RB Sleeping Beauty - May/June 2023

[MJW]

9 hours ago, Sim said:

I loved them last time.  I’m missing tonight because of tomorrow’s train strike, but have a ticket to their second show.  

 

Then I think you will be in for a treat later this month. SB is not my favourite piece in the repertoire but I have warmed to it over the years. James Hay and Arkane Takade made a lovely couple and the rest of the cast were on top form.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsHmWO1oxx8/

[JohnS]

Much to enjoy in last night’s performance as others have highlighted and lovely to see Akane Takada and James Hay. I wasn’t as convinced by the balance between stage and orchestra, particularly for Aurora where the orchestra to me was consistently late for Akane Takada’s finishes. And to be honest I was expecting to be more moved by Aurora/Florimund but this may well be a reflection of just how good the Cinderella run was where I seem to be suffering withdrawal symptoms. I was very impressed by Itziar Mendizabel’s Carabosse and Annette Buvoli’s Lilac Fairy. Leticia Stock as always made the most of Crystal Fountain Fairy and White Cat.

Looking forward to the Osipova and Naghdi casts tonight and Wednesday and will be interested to see if my Cinderella hangover has lifted.

[bridiem]

I thought it was a lovely performance, beautifully danced by Takada and Hay and with a real, visceral conflict between evil and good embodied in Mendizabal's furious, raging Carabosse and Buvoli's calm, gracious and authoritative Lilac Fairy. James Hay is a wonderful dancer who acts through his dancing in a very satisfying way as well as being intensely musical. I didn't get quite the same sense of expressiveness from Akane Takada, but she danced gloriously which in Sleeping Beauty goes a long way. 

 

I so admired the company, when considering all the recent performances of Cinderella and the triple bill they must now be preparing. It made me realise though that the programming has been rather odd this season; it would have felt more satisfying to move to the triple bill after Cinderella, rather than going straight from one big fairy tale ballet to another. How the dancers do it I don't know, but I take my hat off to them. (Or I would, if I wore one.)

 

 

[annamk]

I really enjoyed the evening. 

James's elegance and refinement and Akane's delicacy perfectly compliment each other. 

It was a pleasure to see Annette Buvoli make easy work of the Lilac fairy variation.

And interesting to watch younger dancers being given opportunities: Denilson Almeida as one of the cavaliers and Harrison Lee as Florestan. 

I loved the orchestra under Jonathan Lo, I wonder if he will continue to guest conduct once he goes to Australia or whether his commitments there will be full time. 

 

And here I go again ....... James is such a beautiful classical dancer, it saddens me that he has had relatively few principal opportunities in his career. With a long run of Nutcracker and Swan Lake next season would it be too much for him to pick up a couple of performances as the prince - preferably opposite Akane.

 

[Emeralds]

19 hours ago, bridiem said:

 

They seem to be doing most of the performances in this run. Don't know if it happens often or not! I haven't noticed it before. Would be interested to know.

Some years ago (pre 2019), RB Sinfonia used to do the second part of the long Christmas Nutcracker runs at ROH. I remember once going in early December and heard the ROH Orchestra, then going in January and hearing RB Sinfonia with a different conductor. Both equally excellent. I think now that BRB often do a short Nutcracker stint with a special effects production at the Royal Albert Hall between Christmas and New Year, they don’t share the Nutcrackers at ROH any more. 

 

Interesting that the website says ROH Orchestra are playing on (just) 17 and 24 May while RB Sinfonia are playing for all the other Sleeping Beauty performances.... 

[alison]

33 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I wasn’t as convinced by the balance between stage and orchestra, particularly for Aurora where the orchestra to me was consistently late for Akane Takada’s finishes.

 

No - it was odd waiting for the music to "catch up".  It also struck me that Hay's first Act III solo seemed to be a bit on the fast side.

 

Incidentally, all credit to Hay: I don't imagine it can be that easy to resume dancing "princely" roles so soon after spending the previous month performing in character shoes as one of Cinderella's stepsisters.

