Shade Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 (edited) Well what a jolly afternoon at the Mayflower. Lovely Hirata and great ensemble support. I was a bit concerned about her fouettés but she held onto them. is the choreography different to the RB production- it seemed so to me and the staging worked well at the the Mayflower. The Mayflower audience gave the dancers and orchestra a very warm welcome and applause, even though the few people I spoke to were not familiar with Don Q. However, they were enjoying it. Lots were also looking forward to Swan Lake next year. People had travelled quite a distance too. Cannot get used to a male dancing Amour though and why doesn’t Kitri arrive properly on stage at first entrance? Edited February 12, 2022 by Shade Addition 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 18 minutes ago, Shade said: The Mayflower audience gave the dancers and orchestra a very warm welcome and applause, Even a standing ovation from what seemed like quite large chunks of the stalls 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Yes Alison I was in the stalls and was part of that - well deserved. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 44 minutes ago, Shade said: Cannot get used to a male dancing Amour though. Really? That will be interesting to see. Is there still a Queen of the Dryads? If so, it's surprising that she isn't listed in the casting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 Yes, is she not? She's on the printed cast list. I was of half a mind to suggest that Alexander Yap's Espada alone might be worth a considerable proportion of the ticket price 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 Queen of the Dryads was Yijing Zhang. yes Alison I agree about Yap - super attitude. Lots of cape swishing too! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Agreed, Yap was completely in character as Espada - he reminded us a bit of Freddy Mercury and totally owned the stage! We were sitting centre front of the circle (row D) and had a fabulous view. The first entrance for Momoko Hirata and Matthew Dingman seemed a little low key, but as the first act progressed they became more dynamic. It seemed as if they weren't sure of the audience response, but as it was warm and appreciative they fed on it and by the and of Act 3 Momoko in particular was firing on all cylinders! Her fouettés seemed fine, the first half of the music she did a mixture of singles and doubles travelling from centre upstage to downstage. I must admit I was wondering what was coming next, but she then started changing her "spotting" while turning exactly in the same place, i.e. changing from front spotting to right wing, to back, to left wing and then front again - this is fiendishly difficult to pull off! For the diagonal at the end of her solo she miscalculated though and didn't start high enough upstage, so she ran out of room and to avoid crashing into the table where Don Q and others were sitting, (downstage right) she had to chang the angle of her diagonal and end behind the table, almost into the wings. At other times I felt that there possibly hadn't been enough stage rehearsal, or rehearsal with the set. The transformation to the Magic Garden was beautiful, but with all the Dryads in tutus, Don Q was finding it hard to move between them and at times it looked like Jerome Robbins "Mistake Waltz!" I adored Tzu-Chao Chou as Amour. A somewhat arch or even camp role, but it was redeemed by the virtuosity of his turns and batterie, all accompanied by a devilish grin. All the named roles on the cast list were fine although I feel the whole production will probably get even better as they settle into character. There was a quartet of young men who I feel really should have been identified in the cast list. They were excellent and such fun to watch - think Romeo and his friends in the market place! So a great addition to BRBs repertoire, I would recommend it to anyone. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Thanks Pas de Quatre for clarifying re the fouettés. I was sitting quite centrally and I could see that Hirata moved towards the front of the stage but she then appeared to travel in a circle whilst fouettéing. I did love the vision scene but agree the stage was a bit cramped. Thoroughly recommend this BRB production. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Those young men are the beggars in the RB version, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 In this production they are quite smartly dressed young men. In general the costumes were bright and cheerful - why are RB's Don Q and Giselle so drab? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 2 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said: In this production they are quite smartly dressed young men. In general the costumes were bright and cheerful - why are RB's Don Q and Giselle so drab? I'm guessing that it's a nod to authenticity - peasants wouldn't have been able to afford expensive dyes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 Well if you are going for authenticity would peasants be slim and pretty with lovely teeth (both sexes) and satin shoes? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 23 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said: Well if you are going for authenticity would peasants be slim and pretty with lovely teeth (both sexes) and satin shoes? Well no - that's why I said it was a nod only. FWIW in something like Don Q it wouldn't be my choice, but it's a plausible explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 I managed to brave Storm Eunice to drive the 80 miles south to see the Birmingham premiere of Don Quixote yesterday (got there and back without any incident and thankfully without a sign of any storm damage). Judging by the reaction of the audience at the end it's a palpable hit. Yes, just like Acosta's RB version it doesn't entirely work and especially in the outer Acts is at times just too busy, but despite that it is tremendous fun and behind my mask I was smiling for the whole show! Momoko Hirata and Mathias Dingman had real chemistry as Kitri and Basilio and seemed to be having the time of their lives. A shout out too for Brandon Lawrence who was a predictably impressive Espada. I thought the sets were especially impressive. Given the need to tour the production the RB sets would have been totally impractical so these sets are completely static! I would urge anyone to see it if they can. I'll be seeing it again at the Lowry in a couple of weeks! 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Thank you ChrisG for whetting my appetite. It looks to be a welcome dash of sunlight amidst all the miserable gloom we’re currently experiencing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beryl H Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 There is an excerpt from the new BRB production on BBC4 at 8pm tonight in the Dance Passion series. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Have literally just seen your post Beryl so missed it 😥 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 It’s on tomorrow,Sunday. 