Royal Ballet Winter season casting, 2022-23

[Lizbie1]

Casting is now up (didn't want to start a new thread):

 

https://static.roh.org.uk/for/pdfs/Ballet-BP2-casting-22-23.pdf

[alison]

Short, but sweet, I guess

[Lizbie1]

The proof of the pudding will be in the "eating" of booking day, but I'm only considering two of those casts for Sleeping Beauty and that is in some measure down to their dates working well with other things I'd like to do in London (travel is always a large consideration for me). If ticket prices were lower, I'd have them down as definites and possibly be looking to fit in more. We'll see!

[Dawnstar]

I was expecing there to be more SB casts so that's good from a financial perspective, especially as 3 of the 6 Auroras are the 3 I saw in the last run. So I only want to see Magri/Corrales (very pleased they are both debuting & handy that they're doing so together) & Kaneko/Bracewell. As for Woolf Works, I'm not sure if I want to see that at all, though I suppose as I've never seen Ferri live it might be worth going just so I can say that I've seen her?

[Lizbie1]

Just now, Dawnstar said:

As for Woolf Works, I'm not sure if I want to see that at all, though I suppose as I've never seen Ferri live it might be worth going just so I can say that I've seen her?

 

I'm not a McGregor fan and nor am I particularly fussed about Woolf Works, but it is a real spectacle so I'm glad I saw it (once). You'll have picked up that quite a few people here think it's the only McGregor piece they like.

 

I think being able to say you've seen Ferri is an excellent reason to book: the only reason I went to see I due Foscari a few years back was because I'd never seen Domingo. It wasn't good at all, but I don't regret going - and Ferri and Woolf Works are a much safer bet.

[Dawnstar]

55 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

I'm not a McGregor fan and nor am I particularly fussed about Woolf Works, but it is a real spectacle so I'm glad I saw it (once). You'll have picked up that quite a few people here think it's the only McGregor piece they like.

 

I think being able to say you've seen Ferri is an excellent reason to book: the only reason I went to see I due Foscari a few years back was because I'd never seen Domingo. It wasn't good at all, but I don't regret going - and Ferri and Woolf Works are a much safer bet.

 

If it was any other McGregor I probably wouldn't be considering it at all! I fortunately ticked off seeing Domingo back in 2006, in Cyrano de Bergerac, when he was still a tenor, so I didn't feel I had to go to see any of his ventures into the baritone rep live.

[jmhopton]

I'm afraid I'm slightly underwelmed both by the ballets on offer and the casting. I don't want to see Wolf Works so that leaves Sleeping Beauty which isn't a great favourite so once again will be seeing a ballet more for the casting. I'm slightly cross that the O'Sullivan/Sambe cast I was hoping to see has been split up so I'll have to see 2 performances if I want to see them both. I thought Takada usually danced with Mcrae and I wish they were doing so this time. The only performance of SB I've seen that really moved me was Hayward/Campbell. It was Frankie's debut and she was ill and Yasmine was literally waiting in the wings in case she had to go on as a replacement but Frankie made it and she and Alex gave an incredibly moving performance so I'd like to see them again. Obviously like to see Magri/Coralles debut and possibly Bracewell/Kaneko for William's debut but given the price of the tickets are going to be astronomical I'll probably have to choose just 2 or 3.

[Jamesrhblack]

3 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I was expecing there to be more SB casts so that's good from a financial perspective, especially as 3 of the 6 Auroras are the 3 I saw in the last run. So I only want to see Magri/Corrales (very pleased they are both debuting & handy that they're doing so together) & Kaneko/Bracewell. As for Woolf Works, I'm not sure if I want to see that at all, though I suppose as I've never seen Ferri live it might be worth going just so I can say that I've seen her?

Given the absence of some of the expected names (Cuthbertson, Lamb, Naghdi, Osipova, Ball, Clarke, Hirano for a start), it will be interesting to see how much scope there is for debuts when the later performances are announced. Does the plethora of Nutcracker casts suggest there could be some interesting new castings? It must be so disheartening for long standing First Soloists not only not to make the last leg of the promotional ladder but to find themselves uncast in principal roles that they had previously performed for a couple of runs.

[capybara]

Well, there are a lot of ‘names’ missing from the Sleeping Beauty casts but, hopefully, plenty of space for the likes of Naghdi/Ball later in the year. I’m not sure I can envisage debuts this time round, other than Magri/Corrales (and Bracewell and Sambe).

 

As to pairings, I was hoping for O’Sullivan/Hay or Takada/Hay and, mixing things up a bit, Kaneko/Muntagirov. 

[Sim]

Some of the principals not dancing SB in the first run will be doing so in the second.  

