The Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Spring 2019

[Dawnstar]

11 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

Someone described the entire performance as the Agony and the Ecstasy' and that's what it was. there were no half measures.

 

That was me.

 

I'm currently dithering over whether or not to book for the cinecast. I'm afraid in case I find it a let-down after Saturday, especially as when I saw Ball opposite Cutherbertson I thought he was very good but he didn't blow me away & I actually found him more interesting as Tybalt. Oh well, I've got another 2 weeks to decide & I guess by that time Saturday may have faded a bit!

 

I see that on his Instagram Ball thanked Avis for helping him to learn Tybalt "in very little time". Does anyone know if this means that Ball wasn't origianlly cast as Tybalt & had to replace someone else at short notice? There seem to have been a fair few Tybalts - 6 at least - but Kish for one seems to have only done a single performance.

 

I finally got round to reading the FT review of Osipova/Hallberg & found the most interesting part to be the final paragraph with the reviewer giving a round-up of some of the other casts.

 

Now that all the casts have given at least 1 performance, I've been trying to work out everyone who has done multiple named roles in the run. (It's a Bank Holiday & no, I don't have anything better to do!)

 

Ball - Romeo & Tybalt

Hirano - Romeo, Tybalt & Paris

Hay - Mercutio & Benvolio

Sambe - Mercutio & Mandolin dance lead

Zuchetti - Mercutio & Mandolin dance lead

Acri  - Mercutio & Mandolin dance lead

Avis - Tybalt & Lord Capulet

Gartside - Tybalt, Lord Capulet, Lord Montague/Friar Lawrence & Escalus

Edmonds - Benvolio & Paris

Marriott - Lord Montague/Friar Lawrence & Escalus

Whitehead - Tybalt & Escalus

Ella - Benvolio & Mandolin dance

Richardson - Benvolio & Mandolin dance

Donnelly - Paris & Mandolin dance

Mock - Paris & Mandolin dance

 

Stix-Brunnell - Juliet & Harlot

O'Sullivan - Juliet & Friend

McNally - Nurse, Harlot & Lady Montague

Crawford - Nurse, Lady Capulet & Harlot

Pajdak - Nurse & Friend

Hinkis - Harlot & Friend

Arestis - Lady Capulet & Rosaline

Cowley - Harlot & Lady Montague

Turk - Harlot & Rosaline

Calvert - Harlot & Rosaline

 

Who have I missed? I've found it really interesting watching so many dancers doing different roles (not that I've seen all of the above), as it's the first time I've seen a ballet production more than twice.

 

 

[Lizbie1]

7 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Who have I missed?

 

I had Fumi Kaneko as Rosaline.

 

Edited to say: sorry, just realised you meant multiple roles only! Maybe she’s taken another part too though?

Edited May 27, 2019 by Lizbie1
Stupid autocorrect

[Dawnstar]

3 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I had Fumi Kaneko as Rosaline.

 

Edited to say: sorry, just realised you meant multiple roles only! Maybe she’s taken another part too though?

 

I limited myself to that, though a list of everyone in each role would also be an interesting summary, especially given the lack of casting info there's been online from the ROH. I'm now tempted to try to compile that (I like lists!) but not tonight.

[Thalia]

14 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Who have I missed? 

 

Dubreuil - Benvolio & Mandolin dance

[JohnS]

35 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

Sambe - Mercutio & Mandolin dance lead

 

And Romeo!

[Dawnstar]

17 minutes ago, JohnS said:

And Romeo!

 

I'm an idiot for forgetting that one!

[JohnS]

30 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I'm an idiot for forgetting that one!

 

Not at all.  It was very good of you to start things off - I wouldn’t have got very far at all.  

But I was fortunate enough to see the Marcelino Sambe/Anna-Rose O’Sullivan debut performance which was very special indeed and I do hope we won’t have quite the same wait to see them again as we’re having to do for Matthew Ball/Yasmine Naghdi (1 June is now, at last, fast approaching).

[Xandra Newman]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm currently dithering over whether or not to book for the cinecast.

 

I have said it before, Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball's R&J of 3rd October 2015 will forever remain in my memory, their performance was so emotional (they only got one public performance and a closed School's Matinee).

