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Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker, Winter 2022/3

MJW
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Mary

Mary

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5 hours ago, Linnzi5 said:

Nutcracker isn't the sort of ballet to give me a lump in my throat.)

 

I know what you mean............. and yet it does,  because of the glorious music, and so did  these photos actually, - something about it all coming back again, after the pandemic, and Sir Peter Wright, and Gary Avis with his long overdue bouquet, choked me up over my muesli- thanks for the photos Dawnstar!

 

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MJW

MJW

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8 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

One more point about the curtain calls that I forgot to mention earlier: Gary Avis got a bouquet. Given the flowers-for-men policy has only just been changed, might this have been his first onstage Drosselmeyer bouquet, despite having done goodness knows how many performances!

 

Most of my curtain call photos this evening were disasterous - I have one photo showing nothing but Sir Peter Wright's arm & stick as he exited! - but here are a few of the slightly less disasterous ones in case anyone is interested. If anyone's got better ones then let me know & I'll ask the moderators to remove mine. (And yes, I checked first that @Rob S wasn't there!)

 

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Yes this next one is a terrible photo but I only managed to get 2 of Avis-with-bouquet & the other one's even worse!

 

P1540655.jpg

 

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P1540675.jpg

 

Lovely photos @Dawnstar. I'm afraid mine (from further away) are a bit of a blur!

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Tango Dancer

Tango Dancer

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10 hours ago, zxDaveM said:

 

I'm guessing the freeze rather than lift skywards, is some sort of helath & safety issue. Personally, I never thought it looked that good anyway

The crowns are part of the wig I think (for SPF and Prince)

Think the wigs all round aren't changed much - just revamped/refreshed. As it's part of the overall design, I've not given it a whole lot of thought, to be honest

 

Not keen on the wigs in general, I don't think the SPF and Prince wigs look great on most of the performers as they don't much match their skin tones and would prefer glitter on natural hair.  But that's just my opinion.  

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capybara

capybara

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4 hours ago, Mary said:

 

I know what you mean............. and yet it does,  because of the glorious music, and so did  these photos actually, - something about it all coming back again, after the pandemic, and Sir Peter Wright, and Gary Avis with his long overdue bouquet, choked me up over my muesli- thanks for the photos Dawnstar!

 

 
Gary Avis has, for long and deservedly, been the recipient of shed  loads of presents at the Stage Door. Goodness knows how he was going to manage to get home with all those bouquets as well 💐

But really nice to see.

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MJW

MJW

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What a lovely opening night for The Nutcracker yesterday evening. Everyone on top form; Yasmine Naghdi her usual excellent self - so self-assured; James Hay the perfect Nutcracker/Hans-Peter and Isabella Gasparini a charming Clara - she has such a lovely, genuine smile.

 

So pleased to see Gary Avis receiving such a large bunch of flowers - he looked genuinely surprised. I suspect he is most people's perfect Drosselmeyer. Not only a brilliant actor but seems a lovely guy - someone posted on my IG that they weren't able to go to due to illness and he took the trouble to comment and commiserate.

 

Personally, I would quite like to see a triple bill to run with the Nutcracker (which has been done previously) but perhaps that puts too much of a strain on the dancers and I suppose affects revenue as well.

 

So wonderful to see Sir Peter Wright at the end - I hope I have that level of energy if I reach that age!

 

Finally - has James Hay ever been filmed as the Nutracker - I know he was in the BBC's Dancing the Nutracker a few years ago but not sure if he has been in a cinema screening in that role.

 

Finally finally - saw someone filming parts of Act 1 in the first row of the Grand Tier out of the corner of my eye. Is "please switch off your mobile phones...and the filming and taking of photos is strictly forbidden" not clear enough? 

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art_enthusiast

art_enthusiast

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1 hour ago, MJW said:

Finally finally - saw someone filming parts of Act 1 in the first row of the Grand Tier out of the corner of my eye. Is "please switch off your mobile phones...and the filming and taking of photos is strictly forbidden" not clear enough? 

 

Indeed, I feel like people just don't listen at all to the announcements? Maybe there should be a sign displayed, though they'd probably ignore that as well.