[Emeralds]

10 minutes ago, annamk said:

I really enjoyed the evening. 

James's elegance and refinement and Akane's delicacy perfectly compliment each other. 

It was a pleasure to see Annette Buvoli make easy work of the Lilac fairy variation.

And interesting to watch younger dancers being given opportunities: Denilson Almeida as one of the cavaliers and Harrison Lee as Florestan. 

I loved the orchestra under Jonathan Lo, I wonder if he will continue to guest conduct once he goes to Australia or whether his commitments there will be full time. 

 

And here I go again ....... James is such a beautiful classical dancer, it saddens me that he has had relatively few principal opportunities in his career. With a long run of Nutcracker and Swan Lake next season would it be too much for him to pick up a couple of performances as the prince - preferably opposite Akane.

 

Jonathan Lo is scheduled to conduct all the performances of The Dante Project and the first of the Nutcrackers (there will be three conductors for Nutcracker in total) for the next season- yippee! 

 

I agree re: James Hay! Also hoping he will be scheduled for Nutcracker Prince and for Siegfried (the Ashton solo would really suit him) next season! Also Basilio in Don Q and Florizel in Winter’s Tale! (Plenty of shows for both productions.) 

[Richard LH]

Akane was pure class last night….some of her held balances, and slow pirouettes took my breath away. Her dancing totally inhabited and expressed the wonderful music, whether as the gentle young birthday Princess Aurora meeting and enchanting her suitors, the ethereal visionary Princess Aurora reaching out to her ideal Prince to break the spell that she is under, or the awakened, regal Princess Aurora at her wedding  ceremony (at which she and James Hay executed  the three most  snappy, dynamic fish dives I have ever seen)! They were the perfect pairing in my view, with a lovely connection and understanding between them.

[Geoff]

9 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Jonathan Lo is scheduled to conduct all the performances of The Dante Project and the first of the Nutcrackers (there will be three conductors for Nutcracker in total) for the next season- yippee! 

 

👍

[capybara]

1 hour ago, annamk said:

 I loved the orchestra under Jonathan Lo, I wonder if he will continue to guest conduct once he goes to Australia or whether his commitments there will be full time. 

Separating this from something more wide-ranging about last night that I would like to write later……

 

For me, orchestras sound more energised when Jonathan Lo is conducting and he usually feels more connected to stage (i.e. frequently glancing up at the dancers) than many other maestros.

 

I do agree that the music was a tad behind Akane’s finishing poses several times but I felt that she might have been coming out of the preceding sequences a little early. So perhaps we should call it a ‘draw’ in terms of any ‘blame’?

 

Jonathan is already ‘in Australia’ but has several conducting assignments in the UK over the next 12 months. Long may that arrangement continue.

 

(I note that the ROH’s own orchestra has the cinema relay.)

[Sophoife]

Great video @MJW and from the complete opposite side to where I was sitting, too. This post has become very long, for which I apologise in advance.

 

As always, lovely to meet up with other forum members, particularly @DelphiumBlue as we turned out to already be friends from a different strand of interest. Thanks so much for stage-dooring with me, and lovely to finally meet your book-buyer too!

 

@JohnS it was a pleasure to meet you: I do admire your choice to stay over and see more shows because of the trains, and you've reminded me I need to go back to Cumbria.

 

@Bluebird it's always a delight to see you.

 

I love the designs, they really are pure fairytale, but Lilac Fairy's tutu only reinforced for me how very derivative Cinderella's Fairy Godmother's Romantic tutu was! The fairies in this production do wear gorgeous tutus and it's clear at least to me which fairy is which. Lilac's attendants' tutus also beautiful. Male fairies' escorts/cavaliers danced beautifully, with Benjamin Ella standing out as always. So good to see him back on stage. Was it Nicol Edmonds who was Lilac's particular cavalier?

 

The glories of the early 17th century court dresses with their contrasting sleeves and the very attractive style of ruff. King and Cattalabutte wore enormous wigs a tad out of period but the Queen...! Kristen McNally glittered and shone and dazzled the eye with not only her gowns but her sheer presence.