 

This coming Saturday 1st June will be Naghdi's second public performance of Juliet, four years after she danced her debut, the third one she'll be dancing Juliet in the worldwide live cinema relay (no pressure  ). Yasmine Naghdi is the last Juliet in this run and I must say I do feel a bit sorry for her as she is simultaneously preparing to dance the Opening Night of Firebird on 4th June, as well as dancing Symphony in C, surely also in the 8th June Fonteyn Gala, followed by the live relay on 11th June. I do have the greatest admiration for her. 

[alison]

3 hours ago, Sim said:

And if it's the same as the schools matinee cast it's Zucchetti as Mercutio and Ella as Benvolio.

 

In view of the sterling service they seem to have been providing throughout the run, it would be a bit of a shame if it weren't Sambé and Hay, really.

[Sim]

I agree Alison.  The world should see Sambe as Mercutio!  No disrespect to Valentino Zucchetti, who is fine, but it’s very rare that we have such an outstanding interpreter of the role.  

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Xandra Newman said:

 

I have said it before, Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball's R&J of 3rd October 2015 will forever remain in my memory, their performance was so emotional (they only got one public performance and a closed School's Matinee).

 

This coming Saturday 1st June will be Naghdi's second public performance of Juliet, four years after she danced her debut, the third one she'll be dancing Juliet in the worldwide live cinema relay (no pressure  ). Yasmine Naghdi is the last Juliet in this run and I must say I do feel a bit sorry for her as she is simultaneously preparing to dance the Opening Night of Firebird on 4th June, as well as dancing Symphony in C, surely also in the 8th June Fonteyn Gala, followed by the live relay on 11th June. I do have the greatest admiration for her. 

 

She also danced Juliet somewhere in the UAE - I believe it was the MacMillan version and a Russian company.  Guess who her Romeo was ... (yes, he who is not cast by the RB!!!).

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, Xandra Newman said:

 

Yasmine Naghdi is the last Juliet in this run and I must say I do feel a bit sorry for her as she is simultaneously preparing to dance the Opening Night of Firebird on 4th June, as well as dancing Symphony in C, surely also in the 8th June Fonteyn Gala, followed by the live relay on 11th June. I do have the greatest admiration for her. 

 

From having had the privilege of hearing her speak I somehow suspect that she is chomping at the bit with excitement at the prospect of the challenges.  This is one dancer who I am convinced has an extraordinary capacity to husband her truly extraordinary resources.  Brava!

 

Edited May 27, 2019 by Bruce Wall

[serenade]

I'm a little late but I saw Hayward/Corrales on Saturday night and thought they were both absolutely brilliant, I enjoyed every minute.  I'm glad to see Francesca back...she came onto the stage and took about 2 steps and I got goosebumps so I knew it was going to be a great night!  Corrales was great, I think he's a real exciting dancer and brings something a bit different to the stage.  I was really looking forward to seeing him in this after seeing him in Bayadere and thinking what a brilliant job he did.  I'm excited for what's to come with this partnership as I felt they had great chemistry.  Anyway, I really can't praise them both enough for the fantastic performances they both gave, it was very special.

 

My other highlights from the night were:

Sambe as Mercutio, just unbelievably good

The Corrales/Sambe/Hay trio- really believable as friends, great camaraderie, very convincing and the pas de trois was perfect

All the sword fighting...exciting stuff

Ball as a baddie- great stuff.

Can't find cast sheet but I think Romany Pajdak as the nurse- she was great

 

Unfortunately this was my one and only show of this run as had to return my Hallberg/Osipova ticket ☹️  Looking forward to the cinema broadcast though!

 

[capybara]

I agree that Sambe should have been given the cinema Mercutio on the grounds of showing his superlative interpretation to the world. But, yes, Zuchetti is good in the role.

Given the almost wall to wall enthusiasm for the 2019 performances from Hayward and Corrales,  it is going to be very interesting to see where Naghdi and Ball take the role 4 years on from when they blew our socks off. Can’t wait!

[alison]

Yes, I imagine it's likely to be very different from 4 years ago, simply because they are.

[RuthE]

On ‎26‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 07:32, Xandra Newman said:

This has been such a long run since March, with seven out of eight principals cast to dance Juliet (as well as a first soloist and a soloist).

 

Two first soloists, in fact (Hamilton and Stix-Brunell) as well as seven principals and one soloist.

[alison]

The odd less-expensive amphi ticket currently online for Saturday's matinee ...

