Royal Ballet Cinderella March/April 2023

[Finnbarr]

By the way just to add that Meaghan Grace Hinkis returned after a long absence through injury as the Autumn Fairy. Lovely to see her 

[art_enthusiast]

3 minutes ago, Finnbarr said:

Natalia Osipova is a thrilling dancer and consummate actress and Reece Clarke has a very natural princely demeanor- and a huge jump! I loved it when Natalia was laughing behind her hand at the antics of the Ugly Sisters. The bit where she wheeled excitingly around her Prince several times accelerando was breathtaking and really well conducted by Johnathan Lo.

 

The Jester was a huge bonus and his athleticism was  quite breathtaking.

 

Loved it, loved it, loved it. 
 

Do go.

Totally agree. I found Natalia’s manège breathtaking, Reece’s jumps were soaring, I really enjoyed Act 2.

Marco Masciari was brilliant.

[Sim]

24 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Totally agree. I found Natalia’s manège breathtaking, Reece’s jumps were soaring, I really enjoyed Act 2.

Marco Masciari was brilliant.

Oooo looking forward to Monday night!

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Richard LH said:

Lovely to see Akane looking so graceful and joyful! Exciting prospect tomorrow...

So looking forward to seeing Akane tomorrow!  

[alison]

3 hours ago, capybara said:

the 'back-lighting’ in Act 1 which makes it difficult to see dancers' faces and the tendency for 'overkill' with the projections onto the flats

 

 

Ah, yes, that's the one thing I keep meaning to mention: I don't know whether there are "stripes" of slightly different-coloured light, going front to back, but I keep noticing it does some very unflattering things to the dancers' skin tones, especially those playing the Stepsisters.

[Candleque]

Gutted to miss Marco Masciari as the Jester. So happy to see him get a showcase role

[OnePigeon]

9 hours ago, art_enthusiast said:

Totally agree. I found Natalia’s manège breathtaking, Reece’s jumps were soaring, I really enjoyed Act 2.

Marco Masciari was brilliant.

I’m so glad to read this. I was gutted to be too ill to go to the Muntagirov / Nunez performance I’d booked last week so have opted for Osipova and Clarke next week as I’ve never seen either of them perform live before. I know she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but from the footage I’ve seen of her in various roles, I thought she was a very dynamic performer.  Clarke is so tall and handsome I would imagine he will have a wonderful princely presence.

[JohnS]

Much to like in yesterday evening’s first performance of the Osipova cast’s Cinderella. Natalia Osipova demands attention and for me provides much welcome relief from the Avis/Acri step sisters albeit I fully acknowledge they were met with great enthusiasm by many in the audience. But Osipova is always busy fleshing out her character whenever on stage. Thomas Whitehead was a late replacement for Tomas Mock as the father and the Osipova/Whitehead scenes were very touching. Mayara Magri was a lovely Fairy Godmother and I enjoyed all the fairies. As others have said Marco Masciari impressed on his debut. I know there’s criticism on the forum about the ‘magic’ but I thought it good to hear the applause for the appearance of Cinderella’s coach. And I do rather wonder if we’re being a bit harsh on the Fairy Godmother transformation and Cinderella midnight substitute. I assume the stage doesn’t yet allow for the use of trap doors etc and I’m happy to go along with the ‘magic’ that’s presented, like many of the audience seeing the performance for the first time.

 

I’ll certainly look forward to another Natalia Osipova performance but before that, another double Cinderella Saturday and the Takada/Morera first performances!
 

[Fiz]

9 hours ago, Sim said:

So looking forward to seeing Akane tomorrow!  

I wish I was going. I picked her out as a future star a considerable time ago. She’s such a lovely dancer, radiating joy. 

[capybara]

8 hours ago, Candleque said:

Gutted to miss Marco Masciari as the Jester. So happy to see him get a showcase role

And it’s one of the special features of this run of Cinderella that we’re getting the chance to see some of our ‘picked out’ favourites in solo roles.

