ROYAL BALLET TRIPLE (McGregor/Wheeldon/MacMillan)

[postie]

18 hours ago, Ianlond said:

Anastasia Act 3 is hardly a rousing end to an evening, season or career but of course it gave Laura Morera a fitting send off - & how appropriate to be dancing with Bennett Gartside. However, as a work it does seem dated now (although, why should that matter?) & I’m certainly in no rush to see it again (or the three act version which, imo, isn’t great either). 

But the last word should be about Laura.

 

That was about the size of it for me.

 

With Untitled, I'm afraid to have let out a sigh and let another flushing of gender fluidity wash by. I do hope Wayne extracts himself from that rabbit hole because it has been said and, for the most part, done. At least for a while, surely.

 

Wheeldon was a huge success, imo. He obv. had the genius of Leonard Bernstein underpinning his work but I found myself being lured in further and further. I felt quite teased; were we going towards Jets vs. Sharks in 1950s NYC or some full scale Ashton structural homage (opinions may vary). Goodness it was fun - light and gorgeous. Loved the variety, costumes, the sets, the lighting, the wonderful ensemble. And, of course, Bernstein's music.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by postie
Bernstein's music

[JNC]

Lovely photos @Rob S thank you very much for being there to document and share.

 

looks like a wonderful, emotional send off for a fantastic dancer who will be sorely missed.

 

I’m glad she will be staying to coach dancers though - she was brilliant in coaching the Godmother role for the Cinderella insight. What an intelligent, thoughtful, beautiful dancer.
 

(and I also agree Tierney Heap and Stix-Brunell would have been excellent in this bill!) 

[bridiem]

1 minute ago, JNC said:

(and I also agree Tierney Heap and Stix-Brunell would have been excellent in this bill!) 

 

At least they've both gone on to wonderful new pastures.

[Ondine]

18 hours ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

And I can understand why the artist who inspired the setting had to wait 80 years to sell a painting. 

 

Actually Carmen Herrera's life / work background is very interesting, and I believe she was denied exhibitions simply because she was a woman (and Cuban).

 

I very much like her work, it is now in major collections.

 

I appreciate Wiki isn't the greatest of sources, but it's accessible and gives some indication of her history and the philosophy underpinning her paintings / sculptural works. Other sources are available, several have been posted here.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Herrera

 

Herrera was not broadly recognized or appreciated for decades, though she sold her first piece of art at age 19

 

She didn't 'inspire' the set, she designed it before her death, in collaboration with Wayne McGregor.

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Ondine

[AnnabelCharles]

I very much enjoyed this triple bill. Untitled for me was stark, visceral and mesmerising. I loved the powerful physicality of the dancing – the lines, shapes and patterns created. The set was sparse (I’m not a fan of too much scenery), and was echoed in the streamlined costumes that contributed to the shapes created, depending on individual designs and the movements of each dancer. I thought the lighting and use of shadows particularly effective. The music was a bit challenging at times and I would have liked more structure to the whole piece, though I wondered whether the lack of it might be part of the point. 

 

I wasn’t very enthusiastic about Corybantic Games the first time I saw it but it often takes me several viewings to really appreciate a piece. This time I found it delightful – energetic, playful, exhilarating and moving in turn, with the sections deliberately sequenced to complement or contrast with each other. Again I liked the clean set and the imaginative lighting – and thought the costumes effectively reflected the 1950s/Olympic vibe and allowed the dancers’ movements to be seen clearly.

 

All the dancing was absolutely superb – and although Untitled and Corybantic Games include solos and duets, they are very much ensemble pieces in which, because the relationships on stage are different from more conventional ballets, different qualities and strengths of individual dancers are revealed. It feels unfair to single anyone out, but I always think both Melissa Hamilton and Mayara Magri seem very confident with and are particularly good in more contemporary pieces. Fumi Kaneko is magnificent in everything – she is such a versatile dancer. Joseph Sissens was spectacular at the beginning of Untitled and Calvin Richardson, Leo Dixon, Leticia Dias, Meaghan Grace Hinkis and Julia Roscoe caught my eye. I could watch Matthew Ball and William Bracewell dance all day – and I thought they were simply beautiful together, compelling and at times tender and heart-breaking.

