The Royal Ballet: Romeo and Juliet, Spring 2019

[aliceinwoolfland]

Does anyone have a review of O'Sullivan and Sambe's R&J?

[Sim]

1 minute ago, aliceinwoolfland said:

Does anyone have a review of O'Sullivan and Sambe's R&J?

It was a schools’ performance so probably not!  

[aliceinwoolfland]

Ah, that makes sense! 

[Clara_f]

Here's a heartfelt Instagram post by Marcelino Sambe about his and Anna Rose O Sullivan's debut. What a lovely and humble human! Its interesting to read his Point magazine feature this week and about how he works to be cast and be seen as right for Prince and romeo type roles, as well as the more typical bravura ones his physique and technique might naturally lead to. 

 

I'm away sadly for their next performance and will await reviews with baited breath. 

 

 

[Richard LH]

Just in case anyone was still wondering, I thought  Akane Takada gave a mesmerising debut performance as Juliet last night. Her dancing was ethereal and you could see her every thought and emotion in her body movements and facial expressions. She seems to have developed as a great actress as well as a superb dancer. So lovely to see....

 

I thought Hirano   did a great job  at relatively short notice, as a partner, and as a star-crossed lover - more so as the ballet developed and he had to express the anger, angst and grief that is Romeo's eventual lot. 

 

James Hay came up trumps again in his debut as Mercutio - a completely assured performance. 

 

The  staging, lighting, costumes, and music, were wonderful, as we would  expect from the RB.  Other company members, and the corps,  have some exhilarating dances and sword fights, and it is is rather a shame that only the main characters take their due at  the curtain calls. 

 

For those main characters, though, there was much enthusiastic applause and whooping. 

 

 

[JohnS]

6 hours ago, Clara_f said:

I'm away sadly for their next performance and will await reviews with baited breath. 

 

I think there’s only one public performance for Anna-Rose O’Sullivan/Marcelino Sambe - Saturday 13 April matinee.  Fortunately I have a ticket.  Tantalisingly the website shows the performance as being filmed, as are a number of performances of non cinema relay casts.

[FLOSS]

presPerhaps we need to remember that dancers like Takada and Sambe are of interest not only to the ROH's audience but to audiences in their home countries. It is quite possible that any filming that is due to take place at their forthcoming performances is being undertaken in the context of programmes or news items about them being made for their respective home audiences and that the filming has nothing to do with recordings to be shown here. Some years ago , before Takada had been appointed a Principal dancer, I saw a group of Japanese men who looked like a television crew as they included a man armed with a portable television camera and another armed with a microphone much in evidence in the foyer area of the opera house on the occasion of one of Takada's major debuts. I assumed that the debut explained their presence in the building that evening. Perhaps the recent developments in her career are deemed worthy of a short documentary or news item.

 

 As far as Sambe is concerned I seem to recall that he recently received a gong of some sort from the Portuguese government in much the same way that Xander Parish did from the British government. The difference being that while Portuguese television may think that the subsequent developments in Sambe's career are of interest and thus newsworthy British television companies and television journalists do not think that Parish's career in Russia is of much interest to any part of their audience presumably because it is art rather than sports related.

Edited March 29, 2019 by FLOSS

[penelopesimpson]

On 28/03/2019 at 19:25, Shade said:

However they could shave some time off the generous intervals without inconveniencing customers.

You’re forgetting that the revenue from the bars and restaurants is a crucial element of ROH’s income.  Personally, as a member of the audience, I 

like to have a reasonable interval so that I can digest what I’ve just seen and anticipate what’s to come.

[Naomi M]

20 hours ago, FLOSS said:

Perhaps we need to remember that dancers like Takada and Sambe are of interest not only to the ROH's audience but to audiences in their home countries. It is quite possible that any filming that is due to take place at their forthcoming performances is being undertaken in the context of programmes or news items about them being made for their respective home audiences and that the filming has nothing to do with recordings to be shown here.

 

That is true,  nearly a year ago there was a documentary in Japan called "Akane and Ryoichi, the splendor of Royal Ballet", on their daily life at ROH, interview with them and Kevin O'Hare, Miyako Yoshida visiting them and the full version of their Nutcracker pas de duex. 

[penelopesimpson]

Is Steven Macrae out for all R&J performances?

[alison]

So he says.

