Birmingham Royal Ballet- The Nutcracker (17 November- 9 December 2023) Birmingham Hippodrome

[Emeralds]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.....when Sir Peter Wright’s productions of The Nutcracker herald the arrival of Christmas! 

 

BRB’s 2023 Nutcracker season began last night at the Birmingham Hippodrome, and this season there will be one welcome and one farewell- guest principal dancer Ricardo Castellanos from Norwegian National Ballet makes his debut with the company as the Prince, and BRB legend and beloved star Michael O’Hare gives his farewell performance on Friday 8 December (he also performed the role of Grandfather at the first night performance and will reprise it tonight).

 

Cast sheets are here: https://www.brb.org.uk/downloadable-castsheets

Look forward to reading reviews, thoughts and feedback from members who are attending this season. 🎄🎁

[Dawnstar]

I'm not attending but I've just had a look at the cast sheets for the first few performances & I notice with interest that Max Maslen is doing Drosselmeyer as well as the Prince later in the run. Is this casting in both roles usual for BRB's production? I've only seen it twice in nealy 30 years so I don't know the usual casting patterns.

[Ondine]

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

Ricardo Castellanos from Norwegian National Ballet

 Interview from a year ago.

 

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/2022/11/15/congratulations-to-principal-dancer-ricardo-castellanos/

[Odyssey]

Surprised, but delighted to see, that Celine Gittens is dancing Rose Fairy this season

[Jan McNulty]

Lachlan Monaghan is also cast in both roles (from his IG).

[PeterS]

2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Lachlan Monaghan is also cast in both roles (from his IG).

Lachlan is dancing the Rose Fairy? 

[Jan McNulty]

27 minutes ago, PeterS said:

Lachlan is dancing the Rose Fairy? 

 

He's so multi-talented he probably could!!

 

I should have said Drosselmeyer.

[Emeralds]

7 hours ago, PeterS said:

Lachlan is dancing the Rose Fairy? 

If his Act 1 solo in Black Sabbath the Ballet is anything to go by, Tzu-Chao Chou might step in if all the Rose Fairies and their understudies suddenly became indisposed or unavailable. 😄 If they're short of a singer (or a pianist, Carlos Acosta tells us), Lachlan could cover that (seeing as he sang so well in BSTB).

 

But joking aside, looking forward to any reviews about Max Maslen and Lachlan Monaghan's Drosselmeyers if any members are going on those dates. 

 

On 18/11/2023 at 20:56, Dawnstar said:

I'm not attending but I've just had a look at the cast sheets for the first few performances & I notice with interest that Max Maslen is doing Drosselmeyer as well as the Prince later in the run. Is this casting in both roles usual for BRB's production? I've only seen it twice in nealy 30 years so I don't know the usual casting patterns.

You're right that it's unusual to see danseurs performing as both Drosselmeyer and Prince in the same season, Dawnstar, but I think this production by Peter Wrght has precedent- I've seen Joseph Cipolla (principal dancer of BRB and back when it was Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet) dancing both Drosselmeyer and Prince in the same season.

 

I think Andrew Killian of Australian Ballet (their Nutcracker is also Peter Wright's and very similar to the BRB version) danced both Drosselmeyer and Prince in the same season....I believe there have been others as well (at BRB and AusBallet).

 

Drosselmeyer in this production is meant to be a younger gentleman than Drosselmeyer in the Royal Ballet's production and most orher versions. Come to think of it, I believe Joseph Cipolla was actually the original Drosselmeyer when this version was premiered over 3 decades ago, and he was still dancing other Prince roles and classical lead roles at the time. 

[Jan McNulty]

Photographer Phil Hitchman has posted a photograph of Lachlan as Drosselmeyer on IG:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz4li5igwza/

[Emeralds]

I think Lachlan might be the one portraying Drosselmeyer on the BRB trailer on social media (twice so far) for Nutcracker this week, along with Tyrone Singleton (as the Prince), Yu Kurihara (as the Sugar Plum Fairy), and I think Rachele Pizzillo as Clara. It's a pity they haven't officially credited the dancers in the clip. I know there are many dancers featured for just a couple of seconds in the trailer but at least identifying Clara and the Prince will help people who may be considering buying tickets. One is more predisposed to going if they have a name or two, even if not buying tickets for the same show that those artists are appearing in.

[Dawnstar]

@Emeralds Your post has just made me look up the trailer. I don't think it's Rachele Pizzillio as Clara in it though, it looks like Sofia Linares to me. I think Pizzillio may make a very brief appearance in the Spanish dance, though it's hard to be certain when it's so brief. Seeing the trailer does make me want to see the production again but the trains are too uncertain at the moment for me be willing to risk a longer journey.