 

I’d never seen Anastasia before and found it gripping but harrowing. For a short ballet, it plunges you into a situation and explores it succinctly with almost unbearable intensity. The film snippets felt too long but they established the context – and contributed to the terrible sense of oppression experienced by Anna. I can see why some people have suggested it might have been better if Laura Morera’s last performance had been in something more cheerful, but this piece was a good vehicle for her exceptional acting skills – and the ballet was completely centred on her character, which was fitting. 

 

I think it would have worked as a triple bill slightly better with Anastasia following Untitled, and Corybantic Games, which was more upbeat, coming at the end. Obviously this couldn’t happen because of Laura Morera’s farewell. The tributes seemed to be very warm and heartfelt and I hope she was really happy with the way the end of this stage of her wonderful career was marked and feels she has an exciting future to look forward to.

[Sim]

When I was watching Mayara Magri last night in Corybantic Games I was imagining her as a wonderful Sylvia. I hope they bring it back in the 24/25 season.  

[Suffolkgal]

So pleased Morera had a proper send off. Makes me a little sad that neither Mukhamedov or Eagling were so recognised... but very different days for the RB now. Very moved by the filming from yesterday 

[Nogoat]

My feelings about this Triple Bill have not changed much as a result of a third viewing, though I will say is was a pleasure to be able to see the other casts in action last night. And it should be pointed out, as others have, that my unenthusiastic responses to the first two pieces has nothing to do with the dancers (eg Mayara Magri in Corybantic Games!) and everything to do with the choreographers. The dancers were superb, but the old adage about silk purses and sow's ears applies.

 

Dancers aside, I still find Untitled, 2023 a frustratingly disjointed, disconnected experience. The words, the hype, and the reputations of the 'creatives' didn't match the reality of the creation itself - or maybe the creatives work on such a higher, rarified plane it's beyond the reach of mere mortals such as me? Either way, the experience proved unsatisfactory. 
I thought McGregor's last major outing (The Dante Project) might indicate a case of Emperor's New Clothes and this piece has only reinforced that developing view. 
@Linnzi5 thought the music to Untitled had a 'sci-fi' feel to it. I felt that too; the bit towards the end with the rhythmic drumbeat reminded me strongly of some of the music from The Terminator. And the very last section, with the plaintive strings, reminded me slightly of Max Richter's style. In fact, I almost enjoyed the last 10 mins or so of Untitled for those very reasons (and also, perhaps, because I knew it would end soon!), but it left me wondering why it was felt necessary to put such 'conventional' music in the piece at all, and why at the end. Did it reflect a lack of confidence in the palatability of the rest of the piece? Was it a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down?

 

Corybantic Games still came across as too self-indulgent and self-obsessed to grab my attention. It was great to see Mayara Magri, though, and I enjoyed listening to the Bernstein again, especially the last 10 minutes or so. And it was in those last 10 minutes that the dancing became less self-preoccupied and I perked up a bit (though, again, maybe that was because I knew the interval was coming up).

 

Anastasia Act III, and Laura Morera, didn't disappoint. And neither did hearing the Martinu for the third time in a week!

There were some beautifully-observed touches from Laura, for example the way she put her finger to her lips to 'shush' the group trying to smuggle her away from the soldiers. And, just to reinforce the symbiotic link between choreography and music, the alternate bobbing up and down of Laura and the ring of dancers around her was in perfect synchrony to the music and raised that whole sequence to a different level. 
I've been pleasantly surprised by the impact the stand-alone Act III has had on me, but it leaves me hankering after the chance to experience the full ballet again. That seismic shift in the music, choreography, costumes and setting between the first two acts and the last one is Matrix-level in its magnitude and implication (and Anastasia was created decades before The Matrix!). Like that film, we all take the red pill during the second interval and return to find that the reality we experienced in the first two acts was an illusion, and are left to face the grim horror of what lies beneath.

 

Despite the grim nature of the topics dealt with in Anastasia, the evening ended on a bittersweet high with the post-curtain call celebration of Laura Morera's dancing career. She is so obviously, and deservedly, held in high regard by so many people - on both sides of the fourth wall.

