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Cats: Francesca Hayward and Steven McRae to star in film version


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I think it's great Kevin lets her, and them, do the things they are interested in. She has just essentially taken a sabbatical. I think it is a much more productive work environment for all. I mean many of them perform around the world anyway. I don't really see the difference. I will be sorry not to see her in an Unknown Soldier but I figure if you want to nurture, develop and keep talent then you have  to give them room the breath and be who they want to be. There are just so many opportunities at the moment. And anyway for some reason I don't see Hayward as a Nunez character. Giving your whole career to the Royal ballet (I know she performs elsewhere too). Naghdi maybe but Hayward seems to be broader in interests. Each to their own.

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The BBC reports (Miaow! Royal Ballet star Francesca Hayward joins Cats movie) that she will play the kitten Victoria and will also perform a new song specially written for the movie by ALW, so this seems to answer my previous query about her singing !

 

Frankie now has an IMDb profile that states "Francesca Hayward is an actress, known for Cats (2019), The Sun Is God (2017) and Dancing the Nutcracker: Inside the Royal Ballet (2016)" !!

🙄 ?...😎   or   💃?   

 

Given that the film is being shot at Warner Bros. studios in  Herts., I was wondering why  it has to  take up her whole time for the next few months, such that she can't even put in a single  performance at the RB? After all, these dancers are used to practicising/performing multiple roles at once. 

 

Perhaps this is her taking an opportunity just to have a bit of a change of scene for a while - a sabbatical as Shya100 says - and it could both widen her own performance skills even further, and get some good  wider publicity for RB/UK ballet in general.

 

Anyway, these links give some indication of the role as performed by Phyllida Crowley Smith in the 1998 film version. Pretty sensuous stuff, I would say!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Cerx38UZE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5YqfRdjFn8

Edited by Richard LH
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For Mr O'Hare to allow his dancers to spread their wings, take a sabbatical, or venture into musical theatre (Leanne Cope did when Wheeldon pick her to perform in his "An American in Paris") also allows them to prevent a burn out. Early on in her career Hayward danced rather demanding roles which suited her. I guess there must come a point, after so many years, that a dancer longs to do something else. 

Hayward was very early on put under immense pressure and trust into the media. I am not surprised she wants to take a break from ballet and it will surely do her good. I am just wondering how will she be able to keep up her ballet technique when she has to be on a film set every day. 

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35 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

 I am just wondering how will she be able to keep up her ballet technique when she has to be on a film set every day. 

 

Chi Cao spoke about this after the film Mao's Last Dancer was released.  He said he went into the studio early every day to do class.  He came back to BRB better than ever.

 

IIRC I saw some reviews of Robert Fairchild after he went back into NYCB pos American in Paris that seemed to imply that it took him a little time to get back into ballet company mode.

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12 minutes ago, Sharon said:

I really hope not! I bought a ticket to specifically see Yasmine Nagdhi.

So did I Sharon...Well if that's the case Naghdi now only performs with Ball I'll have to change my ticket.

Why did the ROH wait so long to announce the changed casting? and right after the Public Booking?

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21 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I heard that Yasmine dancing with Matthew, and Anna Rose O'Sullivan dancing with Will Bracewell

I really hope not! I bought a ticket to specifically see Yasmine Nagdhi.

 

1 minute ago, Xandra Newman said:

So did I Sharon...Well if that's the case Naghdi now only performs with Ball I'll have to change my ticket.

Why did the ROH wait so long to announce the changed casting? and right after the Public Booking?

Yes! I've booked time off work, booked & paid for trains - thankfully I'm staying over at a friend's otherwise I would have booked a hotel  too. 

I really like O'Sullivan, but it was Naghdi I was wanting to see. So unfair! Nothing I can do now. Not happy!

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Is it being suggested that the ROH website is offering inaccurate information about the casting for The Unknown Soldier?

 

I know that that would be nothing new, but, if Naghdi isn't dancing on all the dates, why was it changed to show that she was?