 

Annette Buvoli as Lilac Fairy, as I said earlier, radiated confidence and serenity. I was very much reminded of the stage presence of Claire Calvert.

 

And then we had the arrival of Carabosse. Piqued by her lack of invitation she allowed her true malevolence to boil over and it was great fun, particularly after Itziar Mendizabal's beautiful Fairy Godmother two weeks ago.

 

By the time we get to the birthday celebration (poor girl, why so young to be told here are your princes, make your choice) we've already had such a plethora of gorgeous looks with dancing to match I didn't see how it could get better. Then Akane Takada delighted the eye. Again as mentioned earlier, her balances! Absolutely rock solid, the best I've seen since Lucinda Dunn. I got the feeling she didn't need any of those princes to hold her hand. She was a delight in her delicacy, the loveliest Aurora I've seen since Miwako Kubota.

 

I got the giggles when the King's mime told Aurora she had grown up and now it was time to get married (see this meme from Cloud and Victory on Instagram for why - used with permission).

 

Nice touch to have the princely suitors carry the now-sleeping Aurora to her room, but I remain puzzled as to their fates: did Lilac magic them home, unsleeping, or were they still somewhere in the palace?

 

Act II of this production immediately shows, from the costumes of the hunting party, that 100 or so years have passed. It is much less boring than some others. When a production has the Prince tearing around a lot of flat trees, desperately pretending to fight his way through, it does look a bit silly. This one worked better, despite the clunky exit of Lilac's conveyance, albeit I felt the repelling of Carabosse a bit of an anti-climax. Some lovely dancing from the hunting party, the fairies and of course Vision Aurora in her snow-white tutu.

 

As for James Hay, I was delighted not to hear any of his landings, and he gave off an air of handsome princeness that I suspect he could pull off however physically unattractive he might be (which he isn't, I hasten to add).

 

So now for the wedding. The biggest disappointment for me in David McAllister's Sleeping Beauty was that he ditched the fairytale characters in the last act, so I was very happy to see them appear here. Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf (a pair that seemed a little under-rehearsed to me), Florestan and his nameless sisters, and my personal highlight Princess Florine and the Bluebird.

 

David Yudes' Bluebird was lighter than air, and the only dancer besides Mr Hay whose landings I couldn't hear. Wonderful! Not quite matched by his Princess, delightful though Sae Maeda was.

 

The grand pas de deux was a brilliant climax to a fabulous show, although I did think the ending, Aurora and Prince centre stage surrounded by reclining fairies and the Court and fairytale characters, felt a little flat.

 

The end of the McAllister production has a glitter shower (photo taken by me) and, I feel, fits the grand music a little better. The end of the Stanton Welch production (which I will probably never see again 😥) has a grand défilé or procession of Princess, Prince, Court and all from downstage right to exit upstage left, the stage is empty, then Carabosse appears downstage right and follows the procession on the final triumphant chords. Think again, my pretties 😈

 

I'm so happy (thanks @Rob S) I get to see it all again tonight!

 

Re Jonathan Lo: wonderful conductor, I do understand he had prior commitments when accepting the AusBallet music director role, but I've heard him conduct more here in London than in Australia this year! He only did two Don Quixote shows in Sydney and has done no Jewels or Identity at all. On the plus side that meant we got former assistant music director Simon Thew back from Houston Ballet for a stint, and also Charles Barker, music director over 20 years ago, from ABT.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Sophoife
Added conducting comments

[maryrosesatonapin]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

Separating this from something more wide-ranging about last night that I would like to write later……

 

For me, orchestras sound more energised when Jonathan Lo is conducting and he usually feels more connected to stage (i.e. frequently glancing up at the dancers) than many other maestros.

 

I do agree that the music was a tad behind Akane’s finishing poses several times but I felt that she might have been coming out of the preceding sequences a little early. So perhaps we should call it a ‘draw’ in terms of any ‘blame’?