[Vanartus]

I enjoyed all parts of the triple bill and felt privileged to have seen it. I thought the new McGregor amazing. Loved the music especially, and the set and costumes were wonderful. If that’s a case of the Emperor’s new clothes, then all hail, and I’ll order the whole collection. Wish I could have seen it again, so much to see and take in. I liked Corybantic Games the first time round, but really liked it this time - particularly the revised Erdem costumes. Some great stand-out moments. The original one-act version of Anastasia is the one I actually prefer. Happy to see the later three-act extended piece, but less is more in my opinion. I thought it was a great piece to end a thrilling evening! 

[FionaM]

I did not expect to like ‘Untitled 2023’ from reviews here.  It was the best piece of the triple bill for me!  And the couples sat either side of me agreed … they thought it was amazing too.  Regular ROH ballet goers they said.  

 

I loved it from the get-go with Joe Sissens wonderful moves.  Despite the unfamiliar music I felt the connection between the moves and the music … perhaps the dancers are feeling it better at the end of the run.  
 

So pleased NOT to see bodily contortions of the female dancers by the men … as in other McGregor works.  I think he has really moved on to finding how to choreograph uniquely on ‘ballet’ dancers, having them dance with and alongside each other.  
 

All the leads were super .. Marco Masciari’s extensions and dynamics are fabulous.   Loved the duet of Fumi and Will and the reversed colour combination of their costumes.  Witty and clever choreo to show it.  Delighted to see Harris Bell with Melissa, as  I’ve not seen him dance much before.  She is extraordinary in Wayne’s choreo.  And then the smooth moves of Calvin to end.   
 

After that Corybantic Games seemed dull with familiar balletic moves to music that is not easy on the ear.  (To me anyway).  Things improved with the lighter touches and poses to finish some of the sections.  And went up another level with Annette Buvoli’s and Mayara Magri’s impressive solos.  I did adore the emotional connection of Ball and Bracewell too.  Loved the long skirts with light pleats, hated all the black straps on the men and women, whether stitched or not.  
 

I found Anastasia Act III dated this time, when I’d loved it before. The opening movie clips seemed overly long.  
 

Delighted by the extraordinary audience applause and special farewell for Laura including the bouquet presentations by former partners and the speech from Kevin O’Hare highlighting her success in Ashton and MacMillan rep, and her being Liam Scarlett’s muse.  Spotted many former and current company members in the audience.

Edited June 18, 2023 by FionaE
Typos and grammar

[alison]

On 11/06/2023 at 00:16, alison said:

Anastasia - which I realise I've never seen before as a one-act ballet, although I have seen the previous version of Act III on a number of occasions - I found odd.  Unless I was missing things in areas of the stage which I couldn't see, it felt oddly - filleted, was the word which came to mind.  As if the choreography had been thinned out somehow.  And it seemed to be over rather sooner than I'd expected. 

 

Based on last night's performance, I'm now wondering whether I blanked out through part of the first night, because I certainly didn't find that last night.

[Linnzi5]

7 hours ago, alison said:

 

Based on last night's performance, I'm now wondering whether I blanked out through part of the first night, because I certainly didn't find that last night.

I had never seen Anastasia Act III before. I didn't like it on the opening night but enjoyed it on the closing! I have no idea why - it just was more enjoyable. I think I was put off initially by the beginning as I found it disturbing, but on Saturday it didn't worry me. I think the performances were better too. Most strange but I am so pleased I attended again.  

[Benjamin]

21 hours ago, oncnp said:

 

The decision might be purely financial. Scarlett's Swan Lake is the current production and reportedly cost a fortune. They can't afford a new one at this point (even if they wanted one).  The same with the DVDs. If it makes money they will continue to sell them.

Note: I’m talking about Swan Lake and budgeting. I think this would make an interesting discussion even when it’s not being performed, anyone agree?

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Benjamin
Added a note

[Benjamin]

Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Morera’s final performance but this has me remembering wasn’t this final performance filmed? I wonder if Anastasia Act III alone will be published on ROH stream. I could also see the chance of untitled being available on there, as they recently realised McGregors Limen and Chroma.

[bangorballetboy]

Just now, Benjamin said:

Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Morera’s final performance but this has me remembering wasn’t this final performance filmed? I wonder if Anastasia Act III alone will be published on ROH stream. I could also see the chance of untitled being available on there, as they recently realised McGregors Limen and Chroma.

 

The final performance was not filmed (other than for archive purposes) but the first show in the run was filmed.