[Linnzi5]

Apologies if this has been already posted or there is another more suitable place to post this - I looked and couldn’t find anything. Mods, please merge this if appropriate.

 

I received an email with some winter casting details. Link below:

 

https://static.roh.org.uk/for/pdfs/Ballet-BP2-casting-22-23.pdf

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

I thought Takada usually danced with Mcrae and I wish they were doing so this time.

 

I was thinking McRae might be cast with Lamb, and if they were I might well have booked for them as I have yet to see either of them in any of the major classical roles. However as I saw O'Sullivan in the last run that means I won't be seeing McRae. Maybe Lamb will be paired with Hirano, as they did SL together.

 

1 hour ago, capybara said:

As to pairings, I was hoping for O’Sullivan/Hay or Takada/Hay and, mixing things up a bit, Kaneko/Muntagirov. 

 

I hope that Hay not being cast with O'Sullilvan doesn't mean that he won't get to dance the role at all, given it's the only lead classical role he's been given in the last few seasons.

 

With 15 dates in the first block of performances being covered by 6 casts, the fact that there are only 12 performances in the second block presumably means an absolute maximum of 6 more casts & that's only if no-one gets more than 2 performances. If so then by the time all the Principals are accounted for it doesn't look like there would be much scope for more debuts. Maybe one male & one female at most?

[JNC]

Thanks for sharing!

 

so looks like Cuthbertson, Lamb, Osipova, and Naghdi will be doing Beauty later in the year I am guessing. 
 

maybe scope for a debut cast but perhaps not. I imagine pairings might be Naghdi/Ball, Osipova/Clarke, Lamb/Hirano and Cuthbertson with either Bracewell (he had two casts including Cuthbertson for Beauty) or Ball?

 

Being honest I don’t see any of the current non-principals dancing Aurora. I agree it would be nice to see Hay cast as the Prince again, either with Hayward or O’Sullivan but I think it’s unlikely either of them will come back in the Spring. I could maybe see Acri as Prince, but not sure who he’d be cast with. Has Hamilton done Beauty before, I know Choe has but she seems to be cast less now. 
 

On a personal level I’m a bit annoyed that the main casts I wanted to see are lumped together in the first booking period due to the fact I won’t be able to afford to go to lots of performances and was hoping to split the cost a bit! 

 

I’d like to see Hayward and Nunez as they are both dancers I like and haven’t seen in this role yet. And Fumi Kaneko really wowed me with her debut so would like to see her again, and her pairing with Bracewell (and his debut) is something I do want to see. This may be an excuse to see Naghdi later in Spring though so we’ll see…(Naghdi I have seen and is very very good in this role!). 
 

As for Woolf Works I’m very pleased to see Ferri as I haven’t seen her before. I imagine both Nunez and Osipova would be great in the role as well, but as I’ve not seen it before not sure I will go to multiple casts this time so will try and see Ferri! I could be tempted to see Osipova as well if dates align but it also depends on the pricing, maybe if I can get an SCS. 

[bridiem]

I hope that Clarke is not always paired only with Osipova which has increasingly been the case recently. I think that at his stage of his career he needs a range of partners in order to really grow and develop. And although Osipova is herself whoever she dances with, it may also benefit her to have different partners from time to time.

[JohnS]

I didn’t see casting for the Sleeping Beauty matinee on 25 February. It’s still in the calendar but casting is not yet on the web for any Sleeping Beauty performances as far as I can see.

[JNC]

2 hours ago, bridiem said:

I hope that Clarke is not always paired only with Osipova which has increasingly been the case recently. I think that at his stage of his career he needs a range of partners in order to really grow and develop. And although Osipova is herself whoever she dances with, it may also benefit her to have different partners from time to time.

Agree. Perhaps Kaneko could do another performance or two in spring given she only had two dates in the Winter season and some others have three as they did make a lovely pairing last time. 

 

I remember Clarke paired with Cuthbertson for the Jubilee event, and so perhaps that will be another pairing option for Spring. Osipova has danced with Ball previously (Giselle and Swan Lake)  and also Bracewell in the recent Month I think (?). 

[San Perregrino]

51 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I didn’t see casting for the Sleeping Beauty matinee on 25 February. It’s still in the calendar but casting is not yet on the web for any Sleeping Beauty performances as far as I can see.

the link was in yesterday’s Friends e-newsletter entitled ‘Just For You’ to “enable friends to start planning ahead for their autumn booking dates.”  I’m not sure that the casting information is in the public domain yet. 
perhaps the 25/2 matinee casting hasn’t been decided yet. 
perhaps the casting that sells best will be rewarded with an extra show.

in any case, with 6 months plus until the performance dates, anything can happen. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by PeterS

[JohnS]

Thanks PeterS. Booking for Winter opens from early September for Friends (and earlier for Patrons) so it’s good to know scheduled casting before then albeit there can always be changes before the performance, right up to the last minute (and exceptionally during the performance). I assume the matinee casting details have just been missed and hopefully casting will be on the web well in advance of booking. Matinee/evening double performances can be very attractive for those making a trip to London so I’d got the date in mind and was keen to check casting.