8.00pm BBC4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Thanks very much will give it a look over. Apparently on BBC1 on Monday Feb 21st there is a programme about Wayne McGregor in the Imagine series. Probably the wrong thread for this info though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SplitSoul Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Just got back from tonight's DQ in Bham. Beatrice Parma was Kitri, it seems at short notice. She was wonderful. The whole thing was wonderful. All the main characters were fantastic and the corps was just beautiful. I feel like my head is filled with beauty and there is no place for anything else right now. The audience loved it. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 Was anyone at the Gittens/Lawrence performance this afternoon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Yes - 2 words - UTTERLY MAGICAL!!! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 8 hours ago, Elz said: Just got back from tonight's DQ in Bham. Beatrice Parma was Kitri, it seems at short notice. She was wonderful. The whole thing was wonderful. All the main characters were fantastic and the corps was just beautiful. I feel like my head is filled with beauty and there is no place for anything else right now. The audience loved it. It was Mathias Dingman who was last minute. The casts were switched to give him time to recover after performing the opening night (which I sadly missed due to Storm Eunice) with Momoko. Mathias and Beatrice were fabulous together. More about yesterday’s performances when I am on my laptop. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaC Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Beatrice was absolutely fabulous, the best Kitri so far in Birmingham, technically and in characterisation. And she inspired a better performance from Mathias than on the first night. Great character performances from Rory Mackay and Valentin Olovyannikov at each performance. At the matinee Shang was exquisite as Queen of the Dryads. A true ballerina. Brandon was an amazing Espada on Friday, even better than as Basilio at the matinee. The quality varied between soloists at all performances, but overall the company is on exhilarating form. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 As Storm Eunice was battering the west coast along with the rest of the country on Friday I decided not to attempt the journey on Friday so I sadly missed the opening night in Birmingham. I did make the journey on Saturday. Due to an accident on the M6 (hopefully nobody seriously hurt) it took me 4 hours and a lot of stress to get to Birmingham but boy was it worth it!!!!! I only arrived in the theatre at 5 to 2 so just went straight in to my seat to try and calm down. The performance started and the minute that Celine and Brandon danced on to the stage all was well with the world! This production is really bright and cheerful and I think it is perfectly pitched for the moment. All the dancers on stage were totally invested in the performance and showed their acting credentials to full effect. The set is largely static, which works for the smaller stages of a touring company. I found it very effective. If I am going to be picky, act 1 is a bit muddled and the story can be lost in the business of the stage so if you are not familiar with the balletic version of Don Q then read the synopsis (which is printed on the back of the cast sheets but I thought the programme was also worth buying as it's a good read at £5). Celine and Brandon were just what I needed, they filled the stage with joy and light. Celine plays Kitri with a softer edge and Brandon is quite a gentle Basilio and I absolutely loved their interpretation. I came out of the matinee on an absolute high! There was a change of cast (previously announced) for the evening as Tzu Chao Chou was unable to perform. Mathias Dingman was the new partner for Beatrice Parma. They were utterly fabulous together!! Beatrice is a very feisty Kitri and had a great rapport with Mathias. Mathias trained in the Vaganova style and he still has it in his muscle memory and Basilio suited him to a tee. I loved both the performances I saw on Saturday and it was great to see 2 different but equally valid interpretations. I think this production by Carlos Acosta is a keeper for BRB and is an honourable addition to the glorious Peter Wright classics which I am thrilled to be seeing in the 2022/23 season. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 (edited) Tonight in Birmingham: Nunez and Muntagirov ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️; the whole BRB Company ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️; the production - an improvement on the RB’s version (but more sightings needed to explain the whys and wherefores). Carlos is right: Don Quixote needs to be seen outside London. And it suits BRB really, really well. Edited February 22, 2022 by capybara Autocorrect at work!!!! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Couldn’t agree more. Lost count of the number of Nela smiles that Jonathan Payn(Don Q) received in the final scene. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 Did they wear their costumes from the RB production, or ones from BRB's? I'll also be interested to hear whether there is a notable change in performances "post-Nunez/Muntagirov" from "pre-Nunez/Muntagirov". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newcombe Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 33 minutes ago, alison said: Did they wear their costumes from the RB production, or ones from BRB's? I'll also be interested to hear whether there is a notable change in performances "post-Nunez/Muntagirov" from "pre-Nunez/Muntagirov". Total redesign. 135 new costumes. Over 800K. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmhopton Posted February 23, 2022 Share Posted February 23, 2022 40 minutes ago, Tony Newcombe said: Total redesign. 135 new costumes. Over 800K. Money well spent in my book. What a fabulous evening! Vadim and Marianela on fire as was the entire company. Its such a great Compny ballet. Alexander Yapp was the matador. I'd never heard of him so checked the programme and unless there's a printer error he's only an Artist. Why? He totally dominated the stage and is one of the best matadors I'd seen. I actually preferred the sets to the more elaborate RB ones, especially the vision scene which I thought was really lovely, silvery fronds that filled the stage and then were lifted to frame it. Far nicer than the rather garish flowers the RB has. I was very cross to miss seeing Brandon Lawrence as I hadn't realised he was doing a matinee but I'm just so pleased to have seen Marianela and Vadim again. It seems so long since I've seen them do Don Q I can't really remember them well enough to compare their performance then and now. I just know now is sensational! Am keeping everything crossed it's not too long until we see them perform it at the ROH. Many in the stalls gave them a standing ovation and it was well deserved. Got a glimpse of Carlos at the stage door and a lovely pic of Vadim and marianela before they were whisked away in a taxi. My husband said I could stay another night if I wanted to see them again and I'm very tempted! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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