[capybara]

2 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

I think this would make an interesting discussion even when it’s not being performed, anyone agree?

Perfectly happy to explore the relative merits of the many and various productions of Swan Lake and/or balancing a ballet company’s finances generally but, if you mean a discussion concerned with Liam Scarlett @Benjamin, I don’t feel that that has a place on BCF.

[Benjamin]

Just now, bangorballetboy said:

 

The final performance was not filmed (other than for archive purposes) but the first show in the run was filmed.

I didn’t know this, thank you. I guess the closets we will get to a recording is dancers diary’s video.

[Benjamin]

1 minute ago, capybara said:

Perfectly happy to explore the relative merits of the many and various productions of Swan Lake and/or balancing a ballet company’s finances generally but, if you mean a discussion concerned with Liam Scarlett @Benjamin, I don’t feel that that has a place on BCF.

Sorry I should have been more clear. I meant about Swan lake and Finances.

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

 

The final performance was not filmed (other than for archive purposes) but the first show in the run was filmed.

 

As was the second. I can only think it was for Japanese audiences, what with the prevalence of Fumi Kaneko and Ryoichi Hirano (and others) during the evening's proceedings

[Emeralds]

So after all the initial speculation and discussion about whether the new McGregor ballet would be any good and how the entire triple bill would fare, I got to see it for the first time on the last performance. I liked Carmen Herrera’s set, “Tetris” piece and all, and the changes in colour of the lighting. I would have liked the men to have been able to keep their hair looking natural (like they do in most of his earlier works) so that we can tell them apart easily.

 

With regard to the choreography, I noticed that with many of the cast were a new group that McGregor is creating on, very different to the dancers he frequently collaborated with, eg Watson, Bonelli, Galeazzi (all not dancing with RB now), Lamb, McRae, Nuñez, Cuthbertson, Takada, Hirano, etc who were familiar with his choreographic language. There were striking and creative solos and pas de deux for Sissens, Dixon, Hamilton, Bell, Richardson and Masciari. However, the writing for other featured roles and the ensemble felt more tentative. Whether that is due to dancers being less familiar with his style of working or by lack of time (this premiere was less than a month after the premiere of another new work, UniVerse:A Dark Crystal Odyssey, at the Linbury), or something else, it’s hard to know. However, the ballet was still an entertaining piece and we were pleased we went- the other members of the audience around me seemed to enjoy it a lot too.

 

While Untitled 2023 may not be as spectacular in comparison with some of his triumphs at ROH like Woolf Works, Chroma or Dante Project, in terms of an evening at the dance compared to other offerings around the world, it was certainly a quality piece with brilliant dancing from his cast. I also liked the textures and soundscape of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music - it suited the needs of the ballet.

 

Corybantic Games was a mixed bag the first time it was presented in 2018, with costumes that (even after reworking several times before the premiere, according to the designer) were an eyesore, and hindered the choreography. They have once again been remade with a stretchier, more silvery material that is slightly more flattering to the women, and the long black straps that flung wildly around (in the programme notes Wheeldon himself admits that this wasn’t intended/wanted) have been shortened and more firmly attached. However the problems with men’s costumes and the design of the women’s clothing looking like a confused mish mash of 1950s, bondage, and 1930s Riviera, with the greased down hairstyles, still persist and obstruct the appearance and flow of the dancing. I went with a friend who happens to study Classics and when asked if they looked like they were inspired by ancient Greece, he laughed and said “Not at all!”

 

There is some beautiful choreography in the second movement, sensitively danced here by Annette Buvoli (originally created for Beatrix Stix-Brunell) with a hint of Wheeldon’s inspiration of ancient Greece, without turning into caricature. She also performed the technically demanding aspects of the solo smoothly and with musicality, without letting it become a classroom exercise in technique. Buvoli has really developed into a dancer with developing technical mastery and compelling dramatic skill- and most importantly, a performer who knows the art of balance and not overdoing either, in contrast to the “look at me!” show off aesthetic beginning to infiltrate ballet from social media trends. It’s old fashioned artistry, but in a good way. I look forward to seeing her next season and seeing what she brings to those ballets.