Except that I seem to be missing as many as I am catching……..

[Ondine]

The coach is magnificent isn't it?  That's part of the magic, the appearance onstage of the coach, breathtaking, huge round of applause for the design and of course the  craft involved in making it and making it work (no batteries required presumably). The ROH really is blessed with scores of immensely skilled people, not only those who appear onstage.

 

The ballet itself has so many opportunities for dancers to shine, to put their own stamp on their characters, at all levels, and good that Marco Masciari was given that chance. Certainly one to watch.

 

I'm firmly in the 'love Osipova' (apart from the shoes but we won't go there) camp and I'd have thought Cinderella was a role made for her.

[San Perregrino]

Osipova hit the sweet spot for me last night. She really is unique in how she inhabits and breathes life into a character and her dancing is exhilarating. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by PeterS

[Finnbarr]

Now I have a question for the experts. The Fairy Godmother as an old crone was played by Olga Sabadoch who seems to be a guest character artist. Why would this be?

[alison]

Wish I'd known Masciari was dancing the Jester.  As I've said before, I think Jester casting is worth flagging - he probably has as much to do as the Fairy Godmother, surely?

 

I think Magri has become my favourite Fairy Godmother.

[capybara]

55 minutes ago, Finnbarr said:

Now I have a question for the experts. The Fairy Godmother as an old crone was played by Olga Sabadoch who seems to be a guest character artist. Why would this be?

This is discussed up-thread.

Olga regularly appears as an actor with the RB.

[Dawnstar]

I wondered if Ikarashi would get cast as the Jester, as he seems the right type of dancer. Sure enough, he's on the cast sheet for tonight. I hope it'll be the same casting on Thursday so I'll get to see him doing the role. (I'm sorry to be missing Yudes & Masciari.)

[Ondine]

I suspect he'll be a show stopper! He was terrific at the Eric Bruhn Prize (with Viola Pantuso) where he won the male award and the Frederick Ashton Foundation 'Les Patineurs' last year where he was coached in the 'Blue Boy' solo by Wayne Sleep showed he could do the steps and the style, with humour.

 

 

So many wonderful up and coming men in the company!

 

Here he is over the years at the YAGP. 😊

 

Daichi Ikarashi - Through the Years at Youth America Grand Prix - YAGP Aw!

 

 

 

[JohnS]

Has anyone else been cast as both Napoleon and the Jester?

 

I now see David Yudes is one of the Suitors tonight having danced the Jestor in the matinee.

Edited April 22, 2023 by JohnS
Update re David Yudes

[Ondine]

 Alexander Grant was not Napoleon.  Wayne Sleep I think may have danced both!

 

Edited to add yes he was! 

 

"His next big breakthrough came when he was only seventeen, when he played Napoleon in Cinderella with the main Royal Ballet company. According to Sleep, “They needed a small man; I was the smallest in the school, so I got the part – and a contract with the company.”  "

 

https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/dancer-wayne-sleep

 

He was also a step-sister, as a pair with Anthony Dowell!

 

https://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=4928

 

I'd say they don't make 'em like that any more but maybe they do! 

 

I suspect that he didn't dance the roles in the same run, to find that would take more delving but it could be a first for the RB  and  Daichi Ikarashi and maybe he could be 'given a go' as a step sister.

 

Added as a little piece of dance history, W Sleep Highly Commended in his RAD Grade IV (1960) Muriel Carr  School of Dance, West Hartlepool.

 

http://www.hhtandn.org/relatedimages/11414/muriel-carr-dance-school

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Ondine

[Sim]

What an absolutely delightful return to the stage from Akane today.  I am thrilled to see her back and to see her in such fine fettle.  She in turn looked thrilled to be back!  

[alison]

I just wished that her and Morera's debuts hadn't been scheduled on the same day: I couldn't manage both!

 

Some others will no doubt have been delighted, though.