[Emeralds]

13 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

@Emeralds Your post has just made me look up the trailer. I don't think it's Rachele Pizzillio as Clara in it though, it looks like Sofia Linares to me. I think Pizzillio may make a very brief appearance in the Spanish dance, though it's hard to be certain when it's so brief. Seeing the trailer does make me want to see the production again but the trains are too uncertain at the moment for me be willing to risk a longer journey.

I admit it was a toss up as to whether to pick Sofia Linares or Rachele Pizzillo as both were cast in the revised casting to perform with Kurihara and Singleton! (On my device, only Singleton can be identified with certainty as the filming has him onscreen standing still the longest and everyone else is a blur of movement.) So I picked whoever was going first, hence Pizzillo.

 

I long for Dutch National Ballet's diligent postings, where everyone (even with multiple photos) is meticulously and respectfully identified and credited. ROH has been particularly sloppy of late.

 

Like you, I'd love to see the production again but ASLEF's announcement of strikes recently has made me apprehensive about booking tickets and hotel in case there are no trains.

[Jan McNulty]

On 24/11/2023 at 22:12, Dawnstar said:

@Emeralds Your post has just made me look up the trailer. I don't think it's Rachele Pizzillio as Clara in it though, it looks like Sofia Linares to me. I think Pizzillio may make a very brief appearance in the Spanish dance, though it's hard to be certain when it's so brief. Seeing the trailer does make me want to see the production again but the trains are too uncertain at the moment for me be willing to risk a longer journey.

 

 

I've just had a look at the trailer and I also believe it's Sofia Linares.

[alison]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though I shall be going this year: by the time I'd waited to make sure we were clear of rail strikes, all the cheapest tickets had already gone  

[Jan McNulty]

I was fortunate indeed to see two sparkling performances on Thursday 23rd November.

 

As far as I am concerned SPW's Nutcracker, made as a gift for the City of Birmingham when the company moved to the city in 1990, is the best production of Nutcracker I have ever seen.  The story is told in a straightforward manner, the orchestra is wonderful, the set and costumes are fabulous.

 

Act 1's party is very believable with lots of dancing for all the party guests.  Drosselmeyer has a sinister edge in this production (but not too scary) and when Clara comes back downstairs to find the Nutcracker Doll, Drosselmeyer is hiding on a chair.  Cue the best transformation scene ever!!

 

I've seen at least one performance every year that this production has been performed and the growing of the tree and the fireplace has never ceased to send shivers down my spine - oh wow the moment when the Rat King appears from the lit fireplace...  The battle scene is good and then the Nutcracker becomes the Prince after Clara has hit the Rat King over the head with her shoe. 

 

While the Nutcracker Prince dances the most beautiful duet with Clara I don't really notice the scenery change for the snow scene.  I love BRB's snowflakes and winds with the choreography making the most of the stage space.  As a fellow forum member said to me on Thursday after the matinee, the introduction of the 4 male winds makes the stage looks fuller.

 

Act 2 has all the usual national dances and the retransformation at the end.  I like the way Clara is incorporated into many of the dances and the way she is transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy for the gpdd.

 

We saw a more junior cast at the matinee led by Yuki Sugiura as a delightful Clara, Haoliang Feng as the Nutcracker Prince (and every inch the Prince he was too) and a radiant Lucy Waine as Sugar Plum.  Kit Holder was a great Drosselmeyer.  Isabella Howard was a lovely Snow Fairy.  What a treat it was too to have the sublime Miki Mizutani as the Rose Fairy.  What a performance to start the day!

 

We had the dream team cast in the evening with the vivacious Beatrice Parma as Clara, Mathias Dingman as a virtuoso Nutcracker Prince and Momoko Hirata in incandescent form as Sugarplum.  Rory Mackay was wonderfully sinister as Drosselmeyer.  Eilis Small and Sofia Liñares were both effective as Snow and Rose fairies respectively.  This performance was exuberant from start to finish and was a wonderful way to end the day.

 

The whole company is looking to be on fabulous form.

[capybara]

How lovely @Jan McNulty

[Dawnstar]

12 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

a radiant Lucy Waine as Sugar Plum.

 

She seems to be getting on very quickly. Didn't she only join the company about 3 years ago? That's certainly faster than if she'd joined the RB.

[art_enthusiast]

37 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

She seems to be getting on very quickly. Didn't she only join the company about 3 years ago? That's certainly faster than if she'd joined the RB.

 

Was she one of the dancers who appeared in Apollo for Carlos at 50?