 

Bernstein’s score is a distinctive virtuoso concerto for a violinist and full orchestra and not an easy piece to choreograph to, although an impressive and compelling piece in the concert hall. This isn’t the first time Wheeldon has used the music, having previously choreographed a ballet to it for Boston Ballet. At times it did feel as though the choreography was a little overwhelmed by the music, with the tendency to repeat ideas that soon became gimmicks, eg holding a man’s foot to look like an ancient picture of a Greek athlete, or the hand flicks in the fast pas de deux of the 3rd movement. And where the slow music of the 4th movement cried out for an elegant centrepiece pas de deux like many of the ones Wheeldon has created successfully before, we get three doing their own thing and detracting from each other (at one point also obstructing views of another pair). I missed the presence of Tierney Heap and Lauren Cuthbertson (both obviously unable this season to reprise the roles they created), whose artistry in their roles helped elevate the choreography to a higher level in 2018. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing Wheeldon’s choreography in ENB’s Cinderella later this week. 

 

I recall watching Anastasia Act 3 on its own just once before seeing the full length version, and much preferred the full length one, to give some cheer  and a sense of context to the expressionist bleakness of Act 3. I know when the full length version was previously revived, a sizeable vocal minority wrote in and insisted it was superfluous having the first two acts and called for the ballet to be staged only with act 3. Let’s hope they all kept their promise and bought tickets to see it on its own this month, as it looks like most patrons don’t agree Act 3 should just be lifted out on its own and stayed home. I do think the company also could have credited the dancers performing the roles of her sisters, parents, brother and nanny, as well as her husband’s brother (and other people who rescued her) on the cast list, as it becomes rather confusing to audiences who haven’t seen the ballet before.

 

I’ll never know what the original Berlin version MacMillan made looked like as it was before I was born, and even the standalone Act 3 I saw before the revival of the full length version was presented after MacMillan had made the 1971 full length version, so it could well be simply a lifting out of the last act. The programme states that the performances of Anastasia this season are dedicated to the late Lynn Seymour, who was the original Anastasia in both versions. Although the productions would have been planned before the announcement of her passing or of Morera’s retirement, I couldn’t help feeling that the full length work would have been a  more fitting tribute to both, and with a third ballerina making a debut in the title role (?Lamb ?Nunez etc) would have been much more successful at the box office.

 

That said, I enjoyed this Act 3 performance as Morera, with great support from all her colleagues on stage, in particular Gartside, Hirano, and as her sisters, Storm Jensen, Gasparini and - I think- Bradbury, really made me forget about not getting the other two acts. Morera’s artistry and virtuosity in the role were outstanding. Wouldn't have watched it as a stand-alone piece otherwise. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Emeralds

[LinMM]

I’ve mostly only seen the full length version back in early to mid 70’s….and of course Seymour in the title role. 
I remember that third Act as being pretty stunning in all senses of the word and maybe it had just that little bit of extra meaning at the time as it was only later on that Anderson was proved definitively not to be a relative of the Russian Royalty.. so her plight depicted in the third Act had a bit more poignancy even though it was suspected she wasn’t ..there was still that doubt she could be.
You left the theatre almost in a state of shock after that third Act …Seymour was just brilliant in expressing the choreography. 
I have seen this Act on its own since but found it a rather disjointed experience inspite of the talents of dancers like Osipova…who is also brilliant in Act 3. Unfortunately have not seen Morera in this role though have no doubt she would have been good too! I don’t feel it is outdated anyway. 


 

[Emeralds]

32 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I’ve mostly only seen the full length version back in early to mid 70’s….and of course Seymour in the title role. 
I remember that third Act as being pretty stunning in all senses of the word and maybe it had just that little bit of extra meaning at the time as it was only later on that Anderson was proved definitively not to be a relative of the Russian Royalty.. so her plight depicted in the third Act had a bit more poignancy even though it was suspected she wasn’t ..there was still that doubt she could be.
You left the theatre almost in a state of shock after that third Act …Seymour was just brilliant in expressing the choreography. 
I have seen this Act on its own since but found it a rather disjointed experience inspite of the talents of dancers like Osipova…who is also brilliant in Act 3. Unfortunately have not seen Morera in this role though have no doubt she would have been good too! I don’t feel it is outdated anyway. 