[Josephine]

Jann Parry expresses some reservations about aspects of performances in the first night of this run:

https://dancetabs.com/2019/04/royal-ballet-romeo-and-juliet-london-2/

 

I did not see this performance, and so I can't comment on it. But in principle the idea of playing Tybalt as sympathetic seems to me fundamentally in opposition to both MacMillan's and Shakespeare's intentions in the context of the themes explored. I'm interested to hear what others think, but given Jann Parry's expertise in writing about MacMillan's work I am surprised by her comment here.

[Lizbie1]

3 minutes ago, Josephine said:

But in principle the idea of playing Tybalt as sympathetic seems to me fundamentally in opposition to both MacMillan's and Shakespeare's intentions in the context of the themes explored.

 

I don’t know about MacMillan, but surely Exhibit A when discussing the Greatness of Shakespeare is that he allows us to have flashes of sympathy for his villains?

[alison]

I don't think Ms Parry is implying that Tybalt is sympathetic (I wasn't at the performance either), merely that his killing of Mercutio is somewhat accidental and he's shocked that it happened?  It frequently is accidental in the RB's performances of it, as Romeo rather pushes Mercutio back onto Tybalt's sword - and doesn't Mercutio say "I was hurt under your arm", or words to that effect?

[Fonty]

Romeo tries to intervene and stop the fight, and as a result Mercutio receives a fatal blow.  " Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm." 

 

I suppose there is room for different interpretations in the way Tybalt reacts when he realises what has happened.  

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, alison said:

doesn't Mercutio say "I was hurt under your arm", or words to that effect?

 

Yes, he says to Romeo "Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm", to which Romeo replies "I thought all for the best". 

Edited April 1, 2019 by Richard LH

[Richard LH]

Posted at the same time as Fonty !

 

[CCL]

I’d certainly argue that Shakespeare does not present Tybalt as a one-dimensional stock villain: there’s a duality to him which Lizbie references above. He is aggressive and sure of himself but I think he is presented as typical for young men of his status in his society in that the honour of his family name (“by the stock and honour of my kin”);is vitally important to him. He is angry at the Capulet ball because he mistakenly believes Romeo has come to dishonour the Capulets. He assumes Lord Capulet will be angry too, but Lord Capulet is mindful that as host he must not “do (Romeo) disparagement”. Tybalt’s response to this leads to Lord Capulet losing his temper with Tybalt, (“Am I the master here or you?”) and Tybalt swearing vengeance on Romeo. When he next encounters Romeo he deliberately insults him with the terms “villain” and “boy” but Romeo, newly and secretly married, won’t take the bait. Mercutio, who is in a noticeably fractious mood, sees this as dishonour (“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission”) which can only be assuaged by fighting Tybalt on Romeo’s behalf (“alla stoccata carries it away”). 

 

It’s noticeable in the text how Tybalt inspires loyalty in Juliet, the Nurse, Lady Capulet and Lord Capulet (“Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly/ and so did I”).

 

So in short - yes, I have some sympathy for Tybalt. Sorry - I went off a bit there!

 

 

[HelenLoveAppleJuice]

I don't know if anyone has already talked about the filming arrangement of R&J or not.

 

I am very sure that when I booked the tickets when booking opened for friends, both Naghdi&Ball performance and Osipova&Hallberg performance were marked as "filming". It was known that only Naghdi&Ball show will be broadcast. And we thought there is probably a DVD filming for Osipova&Hallberg.

 

When I checked last week, now no filming label for Osipova&Hallberg show but for Takada&McRae, O'Sullivan&Sambé, Hamilton&Clarke. Anyone with any idea what happens?

 

Personally I like O'Sullivan,Sambé,Clarke and McRae very much. Not a big fan of Takada but no objection on her. I heard good review of Osipova&Hallberg partnership and really wish to see a DVD or broadcast for them, not only speaking for me, but speaking for a group of fans for them two. Many of them cannot come here to London to see the show...

[alison]

Would anyone like to take a stab at when we shall hear who McRae's replacement is for next Saturday?

[Mary]

Just had an email from ROH giving times etc- but not a word about the cast change.

[Dawnstar]

I'm checking the website every day for fear Clarke might be replaced. The injury rates among the male RB dancers seem to be very high this season. Is it normal or worse than usual?

[Lizbie1]

I don't know if it's worse than usual but the effects have possibly been more noticeable because of the absence of some dancers on planned absences (such as Cats filming, Matthew Ball appearing in the NAMP Swan Lake and Bonelli's sabbatical).

[capybara]

It does feel as if more male dancers have been 'off' than usual, with those listed in bold 'missing' or replaced several times.