 

[PS -  I, too, had heard that O'Sullivan was going to be cast.]

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On 02/11/2018 at 12:25, zxDaveM said:

 

I heard that Yasmine dancing with Matthew, and Anna Rose O'Sullivan dancing with Will Bracewell

Yasmine’s mother told me tonight in the Bayadère interval that Yasmine is only dancing with Matthew Ball.

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Oh well that sort of confirms it then but for goodness sake if the powers that be knew this all along why didn't they just put the new casting straight out on to the website once they knew Francesca Hayward wouldn't be performing in this ballet! 

 

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Paws for thought....to tail you the truth I was feline sad 😿to lose Frankie fur a while, as they whisk 'er away (they don't pussyfoot around do they) but I shouldn't get in a flap. I'm not kitten - this could be a purrfect role 😻, subject to a suitable claws  in the contract. 😸 Litter have some space for  a while. 😽

etc.  (well someone had to do this sooner or later)!😼

Edited by Richard LH
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15 hours ago, MrsBBB said:

Yasmine’s mother told me tonight in the Bayadère interval that Yasmine is only dancing with Matthew Ball.

 

Which further confirms the 'leaks' about the second cast.

 

So, and I ask again, why did they change the casting on the ROH website and end up providing inaccurate information?

 

I don't think that the ROH/RB are aware, or care, about the fact that people from afar book for specific casts. I recall a swap (a couple of years ago?) to the cast for Human Seasons, whereby a Principal originally in the second cast was moved into the first cast and the furore this caused - not least because it was not announced until less than 24 hours before opening night.

 

 

 

Edited by capybara
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re.  the "Unknown Soldier" casting mystery: I assume that Yasmine Naghdi and Francesca Hayward had an understudy. With Hayward out, Naghdi was allocated all performances and maybe the understudy is simply not ready (yet) to take over Naghdi's shows with Bracewell thus the ROH website keeps Naghdi down to dance all the "Unknown Soldier" performances for now (?) 

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I'm surprised that the performances than Francesca Hayward is definitely not going to be doing are still listed with her on the ROH website. If they are not yet ready to announce her replacements then I would have expected them to be changed to TBC, like they do when roles have yet to be cast/announced. It seems rather misleading to still have her listed for The Nutcracker, Winter Dreams and Two Pigeons when it has been announced that she won't be in any of them.

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13 minutes ago, Xandra Newman said:

https://www.roh.org.uk/mixed-programmes/the-unknown-soldier-infra-symphony-in-c

The ROH announced last week that all her shows will be taken over by Naghdi, and this was corrected on the website. 

 

 

 

I see that the order has changed too, with The Unknown Soldier coming first. Presumably meaning that Naghdi is in Symphony in C on the dates when Hayward was supposed to be performing.

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2 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

I see that the order has changed too, with The Unknown Soldier coming first. Presumably meaning that Naghdi is in Symphony in C on the dates when Hayward was supposed to be performing.

 

I don't think you can draw any conclusions from the order of the pieces, which is how it has been since before booking opened in July.

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1 hour ago, Jamesrhblack said:

Will this take McRae out of the Don Q broadcast? Corrales anyone? 

 

I'd really like to see Sambe, Hay or Sissens get a crack at some of those whips .... Corrales has some pretty potent pairings as it is ... or even Ella ... or Zucchetti ... or Richardson .... Such strength in rank just now ... 

Speaking of which are Ella and Hay out?  I haven't seen them of late ... or is it they've just been in other performances than the ones I've been to.  I know Hay did the relatively early Bratfish ... which sadly I had to miss ... 

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Maybe we should ask who else from RB auditioned and who may miss some time at the RB?

Guess this explains, why McRae didn´t revive his role at Frankenstein. Like with Hayward I am not afraid that the strong company has a problem to replace them for the few months. Hopefully a few from the soloists are getting chances like O`sullivan!

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