[JohnS]

It was lovely to see Akane Takada back on stage and her delightful Cinderella. I’m not sure the overall performance had quite the lift of some others, with a rather muted audience (save for someone with a persistent cough). I’m afraid I didn’t sense much chemistry between Cinderella and her Prince (Nicol Edmunds). I enjoyed Itzia Mendizabel’s Fairy Godmother but I wasn’t convinced by David Yudes’ Jester. And the step sisters and suitors quickly began to pall. Nevertheless I’ll be pleased to see next week’s matinee as it will be very good to see Akane Takada again and I’m sure the cast will be more relaxed.

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

Has anyone else been cast as both Napoleon and the Jester?

 

I now see David Yudes is one of the Suitors tonight having danced the Jestor in the matinee.

Yes, James Hay has been both a Suitor (probably Napoleon as his fellow suitor was very tall-I’ll have to look up who it was again) and the Jester. I missed both! I am hoping a new record will be set one day, casting him as Prince alongside Hayward, Naghdi, Takada or O’Sullivan, making him the only one/one of the rare few to have been the Prince, Stepsister, Jester and a Suitor. 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀😁

Edited April 22, 2023 by Emeralds

[Nogoat]

As I become more familiar with and attuned to this production of Cinderella, I am falling more and more under its magical spell.

I was already under the spell of Osipova, so was keenly anticipating her debut in this role at the ROH, but I wasn't expecting to see such a fully-realised interpretation of what I regarded as a fairly one-dimensional character.

Her portrayal and, importantly, how that related to and amplified everything else going on stage, reached out into the auditorium, drew me into the magic and, much to my surprise, brought me at one point to the edge of tears (OK, maybe just over the edge...🤔).

 

In Act 1, it became clear that Osipova's Cinderella was a deeper and more complex character than one whose behaviour is drawn from a well of pure 'goodness'. Hers was a goodness based on optimism, in which setbacks were felt and fallibilities briefly shown, but which were immediately countered by a tiny self-reprimand and a call to see the positive side of things.

Her wonderfully nuanced acting brought out the best in others:- to mix metaphors, with Osipova as your foil you are obliged to step up to the plate!

And that's exactly what the late replacement, Thomas Whitehead, as her father did; his was a much more rounded character than I'd seen in the other two performances, with a touching relationship with his daughter.

The stepsisters (Acri and Avis) also seemed less 'over the top' than before; maybe I'm getting used to their antics, or maybe the contrast between their acting and that of the other characters had closed somewhat.

 

I was thrilled to see Magri as the Fairy Godmother; and it was thrilling, as in Woolf Works, to see her and Osipova on stage together - they complement each other by being alike!

 

The end of Act 1 was pretty magical - the 'transformation' of the pumpkin/reveal of the coach worked well but also this was the first time I'd heard its appearance enthusiastically applauded by the audience (admittedly based on a small sample size).

And Osipova exited as Cinders rather than some proto-princess - as the coach accelerated off-stage she waved back at the Fairy Godmother and at us, an excited girl off for, and up for, an adventure!

 

It was her entrance in the second act that got to me emotionally and to my tear ducts physiologically, and to some extent I have the forum to 'thank' for that:- the discussion of magic permeating the air, as well as the prince's sense of anticipation, really hit home.

After all, I too was full of anticipation - the anticipation of seeing my favourite dancer in an iconic scene. And as for the music and the appearance of the stars and fairies prior to her entrance, they really did reinforce the feeling of there being 'something in the air'; something mysterious, something potent, something wonderful, something virtuous, something full of promise - and isn't that what the transformed Cinderella represents?

But despite her material transformation, she was still Cinders inside, and part of the reason I reacted as I did was the way Osipova let us know the waves of feelings washing over her; her relief following the ordeal of her descent down the steps with the eyes of the magical world, and us, on her; her sense of wonder, mixed with bewilderment and maybe even doubt, as she looked around her surroundings and questioned her unexpected place in it.