[Dawnstar]

Slightly tangental by now but it appears from Muntagirov's Instagram that was recently dancing Swan Lake in Russia, which presumably explains why he couldn't fit in any extra Romeos opposite Nunez, as previously discussed some pages back. In view of the ROH having to borrow 4 dancers from elsewhere at short notice over the last few months, I wonder if they'll reconsider how much guesting they allow company dancers to do in the future?

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Dawnstar said:

Slightly tangental by now but it appears from Muntagirov's Instagram that was recently dancing Swan Lake in Russia, which presumably explains why he couldn't fit in any extra Romeos opposite Nunez, as previously discussed some pages back. In view of the ROH having to borrow 4 dancers from elsewhere at short notice over the last few months, I wonder if they'll reconsider how much guesting they allow company dancers to do in the future?

 

Muntagirov's guesting did not actually coincide with any of Nunez's R&Js as it appears to have been on the Bank Holiday weekend. I think that I mentioned earlier that, in the week of her first show, he was already down to dance on 4 nights and I noticed subsequently that the Royal Ballet/Royal Opera had been performing at the Palace for Prince Charles on the Tuesday.

I believe that concern has been expressed about overworking dancers, so.........................

[alison]

I'm getting more and more convinced that there must have been some sort of Royal Opera cancellation and the RB must have stepped in to fill the gaps.  The workload recently has been horrendous, simply in terms of scheduled performances.

[bridiem]

16 minutes ago, alison said:

I'm getting more and more convinced that there must have been some sort of Royal Opera cancellation and the RB must have stepped in to fill the gaps.  The workload recently has been horrendous, simply in terms of scheduled performances.

 

But weren't the performance dates scheduled at the beginning of the season?

[MRR]

Back in London and saw the Nunez/Tissi R&J tonight.   I'm completely in agreement with those who posted previously.

 

Perhaps Marianela Nunez's Juliet was more effective earlier in her career -- especially with a partner she worked with regularly such as Soares -- but the whole evening it was clear this wasn't her role.  For all her great work in the classics, Ashton, and Balanchine (among other choreographers), Nunez is not a MacMillan dancer.  Her character development isn't especially nuanced, and her liquid, andante movement quality doesn't lend itself well to the abandonment necessary in this ballet.  JohnS described her Juliet as "coquettish" and that's exactly how I saw it.  She seemed too wise, personable, and knowing for her years and one never bought into her and Tissi's chemistry especially in Act I.  With everything in this ballet so intrinsically linked, if the chemistry isn't there in Act I, the demise in Act III doesn't mean much no matter how well the latter is danced.  Perhaps Nunez's best scene in the entire ballet was not with Romeo, but with Paris: her defiance in Act III was imposing and riveting.  This Juliet you had no difficulty believing she could stand up to her father and reject Paris in front of him; alas I wish I had believed in her love for Romeo just the same.  

 

Jacopo Tissi as Romeo is a handsome presence with endless limbs, but his characterization was lightly shaded the entire night.  There were very few dynamics in his character so no tension was created in the story:  being with Juliet never seemed like a life or death proposition for him.  His technique was strong on the whole, and the tricky synchronized turns in the men's trio went mostly without a hitch.  He also acquitted himself admirably with partnering: there was only one press lift in the ball scene which was awkward, but this was minor.  For his height he has fairly strong pirouettes and jumps with beautiful lines, but he is stiff in his plie with a lack of articulation through his feet particularly during entrechats.  Overall a good dancer whom the Bolshoi is investing in heavily, but his acting needs to develop tenfold.  I'm not convinced RB needs to invite him again but in an emergency he is a viable candidate, as I suppose was the case here.

 

The supporting cast was strong.  I was slightly less blown away with Sambe's Mercutio than some on this forum---maybe I was expecting a more devilish characterization--but his dancing is excellent.  Faultless pirouettes which rotate for hours before stopping on a dime right on the music, and his ballon is notable.  I really see him as a Romeo.  Ryoichi Hirano as Tybalt took all of Act I to warm up but was his domineering, menacing self by the fight in Act II.  There were a fair amount of missed "hits" of the swords between him and Tissi so perhaps a lack of rehearsal there.  Benvolio doesn't have a great deal to work with but Calvin Richardson impressed with gorgeous technique and a natural stage presence.  Christina Arestis was suitably imperious as Lady Capulet and didn't make a mockery of Tybalt's death.  Joseph Sissens was the lead in mandolin dance and despite being a touch stiff in his back during attitude and arabesque has a remarkable facility for ballet.  Yuhui Choe, Romany Padjak, and Lara Turk were the harlots and all good.  Choe did admirably considering she was cast against type, featuring prominently in lyrical roles.  

