Royal Ballet Cinderella March/April 2023

[MJW]

8 hours ago, Rob S said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely pics @Rob S. Not sure if I can get over seeing James Hay in a dress (!). 

 

Glad to see Liam Boswell getting such a prominent role.

 

[alison]

What I shall be interested to find out is how the Jester is being portrayed.  In previous runs of this ballet, there were complaints that he'd lost the sense of pathos the character used to have (the implication being, I think, that the role had turned rather into a showy "tricks machine"?).  Given that the role appears to be being distributed among some of the younger and less dramatically experienced members of the company, I'm wondering how this will turn out.  (And it's also perhaps why I was surprised to see experienced First Soloists performing as one of the Sisters).

[Ian Macmillan]

Page 5 in just over 48 hours ...... is this a record? 

[alison]

Probably not - I'm wondering if the new RB Swan Lake one went faster?

[Ian Macmillan]

Oh good - another tangent!!

[capybara]

12 hours ago, alison said:.

 

Isn't it a good job that Ashton decided to delete a substantial portion of the final act by not having the Prince travel to 3 different countries looking for Cinderella?  Otherwise who knows what time we would be getting home.

 I actually really like the ‘Prince on tour’ section in some versions of the ballet.

 

I would have cut much of the Sisters’ nonsense in Act 1. But, then, Ashton made that for himself so - no chance!

[Fonty]

How were Lamb and McRae?  She never seems to get many reviews on this forum for some reason.  

[zxDaveM]

8 minutes ago, Fonty said:

How were Lamb and McRae?  She never seems to get many reviews on this forum for some reason.  

 

I like her a lot, but not seeing her til 16th April

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

 

I would have cut much of the Sisters’ nonsense in Act 1. But, then, Ashton made that for himself so - no chance!

 

you mean the gallumping - lol

Act 2 has a lot of that too....

[Vanartus]

12 hours ago, BalletBoysDad said:

I snorted my coffee when you said ‘Molly Goddard’. I thought exactly the same thing, with a brief contemplation of Giambattista Valli. Then fully settled on Molly Goddard 😂 

…I thought Cinderella‘a father was the spitting image of Karl Lagerfeld!

[Fonty]

Looking at the curtain call photos, Cinderella appears to be wearing what looks like arm bandages, to which the flowers are attached.  In some of the photos with Nunez, they do look a bit wrinkled.   Is it the normal way to do any form of arm ornament?  I can't say I've ever noticed this before on costumes. I do hope that now I have, I won't be looking for it.  

[bridiem]

22 minutes ago, Fonty said:

How were Lamb and McRae?  She never seems to get many reviews on this forum for some reason.  

 

I love her, but unfortunately she is rarely partnered with someone I'm keen to see so I rarely end up booking for her. Very frustrating.

[Mary]

1 hour ago, alison said:

What I shall be interested to find out is how the Jester is being portrayed.  In previous runs of this ballet, there were complaints that he'd lost the sense of pathos the character used to have (the implication being, I think, that the role had turned rather into a showy "tricks machine"?).  Given that the role appears to be being distributed among some of the younger and less dramatically experienced members of the company, I'm wondering how this will turn out.  (And it's also perhaps why I was surprised to see experienced First Soloists performing as one of the Sisters).

I wouldn't say there was a sense of pathos in the performance I saw: the Jester seemed on top of the world mood-wise!

Was there meant to be pathos, and if so, why would that be?

I don't normally like jesters, but I did very much enjoy Taisuke Nakao's ebullient performance and I liked his bright costume very much.

 

[Sim]

23 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I love her, but unfortunately she is rarely partnered with someone I'm keen to see so I rarely end up booking for her. Very frustrating.

Ditto.

[Sim]

I knew before the production opened that Macaulay would hate it.  He really seems to have taken against the RB in the past decade or so...maybe because they are trying not to live too much in the past.  I can't remember the last time he had a good word to say about the company, but then maybe I missed it.  Of course he is entitled to hate what he likes, but there is always an element of nastiness or bitchiness to his pieces that doesn’t become a so-called professional critic.  I think it was totally unnecessary in the Cinderella review to say that 'Somes was not known for his sense of humour; Ellis is less known for hers' and to refer to the prince's four mates as 'boyfriends' as that is not what they are.  

 

How I miss Clement Crisp, who could write a withering review with humour and wit, without resorting to childish comments.

[capybara]

38 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I love her, but unfortunately she is rarely partnered with someone I'm keen to see so I rarely end up booking for her. Very frustrating.

Agree as far as the classics recently are concerned.

We all have our “must sees” and “prefer to avoids”.

[Guest oncnp]

43 minutes ago, bridiem said:

 

I love her, but unfortunately she is rarely partnered with someone I'm keen to see so I rarely end up booking for her. Very frustrating.

 

Agreed. Had the ticket prices had been more reasonable, I would have given it a go but too much money for someone I don't want to see

[Richard LH]

On the Ballet/Dance  News & Information Forum we had  some discussion about  Cinderella's entrance. In the Sibley DVD version, and also in the broadcast Cojocaru 2003 version,  she comes down the stairs with  a long transparent train attached to her shoulders, partly at least on pointe for which she  aided by the Prince, although she  forwards in wonder without being  aware of him. She then  bourrées a long way forward on her own (the Prince walking admiringly alongside) to the front of the stage, all this time still staring forwards as if in a dream. Only then does she "come to" and acknowledge the Prince. It is a lovely passage.

