Peanut68 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Have had a lovely offer from forum member but not in night we can make sadly.... have been looking on roh website whenever a spare moment & a few tickets do seem to come up but never ones I can afford (all £73+.... ouch) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 If anyone is in London and can't get a ticket for a performance you can always watch it on the largeish TV in the crush room. It is obviously intended primarily for those who have tickets and who've arrived late (as was the case when I watched it) but the crush room seems to be part of the new open up areas and when I was there several people came in, watched for a while and then left so I assume it's available for anyone. There wasn't anyone from the ROH monitoring the situation or asking for tickets. Mods if I have misinterpreted the situation please remove this post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Ha - I too had wondered about this on previous visit to ROH.... wondered why I’d bothered to pay £28 for a restricted not great view when tv screen gave full on & workout annoying zoom ins you get from cinema screenings! Personally I hate the whole Open Up; instead of ROH feeling an inspirational & aspirational place to work hard to achieve a chance to enjoy being within its confines it feels bleak & like a motorway service area! Not special not covetous not Royal! I think the way to achieve letting people know it’s open to anyone is in subsidising ticket prices more & publicising the fact that ballet/opera is affordable to all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 2 hours ago, alison said: ? Today's Thursday. I think ... Oh dear..... yes.... therein lies some of my problems; not knowing what day it is 🤣🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 6 minutes ago, Peanut68 said: aspirational place to work hard to achieve a chance to enjoy being within its confines *bangs head on desk* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janite Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) On 30/12/2019 at 15:34, Rob S said: Mayara Magri is marvellous 😍👏 so glad to read this, and the early remarks on how well Myara danced. I am going with firends and the Saturday 4th Matinee was their prefered time, initilly I was disapointed but these posts make me feel we are in for a treat. Edited January 2, 2020 by Janite 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 3 hours ago, bangorballetboy said: *bangs head on desk* Not sure Bangor if you are with me or disagree on my less than enthusiastic response to ROH ‘open up’ welcome debate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneL Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 5 hours ago, Fonty said: Wow! Not sure I would fancy that. 😉 My children used to call it the Grand Tigger when they were young, after the Winnie the Pooh character. I think it was due to a misreading of a sign there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 I really enjoyed the Takada/Bracewell cast tonight. Bracewell, back after a long injury, was funny, ardent and a very attentive partner. Whereas he doesn’t have the fireworks of Corrales, Muntagirov and Sambe, his dancing has a beautiful elegance to it. I loved his cheeky Franz, and I loved even more how he constantly interacted with Takada. Watching them on the side of the stage was so engaging, and when they danced together there was a lovely connection, always locking eyes and, it would seem, hearts. Beautiful. Takada is also back to form after injury and aside from her flowing classicism her dramatic abilities get better and better. Tonight she was funny, impetuous, loving, forgiving and very sweet. She also danced the most manic Scottish Dance I have ever seen! The audience laughed more tonight than in any of the other performances I have attended. A super night, and I am very glad to have these two wonderful dancers back. 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Totally agree about William Bracewell Sim - and Akane Takada was simply outstanding in her technique, lightness of foot, speed, balance, versatility and characterisation. Huge plaudits to the RB for bringing her in 10+ years ago, further developing her considerable talents, and retaining her here - a true Star in my book! Her beaming smile, when dancing so beautifully, is pure joy to see. Her Spanish dance took me back to her wonderful run as Kitri last year, and yes her Scottish dance was just bonkers! There was a lovely, and amusing, moment during the curtain call when she gave a red rose from one of her bouquets to William Bracewell, and Thomas Whitehead (Coppelius) and then tried to give one to the conductor Tom Seligman but was initially unsuccessful - she did get him to take it in the end though! What an amazing start to the Year...this must be a very early candidate for my Favourite Performance of 2020 ! 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 14 minutes ago, Richard LH said: her Scottish dance was just bonkers! Is that a technical term Richard? The warmth and enthusiasm of reviews on the forum often cheers me up and this very dreary morning your review put a happy smile on my face- thanks for that! Looking forward to seeing Akane Takada in Swan Lake. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_New Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 16 hours ago, jmhopton said: If anyone is in London and can't get a ticket for a performance you can always watch it on the largeish TV in the crush room. It is obviously intended primarily for those who have tickets and who've arrived late (as was the case when I watched it) but the crush room seems to be part of the new open up areas and when I was there several people came in, watched for a while and then left so I assume it's available for anyone. There wasn't anyone from the ROH monitoring the situation or asking for tickets. Mods if I have misinterpreted the situation please remove this post. When I was late for one performance and had to watch in the Crush Room the staff were asking people without tickets to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 48 minutes ago, Richard LH said: There was a lovely, and amusing, moment during the curtain call when she gave a red rose from one of her bouquets to William Bracewell, and Thomas Whitehead (Coppelius) and then tried to give one to the conductor Tom Seligman but was initially unsuccessful - she did get him to take it in the end though! Yes I spotted that too! Can I just say how much I enjoyed Tom’s conducting yesterday - the ROH band aren’t always the world’s most together orchestra but he managed to produce a passionate, committed performance of Delibes’ glorious music. Ten years ago when I joined the Hallé Choir he prepared us for an award winning performance of Elgar’s Kingdom. At that time his career could easily have gone in a choral direction, but although he’s taken us for the odd rehearsal since, choral singing’s loss appears to have been ballet conducting’s gain. Jonathan Lo appears to be following a similar trajectory following his recent appointment at Northern Ballet and his relinquishment of Manchester Chamber Choir. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Mary said: Looking forward to seeing Akane Takada in Swan Lake. ........yes indeed; and wishing she and William Bracewell were cast together. They were a glorious, moving partnership in 2018. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Talking of casting, does anyone else find it odd that Lauren Cuthbertson wasn't cast as Swanilda in this run? With her abilities as a comedienne, I'd have thought she would have been a natural. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Alison, I have found so many of the casting decisions odd over the years, I have ceased to notice when an ideal candidate for a role is missing from the list. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 1 hour ago, alison said: Talking of casting, does anyone else find it odd that Lauren Cuthbertson wasn't cast as Swanilda in this run? With her abilities as a comedienne, I'd have thought she would have been a natural. Isn't she having a piece created on her at the moment? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 I would also have liked to see Osipova in the role...perfect for her methinks! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 5 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said: Isn't she having a piece created on her at the moment? Yes, and Lauren is also a) in the second tranche of Auroras, one of them being the cinema relay, and b) preparing for her debut as Tatiana in Onegin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLOSS Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) Much as I admire Cuthbertson as a performer I have to confess that I am more than a little relieved that she has not appeared as Swanilda in this revival of Coppelia. I suspect that the reason for her absence has more to do with her workload which at present includes preparation for her streamed Sleeping Beauty, the premiere of The Cello and her appearance as Aurora in St Petersburg during the next couple of months than management's views of her suitability for the role. While she was fine as Alice, a role created on her, I thought that she was miscast as the Young Girl in Two Pigeons and only ever gave a superficial account of the role. Although she reproduced the choreography accurately enough so much of what she was doing on stage seemed like stage business which had nothing to do with the character she was supposed to be portraying. The classic example of this lack of integration of choreography and character was the point at which the Young Girl pulls the chair away from the Young Man as he is about to sit down. If it is done fully in character it encapsulates what is wrong with the couple's relationship. If it is not done in this way it looks as if Ashton was so desperate at that point in the ballet that he resorted to a slapstick pratt fall to get a cheap laugh and that is how at least one critic interpreted it. The result as far as I was concerned was that rather than breathing life into the intensely self centered, immature, irritating character Ashton had created as Stix-Brunell did with Ball and Clarke in successive seasons Cuthbertson only managed to play her as a cute two dimensional soubrette. So while I have enjoyed every cast I have seen in this revival I do not regret Cuthbertson's absence but I do that of Stix-Brunell who I think would have been ideal in the role of Swanilda. I do not intend to say who I liked best or least in the leading roles as I thought everyone brought something worth seeing to the roles they were playing. I will simply say that I hope that Kevin has programmed Fille for the second half of next season when I believe we are to be permitted to see some of the company's "heritage" repertory as on current showing there are a significant number of talented young dancers who really should be given the opportunity to dance Lise in the not too distant future. I welcome Bracewell's return to the stage after a long absence and look forward to seeing more of his Franz as his first act was particularly amusing. I regret that Coppelia has been absent from the company's active repertory for the last thirteen years as its absence has deprived us of seeing much more of Morera's beautifully judged account of Swanilda than now seems likely. to be likely or possible. I look forward to Coppelia , and one or two other suitable ballets such as Cinderella, Fille and a mixed bill of Les Patineurs and Two Pigeons being programmed at Christmas in future seasons instead of Nutcracker. That ballet only came to dominate Christmas at Covent Garden and become "traditional" during Dowell's directorship. Before that LFB/ENB had a virtual monopoly in London on Nutcracker at Christmas. This had real benefits as it not only ensured that LFB/ENB was able to cover its operating costs by making up for the losses it sustains on tour but it enabled the Royal Ballet to introduce family audiences to a far wider range of its repertory than would have been possible if it had to perform Nutcracker every year. I look forward to the Opera Hose becoming, if not a completely Nutcracker free zone, at least one in which we see it far less frequently than has been the case of late. Edited January 3, 2020 by FLOSS 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 2 minutes ago, capybara said: Yes, and Lauren is also a) in the second tranche of Auroras, one of them being the cinema relay, and b) preparing for her debut as Tatiana in Onegin. And if I recall correctly doing the central pas de deux from 1984 at tomorrow’s Northern Ballet 50th anniversary gala. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 39 minutes ago, Sim said: I would also have liked to see Osipova in the role...perfect for her methinks! She was perfect when she danced the role with the Bolshoi at the ROH. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 1 hour ago, FLOSS said: Much as I admire Cuthbertson as a performer I have to confess that I am more than a little relieved that she has not appeared as Swanilda in this revival of Coppelia. I suspect that the reason for her absence has more to do with her workload which at present includes preparation for her streamed Sleeping Beauty, the premiere of The Cello and her appearance as Aurora in St Petersburg during the next couple of months than management's views of her suitability for the role. While she was fine as Alice, a role created on her, I thought that she was miscast as the Young Girl in Two Pigeons and only ever gave a superficial account of the role. Although she reproduced the choreography accurately enough so much of what she was doing on stage seemed like stage business which had nothing to do with the character she was supposed to be portraying. The classic example of this lack of integration of choreography and character was the point at which the Young Girl pulls the chair away from the Young Man as he is about to sit down. If it is done fully in character it encapsulates what is wrong with the couple's relationship. If it is not done in this way it looks as if Ashton was so desperate at that point in the ballet that he resorted to a slapstick pratt fall to get a cheap laugh and that is how at least one critic interpreted it. The result as far as I was concerned was that rather than breathing life into the intensely self centered, immature, irritating character Ashton had created as Stix-Brunell did with Ball and Clarke in successive seasons Cuthbertson only managed to play her as a cute two dimensional soubrette. So while I have enjoyed every cast I have seen in this revival I do not regret Cuthbertson's absence but I do that of Stix-Brunell who I think would have been ideal in the role of Swanilda. I do not intend to say who I liked best or least in the leading roles as I thought everyone brought something worth seeing to the roles they were playing. I will simply say that I hope that Kevin has programmed Fille for the second half of next season when I believe we are to be permitted to see some of the company's "heritage" repertory as on current showing there are a significant number of talented young dancers who really should be given the opportunity to dance Lise in the not too distant future. I welcome Bracewell's return to the stage after a long absence and look forward to seeing more of his Franz as his first act was particularly amusing. I regret that Coppelia has been absent from the company's active repertory for the last thirteen years as its absence has deprived us of seeing much more of Morera's beautifully judged account of Swanilda than now seems likely. to be likely or possible. I look forward to Coppelia , and one or two other suitable ballets such as Cinderella, Fille and a mixed bill of Les Patineurs and Two Pigeons being programmed at Christmas in future seasons instead of Nutcracker. That ballet only came to dominate Christmas at Covent Garden and become "traditional" during Dowell's directorship. Before that LFB/ENB had a virtual monopoly in London on Nutcracker at Christmas. This had real benefits as it not only ensured that LFB/ENB was able to cover its operating costs by making up for the losses it sustains on tour but it enabled the Royal Ballet to introduce family audiences to a far wider range of its repertory than would have been possible if it had to perform Nutcracker every year. I look forward to the Opera Hose becoming, if not a completely Nutcracker free zone, at least one in which we see it far less frequently than has been the case of late. slightly off topic mewonders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 33 minutes ago, Beryl H said: She was perfect when she danced the role with the Bolshoi at the ROH. Indeed she was! That’s why I am sorry to have missed her in this production. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 1 hour ago, prs59 said: slightly off topic mewonders? I don't think so - the post was about Coppélia casting and its role in Christmas programming at the RB. And now Floss mentions it, yes - Beatriz Stix-Brunell would have been a wonderful Swanilda! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) I guess that there has to be a limit to the number of casts which can feasibly be fielded and rehearsed in any one run of a ballet. Moreover, Coppelia was rather 'unknown territory' this time around and, interestingly, and most casts got only two shows (the exceptions being Hayward/Campbell (originally McRae) and Morera/Campbell) - the same as happened with Manon. Kevin O'Hare has such riches at his disposal.................!!! Unfortunately Beatriz Stix Brunell has been 'off' throughout the run. Maybe she will be given a shot at Swanilda next time around. Edited January 3, 2020 by capybara 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 6 hours ago, capybara said: ........yes indeed; and wishing she and William Bracewell were cast together. They were a glorious, moving partnership in 2018. Well....whilst Steven McRae is hopefully now starting the road to recovery, Takada's first Swan Lake is only two months away (06 March). Before too long it may be that a decision as to an alternative partner will be needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard LH Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 3 hours ago, FLOSS said: I will simply say that I hope that Kevin has programmed Fille for the second half of next season Here here Floss! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 1 hour ago, bridiem said: And now Floss mentions it, yes - Beatriz Stix-Brunell would have been a wonderful Swanilda! Yes, she was the other one I was surprised not to see cast. She does appear to have cornered the market in what one might describe as stroppy teenagers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane S Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 I don't see the Pigeons girl as an " intensely self centered, immature, irritating character" at all - to me she's a bright, lively teenager who's quite understandably fed up with a boyfriend who expects her to sit perfectly still all morning so he can indulge in his art (and we have absolutely no evidence that he has any out-of-the-ordinary skill as a painter) and who then runs off after a woman he's known for 5 minutes without a thought for the hurt he's causing his girlfriend. She's the injured party and he's very lucky she takes him back! Although it's always nice to see Fille I think the Ashton piece the new generation really needs/deserves to be doing is Scenes de Ballet. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 32 minutes ago, Jane S said: Although it's always nice to see Fille I think the Ashton piece the new generation really needs/deserves to be doing is Scenes de Ballet. I like to think that it needn't be either/or but both! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Well, that’s a first. No doll present at the end of Act 2 tonight but good improvisation from both O’Sullivan and Mosley. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Good grief, again!!?? What’s going on? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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