 

Overall probably the best performance that could have been achieved given the circumstances, but this is a ballet which needs the time for a partnership to develop.  That wasn't the case here and it showed.  

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by MRR

[alison]

1 hour ago, bridiem said:

 

But weren't the performance dates scheduled at the beginning of the season?

 

Yes, I meant prior to that.  Like the time they had to fit in a run of additional Manons because the Opera cancelled something.  It would certainly explain some of the rather odd-looking scheduling.

[capybara]

8 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

But weren't the performance dates scheduled at the beginning of the season?

 

Yes - and the cinema relay on 11th June was there from the beginning.

There is a similar pattern next season with the Concerto Triple bridging 22 October to 20th December and Sleeping Beauty running from the 7th November to the 16th January. Presumably, this is to facilitate multiple casts and the rehearsal time needed by all of them.

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

Yes - and the cinema relay on 11th June was there from the beginning.

There is a similar pattern next season with the Concerto Triple bridging 22 October to 20th December and Sleeping Beauty running from the 7th November to the 16th January. Presumably, this is to facilitate multiple casts and the rehearsal time needed by all of them.

 

The more I look at that odd bunch of Concerto performances - after a gap of over a month - the more I’m inclined to stick with my theory that Cinderella was ditched at a late stage of planning.

[bridiem]

3 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

The more I look at that odd bunch of Concerto performances - after a gap of over a month - the more I’m inclined to stick with my theory that Cinderella was ditched at a late stage of planning.

 

If so: Grrr..…  

[RuthE]

I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that if there is a cancellation of a production, then opera gets replaced with opera and ballet gets replaced with ballet.  I'm aware for example that Billy Budd filled a gap left by a cancelled opera.  Both companies, after all, require consistent employment and have a certain amount of workload which their unions undoubtedly keep an eye on.

[alison]

Well, that definitely wasn't the case for that run of Manon I mentioned.  Given how far in advance opera singers are booked up, is it always going to be feasible simply to stick another production in at relatively short notice?

[penelopesimpson]

I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow.  Having seen Corrales/Hayward (blown away) and been mesmerised by Ball's Tybalt, what can possibly equal it?  I am not as familiar with Naghdi's style as I am with Hayward.  Would anyone care to articulate?

[penelopesimpson]

On 30/05/2019 at 10:39, alison said:

Well, that definitely wasn't the case for that run of Manon I mentioned.  Given how far in advance opera singers are booked up, is it always going to be feasible simply to stick another production in at relatively short notice?

There's always Hirano!

[alison]

??

[Xandra Newman]

1 hour ago, penelopesimpson said:

I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow.  Having seen Corrales/Hayward (blown away) and been mesmerised by Ball's Tybalt, what can possibly equal it?  I am not as familiar with Naghdi's style as I am with Hayward.  Would anyone care to articulate?

 

It is difficult to articulate. 

Both Hayward and Naghdi are gorgeous dancers each in their own right and with their own unique style of dancing. I don't think it would be fair nor justified to compare them as imo they are not comparable. Hayward is a delicious natural dancer, Naghdi is an exquisite lyrical ballerina and highly classical (in the tutu sense). They have been compared in the past, I think it was in a Dancetabs review (Giselle pas de six?): one was described as a diamond, the other as a rare pearl. 

In the end it is a very personal matter, some dancers you connect with, others you don't and just about everyone has their own favourite(s).

All I remember - and wish to reiterate - is that Naghdi's Juliet four years ago blew her audience away, she was to my eyes a thoroughly modern, 21st C Juliet: headstrong, she knew what she wanted and she wasn't going to take no for an answer, she made all her steps "speak". There have been many superb Juliet's during this run and I have no doubt I'll very much enjoy and appreciate Naghdi's interpretation tomorrow.

 

Hope this helps?

[alison]

IIRC, the Naghdi/Ball combination didn't blow everyone in the audience away - although it would be rare if that did happen!  Still, everyone will have their own preferences.