ENB Nutcracker Nov 2023 - Jan 2024: Southampton, London

[LinMM]

Agree which is why I wish there was a regular “mid week” matinee which wouldn’t necessarily be on the same day each time ( Tuesday /Wednesday/ Thursday ) alternating. 
Entirely selfish of course as I’m more likely to be in London mid week than at the weekends ( when travelling can be pretty nightmarish in the winter months when they do all the engineering works!!) 

 

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, myrtle said:

 

Maybe it's a bit off topic, but may I ask if you might also want to be extra careful after your injury because the snow clearing (shoveling of the sidewalks) isn't as vigorously and promptly practiced in London Covent Garden, compared to more Arctic and snowbound regions?   Is the area around Coliseum safe or fairly easy to walk in inclement weather, such as during the Giselle run?    

 

I remember traveling to the Southern US and during the surprise snow storm the sidewalks were entirely black ice, block after block.  The streets weren't plowed at all, because that municipality gets snow every 35 years or so and it made no economic sense to maintain a snow clearing crew.     

 

All the best wishes for your recovery and fingers crossed that ENB may bring back the Skeaping Giselle you hope to see sooner rather than later.   

 

Back on topic, may I ask if the Nutcracker cast changes this year seem more frequent than say last year or the year before?       

 

I'm relieved to hear that in recent times there has been fewer swaps of the Nephew in ENB nutcracker, hopefully making the story easier to follow.   Thanks for everyone's insights on that discussion, especially.   

 

I think I'd like to see the ENB Nutcracker some day, because the tutu the dancers wear would probably give the snow scene a very different feel.  In several other productions the snowflakes wear long romantic tutus that make my friend refer to the dancing snowflakes as frolicking wilis.   At least this non-balletomane friend deigns to sit through ballet with me, so I can't complain, lol.

Re: snow/weather- we get very little snow in London during Nutcracker runs and during winter generally. When it does snow, the local government council in Westminster where the Coliseum is are very good at clearing the sidewalks to be less slippery (I have only just realised that  @myrtlemust be posting from the US 😀); the [frequent] rain is probably more hazardous for patrons recovering after wrist surgery, as it does get slippery on the old streets and sidewalks, and train platforms (like me and some other members, LinMM also travels in from another county to get to the Coliseum or the Royal Ballet several blocks away). 

 

The most numerous swaps came during Covid times in 2021 when cast members who caught Covid had to be replaced with someone who had a negative Covid test and felt well....until that dancer himself or herself fell ill!  For ENB, the 2020-21 Nutcrackers were cancelled completely as the start of their Nutcracker season fell during the government restrictions when closing was mandatory. There are a lot of flu, Covid and respiratory viruses sweeping across the country this winter as the newspapers and some members' posts reflect (I just had to cancel one Nutcracker trip last night due to the same reason so add us to the stats!) so the dancers would be similarly affected although that may not always be the reason for the cast change. And if one person has flu and another has injury and another has a sick baby at home, for a (hypothetical) example, it's very difficult for the company to post a few different reasons so I guess they just don't.

 

I think they're also trying to keep partnerships intact and swap entire casts if it's too short notice to rehearse with new partners. In this version, Drosselmeyer also has to partner both Clara and Nutcracker so it's not a case of just keeping Clara and Nephew (equivalent of the Cavalier or Sugar Plum Fairy's partner) together. Some of the Drosselmeyers who have danced with a few different Claras and Nutcrackers in this run would have less problem being substituted on their own.

Edited January 6 by Emeralds

[Emeralds]

Here's a link to ENB's official trailer from a previous season showing the first half of their Snowflakes ❄️ scene for Myrtle and anyone else interested 😀: 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DaXNOcxtY17I&ved=2ahUKEwjnzqa4x8iDAxVyXEEAHTsqD8cQwqsBegQIDhAG&usg=AOvVaw2jTlnLorrhrBnS5rcG4HYr

[AnneL]

On 04/01/2024 at 18:53, Emeralds said:

SilkeH, I was a bit puzzled to read that you disagreed with me when we mostly concur, then I realised that the word "version" had gone missing for some reason! It should say "I found this version quite interesting"!