 

And this is where I think a certain conflation can happen when watching Osipova. When it's mentioned to me that Osipova 'looked relieved' at the end of a difficult piece where she is the centre of attention (ie the descent down the stairs in Cinderella or the extended sequence following Aurora's entry in Sleeping Beauty), I point out that in my interpretation it is not *her* relief we see, it is her character's.

In both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty her character has just undergone an 'ordeal' in the context of the story, in addition to one in the context of the performance itself. And for a dance-actor of the calibre of Osipova, I don't interpret the latter as applying where the former makes more sense.

The end of her solo was greeted by what can only be described as a roar from the auditorium; the solo was fast, it was furious, it was fitting of a Cinderella finding her feet and stretching her wings. That burgeoning confidence, of course, is then shattered by the last of the midnight chimes, and she is returned abruptly to the mundanity of her everyday clothes and servile life. 
In Act 3, however, despite memories of the previous night, her modest demeanour remained throughout the first half of the act. Even when she was identified by the prince, there was not even a minor sense of triumph, of winning his hand (via her foot... 🤔), and her empathy for the disappointment of her stepsisters felt more real for it.

 

Osipova realy is a consummate dance-actor, so given my assertion that technique and acting is a zero-sum game, what does this say about her technique? Well, as far as Ashton pieces are concerned it has certainly improved over the years, but once pure power/speed is taken out of the equation both Nunez's and Kaneko's seem slightly sharper - though in contrast, I would argue that their characterisations were less effective. 

 

In the end, it boils down to what proportion works best for any particular person; for me Osipova has a mix of acting and technique that consistently affects me like no other dancer I have seen.

She enchants me, and Cinderella is a fitting ballet for her to cast that enchantment on me.

[Sim]

Thanks @Nogoat for that lovely review.  Really looking forward to seeing her on Monday night!  

[Angela Essex]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

What an absolutely delightful return to the stage from Akane today.  I am thrilled to see her back and to see her in such fine fettle.  She in turn looked thrilled to be back!  

Yes she was beautiful wasn’t she? I was there for the matinee today. Agree with @JohnS that the overall performance didn’t have the sparkle of some others, but it must be so hard on the dancers to do a cast change with the short notice involved. I thought Isabella Gasparini was a wonderful Autumn fairy. I really enjoy watching her and Mica Bradbury danced beautifully as the fairy Summer. 

[Richard LH]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

What an absolutely delightful return to the stage from Akane today.  I am thrilled to have her back and to see her in such fine fettle.  She looked thrilled to be back!  

Absolutely Sim!

A superb performance from Akane , on top form technically, dancing with real fizz and elan, and really understanding and  encapsulating the character.

She did  look thrilled, very happy, and a tad emotional at the  curtain call applause, understandably so after a great performance  following another long absence from the stage. (Barring one Schools Nutcracker, I don't think she has  danced a full  classical role since Giselle at the end of 2021, and no full tutu role since Swan Lake pre lockdown at the beginning of 2020). I have missed seeing her exemplary classical excellence on stage.

Well done Nicol Edmonds....possibly a bit nervous at first but he got into the role much better when ably partnering Akane.

I thought Tom Whitehead was excellent, really making the most of the role and with Luca Acri this was the best couple of Sisters yet IMO.

Itziar Mendizabal came across as a warm, sensitive Fairy Godmother, providing the magic Cinderella needed in the absence of her real mother.

Loved all the fairies, including Mica Bradbury as Summer again, this time standing in very well for Melissa Hamilton at short notice; and following a fine performance in Woolf Works  there was another notable display from Ashley Dean as Spring.

David Yudes was a fine Jester - exuberant, amusing and engaging.

It was lovely to see all the youngsters in the audience for this matinee, having such a great time.

Like others, I am liking this production more and more each visit!

Edited April 22, 2023 by Richard LH

[Rob S]

Calvin doing a great job as a Sister….and Gina too as FG

[Lizbie1]

I'm finding it interesting that some people who didn't think much of this production earlier in the run are being won over. Is this because it improves with repeat viewing or because it has "settled in"?

