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LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE: RB June 2022


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Having been to the rehearsal tonight, it seems (from the reactions around me) that is very helpful to have read the synopsis and have a feel for who the characters are ahead of attending a performance.

The synopsis is here:   https://static.roh.org.uk/productions/like-water-for-chocolate-by-christopher-wheeldon/LWFC-Full-Synopsis-PDF.pdf                                                   and here is the list of who's who:

 

TITA The youngest daughter of the De la Garza household, in love with Pedro but forbidden by family tradition to marry. She has a special gift for cooking.

PEDRO The son of a neighbouring ranchero, in love with Tita. He marries her sister Rosaura in the hope of remaining close to Tita.

MAMA ELENA The overbearing matriarch of the De la Garza household. She hides a secret.

DR JOHN BROWN The family doctor from America. He loves Tita but her passionate feelings are reserved for Pedro.

NACHA The wise old cook of the De la Garza household and Tita’s closest confidant. The two bond over their shared love of food and cooking.

ROSAURA Tita’s sister. She marries Pedro but remains jealous of his close relationship with Tita.

GERTRUDIS Tita’s other sister. She elopes with a revolutionary soldier, and later becomes a famous revolutionary commander.

JUAN ALEJANDREZ A revolutionary soldier who marries Gertrudis.

ROBERTO Pedro and Rosaura’s first child.

ESPERANZA Pedro and Rosaura’s second child.

ALEX The son of Dr John by his first wife.

DON PASQUAL Pedro’s father and a neighbouring ranchero.

CHENCHA The family maid.

 

 

Edited by capybara
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Chuckling at Alison and RichardLH’s encouragement to get the novel as  I thought the synopsis was long enough for a ballet! I think it could be the longest synopsis I ever encountered for any ballet or opera!  I am going to stick to Leonide Massine’s dictum that everything in the show- choreography, acting, mime, music, costumes, sets - should make Wheeldon’s story clear enough. 😉😀 (But actually, it’s to stop me from having preconceived ideas of how each character or scene should be after reading the book so soon before the show, and spoiling my enjoyment of the ballet.) 

 

Can I just ask those who have seen the general rehearsal if they feel the show is suitable for kids? My 13 year old niece and 14 year old nephew would like to come  along and while their ages fall within the “guidance” given by the ROH, the guidance can sometimes be incorrect for some works and unnecessary for others. (I accept that, for ballet especially, guidance or assessment of suitability can be subjective, hence I think several/many forum opinions would be great, since I haven’t seen it.) 

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43 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Chuckling at Alison and RichardLH’s encouragement to get the novel as  I thought the synopsis was long enough for a ballet! I think it could be the longest synopsis I ever encountered for any ballet or opera!  

 

You've obviously never read a Northern Ballet synopsis!

 

I always find long synopses very off-putting and wish they could be condensed.

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10 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

You've obviously never read a Northern Ballet synopsis!

 

I always find long synopses very off-putting and wish they could be condensed.

Funnily enough, I always never needed the Northern Ballet ones- they do seem to follow the Massine “mission” of being very clear on stage about portraying the story; I went back and read one once (possibly not their longest) after watching the ballet and didn’t notice anything significant being left out. 

 

I too prefer more condensed synopses but maybe they are for some newcomers that want more information rather than less? 

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3 minutes ago, bangorballetboy said:

There are some sexual references so need to take that in account for younger people.

Thank you, capybara and bangorballetboy- could I ask if they look obvious? (Their mother, who is going, is asking me.)

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11 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you, capybara and bangorballetboy- could I ask if they look obvious? (Their mother, who is going, is asking me.)

Without spoiling anything, as per the book, the middle sister has a fantasy sexual awakening after she eats a dish decorated with rose petals. She then rides away passionately with her lover on a horse.
If the 13 & 14 year old know the facts of life, they ought to be ok.

Edited by PeterS
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Hello, I'm new, though have enjoyed reading for forum for quite a while.

 

I agree with the first poster. The choice - at least for me - was to go in blind and spend 2 1/2 hours trying to work out who/what/why; perhaps particularly who is related to whom, fathom the evolving emotional entanglements, while also trying to enjoy the score and movement, or to have the basic arrangements settled in your mind.

 

I'm a little slow, so spent the 5-minutes before kick off writing down the cast in family order and drawing lines and triangles. I'm so glad I did.

 

I'm not sure there were obvious 'sexual references'; there were inferences, a little rolling around, a smidgen of writhing but, for me, too obtuse for young children. Btw, there was a young girl in the second row of the Stall, possibly 6 or 7, who in act 3 gleefully danced along. So nice to see.