 

This production is interesting because it has not one but three showstopper ballerina solos- Dewdrop, Marzipan (lead) and Sugar Plum Fairy. I don't know if you have seen the 1990 RB production (vastly different to today's version by RB) but the reason why the pace dragged was that all the interesting dancing was squeezed in last. Balanchine placed the Sugar Plum Fairy solo (with the celesta in the score) at the start of Act 2 so that the virtuosity is spread out evenly and not crammed at the end. There's also a showstopper solo for a man besides the Sugar Plum Cavalier- the Russian dance is called Candy Cane in this production and that's a spectacular solo with a hoop that requires a lot of speed and dexterity. In Britain the children's dances in the classics eg Tom Thumb in Sleeping Beauty and Mother Ginger in Nutcracker are invariably cut from British productions but in Imperial Russian ballet tradition - brought to the US here- children's dances were common. I think the children in NYCB's version were hiding under her skirt though- don't think anyone in the audience when I watched it thought they looked birthed. Apollo's birth, on the other hand, does look like a birth! 

 

I suppose I watched it twice because great stars like Kyra Nichols, Margaret Tracey, Wendy Whelan, Damien Woetzel, Peter Boal et al were in the casts. If you think of the first half as a curtain raiser with great music to settle in your seat and the second act as the main event like a spectacular gala with brilliant star performances, it works! Where the 1990 RB version differed was in the pacing and pacing makes all the difference.  However when I saw the NYCB version I'd just seen the BRB production at its premiere season a few years before and regarded BRB's as the most balanced version, even if they fielded fewer principal dancers than NYCB did at each show. I've seen two recordings of it but am still waiting for a chance to watch BRB's Nutcracker live in person again when schedules allow.

I am glad to see this discussion of comparative and historic Nuts!

My first Nutcracker in January 1968 was the then Festival Ballet one with Alain Dubreuil as the Prince! I don’t remember it very well, but the programme tell me that one of the divertissements in Act 2 was called Madam de Bonboniere, which I guess must have been the equivalent of Mother Ginger. This production had some revisions to the Petipa/Ivanov choreography but designs by none other than Alexander Benois.  It was performed regularly in the 1960s at the Festival Hall, which was where I saw it. My programme tells me that ‘the management are indebted to Mme. Tamara Karsarvina for her advice on the production’ . What a lovely link that is to ballet history!

So I have wondered for some time when this Mother Ginger dance - also in the Berlin Staatsballet version I have on DVD - was dropped by Festival Ballet/ENB because as stated in the post I quoted, these children’s dances no longer feature in versions shown in this country, other than of course the party scene.

My daughter’s first Nutcracker was the ENB liquorice all-sorts version also mentioned in a post on this thread which I think also included mobile phones! Quite honestly, the current Eagling version is A big upgrade on that. But I think my all time favourite has to be the Wright BRB version especially when I saw Yoshida as the SPF.

As an aside, I find it strange that Balanchine renamed the main child characters- why Marie and not Clara? 

 

Edited January 6 by AnneL
Pressed save accidentally and too soon.

[myrtle]

7 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Re: snow/weather- we get very little snow in London during Nutcracker runs and during winter generally. When it does snow, the local government council in Westminster where the Coliseum is are very good at clearing the sidewalks to be less slippery (I have only just realised that  @myrtlemust be posting from the US 😀); the [frequent] rain is probably more hazardous for patrons recovering after wrist surgery, as it does get slippery on the old streets and sidewalks, and train platforms (like me and some other members, LinMM also travels in from another county to get to the Coliseum or the Royal Ballet several blocks away). 

 

The most numerous swaps came during Covid times in 2021 when cast members who caught Covid had to be replaced with someone who had a negative Covid test and felt well....until that dancer himself or herself fell ill!  For ENB, the 2020-21 Nutcrackers were cancelled completely as the start of their Nutcracker season fell during the government restrictions when closing was mandatory. There are a lot of flu, Covid and respiratory viruses sweeping across the country this winter as the newspapers and some members' posts reflect (I just had to cancel one Nutcracker trip last night due to the same reason so add us to the stats!) so the dancers would be similarly affected although that may not always be the reason for the cast change. And if one person has flu and another has injury and another has a sick baby at home, for a (hypothetical) example, it's very difficult for the company to post a few different reasons so I guess they just don't.

