RB Sleeping Beauty - May/June 2023

[Dawnstar]

6 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Looks like JNC and I, with a hint from @James, have solved the mystery @Dawnstar unearthed -  the costumes are definitely from the 2006 production with the first set of costumes used, which were a mixture of designs by Peter Farmer and some Oliver Messel originals- this Wolf and Red Riding costume is indeed by Peter Farmer from 2006. I’m now so used to seeing this production with the recreated original Oliver Messel designs that were brought in several years later, that it’s easy to forget it has had two sets of costumes for some of the characters.

 

Thanks. So the tweet got the right company but the wrong date. I hadn't known the current production had previously had some different costumes. That must be fairly unusual for a production.

[Fonty]

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

 

The cast included Viviana Durante, Zoltan Solymosi, Benazir Hussain and Anthony Dowell, as Aurora, Florimund, Lilac Fairy and Carabosse respectively. The casting was originally scheduled to be Darcey Bussell and Solymosi, who were usually partners in the classics at the time; Durante was usually partnered by Bruce Sansom in the Tchaikovsky “big three” classics. However Bussell sustained an injury so Durante replaced her at short notice, and was, as always, impeccable, beautiful and elegant in the role with a new partner. 

 

The whole of this used to be available on Youtube, and I watched it several times.  I was always blown away by Durante's Rose Adagio.  Absolutely gorgeous.  

[MJW]

Just got back from this afternoon's Encore -  what a superb performance from Yasmin Naghdi. A complete perfectionist !

 

Kristen McNally a wonderful Carabosse (as per usual!) and Matty Ball the perfect prince. Shout out to Calvin Richardson whose talents I thought were rather wasted as Floreston - hopefully Florimund in the next run"

 

[Sabine0308]

Has anyone a cast sheet from this afternoon? Naghdi, Ball, Magri was the main cast. But there were other dancers who catched my eye and I want to check them out.

Side note: I recognized Marco Masciari as one of the "servants" for the Prince during his first entry (on the hunt). AndI was surprised that he didn't have a decent role. I mean...serving a drink could be done by an extra. I felt sorry for this wonderful dancer.

[Guest oncnp]

10 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

Has anyone a cast sheet from this afternoon? Naghdi, Ball, Magri was the main cast. But there were other dancers who catched my eye and I want to check them out.

Side note: I recognized Marco Masciari as one of the "servants" for the Prince during his first entry (on the hunt). AndI was surprised that he didn't have a decent role. I mean...serving a drink could be done by an extra. I felt sorry for this wonderful dancer.

 

The cinema encore? Here is the cast sheet for the original performance if that helps

 

The Sleeping Beauty | Cast List | 24.05.2023 7:30 PM (roh.org.uk)

[MJW]

36 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

Has anyone a cast sheet from this afternoon? Naghdi, Ball, Magri was the main cast. But there were other dancers who catched my eye and I want to check them out.

Side note: I recognized Marco Masciari as one of the "servants" for the Prince during his first entry (on the hunt). AndI was surprised that he didn't have a decent role. I mean...serving a drink could be done by an extra. I felt sorry for this wonderful dancer.

 

I thought exactly the same thing about Masciari - for someone who has played the Jester in Cinderella and Evans in I now, I then (Woolf Works) it was rather a waste of his considerable talent.

[art_enthusiast]

39 minutes ago, MJW said:

 

I thought exactly the same thing about Masciari - for someone who has played the Jester in Cinderella and Evans in I now, I then (Woolf Works) it was rather a waste of his considerable talent.

 

Yep - a pitfall of being in such a big company. Probably too soon for him and Daichi Ikarashi to debut Bluebird. But an advantage is that they are observing the principals on stage directly and learning a considerable amount.

 

Lovely to see them both in the garland waltz last Monday anyway.

[capybara]

2 hours ago, MJW said:

Shout out to Calvin Richardson whose talents I thought were rather wasted as Floreston - hopefully Florimund in the next run"

 

 

Really? I felt that Calvin was perfectly 'positioned' for an up-and-coming First Soloist whose classical technique has its weaknesses.

 

But it was an outstanding performance overall, especially from Yasmine Naghdi, and one which it was good to view through a different 'lens' this afternoon.