 

Ball - dancing in Bourne's Swan Lake Dec/Jan

Bonelli - on a Fellowship programme

McRae - off filming Cats Nov/March; now injured

Watson - off injured Nov'17/March - now back on stage

Kish - seemingly dancing more character roles; added 2 of Bracewell's Creature to his own

Muntagirov - substituted for Corrales in Don Q

Soares - reducing his appearances

Campbell -substituted for McRae and Bracewell

Hirano - substituted for McRae as Romeo and ? for Clarke as Espada

 

Bracewell - off injured since Jan.

Corrales - off injured since Nov.

Hay - returned from injury in Feb.

Sambe

Zucchetti - recently replaced as Espada and in other roles

 

Clarke - had extra shows as Espada but was then replaced

Dyer

Edmonds - busy doing a lot of replacing in Don Q

Ella

Montano - on a sabbatical

Richardson

 

 

 

[ninamargaret]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Would anyone like to take a stab at when we shall hear who McRae's replacement is for next Saturday?

well, I know who I'd like it to be, but even if it was, chances of getting a ticket are slim!

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, alison said:

Would anyone like to take a stab at when we shall hear who McRae's replacement is for next Saturday?

I would have expected an announcement by now. There have been rumours as to who, but still nothing official...

[Richard LH]

7 minutes ago, ninamargaret said:

well, I know who I'd like it to be, but even if it was, chances of getting a ticket are slim!

There are currently a few, mainly in the balcony.

[Saodan]

Well, as Dawnstar said it!

 

Without wanting to be accused of speculation, my guess is that they are waiting to announce McRae's replacement until they know whether they need to replace Clarke. One decision might affect the other. Reasonable reason for a delay in my opinion. 

[penelopesimpson]

Do we ave any news on Corrales?

[Dawnstar]

19 hours ago, Saodan said:

Well, as Dawnstar said it!

 

Without wanting to be accused of speculation, my guess is that they are waiting to announce McRae's replacement until they know whether they need to replace Clarke. One decision might affect the other. Reasonable reason for a delay in my opinion. 

 

You would think they would have changed the website to TBC in the interim though, given it's pretty obvious that a dancer who has just had knee surgery isn't going to be apppearing next week.

 

2 hours ago, penelopesimpson said:

Do we ave any news on Corrales?

 

I haven't seen anything but I'm booked to see him so he'll probably be off! I'm feeling as though I'm cursed with dancers getting injured. Thus far:

 

Mayerling - Watson replaced by Hirano

Les Patineurs - Corrales replaced by Acri

Winter Dreams - Gartside replaced by Avis, Heap replaced by Mendizabel

The Concert - Gartside replaced by Kish

Nutcracker - Bonelli replaced by Bracewell & Hay replaced by Sambe

Asphodel Meadows/Two Pigeons - no major replacements (I probably used up all my bad luck for that day at the ENB Manon matinee when all 3 leads were replacements!)

Two Pigeons - Bracewell replaced by Campbell

Don Quixote - Morera replaced by Mendizabel, Yudes replaced by Mosely, several smaller roles replaced too

Frankenstein - Bracewell replaced by Kish

Don Quixote - Zuchetti replaced by Clarke (Act 1) & Edmonds (Act 3), Whitehead replaced by Gartside

 

For forthcoming performances Clarke, who I'm booked for with both Hamilton & Nunez, is looking doubtful for Romeo & I've just read in the News section that Lantratov has got injured, 3 days after I booked for a Bright Stream with him in the cast. See why I'm feeling cursed? Maybe starting seeing ballet at the ROH this season was a bad idea & I should have stuck to opera!

[Sim]

I saw Corrales a couple of weeks ago and he told me that he fully intends to dance Romeo, unless the injury flares up again during rehearsals, which he was hoping it won't!  

 

Keeping everything crossed for him;  it would be great to see him onstage again after his one main performance way back in the autumn.  

[bangorballetboy]

54 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

For forthcoming performances Clarke, who I'm booked for with both Hamilton & Nunez, is looking doubtful for Romeo 

 

Is he?  Where did you get this information?

[Dawnstar]

3 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

Is he?  Where did you get this information?

 

I was at Don Quixote on Saturday when it was announced that Clarke had been injured in Act 1 & was being replaced by Edmonds for Act 3. Edmonds' Instagram & comments on here showed that he again replaced Clarke in Don Q this week. Given Clarke's first Romeo performance is 3 weeks today I'm therefore worried that he might not recover in time for it.