 

Jonathan is already ‘in Australia’ but has several conducting assignments in the UK over the next 12 months. Long may that arrangement continue.

 

(I note that the ROH’s own orchestra has the cinema relay.)

I wasn't there last night but whenever Jonathan Lo has conducted I have felt the same as you - he imbues energy, intelligence and empathy to the performance and will be sorely missed.  But think of the jet lag he must have!

[Bluebird]

I don't think this has been referred to elsewhere.  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova for tonight's performance:

12 MAY 2023

FRIDAY, 7.30PM

MAIN STAGE

GUIDANCE: Content suitable for all, subject to House rules

 

SHOW LESS

Conducted by Jonathan Lo

CAST

CAST CHANGE

• PRINCESS AURORA
  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova
• PRINCE FLORIMUND
  Reece Clarke
• CARABOSSE
  Elizabeth McGorian
• LILAC FAIRY
  Nadia Mullova-Barley
• CONCERT MASTER
  Robert Gibbs
• ORCHESTRA
  Royal Ballet Sinfonia

[Benjamin]

1 minute ago, Bluebird said:

I don't think this has been referred to elsewhere.  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova for tonight's performance:

12 MAY 2023

FRIDAY, 7.30PM

MAIN STAGE

GUIDANCE: Content suitable for all, subject to House rules

 

SHOW LESS

Conducted by Jonathan Lo

CAST

CAST CHANGE

• PRINCESS AURORA
  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova
• PRINCE FLORIMUND
  Reece Clarke
• CARABOSSE
  Elizabeth McGorian
• LILAC FAIRY
  Nadia Mullova-Barley
• CONCERT MASTER
  Robert Gibbs
• ORCHESTRA
  Royal Ballet Sinfonia

I didn’t see that coming… especially this close to the show! But I’m always happy for more Yasmine.

[Dawnstar]

If only there wasn't a train strike I would have been tempted to try to get a ticket, as I'd like to see Clarke as Florimund but I'm not keen on seeing Osipova's Aurora. Unfortunately even if I could get down to London today I certainly wouldn't be able to get back so that's no good.

 

3 hours ago, alison said:

Incidentally, all credit to Hay: I don't imagine it can be that easy to resume dancing "princely" roles so soon after spending the previous month performing in character shoes as one of Cinderella's stepsisters.

 

I'm glad I saw Hay as Florimund in the last run & therefore I'm not seeing him in this run, as I think I might find it a bit difficult to take him seriously as a prince just after seeing him as a Stepsister!

[JennyTaylor]

I spent a delightful time last night. I booked to see James Hay in particular but was also wowed by Akane's performance - absolutely beautiful. 

 

I often sit in Row A of the Orch Stalls as I have become beguiled by watching the orchestra too, and the beautiful sound which rises up and seems to engulf me.  Yes, a completely new set of musicians and I was particularly taken with watching the double basses who happened to be seated directly in front of me. I was struck by the beauty of their movement as they played. They moved to the music and their arm movements in the parts where they plucked the strings was just as if they were dancing themselves.  It really moved me. 

 

As posted after the Prologue, Itziar's Carabosse was exceptional and I too, loved Annette Buvoli's Lilac Fairy. So graceful, serene and elegant.  

 

I had by chance printed 2 copies of the cast sheet before I left the office and during the 2nd interval I was sat next to 3 ladies who were desperately searching the programme trying to work out who the 2 lead role dancers actually were. Of course, no such information is contained in the programme, so I gave them one of my sheets.  They were hugely grateful. For me, it's now rare to have a printed cast sheet with me for a performance and I realised how much I really miss them.  So nice to just refer to it rather than peer at my phone or find a displayed sheet somewhere in the building.  