 

Edited to add that the cast sheet at my cinema referred only to the four main characters.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by capybara

[JNC]

I haven’t seen the Dowell production, but was (perhaps unfairly) put off buying the DVD as I find the swan lake designs (costumes and sets) for Dowell’s production of that ghastly. For those who have seen both - is Dowell’s sleeping beauty similar? 

 

I hate the costumes for Dowell’s swan lake as they are just so ridiculous - particularly Von Rothbart’s costume (dare I say Gary Glitter, and everything wrong with the 80s)… and the sets are just far too over the top and distracting. 
 

It’s a shame as the choreography provides an interesting counterpoint to the current production but I don’t think I could face watching it again, at least not for a long while. 

[Josette]

What do you consider to be Calvin Richardson’s weaknesses in classical technique? He has so many strengths as a performer. 

[jmhopton]

Well, finally got to see Sleeping beauty at the cinema this afternoon after Tuesdays cancelled performance at the Preston Odeon. Even this performance wasn't free of technical problems as the picture ratio wasn't correct and Darcey and Petroc's heads were missing! So, another trip to the Technical Dept who fortunately managed to sort it before the performance started. The music was still too loud but I mentioned it twice and then gave up.

 

Still, the performance was definitely worth putting up with the technical problems. Yasmine and Matthew were terrific as always, and Sissens and Gasparini's Bluebirds were incredible. I hope Isabella is promoted. She certainly deserves it, as does Annette Buvoli who was very eye-catching both as a fairy and one of Florestan's sisters. Incidentally, who ARE Florestan and his sisters? I Googled them and was still none the wiser. They don't appear to be fairytale characters so why invent them when there are perfectly good characters in the lineup such as Cinderella and her Prince and Beauty and the Beast who have nothing to do? Anyway, I looked out for David Donnelly as the Wolf and thought him terrific. Loved the strutting walk with which he makes his entrance. Haven't seen anyone else do that. Would have liked to have seen more by him, preferably without a mask so I know what he looks like. Thought Kristen terrific as always. Definitely my favourite Carabosse. Just wished they would get the stage fixed so she can vanish properly. Shame this season had the 2 main ballets that needed the stage to move; Mayerling and SB. Hopefully it will be fixed in the summer break.

 

Finally, got home to this Unseen Matt cartoon which I thought very appropriate. 

Perhaps a mod could replace it with a link, if possible, if it's not right to show it but whenever I try and share Telegraph links they never work.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/newsletters/Matt/2023/May/MattunseenMay28.jpg

 

 

Hi Joan.  I have removed the image and replaced it with the link.  When you paste something, click the 'display as a link' option instead of the 'leave embedded' option.  I have also corrected a couple of names whilst I was in there!  Sim x

 

 

[LinMM]

Just a thought but haven’t seen Anna Rose O Sullivan’s name for a while does anybody know if she is currently injured? 

[bridiem]

Just now, LinMM said:

Just a thought but haven’t seen Anna Rose O Sullivan’s name for a while does anybody know if she is currently injured? 

 

I don't think so - I saw something recently on her Instagram account about the season ending here and preparing for R&J on tour.

[LinMM]

So not cast in the coming triple bill then? 

[capybara]

 

3 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Just a thought but haven’t seen Anna Rose O Sullivan’s name for a while does anybody know if she is currently injured? 

Some of the Principals who were cast in the first run of Sleeping Beauty are not in the second. Anna Rose is not the only one who hasn’t been on stage since Cinderella and the ‘absence’ of others has been considerably longer than hers.

[Bluebird]

29 minutes ago, LinMM said:

So not cast in the coming triple bill then? 

 

My highlighting: (Edited to add that Anna Rose was one of the dancers in last week's Royal Ballet Insight in the Clore Studio)

9 JUNE 2023

FRIDAY, 7.30PM

CORYBANTIC GAMES

 

CAST

• DANCERS
  Fumi Kaneko, Ryoichi Hirano, Leticia Dias, Annette Buvoli, Matthew Ball, William Bracewell, Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Luca Acri, Mayara Magri

Edited May 29, 2023 by Bluebird

[Sim]

Sadly we won't be seeing Yasmine Naghdi again until October. 

 

[capybara]

The RB needs to end its home seasons with a triple bill in which the whole company, including all the Principals, can be seen. Having some dancers ‘disappear’ for months in London, especially when those periods are combined with tours abroad and the summer break, is disappointing to put it mildly.