[Emeralds]

Thank you Lizbie1.

 

Quite shocked that with the proposed-but-not-yet-confirmed price hikes for Sleeping Beauty, that there are so few casts and no Naghdi, Clarke or Hay among them. I could go and see Nunez and Muntagirov again (having already seen them at the last revival and I already have the DVD). The others are not in pairings that I like, or I have already seen both Aurora and Florimund before.

 

This reminds me of that season when Monica Mason left Alina Cojocaru out of the casting after a disagreement - and she was the one I really wanted to see! - and there was nobody else left in the casts I hadn’t seen or wanted to see in those pairings, so I avoided it completely....and many Sleeping Beauty tickets went unsold that season. Ironically, Tamara Rojo was given quite a few performances (and also during the previous season they mounted SB) even though she has said it’s not a role she likes (and her opinion is obvious when seeing her in the role after comparing it with other ballets she has danced in and with other Auroras). 

 

Re: Woolf Works, I may go and see Ferri in it again. I have to say that as much as I adore Nunez and Osipova for their own personal qualities and obviously phenomenal talents, I’m not sure the Ferri role is an obvious fit, but I may book to support them both if schedules allow. Am also hoping both will convince us that they are a great fit for the role in their own ways. Nunez has been wonderful in the McGregor roles she created years ago, also Osipova has only done one - Tetractys. 

 

Got to say that casting info seems a bit cynical (or smug?) compared to the first time round when we had Ferri, Watson, McRae, Bonelli, Lamb, all announced in the cast, and the management were still worried (before tickets were released) that nobody would go! I think the tickets were about 40% cheaper then (even after inflation accounted for) compared to the proposed prices for this coming winter. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I was expecing there to be more SB casts so that's good from a financial perspective, especially as 3 of the 6 Auroras are the 3 I saw in the last run. So I only want to see Magri/Corrales (very pleased they are both debuting & handy that they're doing so together) & Kaneko/Bracewell. As for Woolf Works, I'm not sure if I want to see that at all, though I suppose as I've never seen Ferri live it might be worth going just so I can say that I've seen her?

Definitely worth seeing Ferri in Woolf Works, Dawnstar! Her role in the first and third act were what made the ballet incredible and moving for us when we saw it, and it is probably the most classical of all McGregor’s works for the Royal Ballet. It’s also one of the nicest, most three dimensional  (possibly four dimensional, if eliciting tears in the audience counts as a 4D effect) roles ever made for Ferri. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Emeralds

[zxDaveM]

6 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you Lizbie1.

 

Quite shocked that with the proposed-but-not-yet-confirmed price hikes for Sleeping Beauty, that there are so few casts and no Naghdi, Clarke or Hay among them.

 

those dancers probably in the second run in late Spring

[emmarose]

As much as I love Vadim and Nela together (and it's a lot!) I had hoped after seeing her and Bracewell pair so beautifully together we might have them in a classical partnering like in Beauty. Would be a nice change up. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Cinderella.

 

[Sim]

On 30/07/2022 at 06:20, bridiem said:

I hope that Clarke is not always paired only with Osipova which has increasingly been the case recently. I think that at his stage of his career he needs a range of partners in order to really grow and develop. And although Osipova is herself whoever she dances with, it may also benefit her to have different partners from time to time.

Clarke is guesting a lot with Yasmine Naghdi, with great success.  I hope we can see them together in a classical ballet here in London before too long.  
 

Also disappointed no Takada/Hay Beauty.  I loved their performance a few years ago and would be delighted to see them dance together again.  

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Clarke is guesting a lot with Yasmine Naghdi, with great success.  I hope we can see them together in a classical ballet here in London before too long.  

Yes, that would be another good mix up.

 

Some partnerships have been ‘set’ for a long time now. Time for Kevin O’Hare to ‘stir the pot’ a bit and, possibly, excite regulars to book for more shows.

[emmarose]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

Yes, that would be another good mix up.

 

Some partnerships have been ‘set’ for a long time now. Time for Kevin O’Hare to ‘stir the pot’ a bit and, possibly, excite regulars to book for more shows.

 

I agree, we love those established pairings, but for it to be all the time, we might be missing something great!

