass on what happened and the seat numbers.

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38 minutes ago, Mary said:

 

 

Laura Morera is such a joy. I agree we should cherish her while we still have her.

 

 

One of the reasons I booked for last night's performance was to see two of the older principals (this was when Bonelli was scheduled), on the assumption that there may not be that long left to do so. However Morera looked like she could still keep dancing for years. I have little knowledge of ballet technique but to my inexperienced eyes her dancing looked pretty much impeccable. Considering the recent discussions about Soares' technical problems coming as he gets older, and that Morera is I believe several years older than he is, she seems to still be in remarkable form.

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After  a very long run, this evening a London  stage is all set for the final dramatic face-off between a large group of children, some pretending to be brave soldiers, some acting like mice; there will be a lot of dancing around, various  tricks,  and much confusion. It is all about trying to crack a nutty problem,  so as to reach a magical fairy land where all is lovely and full of free sweets.

 

That’s playing out at Westminster – but more importantly  there is also this season’s  last performance of The Nutcracker, up the road at Covent Garden!

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31 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I wonder how many litres/kilos/whatever glitter is measured in the ROH gets through in each Nutcracker season? And for how many months afterwards the cast & crew find stray bits lurking?!

 

A snowflake descended slowly from the flies at a most inopportune moment in last week’s dress rehearsal for The Queen of Spades.

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