[Jan McNulty]

12 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

 

Was she one of the dancers who appeared in Apollo for Carlos at 50?

 

Yes.

[Jan McNulty]

14 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

 

She seems to be getting on very quickly. Didn't she only join the company about 3 years ago? That's certainly faster than if she'd joined the RB.

 

Sometimes a dancer just captures the attention.  Lucy is one of those!

[Odyssey]

I was also at the Thursday matinee. to see the refurbished production which I didn’t get to see last year. Like Jan, I have no hesitation in naming this as my favourite production of ‘Nutcracker’. The newly restored sets and costumes are truly beautiful and reaffirmed my love for Sir Peter Wright and John Macfarlane’s vision. The transformation scene is unique, and it’s a rare performance that doesn’t  generate spontaneous applause as King Rat emerges triumphantly (quite literally in a blaze of glory) at the exact moment of climax in the score. Unfortunately, a slight blip in the staging involving the lighting, meant this didn’t quite have the full, mesmerising effect.  For a few seconds we were aware of the back cloth and the stage hands working the fireplace behind the scenes - surely a reminder of the important contribution made by the technicians in helping to create the (normally flawless) magical effects. I echo Jan’s appreciation of the Snowflake scene - both with the clever addition of the male winds, complete with their flowing hair, and the magical recreation of a wintry woodland in stark contrast to the rich red hues of the previous scene. The Kingdom of Sweets is just as stunning, with bold, vibrant representations of the themed  dances, rather than the delicate, pastel  confectionary that many Nutcracker productions tend to favour. 

I was of the  impression that this was Lucy Waine’s debut as Sugar Plum but the cast sheet didn’t indicate this to be the case (not sure if they do this anymore). She’s quite a striking dancer - physique wise she’s a little taller than many of the BRB women. I’ve  admired her in previous (very different) roles for her speed  and attack. Whenever I watch this role these days, I’m reminded of Lesley Collier’s coaching of Francesca Hayward - the limited time to create the character and the gruelling nature of the dancing. I thought the partnership with Haoliang Feng was solid and evidently well rehearsed. She coped pretty well with the solo where there was some lovely shaping of the arms and a sensitive  response to the phrasing of the music . She made a good attempt at the diagonal fouettés in the coda which was deservedly well received. A regal dancer and one to watch. 

A performance of note for me was Yuki Sugiura‘s Clara. She is a lovely, light dancer with a gorgeous jump. I have always admired the choreography of the pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince in this production. . The joy and wonderment at discovering her Prince was etched all over her face, and the softness of her dancing a joy to watch.  Miki Mizutani’s rose fairy  was another standout performance for her assured technique, lovely feet and the musicality of her dancing. Finally Kit Holder was a suitably dramatic Drosselmeyer, squeezing every inch of his sinews into creating the magical transformation in Act 1.

I’ve no idea how many performances of this production I have seen since Sir Peter Wright first gifted it to Birmingham, but it is genuinely no cliché to say it never loses it’s ability to recreate the child in me. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Odyssey
Spelling!

[Fonty]

18 hours ago, alison said:

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though I shall be going this year: by the time I'd waited to make sure we were clear of rail strikes, all the cheapest tickets had already gone  

 

I have had exactly the same problem.  I didn't dare book a ticket until they published the dates  for strikes in December.  

[Emeralds]

On 27/11/2023 at 19:52, Dawnstar said:

 

She seems to be getting on very quickly. Didn't she only join the company about 3 years ago? That's certainly faster than if she'd joined the RB.

Lucy Waine was a super discovery when I  first saw her in Don Quixote in 2022. She's been outstanding in every role I've seen her in - big or small. She's going to be a star of  the future.

 

She was incredible in the last 2 performances I saw her in : Calliope to Acosta's Apollo and Black Sabbath the Ballet (alongside many stunning performances from Chou on pointe, Gittens & Singleton in their lyrical pas de deux, Monaghan singing and dancing etc etc) I would have loved to catch her as Sugar Plum, Snow Fairy, or Rose Fairy, but it looks like the ASLEF strikes and overtime ban of 1-9 December will scupper that- I can't stay overnight until after the run of Nutcracker is finished!

 

I'm keeping an eye out for her in the Sleeping Beauty performances at Sadler's Wells. 

Edited 10 hours ago by Emeralds

[Dawnstar]

9 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

I'm keeping an eye out for her in the Sleeping Beauty performances at Sadler's Wells. 

 

If BRB cast the Lilac Fairy in the way the RB do, i.e. usually taller dancers, then perhaps she could be on course to do that role.