[Jamesrhblack]

On 31/07/2022 at 12:14, capybara said:

Yes, that would be another good mix up.

 

Some partnerships have been ‘set’ for a long time now. Time for Kevin O’Hare to ‘stir the pot’ a bit and, possibly, excite regulars to book for more shows.

Absolutely. Antoinette Sibley's partnership with Anthony Dowell was legendary but seeing her with David Wall brought out something different in her (and there's a very dim video from the Met of them in the Manon Bedroom pas de deux that shows their extraordinary chemistry)...

[Lizbie1]

From the latest Friends' newsletter:

 

"Ballet casting for the Winter Season is now online. We would like to draw your attention to the matinee of The Sleeping Beauty on 25 February which wasn’t included in your last e-newsletter. This matinee will feature Akane Takada as Princess Aurora and Marcelino Sambé as Prince Florimund."

[Richard LH]

33 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

From the latest Friends' newsletter:

 

"Ballet casting for the Winter Season is now online. We would like to draw your attention to the matinee of The Sleeping Beauty on 25 February which wasn’t included in your last e-newsletter. This matinee will feature Akane Takada as Princess Aurora and Marcelino Sambé as Prince Florimund."

Thanks Lizbie1 I was just about to post the same thing! An interesting pairing.

[capybara]

22 hours ago, Richard LH said:

Thanks Lizbie1 I was just about to post the same thing! An interesting pairing.

 

But, unfortunately, not one for me. I admire Marcelino hugely in many works but I had alternative hopes as to who would be Akane’s Prince Florimund.

[Richard LH]

11 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

But, unfortunately, not one for me. I admire Marcelino hugely in many works but I had alternative hopes as to who would be Akane’s Prince Florimund.

Me too, I suspect!

[Sim]

I have said it up-thread so I will say it again:  I wish it were James Hay dancing Florimund to Akane's Aurora.  As I've said ad infinitum, they were wonderful together in the last run and (unless they are scheduled together later in the upcoming run) I just don't see why they couldn't have been given one, just one, performance together.  Two would have been better, but I'd take one.  I think I might be speaking for others who are more subtle than I am...

Edited August 13, 2022 by Sim

[capybara]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

I have said it up-thread so I will say it again:  I wish it were James Hay dancing Florimund to Akane's Aurora.  As I've said ad infinitum, they were wonderful together in the last run and (unless they are scheduled together later in the upcoming run) I just don't see why they couldn't have been given one, just one, performance together.  Two would have been better, but I'd take one.  I think I might be speaking for others who are more subtle than I am...

I’ve said it up-thread too so I was anxious not to repeat myself 😊

[Emeralds]

On 30/07/2022 at 13:21, Emeralds said:

Thank you Lizbie1.

 

Quite shocked that with the proposed-but-not-yet-confirmed price hikes for Sleeping Beauty, that there are so few casts and no Naghdi, Clarke or Hay among them. I could go and see Nunez and Muntagirov again (having already seen them at the last revival and I already have the DVD). The others are not in pairings that I like, or I have already seen both Aurora and Florimund before.

 

This reminds me of that season when Monica Mason left Alina Cojocaru out of the casting after a disagreement - and she was the one I really wanted to see! - and there was nobody else left in the casts I hadn’t seen or wanted to see in those pairings, so I avoided it completely....and many Sleeping Beauty tickets went unsold that season. Ironically, Tamara Rojo was given quite a few performances (and also during the previous season they mounted SB) even though she has said it’s not a role she likes (and her opinion is obvious when seeing her in the role after comparing it with other ballets she has danced in and with other Auroras). 

 

Re: Woolf Works, I may go and see Ferri in it again. I have to say that as much as I adore Nunez and Osipova for their own personal qualities and obviously phenomenal talents, I’m not sure the Ferri role is an obvious fit, but I may book to support them both if schedules allow. Am also hoping both will convince us that they are a great fit for the role in their own ways. Nunez has been wonderful in the McGregor roles she created years ago, also Osipova has only done one - Tetractys. 

 

Got to say that casting info seems a bit cynical (or smug?) compared to the first time round when we had Ferri, Watson, McRae, Bonelli, Lamb, all announced in the cast, and the management were still worried (before tickets were released) that nobody would go! I think the tickets were about 40% cheaper then (even after inflation accounted for) compared to the proposed prices for this coming winter. 

Sorry, my typing mistake that I just noticed belatedly- Osipova was of course in the original cast of Woolf Works, but in Orlando and not the Ferri sections. It should have said “only done one besides the Orlando section of Woolf Works - Tetractys”. My cutting and pasting went a bit awry.