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Candleque

Candleque

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Loved the whole thing and totally agree James Hay is perfect in the title role.  Maybe because (imo) he isn't getting the principal roles he deserves, but my heart was so happy to see him on stage.

For ticket price reasons, I was limiting myself to one RB Nutcracker. But may need to go again just to see him shine.

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Sim

Sim

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What a lovely way to kick off the RB's Nutcracker season, and my Christmas season.  The whole company is on top, sparkling form.  It is so good to have more or less a full complement of dancers back onstage (but why still no full complement of Snowflakes?) and singers in the pit.  

 

Isabella Gasparini and James Hay were just perfect as Clara and HP/Nutcracker.  She so full of wonder at the magic happening to her (in all kinds of ways), and he the epitome of a romantic lead.  I can't think of another danseur at the moment who uses his eyes so beautifully, naturally and effectively.  Sigh.  What elegant dancing and clear mime, to boot.  In a winter landscape, he and Ms Gasparini are full of the boundless joys of spring...and the freshness of youth.

 

Yet another gorgeous and technically stunning pdd from Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball.  Sugar Plum Fairy is such a difficult piece to dance, but Ms Naghdi makes it look so gracefully fluid and easy.  Ball is also on great form, and they are clearly thrilled to be dancing together again; their smiles, both to each other and the audience, said it all.  They thoroughly deserved the thunderous applause that greeted the end of their pdd and their coda.

 

Gary Avis IS Drosselmeyer.  I don't know what we will all do whenever he hangs up his cape.  Let's hope that's way in the future.  Again, his natural joy and elan and dramatic sensibilities shone through every gesture, every step and every trick. 

 

And whilst I am talking about someone making a role their own....Melissa Hamilton in Arabian has, over the years, done just that (in my book).  Whereas I prefer the version with her dancing with the three men, she and Luke BB are a smouldering couple here and make it very pleasant to watch. 

 

The orchestra sounded lush (with the exception of one very noticeable dud brass note!)  under the baton of Barry Wordsworth.  

 

The icing on the cake was seeing SPW arrive onstage for a bow at the end, supported by Gary Avis.  Just as we are so proud and grateful for him, I am sure he was equally proud last night having seen such a glorious embodiment of his artistic vision.  Huge bravos all round.

 

 

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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2 hours ago, Sim said:

And whilst I am talking about someone making a role their own....Melissa Hamilton in Arabian has, over the years, done just that (in my book).  Whereas I prefer the version with her dancing with the three men, she and Luke BB are a smouldering couple here and make it very pleasant to watch.

 

Now the Arabian is only done by 2 dancers, last night it gave me flashbacks to Qualia a few weeks ago, given it was the same 2 dancers! Fortunately the Nutcracker's music is far, far nicer. I too preferred it when it was 4 dancers. I find it feels far more different than the re-choreographed Chinese dance does.

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taxi4ballet

taxi4ballet

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6 hours ago, Tango Dancer said:

 

Not keen on the wigs in general, I don't think the SPF and Prince wigs look great on most of the performers as they don't much match their skin tones and would prefer glitter on natural hair.  But that's just my opinion.  

I completely agree with you about the wigs. 

 

I must also confess that I've always thought the SPF and Prince costumes just a little pale and wishy-washy. 

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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I'm pleased to see Liam Boswell is dancing Clara's partner tonight. Having first seen him & Madison Bailey when they were paired in the RBS's The Cunning Little Vixen, it's nice to see them dancing together on occasion in the company. I hope she has a great Clara debut tonight.

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/the-nutcracker-by-peter-wright/cast-list/51309

Edited by Dawnstar
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Richard LH

Richard LH

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21 minutes ago, taxi4ballet said:

I agree. It is good to know that people are no longer required to deny their heritage and disguise their skin tone isn't it?

I understand that argument, but it is not as if all the other Snowflake dancers are wearing tights or shoes that match their own varied flesh tones....to achieve that all the tights would need to be transparent. They all wear  very pale white tights presumably to give a uniformity of line and a colour representative of snow. The one darker colour looks rather odd, to me, in this particular context.

