Alice in Wonderland Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich

[Sabine0308]

The free livestream and Video on Demand (still available until tomorrow on youtube or here https://www.staatsoper.de/tv

gave a wonderful opportunity for many people to watch this fun ballet without leaving home. My actual plan was to go to Munich and watch 2 performances live, but health issues stopped me. So I was grateful for the livestream.

The ballet and/or the story is certainly well-known to forum members here, so I want to focus on the dancers:

Madison Young was as delicate and kind young lady who certainly had a soft spot for Jack from the beginning. Her confusion and curiosity about the happenings in Wonderland was convincing. Jakob Feyferlik, in his debut as principal dancer in Munich in the role of Jack, was a good and strong partner and their romance was a joy to see in the beautiful Pas de Deux.

Since I LOVE weird scenes and characters, my favorite scenes were with the infamous Queen of Hearts (brilliant: Elvina Ibraimova), and the butcher scene. OMG how morbid and actually not for kids to watch, I thought🤪. So much to discover. (But then, kids today are used to even worse scenes on TV, unfortunately.)

I once saw the Royal Ballet dancing this ballet, and this is where Steven McRae jumped into my ballet heart forever as Mad Hatter. He was just brilliant, so I was looking forward to the tea party. Antonio Casalinho delivered a good tap dancing but didn't grab the character for me. His Hatter looked rather dumb than sly and owning the party, as Steven did, so it was a bit disappointing.

Whereas Shale Wagman as kind and caring Carroll Lewis, and especially as neurotic White Rabbit was totally in character. The Rabbit ears and feet fit him like a glove, so to speak. A clean and fine technique, combined with weird, neurotic behavior, yet also a secret caring (about Alice) made his performance the highlight in the evening for me.

 

All dancers did a good job, and I certainly felt their joy to dance and tell the slightly weird story🤪.

 

Aside from the ballet, there is also a video with interviews with Wagman, Young and Feyferlik on youtube, about the process of jumping into the characters.

I hope I can go in March to see the ballet live in the theatre.

 

A review I can fully support can also be found here:

www.lanottemag.com

Edited October 28, 2023 by Sabine0308

[Sabine0308]

Behind the scenes interviews:

 

 

[alison]

Thanks for the reminder, Sabine - I'd completely forgotten this was on.

[Sabine0308]

5 hours ago, alison said:

Thanks for the reminder, Sabine - I'd completely forgotten this was on.

Hurry...it's on only until 10 am Munich time

[Ondine]

13 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

Hurry...it's on only until 10 am Munich time

 

That was an unexpected treat this morning,  thanks for the heads up!

 

 

[Sabine0308]

35 minutes ago, Ondine said:

 

That was an unexpected treat this morning,  thanks for the heads up!

 

 

You're welcome, hope you enjoyed!

[Ondine]

41 minutes ago, Sabine0308 said:

hope you enjoyed!

 

I did, interesting to see a very different cast! It's a fun ballet.