 

I think they're also trying to keep partnerships intact and swap entire casts if it's too short notice to rehearse with new partners. In this version, Drosselmeyer also has to partner both Clara and Nutcracker so it's not a case of just keeping Clara and Nephew (equivalent of the Cavalier or Sugar Plum Fairy's partner) together. Some of the Drosselmeyers who have danced with a few different Claras and Nutcrackers in this run would have less problem being substituted on their own.

 

 

Thank you for the detailed and helpful reply on so many topics.   I forgot to refer to 'sidewalks' as 'pavements.'   T__T    That is so interesting about Drosselmeyer and the complex partnering.    

 

I also love your linked video of first half of the snowflake scene from the current ENB nutcracker--thank you very much!   I love how the tutus look, but wouldn't want all companies to give up their 'frolicking wilis' and switch to these shorter costumes, because it's nice to have multiple different stylistic choices for snow scenes.   

 

 

Edited January 6 by myrtle
terminology

[myrtle]

7 hours ago, LinMM said:

Agree which is why I wish there was a regular “mid week” matinee which wouldn’t necessarily be on the same day each time ( Tuesday /Wednesday/ Thursday ) alternating. 
Entirely selfish of course as I’m more likely to be in London mid week than at the weekends ( when travelling can be pretty nightmarish in the winter months when they do all the engineering works!!) 

 

 

 

Wouldn't it be nice if one of the London ballet companies had a lottery for everyone who has to commute in from outside London, so that each Christmas someone who might have to battle train strikes and timetables gets free Nutcracker tickets to either a matinee or evening show of their choice?   

[myrtle]

7 hours ago, LinMM said:

😂😂I love the “frolicking wilis”

Somehow I can now see a possible comedy sketch with the Wilis suddenly defying Myrthe and doing their own thing while Giselle and Albrecht try to get the “drama” back on track! 

 

 

 

I hope the enterprising choreographer who runs away with this idea will credit you among the Creatives 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, myrtle said:

Wouldn't it be nice if one of the London ballet companies had a lottery for everyone who has to commute in from outside London, so that each Christmas someone who might have to battle train strikes and timetables gets free Nutcracker tickets to either a matinee or evening show of their choice?   

 

I love this idea. Though the winner would have to be allowed to change to a different performance at the last minute if they had train problems on the previously selected day!

[Sim]

1 hour ago, myrtle said:

 

I hope the enterprising choreographer who runs away with this idea will credit you among the Creatives 

@LinMM had this idea:  Somehow I can now see a possible comedy sketch with the Wilis suddenly defying Myrthe and doing their own thing while Giselle and Albrecht try to get the “drama” back on track! 

 

 

One for The Trocks, perhaps?  

[LinMM]

Ha ha definitely!!! 

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, AnneL said:

I am glad to see this discussion of comparative and historic Nuts!

My first Nutcracker in January 1968 was the then Festival Ballet one with Alain Dubreuil as the Prince! I don’t remember it very well, but the programme tell me that one of the divertissements in Act 2 was called Madam de Bonboniere, which I guess must have been the equivalent of Mother Ginger. This production had some revisions to the Petipa/Ivanov choreography but designs by none other than Alexander Benois.  It was performed regularly in the 1960s at the Festival Hall, which was where I saw it. My programme tells me that ‘the management are indebted to Mme. Tamara Karsarvina for her advice on the production’ . What a lovely link that is to ballet history!

So I have wondered for some time when this Mother Ginger dance - also in the Berlin Staatsballet version I have on DVD - was dropped by Festival Ballet/ENB because as stated in the post I quoted, these children’s dances no longer feature in versions shown in this country, other than of course the party scene.

My daughter’s first Nutcracker was the ENB liquorice all-sorts version also mentioned in a post on this thread which I think also included mobile phones! Quite honestly, the current Eagling version is A big upgrade on that. But I think my all time favourite has to be the Wright BRB version especially when I saw Yoshida as the SPF.