 

Oh! Would have loved to watch Seymour in Anastasia -any version. In fact, in any dancing role on stage. I did see her in the role of Lowry’s mother in Gillian Lynne’s A Simple Man with Northern Ballet (then called Northern Ballet Theatre) but it was a character role and not a dancing one - she was magnificent of course, just like Christopher Gable was, in the role of Lowry. I’ve only seen her in the dancing roles eg Giselle, Sleeping Beauty grand pas de deux, etc on tv. Am very envious of you, LinMM, in a good way. 😊 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Emeralds

[bridiem]

30 minutes ago, LinMM said:

I’ve mostly only seen the full length version back in early to mid 70’s….and of course Seymour in the title role. 
I remember that third Act as being pretty stunning in all senses of the word and maybe it had just that little bit of extra meaning at the time as it was only later on that Anderson was proved definitively not to be a relative of the Russian Royalty.. so her plight depicted in the third Act had a bit more poignancy even though it was suspected she wasn’t ..there was still that doubt she could be.

 

I find the first two acts of Anastasia have hardly any interesting choreography or character development and so are really just fillers. And for me it's a huge problem now that we know that Anna was not Anastasia; the third act can still work on its own as a portrait of delusion and identity loss etc with Anastasia as her focus, but having two whole acts preceding it when we know she was NOT in fact Anastasia makes no sense at all.

[Emeralds]

I see it as Franziska/Anna hallucinating and confabulating about Anastasia’s life as part of her mental state. It definitely doesn’t follow the traditional story ballet arc of this happens to X, this happens to X next, then this happens to X last. It’s more like this happens to X, this happens to X and she dies, Y thinks about X.  

 

I did wonder about the facts vs the ballet when I saw it at the run in 2016, as the DNA evidence not only proving she wasn’t related to the Romanovs, but proving she was related to her family, the Schanzkowskis, was now available....but it worked for us when my friend (who actually lived in Germany at the time Anna Anderson/Franziska was in the news!) and I saw it. We discussed the history and the facts, and she was fine with it in the same ballet, and in fact thought it was creative and inspired to keep it in.

 

It does make sense as a storyline that one family’s tragedy could be depicted in the hallucinations of another. Hallucinations and delusions about being related to famous people (married to is a common one) is not uncommon in psychiatry. Thankfully, MacMillan didn’t put anything in the ballet that assumes that she is actually Anastasia, so I think the ballet still works. Some might find it uncomfortable or just strange and not want to watch the ballet. I’m ok with that too. But I personally wouldn’t choose to watch Act 3 on its own. Well, maybe if there was some rare Ashton or Bournonville on the same bill, yes...

Edited June 19, 2023 by Emeralds

[JohnS]

In response to bridiem’s post above, as Anna believes she’s Anastasia, it seems reasonable to me that we see Anna ‘reliving’ her childhood. Don’t we briefly see Anna at the outset of Act 1? And I’d have welcomed a similar appearance at the start of Act 2. Perhaps thinking of the ballet more as ‘Anna/Anastasia’ rather than ‘Anastasia’ would help. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by JohnS
Other posts in between

[Emeralds]

What gives it an extra dimension of sadness is I read recently that Anna Anderson/Franziska’s family found out she was alive and met her several times, but in 1938 the Nazi government said she would be imprisoned if found to be impersonating the Tsar’s daughter, so her sister refused to sign the documents proving her identity for fear of sending her sister to jail and whatever outcome that would lead to- I presume she had no doubt had heard about Jews and political activists who had been jailed and were never seen again. How painful to know that reunion would spell death for your sibling but isolating your sibling was the only way to keep her alive!

[PS this isn’t in the ballet. But her hallucinations about escaping the Bolsheviks, when she obviously didn’t in real life, still work in the context of her other hallucinations, I feel. ]

Edited June 19, 2023 by Emeralds

[alison]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

I do think the company also could have credited the dancers performing the roles of her sisters, parents, brother and nanny, as well as her husband’s brother (and other people who rescued her) on the cast list, as it becomes rather confusing to audiences who haven’t seen the ballet before.

 

I’ll never know what the original Berlin version MacMillan made looked like as it was before I was born, and even the standalone Act 3 I saw before the revival of the full length version was presented after MacMillan had made the 1971 full length version, so it could well be simply a lifting out of the last act.