Edited May 12, 2023 by JennyTaylor
typo

[maryrosesatonapin]

1 hour ago, Bluebird said:

I don't think this has been referred to elsewhere.  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova for tonight's performance:

12 MAY 2023

FRIDAY, 7.30PM

MAIN STAGE

GUIDANCE: Content suitable for all, subject to House rules

 

SHOW LESS

Conducted by Jonathan Lo

CAST

CAST CHANGE

• PRINCESS AURORA
  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova
• PRINCE FLORIMUND
  Reece Clarke
• CARABOSSE
  Elizabeth McGorian
• LILAC FAIRY
  Nadia Mullova-Barley
• CONCERT MASTER
  Robert Gibbs
• ORCHESTRA
  Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Oh no!  But many thanks for letting us know.  I kept checking the cast sheets but tonight's doesn't seem to be up now?  I'd rather know before going than getting a shock when I get there.  Very disappointed though as I love Osipova.

On another note, I don't know much about Nadia Mullova-Barley so did an Internet search and came up with a very amusing Twitter account from when she was still a student at the RB School - worth looking up   She sounds quite a character.

[capybara]

Judging by the volume of applause which greeted their respective entrances, more of last night's audience had booked with James Hay in mind than Akane Takada. But she was so lovely I do hope that everyone present is now fully 'converted'.

In common with Jenny (see above), I usually sit near to the stage but an ad hoc purchase for last night placed me much further away where the dancers' ability to project really matters. Unfortunately, most of the relatively inexperienced Prologue Fairies didn't reach me but Annette Buvoli's sumptuous dancing and beneficent demeanour certainly did - a beautiful portrayal throughout.

And, then, there was Itziar Mendizabal's Carabosse whose seething, teeth-baring anger almost knocked me over. What a dance/actress she is! [And, incidentally, and once again, I appreciated Thomas Whitehead - this time as The King. His characterisation was not overdone but, crucially, his mime was very clear.]

I first saw Akane dance Aurora about 9 years ago when the teenage portion of her character was spot on. So it was last night with a very believable shy young girl in Act 1 dancing like a dream. Her ethereal quality carried well into Act 2 but I feel she could add more grandeur to her Grand Pas De Deux - difficult, I know, for a dancer of such delicate build.

And so to James Hay. I have to admit to having loved him ever since his days at The Royal Ballet School but I wasn't quite so bowled over last night as I had been during the last run (?2020). He remains, of course, a very, very beautiful dancer but maybe his period of injury, lack of opportunity to dance classical roles and his stint as a Stepsister have had their combined effect on his technique? Nevertheless, he gave us a performance which, for me, was more accomplished than some other recent Princes, with a character to connect with (yes, he did reach the distant parts of the House), and his interaction with Aurora and his partnering of her were impressive.

All in all a performance to remember..........

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by capybara
typo correction

[Sophoife]

Thanks for the casting update @Bluebird, I don't think I've ever seen Yasmine Naghdi on stage before, so I'm pleased to have the opportunity to do so. Very late replacement, yes, especially with a prince she ?hasn't danced this with before...

[Bluebird]

5 minutes ago, Sophoife said:

Thanks for the casting update @Bluebird, I don't think I've ever seen Yasmine Naghdi on stage before, so I'm pleased to have the opportunity to do so. Very late replacement, yes, especially with a prince she ?hasn't danced this with before...

 

They did the Manon bedroom pas de deux in the recent Coliseum Icons Gala and I believe they've guested together with other companies but I have no idea if they've ever done Beauty together.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Bluebird

[capybara]

Yasmine has guested a fair amount with Reece Clarke but hats off to her. I know that the replacement Aurora needed to be someone who is cast in this run of Beauty, but she is certainly becoming the ‘go to’ ballerina in the RB’s moments of need.

 

Ironic that, less than 24 hours ago, the ROH posted a video of Osipova rehearsing Aurora on stage.