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Sim

Sim

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18 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm pleased to see Liam Boswell is dancing Clara's partner tonight. Having first seen him & Madison Bailey when they were paired in the RBS's The Cunning Little Vixen, it's nice to see them dancing together on occasion in the company. I hope she has a great Clara debut tonight.

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/the-nutcracker-by-peter-wright/cast-list/51309

I first really became aware of Liam Boswell last season as Kolia in A Month In The Country.  He was marvellous and he has, I hope, a very successful future ahead of him.  

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Fonty

Fonty

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7 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

I understand that argument, but it is not as if all the other Snowflake dancers are wearing tights or shoes that match their own varied flesh tones....to achieve that all the tights would need to be transparent. They all wear  very pale white tights presumably to give a uniformity of line and a colour representative of snow. The one darker colour looks rather odd, to me, in this particular context.

 

I agree completely and have said so before.  

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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16 minutes ago, Sim said:

I first really became aware of Liam Boswell last season as Kolia in A Month In The Country.  He was marvellous and he has, I hope, a very successful future ahead of him.  

 

I'm hoping his future will include getting to dance Hans-Peter. He seems the right type for the role.

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LinMM

LinMM

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Those were nice piccies earlier Dawnstar. There’s a little video about Madison Bailey and performing Clara may be ROH one or Royal Ballet school one not sure but she looks like she will be really good in the role!! 

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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

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7 hours ago, Sim said:

And whilst I am talking about someone making a role their own....Melissa Hamilton in Arabian has, over the years, done just that (in my book).  Whereas I prefer the version with her dancing with the three men, she and Luke BB are a smouldering couple here and make it very pleasant to watch. 

I think she is amazing in the role! I do prefer the three male dancers though. 

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Henry

Henry

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50 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm enjoying Madison Bailey as Clara. Unfortunately there was a show stop: the pesky tree wouldn't grow!

That's happened before.  They had to repeat the scene - and the tree did rise.  Also in one of the Mayerlings, the rail of dresses in the Empress bedroom scene failed to lower properly and was stuck at the top - but in sight.  The rail of dresses was there in the next scene, Rudolf's bedroom.  

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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1 hour ago, Henry said:

That's happened before.  They had to repeat the scene - and the tree did rise.

 

I know it didn't work at least once last season, as someone I know was at a performance when it didn't. I gather it's an occupational hazard! They didn't repeat the scene tonight, it just picked back up after where it had stopped.

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Linnzi5

Linnzi5

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2 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I'm enjoying Madison Bailey as Clara. Unfortunately there was a show stop: the pesky tree wouldn't grow!

No! I know ir happens sometimes, but that must have been very difficult for her debut. 

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art_enthusiast

art_enthusiast

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5 hours ago, Richard LH said:

I understand that argument, but it is not as if all the other Snowflake dancers are wearing tights or shoes that match their own varied flesh tones....to achieve that all the tights would need to be transparent. They all wear  very pale white tights presumably to give a uniformity of line and a colour representative of snow. The one darker colour looks rather odd, to me, in this particular context.

 

Fair point - I also think Precious Adams may have kept the white tights/shoes for ENB's snowflake scene. (Never seen theirs live before, so very much looking forward to that in January). 

If nothing else, it may be good for some children in the audience to see who may not feel as represented in ballet/inspired to pursue it. Certainly can't hurt anyway.

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Dawnstar

Dawnstar

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I loved Madison Bailey as Clara, I thought she was absolutely delightful in the role. I hope that, although she only got to do the role this year due to Pajdak's absence, she'll now be on the main roll of Claras because I'd certainly like to see her again in future seasons. She didn't seem at all fazed by the transformation scene interruption. I thought she partnered very well with both Boswell in the party scene & Dixon in the rest of the ballet.

 

Nunez & Muntagirov surely must be the gold standard in the Nutcracker. Even though they must have both done these roles so many times that they could do them in their sleep they still manage to look totally engaged as well as being technically brilliant. Ditto Avis as Drosselmeyer - admittedly he doesn't have to be technically brilliant except in cape twirling & glitter throwing!

 

I know no-one needs to see my curtain call photos when they've got @Rob S's to look at but I'm posting this one anyway because I love the accidental view through the curtains!

 

P1540680.jpg

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