 

Fonty found that this had been changed in some later You Tube clips  (I am not sure which versions) to have her engaging  with the Prince earlier, on the stairs, which I would think may remove some of the magic.

 

How is this wonderful  moment being handled now…the same as the original, or changed at all?

  

Edited March 29, 2023 by Richard LH

[theorist]

I was at the opening night on Monday. The choreography struck me much as I remember it from the last time I saw it. There is a fair amount to enjoy, e.g. the interesting season fairy solos and the use of the corps in the ballroom scene. The step-sisters irritated me rather more than I recalled from last time, probably because (like some Widow Simones I have seen) they played it too much for pantomime-dame laughs. The new production (set, costumes, lighting, special effects) I thought mostly very disappointing. I found the season fairy soloists' costumes particularly rebarbative. 

[EVWS]

34 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

On the Ballet/Dance  News & Information Forum we had  some discussion about  Cinderella's entrance. In the Sibley DVD version, and also in the broadcast Cojocaru 2003 version,  she comes down the stairs with  a long transparent train attached to her shoulders, partly at least on pointe for which she  aided by the Prince, although she  forwards in wonder without being  aware of him. She then  bourrées a long way forward on her own (the Prince walking admiringly alongside) to the front of the stage, all this time still staring forwards as if in a dream. Only then does she "come to" and acknowledge the Prince. It is a lovely passage.

 

Fonty found that this had been changed in some later You Tube clips  (I am not sure which versions) to have her engaging  with the Prince earlier, on the stairs, which I would think may remove some of the magic.

 

How is this wonderful  moment being handled now…the same as the original, or changed at all?

  

 

On Monday night (and at the General), Marianela did exactly as above - went down all the stairs on pointe (aided by Vadim), with a long train attached to her shoulders, then bourrées to the front as in a dream with Vadim walking next to her 

[Lindsay]

2 minutes ago, EVWS said:

 

On Monday night (and at the General), Marianela did exactly as above - went down all the stairs on pointe (aided by Vadim), with a long train attached to her shoulders, then bourrées to the front as in a dream with Vadim walking next to her 

The stairs in this production also come in two small sets, with a wide flat step in the middle to bourree across.  It think it would be virtually impossible for a ballerina in a tutu looking out to the audience to navigate them en pointe without a partner to (presumably) press her hand to indicate that she has reached the top of the second set of steps.

[Mary]

It's such a simple idea really -  but makes the most inspired, beautiful moment on stage.

 

[Guest oncnp]

If you are interested in what Cinderella wore after the ball, see Marianela Nunez IG. 

[alison]

2 hours ago, Fonty said:

Looking at the curtain call photos, Cinderella appears to be wearing what looks like arm bandages, to which the flowers are attached.  In some of the photos with Nunez, they do look a bit wrinkled.   Is it the normal way to do any form of arm ornament?  I can't say I've ever noticed this before on costumes. I do hope that now I have, I won't be looking for it.  

 

There's an awful lot of flesh-coloured net used in ballet costumes (and ice skating ones, for that matter) - presumably because it's easier to put on if you aren't having to manoeuvre limbs through string-like attachments.  And yes, I have seen this before.  As I mentioned upthread - or possibly in the other thread - the costumes aren't necessarily designed to be viewed close-up.

[emmarose]

10 minutes ago, oncnp said:

If you are interested in what Cinderella wore after the ball, see Marianela Nunez IG. 

 

It's such a gorgeous dress.

[Sim]

1 hour ago, emmarose said:

 

It's such a gorgeous dress.

It really is.  A beautiful Dior.  Anna-Rose also looked stunning in her gala dinner dress.  Can't remember the designer.  

[capybara]

So all the main ‘characters’ went to the dinner?

I’ve often wondered. I guess that each table had its own ‘star’?

[Sim]

1 minute ago, capybara said:

So all the main ‘characters’ went to the dinner?

I’ve often wondered. I guess that each table had its own ‘star’?

Probably.  Needless to say I have never been to one of these events!!

[JohnS]

Impressed if rather surprised to see Cinderella posters at Manchester Oxford Road station just now.

Very much looking forward to my first Cinderella this run tomorrow and then the last three weekends in April, triples each visit plus the cinema relay. I have high expectations for all casts and will be fascinated to see who I find best fits the role as well as the slipper.

Very sorry not to see the Sarah Lamb cast - Easter engineering works kiboshed my intended visit. But l should see all the other casts albeit the Marianela Nunez cast in the cinema.

[JNC]

As someone who doesn’t live in London on the one hand I like that they are trying to advertise to a non-London audience.

 

on the other hand I do wonder if it’s the best and going to be the most cost-value use of resource. Trains are expensive, as are hotels and I sense the matinees are the performances that have sold best (or already sold out). It’s a lot to take holiday from work to pay trains and hotels for something, even for ballet lovers who will actively scout out performances! 
 

 

[zxDaveM]

Was the poster advertising the cinema relay, rather than the live performances? That would make more sense

[emmarose]

53 minutes ago, Sim said:

It really is.  A beautiful Dior.  Anna-Rose also looked stunning in her gala dinner dress.  Can't remember the designer.  

 

I haven't seen Anna-Rose's dress yet...

Just had a look, yes, also absolutely stunning. It's a beautiful dress from Aimee Joyce London. Gorgeous!

[bridiem]

I hope they all enjoyed the post-performance party! The amount of work involved in staging a big new production like this (and many of the dancers will never have performed Cinderella before), combined with all their other current performances/rehearsals etc, is quite mind-boggling! They deserved a very special evening.