 

Agree with you about the family members (and Olga - is it Olga? - definitely should be, as she has as large a role as the husband's is nowadays), but the husband's brother is now such a non-role (I think much of his choreography must have been transferred to the husband after the husband's was transferred to Rasputin) that I don't think people even realise who he is any more.  But even one of those catch-all "Artists of the Royal Ballet" for the other roles would have been better than just ignoring their existence.

 

As far as I could tell, it appeared to be a "lifting out" of the final act of the 21st-century version of the full-length work, if that makes sense!

[Ondine]

Made when the three act ballet was performed in 2016, there are a few useful insights to be gleaned.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Ondine

[Emeralds]

Just now, alison said:

 

Agree with you about the family members (and Olga - is it Olga? - definitely should be, as she has as large a role as the husband's is nowadays), but the husband's brother is now such a non-role (I think much of his choreography must have been transferred to the husband after the husband's was transferred to Rasputin) that I don't think people even realise who he is any more.  But even one of those catch-all "Artists of the Royal Ballet" for the other roles would have been better than just ignoring their existence.

 

As far as I could tell, it appeared to be a "lifting out" of the final act of the 21st-century version of the full-length work, if that makes sense!

I couldn't actually recall which sister it was, unless I owned the RB DVD (unfortunately I don’t!) and could put it on to check. Anyone here with a copy of the DVD?  It’s funny that I could say Gina Storm Jensen dances the role, but not name her character other than “Anastasia’s sister” or “one of the princesses”. Oh, haha, looks like I’ve been tricked by the scam/delusion too- I called them “her” parents, sisters etc but it should say “Anastasia’s parents, sisters,...” as Morera doesn’t portray Anastasia in this lone act. 

[bridiem]

24 minutes ago, JohnS said:

In response to bridiem’s post above, as Anna believes she’s Anastasia, it seems reasonable to me that we see Anna ‘reliving’ her childhood. Don’t we briefly see Anna at the outset of Act 1? And I’d have welcomed a similar appearance at the start of Act 2. Perhaps thinking of the ballet more as ‘Anna/Anastasia’ rather than ‘Anastasia’ would help. 

 

I don't remember seeing Anna at the beginning; that would help to an extent, but for me it still seems like a huge amount of time spent on reliving the details of what we now know to be false memories (which are actually presented as the lives of the real people involved). In a sense, we now know that the ballet is really about Anna, not about Anastasia, but most of the stage time is given to Anastasia's life.

[Emeralds]

I think I do recall her (Anna) rushing out at the beginning, from the tv screening on Sky Arts and the lockdown streaming, in her grey dress. But if you asked me just after we saw it at the opera house, I probably won’t have remembered. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Oh! Would have loved to watch Seymour in Anastasia -any version. In fact, in any dancing role on stage. I did see her in the role of Lowry’s mother in Gillian Lynne’s A Simple Man with Northern Ballet (then called Northern Ballet Theatre) but it was a character role and not a dancing one - she was magnificent of course, just like Christopher Gable was, in the role of Lowry. I’ve only seen her in the dancing roles eg Giselle, Sleeping Beauty grand pas de deux, etc on tv. Am very envious of you, LinMM, in a good way. 😊 

 

IIRC, when LFB/ENB performed Anastasia Act 3, Anna was danced by both Lynn Seymour and Trinidad Sevillano.  

 

I was not a ballet watcher during Lynn Seymour's stellar career but I did see her as Tatiana in Onegin (I can still well up thinking about her), in Peter Schauffus production of Nutcracker for LFB/ENB (sadly looking very out of shape in the grand pdd (the Sugar Plum solo was not performed when I saw it) and as Lowry's Mother in A Simple Man.

[Emeralds]

6 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

IIRC, when LFB/ENB performed Anastasia Act 3, Anna was danced by both Lynn Seymour and Trinidad Sevillano.  

 

I was not a ballet watcher during Lynn Seymour's stellar career but I did see her as Tatiana in Onegin (I can still well up thinking about her), in Peter Schauffus production of Nutcracker for LFB/ENB (sadly looking very out of shape in the grand pdd (the Sugar Plum solo was not performed when I saw it) and as Lowry's Mother in A Simple Man.

I was away when LFB put on Anastasia Act 3, but glad you got to see her as Onegin, Janet! That must have been an incredible performance!