As an aside, I find it strange that Balanchine renamed the main child characters- why Marie and not Clara? 

 

Loved your recollections, @AnneL! The first time I ever heard of or saw anything about Nutcracker the ballet (as opposed to the music, which was a big perennial favourite on the airwaves) was an old ballet book owned by a relative with gorgeous black and white photos of London Festival Ballet in their production of Nutcracker. I was very small then and I believe the Prince was credited as John Gilpin but I don't remember Clara being credited. There was a stunning picture of the Snowflakes and Clara/Nutcracker post transformation scene pas de deux, and other eye-catching pictures of the Kingdom of the Sweets. but I don't remember pictures of the Sugar Plum Fairy or who danced her, or if she was credited. 

 

The Marie/Clara discrepancy comes from the fact that the characters in the original ETA Hoffmann short story were Marie and Fritz, plus an older sister Louise, while Ivanov (or Petipa who did the concept but was too ill to choreograph) and Tchaikovsky called their characters Clara, Fritz and Marianna according to a historical photo of the dancers at the St Petersburg premiere (although Tchaikovsky appears to have named kept Louise as the sister's name in the score). Alexandre Dumas wrote an adaptation of the ETA Hoffmann story which was far more PG rated and innocent  than the Hoffmann original, and it was this version that Ivanov, Petipa and Tchaikovsky used as the ballet libretto (the characters had the original Hoffmann names in Dumas' version). I think a number of American and Russian companies choose to use Marie (or the Russian translation Masha) still.

 

I would have LOVED to have seen those Benois designs and Alain Dubreuil (father of RB's Teo!) as the Prince! We've heard the Mother Ginger music before in a cartoon (haha) and I remember it from the NYCB production. It's very jolly and a great piece of music in its own right but I'm guessing it would make the show even longer for little children (and audience members who need to catch trains although perhaps some would point out that length is no deterrent to those who travel for Swan Lake!). I do agree with you about the big upgrade (though no disrespect to the creator of that version)!

Edited January 6 by Emeralds

[alison]

6 hours ago, AnneL said:

So I have wondered for some time when this Mother Ginger dance - also in the Berlin Staatsballet version I have on DVD - was dropped by Festival Ballet/ENB because as stated in the post I quoted, these children’s dances no longer feature in versions shown in this country, other than of course the party scene.

ENB's Hampson/Scarfe production had it - children disguised in presents or Nutcracker heads, I think it was - but it didn't do much with them.

[Emeralds]

Last show of ENB Nutcracker today! Francesca Velicu leads today's cast as Clara with Ken Saruhashi as Nephew and Noam Durand as Nutcracker, James Streeter as Drosselmeyer and Ivana Bueno as Louise. Funnily enough I saw the production last year during the last week and Velicu and Bueno were my Clara and Louise too! They were brilliant- they both have their firecracker virtuoso side when not portraying dramatic roles in modern works! Toi toi toi to the company and the Tring Park students today on their final matinee! (A small number of tickets left as I type, 35 mins before curtain up). 

[AnneL]

14 hours ago, alison said:

ENB's Hampson/Scarfe production had it - children disguised in presents or Nutcracker heads, I think it was - but it didn't do much with them.

Interesting! It’s a long time since I saw that one.

[AnneL]

19 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Loved your recollections, @AnneL! The first time I ever heard of or saw anything about Nutcracker the ballet (as opposed to the music, which was a big perennial favourite on the airwaves) was an old ballet book owned by a relative with gorgeous black and white photos of London Festival Ballet in their production of Nutcracker. I was very small then and I believe the Prince was credited as John Gilpin but I don't remember Clara being credited. There was a stunning picture of the Snowflakes and Clara/Nutcracker post transformation scene pas de deux, and other eye-catching pictures of the Kingdom of the Sweets. but I don't remember pictures of the Sugar Plum Fairy or who danced her, or if she was credited. 