[MJW]

14 minutes ago, capybara said:

The RB needs to end its home seasons with a triple bill in which the whole company, including all the Principals, can be seen. Having some dancers ‘disappear’ for months in London, especially when those periods are combined with tours abroad and the summer break, is disappointing to put it mildly.

 

Funnily enough I was thinking the same thing whilst in the garden - James Hay for example posted over the weekend that he had now finished for the season and I thought at the time - really?

[Balletfanp]

Totally agree with this!

[FionaM]

Surely James Hay (and all the company) are on the tour to Japan?  So finished for the season in London is not quite the same as finished overall.  
 

I imagine rehearsals for R&J are all consuming, around the London triple bill and other shorter pieces for Japan.

Edited May 29, 2023 by zxDaveM
corrected spelling

[Sharon]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

Sadly we won't be seeing Yasmine Naghdi again until October. 

 

😭

[art_enthusiast]

2 hours ago, Sim said:

Sadly we won't be seeing Yasmine Naghdi again until October. 

 

 

Is she not appearing in the new Wayne McGregor?

I notice the cast isn't yet announced for that.

[capybara]

40 minutes ago, FionaE said:

Surely James Gay (and all the company) are on the tour to Japan?  So finished for the season in London is not quite the same as finished overall.  

 

What James has said is an indication of the feeling (shared by many dancers and many supporters) that they are not getting enough stage time here.

Hours, days, weeks and months spent in the studio rehearsing aren't the same as having the opportunity to perform.

[Sabine0308]

17 hours ago, oncnp said:

 

The cinema encore? Here is the cast sheet for the original performance if that helps

 

The Sleeping Beauty | Cast List | 24.05.2023 7:30 PM (roh.org.uk)

Thank you so much!!❤️

[Guest oncnp]

11 minutes ago, capybara said:

 

What James has said is an indication of the feeling (shared by many dancers and many supporters) that they are not getting enough stage time here.

Hours, days, weeks and months spent in the studio rehearsing aren't the same as having the opportunity to perform.

 

Agreed and yet...no one leaves (not recently at least)

[capybara]

7 minutes ago, oncnp said:

Agreed and yet...no one leaves (not recently at least)

All the dancers  who might consider other options have been settled domestically in London for a very long time and, in any case, where are the ‘equivalent’ positions, especially post pandemic and following the Ukraine-related turbulence?

[Guest oncnp]

6 minutes ago, capybara said:

All the dancers  who might consider other options have been settled domestically in London for a very long time and, in any case, where are the ‘equivalent’ positions, especially post pandemic and following the Ukraine-related turbulence?

Yes, that's my point. They can complain all they want but KOH knows that because of all the things you mention, he isn't going to lose anyone d/t lack of stage time, so he doesn't have to do anything about it. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by oncnp

[Sim]

50 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Is she not appearing in the new Wayne McGregor?

I notice the cast isn't yet announced for that.

No she isn't.  

[Sim]

1 hour ago, FionaE said:

Surely James Gay (and all the company) are on the tour to Japan?  So finished for the season in London is not quite the same as finished overall.  
 

I imagine rehearsals for R&J are all consuming, around the London triple bill and other shorter pieces for Japan.

I think you mean James Hay...

[Dawnstar]

9 minutes ago, capybara said:

All the dancers  who might consider other options have been settled domestically in London for a very long time and, in any case, where are the ‘equivalent’ positions, especially post pandemic and following the Ukraine-related turbulence?

 

ENB must surely be in the market for some more male principals. However as ENB do far fewer performances than the RB then I'm not sure if anyone did move companies it would actually give them more performances annually, even if they got to dance a much greater percentage of annual company performances.

 

I'm wondering if the new McGregor piece is going to have either a very small cast or a very junior cast, since it feels like almost all the Principals have indicated that they're not appearing in it!

[Guest oncnp]

4 minutes ago, Sim said:

No she isn't.  

 

With the Japan tour and her appearance in a much bigger and more important "production" over the summer perhaps she is welcoming the additional time? 

Edited May 29, 2023 by oncnp

[Sim]

36 minutes ago, oncnp said:

 

With the Japan tour and her appearance in a much bigger and more important "production" over the summer perhaps she is welcoming the additional time? 

Yes she is.