 

(FWIW, I first saw it just after the broadcast and liked it straight away.)

[Linnzi5]

6 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

I'm finding it interesting that some people who didn't think much of this production earlier in the run are being won over. Is this because it improves with repeat viewing or because it has "settled in"?

 

(FWIW, I first saw it just after the broadcast and liked it straight away.)

I too saw it for the first time at the cinema relay and really liked it. There were some things that I thought could be improved (I felt there was too much airplay given to the step-sisters and not enough time to the prince, for example), I still chuckled and enjoyed the performances and ballet very much.

 

On my second viewing (Kaneko/Bracewell cast, with Gartside/Hay as the sisters, Friday 14th April), I was hooked! I absolutely loved it and thought it was magical. In the second and third acts, I was absolutely overwhelmed emotionally and was rather taken aback by that - I really felt as if I had been sprinkled with gold, magic fairy dust! Thinking about the PDD now still gives me goosebumps.  I do think the change of step-sister cast made a big (and positive) impact on the way I felt about them and their scenes though. I remember watching Hay's step-sister dance and thinking,  'Oh! He's dancing beautifully! How lovely!'

 

I think I'd like it with any cast, though I preferred the more restrained, yet very amusing, step-sisters and wouldn't be as keen on a production where they were too over the top. However, for some reason, the live ROH performance I saw felt like something magical. So, though I'd happily watch any Cinderella and Prince, and probably any step-sisters (though would prefer more subtle characterisations) I think I would continue to love this the more I watched, yes. I wouldn't hesitate to book to see Kaneko/Bracewell again - in fact, that would be the one pairing I know I would book to see. 

 

Perhaps, also, things have run more smoothly as the production has had time to settle in and everything become more familiar to people and also problems ironed out? I was so impressed on 14th April and I am certain I would have enjoyed some later performances from other casts too. I do think as I become more familiar with productions, I either like them more or the appeal wanes. Cinderella has been lovely, I think, and I'd imagine, another run in the future would be even better.

 

So, a yes to both your questions from me.

[JNC]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

I'm finding it interesting that some people who didn't think much of this production earlier in the run are being won over. Is this because it improves with repeat viewing or because it has "settled in"?

I don’t have an answer to this but I certainly feel more won over!

 

I feel the dancing is maybe a bit stronger later on in the run and some of the kinks with the set seem to have improved - for example tonight the transformation of the Godmother felt smoother with pitch black before Storm Jensen came on and it was more effective. And I think dancers have moved back in Act 2 so it feels less cramped (has Kevin been reading balletco?)

 

Laura Morera was my favourite Cinderella tonight, a magical performance and I wish it would never have ended. I was so glad to catch her debut before her retirement. I would urge anyone on the fence to book for her next week.

 

I’ll write some more thoughts once I’ve digested but what a lovely dancer, true character and technique, I’ll be so sad to no longer see her dancing. I’m wishing I could travel back in time to see her Lise, Giselle (again), wishing she had a chance to do Aurora, Juliet (don’t think she was cast in those roles…?) and many others. She really wove a spell tonight and made me fully believe in the story and imbued each Act with such depth of story even when she wasn’t dancing and just standing in character to the side of the stage…

[Jeannette]

Oooo…this is being shown in cinemas here in Puerto Rico!!! A 30-minute drive from San Juan to Dorado is ok!

[alison]

I think we need to distinguish here between the actual ballet and the production.  In terms of the production, I think there is a certain amount of acceptance creeping in that it is what it is, and it's not likely to change (much?), so we might as well get used to it being how it is even if we have reservations.  Plus the (repeat) audiences and the dancers are obviously feeling more comfortable in it - it's bedding down.  Personally, I'm still reserving judgment somewhat until I actually get to have a full view of the whole thing - which may not happen for some years at this rate!