 

The Marie/Clara discrepancy comes from the fact that the characters in the original ETA Hoffmann short story were Marie and Fritz, plus an older sister Louise, while Ivanov (or Petipa who did the concept but was too ill to choreograph) and Tchaikovsky called their characters Clara, Fritz and Marianna according to a historical photo of the dancers at the St Petersburg premiere (although Tchaikovsky appears to have named kept Louise as the sister's name in the score). Alexandre Dumas wrote an adaptation of the ETA Hoffmann story which was far more PG rated and innocent  than the Hoffmann original, and it was this version that Ivanov, Petipa and Tchaikovsky used as the ballet libretto (the characters had the original Hoffmann names in Dumas' version). I think a number of American and Russian companies choose to use Marie (or the Russian translation Masha) still.

 

I would have LOVED to have seen those Benois designs and Alain Dubreuil (father of RB's Teo!) as the Prince! We've heard the Mother Ginger music before in a cartoon (haha) and I remember it from the NYCB production. It's very jolly and a great piece of music in its own right but I'm guessing it would make the show even longer for little children (and audience members who need to catch trains although perhaps some would point out that length is no deterrent to those who travel for Swan Lake!). I do agree with you about the big upgrade (though no disrespect to the creator of that version)!

Sadly, I don’t remember the Benois designs, it was such a long time ago. As I mentioned, it was my first Nutcracker and it was in fact my third ballet, after Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Royal’s Beauty, which I continue to prefer to any version of Nutcracker, despite the latter’s great music -  not to mention the snowflake scene, which always brings tears to my eyes. 
I never objected to the length of the ballets as a child - I distinctly remember never wanting them to end! 

[Sim]

14 hours ago, alison said:

ENB's Hampson/Scarfe production had it - children disguised in presents or Nutcracker heads, I think it was - but it didn't do much with them.

Yes, they were dressed as presents, and as I recall they just twirled around a little bit and not much else.  I have long bemoaned that the British companies seem to have dropped the Mother Ginger music.  I love it.  When I was a little girl I used to love the bit where all the children popped out from under her skirt in the NYCB production!

[San Perregrino]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

 

Last show of ENB Nutcracker today!

 

Giselle waits in the wings 

Edited January 7 by PeterS

[Dawnstar]

2 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Last show of ENB Nutcracker today! Francesca Velicu leads today's cast as Clara with Ken Saruhashi as Nephew and Noam Durand as Nutcracker, James Streeter as Drosselmeyer and Ivana Bueno as Louise. Funnily enough I saw the production last year during the last week and Velicu and Bueno were my Clara and Louise too! They were brilliant- they both have their firecracker virtuoso side when not portraying dramatic roles in modern works! Toi toi toi to the company and the Tring Park students today on their final matinee! (A small number of tickets left as I type, 35 mins before curtain up). 

 

I hope the dancers get at least one day off to slightly recover before they have to go into full Giselle mode!

[alison]

Giselle doesn't start until the 11th, so yes.

[capybara]

But there will be stage calls etc before that and the General Rehearsal is as early as Wednesday.

It’s ‘all go’ for ENB dancers at this time of year, particularly the corps, and they rise to the challenge wonderfully.

Good luck to them for their beautiful Giselle which seems to be selling really well, especially the first five shows.

[FionaM]

Precious Adams says “goodbye to this version”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C10H1kuNNKs/?igsh=b3FjOTJjdHd1YjJu

 

I’m assuming this means there is a new Nutcracker for ENB in the works? 

[San Perregrino]

11 minutes ago, FionaM said:

Precious Adams says “goodbye to this version”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C10H1kuNNKs/?igsh=b3FjOTJjdHd1YjJu

 

I’m assuming this means there is a new Nutcracker for ENB in the works? 

The cat is out…. I wonder will a new production be ready for December 2024?
And, if BCF suggestions turn out to be true there’s to be no RB Nutcracker at the end of this year.

So, unless NB brings its Nutcracker to London, a bit of a Nutcracker shortage threatens the capital next festive season with currently only BRB confirmed at the Royal Albert Hall.