 

@Sophoife you will not be disappointed  tonight - in fact, rather the opposite 😊

[San Perregrino]

3 hours ago, Bluebird said:

I don't think this has been referred to elsewhere.  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova for tonight's performance:

12 MAY 2023

FRIDAY, 7.30PM

MAIN STAGE

GUIDANCE: Content suitable for all, subject to House rules

 

SHOW LESS

Conducted by Jonathan Lo

CAST

CAST CHANGE

• PRINCESS AURORA
  Yasmine Naghdi replaces Natalia Osipova
• PRINCE FLORIMUND
  Reece Clarke
• CARABOSSE
  Elizabeth McGorian
• LILAC FAIRY
  Nadia Mullova-Barley
• CONCERT MASTER
  Robert Gibbs
• ORCHESTRA
  Royal Ballet Sinfonia

obviously Natalia can’t get into work because of the train strike! 

[Bluebird]

19 minutes ago, PeterS said:

obviously Natalia can’t get into work because of the train strike! 

I realise that was 'tongue in cheek' but the following was received a while ago from the ROH (my highlighting):

 

"We hope you are looking forward to seeing The Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House.

We are sorry that, due to illness, it has been necessary to make a late-notice cast change for this evening’s performance: 

FRIDAY 12 MAY, 7.30PM

Natalia Osipova is replaced by Yasmine Naghdi as Princess Aurora."

[Emeralds]

Get well soon, Natalia! 

 

Have a lovely time tonight, @Sophoife! Yasmine has guested in Sleeping Beauty productions across the globe and she and Reece have danced many galas together so I think there’ll be a great buzz with this being their first full length Sleeping Beauty together. His elevation and lines are wonderful.  Nadia Mullova-Barley is one of my “one to watch” dancers with wonderful musicality and great presence. (Her mother-who is likely to be watching- is the eminent acclaimed violinist Viktoria Mullova, and her father and brother are musicians as well; Nadia being the only professional ballet dancer in the family.) 

 

Hope the neighbours are on their best behaviour tonight! 

[JohnS]

Tonight’s cast sheet:

 

https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/40/the-sleeping-beauty-by-marius-petipa/cast-list/51605

[Sim]

1 hour ago, capybara said:

but she is certainly becoming the ‘go to’ ballerina in the RB’s moments of need

 😊

I would say she already is. Mr O’Hare has long been approaching her in the first instance when he needs a replacement…and she always steps up.  
She and Reece have guested together but have never danced SB together.  So by this evening they will have had exactly one rehearsal….and I bet no-one would know.  

[LinMM]

Thanks for the info about Nadia Emeralds I didn’t realise her mum was the famous violinist!! 

[bridiem]

Will tonight be Joonhyuk Jun's debut Bluebird?

[Rob S]

8 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Will tonight be Joonhyuk Jun's debut Bluebird?

 

No, I saw his debut....I think it was with Isabella Gasparini

[Emeralds]

9 minutes ago, bridiem said:

Will tonight be Joonhyuk Jun's debut Bluebird?

I was going to say I was 90% certain he’s debuted already....but RobS confirmed it. 😊 I recall seeing an Instagram video of him with incredible elevation and ballon in the role. 

[bridiem]

3 minutes ago, Rob S said:

No, I saw his debut....I think it was with Isabella Gasparini

 

And now you mention it - I remember that I saw his debut!! Oops, sorry about that. Excellent it was too (but clearly not as memorable as it could have been - but that's due to my memory, not his performance).

[Dawnstar]

6 minutes ago, Rob S said:

No, I saw his debut....I think it was with Isabella Gasparini

 

With Leticia Dias, on 17th January, going by the cast sheets on the ROH website. I saw them together 2 days later on 19th.

[Emeralds]

22 minutes ago, Sim said:

I would say she already is. Mr O’Hare has long been approaching her in the first instance when he needs a replacement…and she always steps up.  
She and Reece have guested together but have never danced SB together.  So by this evening they will have had exactly one rehearsal….and I bet no-one would know.  

So true, Sim! She’s the company superhero! Our Wonder Woman. 👍

 

Toi toi toi, Yasmine and Reece! (Cheering them on from many miles away) 

 

Are you going tonight, Sim? I can’t do tonight but looking forward to it later in the run. Can’t wait to read members’ reports for tonight’s performance  - so exciting.