 

 

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I haven't read the novel, but I did see the film.  I think I will skip the long summary tonight and see how much of this ballet speaks to me, what it imparts  and how successfully, without me having to read a whole long synopsis.  I always like to see how clear a narrative or a 'deeper meaning' is in any new ballet, which is why I never read the intellectual tracts of Wayne McGregor's ballet explanations.  As I have tickets for other shows, if I am totally baffled after tonight then I will indeed read the synopsis.  I have read the list of characters and their relationship to one another, so I think that is all the help I will take for tonight.  It also helps that I already know the story, having seen the film.  I do love the Latin American 'magical realism', as embodied by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so I will be interested to see how this is displayed in LWFC.

 

On another note...I do hope there is a little speech and the national anthem played for Her Majesty tonight.  :)

 

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I’ve read the synopsis and can see I’m highly probably going to be confused already as there’s quite a time span of relationships coming and going! 
I think will just have to enjoy on the Dance level on first viewing next Wednesday though will be reading reviews here with interest before then. 

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Yes having the cast list of the characters will be extremely helpful. 
Im looking forward to it and am assuming will be reasonably colourful with some meaty pas de deux at least!! 

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Laura Morera doing a great job this evening…for act 2; think Queen of Hearts but with Jedward hair. 
Cesar Corrales was like a 🌪 too!!

Edited by Rob S
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3 minutes ago, Rob S said:

Laura Morera doing a great job this evening…for act 2; think Queen of Hearts but with Jedward hair. 
Cesar Corrales was like a 🌪 too!!


Agree about Laura (in spades) but I don’t understand the emoji for Cesar. He was AMAZING - very reminiscent of his dancing with ENB.

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8 minutes ago, capybara said:


Agree about Laura (in spades) but I don’t understand the emoji for Cesar. He was AMAZING - very reminiscent of his dancing with ENB.

A whirlwind! 

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I really enjoyed tonight - full of drama, invention, great group dances and the aforementioned meaty pdds and solos. And for me at least the way the closing scene was handled was a lovely surprise. Fantastic dancing throughout and I thought the storytelling was clear. I agree with bangorballetboy that as long as you can identify the characters, the rest falls into place very well. 

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This may be of relevance to some people using public transport over the Jubilee weekend:

 

"From tomorrow, Thursday 2 until Sunday 5 June, London is hosting a series of major events, including in central London to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

All our public transport services will be running with no planned closures, so whilst we expect a lot of people to be celebrating, particularly on Saturday night, and during the daytime on Sunday, you'll be able to get where you need to go.*

There are some planned changes to station access and at times we may need to use some short-term safety measures, such as queuing or changes to the way you enter or exit a station, so please listen to advice from station or event staff and follow signage.

Changes to station access:

Charing Cross

  • From 15:00 on Saturday: this station will be closed.**

Westminster

  • From 10:00 on Sunday: this station will be open for interchange only.

St James's Park

  • From 15:00 on Saturday and from 13:00 on Sunday: this station will be closed.

Hyde Park Corner

  • From 16:00 until 21:00 on Saturday: exit-only
  • From 21:00 on Saturday: station closed
  • From 14:00 until 16:00 on Sunday: exit-only
  • From 16:00 on Sunday: station closed

Stations in central London are likely to be busy on Saturday night after the Party at the Palace event. Check your National Rail journey to ensure you can catch your last train home. Some of our services will run all night.

If you are driving, there will be extensive road closures around events so please plan ahead, use alternative routes and allow more time for your journey.

Between Friday 3 June and Sunday 10 July, RMT strike action will be taking place across London Underground stations. We hope impact will be minimal over the Bank Holiday weekend, but some stations may have to close at short notice due to a lack of staff."

 

*That is, for people travelling on TfL services.  Those travelling - or attempting to - on standard rail services may not be so lucky :( (She says, having realised that 2/3 of her already-reduced rail services aren't running this holiday weekend)

 

** Presumably some sort of alternative arrangements, like running services into Cannon Street, will have been set up.

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What a wonderful evening, totally blown away. The music is a total joy, lighting, costumes, everything just stupendous. What can I say about the performance, Frankie, Marci, Laura, Mattie, Mayara, Anna, all of you just wonderful.  Get a ticket and go see.

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Whether a monarchist or not, it seemed remarkably discourteous of a national ballet company with the Royal Charter, not to play the national anthem at the first night of a brand new production on an historic Platinum Jubilee at the Royal Opera House. 

No matter that there was a technical hitch that delayed curtain up: it was well

publicised that transport would be running until late (even in this forum). This historic event even spawned an extra public holiday. 

The Ukrainian national anthem was played before each show, preceded by a brief word by Kevin O’Hare, for around a week. 


EIiR is emblazoned majestically on those unforgettable crimson curtains The music sheets has been seen;  most other West End theatres  honoured Her Majesty with far less affiliation, so what informed what seemed like something bordering on indifference? 

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Yes, I was also disappointed that there was no mention of Her Majesty, no thanks for her service, no anthem, nothing.  I hope they do so at some point over this very special and historic weekend.   

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