Edited January 8 by PeterS

[capybara]

8 minutes ago, PeterS said:

The cat is out…. I wonder will a new production be ready for December 2024?
And, if BCF suggestions turn out to be true there’s to be no RB Nutcracker at the end of this year.

So, unless NB brings its Nutcracker to London, a bit of a Nutcracker shortage threatens the capital next festive season with currently only BRB confirmed at the Royal Albert Hall.

Too much speculation here @PeterS

It is surely very unlikely that ENB would take a year out from The Nutcracker as it’s such a primary source of income.

[alison]

31 minutes ago, FionaM said:

Precious Adams says “goodbye to this version”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C10H1kuNNKs/?igsh=b3FjOTJjdHd1YjJu

 

I’m assuming this means there is a new Nutcracker for ENB in the works? 

 

Well, I hope that's the case, rather than that she's the one leaving!

[San Perregrino]

51 minutes ago, capybara said:

Too much speculation here

Not at all, I was just summarising what has been stated elsewhere.

If Precious Adams IG post is correct, ENB has retired its Nutcracker. Therefore I am right to wonder if a new production will be ready for the end of this year.
Yes Nutcrackers are money spinners so one would hope a new ENB production is on the way in time for the end of 2024.

I personally find it hard to believe that the RB would not stage its annual money spinner yet, on another BCF thread, several members have suggested/stated that the RB will dance another production rather than its Nutcracker at the end of 2024.

Tickets are already onsale for the BRB Nutcracker at the RAH.

NB brought it’s Nutcracker as close as Woking in 2022 (we delighted in it) but came nowhere close to London in 2023.

So, yes, a Nutcracker shortage at the end of 2024 is possible.

 

Edited January 8 by PeterS

[FionaM]

25 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Well, I hope that's the case, rather than that she's the one leaving!

Yes that’s the other possibility that I also hope is not the case!

Edited January 8 by FionaM

[OnePigeon]

I believe they will be using a different version of Nutcracker next year, though I’m not sure if it’s an existing ENB one, a new to the ENB but existing elsewhere, or they will be staging a brand new version.  

[San Perregrino]

35 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Well, I hope that's the case, rather than that she's the one leaving!

Precious Adam’s IG post says others are saying goodbye to the production too.

[bridiem]

Not the best way for such news to come out, really. 

[alison]

8 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

I believe they will be using a different version of Nutcracker next year, though I’m not sure if it’s an existing ENB one, a new to the ENB but existing elsewhere, or they will be staging a brand new version.  

 

It's short notice to be bringing in a new one so soon after a new AD takes over - especially, as we have commented, since the current production still seems to be selling well enough, despite some people's reservations about it - wonder what Semperoper's production was/is like?

[FionaM]

4 minutes ago, alison said:

 

It's short notice to be bringing in a new one so soon after a new AD takes over - especially, as we have commented, since the current production still seems to be selling well enough, despite some people's reservations about it - wonder what Semperoper's production was/is like?

I’m thinking that there has been ample time since Aaron’s appointment as incoming ENB AD to commission a new version.  His appointment was first announced way back in August 2022.
 

 (And the problems with the existing version have been known for many years). 

[OnePigeon]

They’ll still be performing the Nutcracker, but obviously want to retire this version for whatever reasons.  I personally didn’t mind it, but it seems to be unpopular in some quarters, so it will be interesting to see which version they choose to perform.  I too wonder about the Semperoper’s or if there was a preferred ENB version from Aaron Watkin’s time as a dancer?  Time will tell.  I’m sure to Joe Public having a Christmas treat at the ballet it’s not a huge deal, as long as it’s not some crazy new version.  

[James]

11 minutes ago, OnePigeon said:

They’ll still be performing the Nutcracker, but obviously want to retire this version for whatever reasons.  I personally didn’t mind it, but it seems to be unpopular in some quarters, so it will be interesting to see which version they choose to perform.  I too wonder about the Semperoper’s or if there was a preferred ENB version from Aaron Watkin’s time as a dancer?  Time will tell.  I’m sure to Joe Public having a Christmas treat at the ballet it’s not a huge deal, as long as it’s not some crazy new version.  

The Semperoper’s production was by Aaron Watkins, wasn’t it?