Rob S Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 3 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Manon's memories/flashbacks in Act 3 when she's feverish in the swamp- Lescaut always runs in looking bloodstained when chasing his Mistress. Then after that both Manon and Des Grieux are using the whole stage....so Lescaut could have dripped some blood that Des Grieux's sleeve brushes against? But Lescaut is dressed just as he is in my pics when he appears in Act 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolkgal Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 He’s also just stabbed the jailer. No one really innocent except that poor little assistant maid in act one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Just now, Rob S said: But Lescaut is dressed just as he is in my pics when he appears in Act 3 Oh- they must have cleaned him up this season....maybe that's a change in the production for this run (thankfully not as drastic as the awful change to the R&J sets some time ago). That's not how Lescaut used to look in Act 3 in the 1990s and previous recent runs. (But they used to clean up his make up and costume prior to curtain calls). I always used to think "Poor Lescaut, why can't he be remembered as his healthy self in her dream/memories?" I haven’t seen the ballet yet on this run but will have a close look next week! 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted February 27 Author Share Posted February 27 Lovely to see James Hay back on stage - clearly he is very pleased also - From his IG - https://www.instagram.com/p/C32MkJVoKXm/ 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina99 Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Dame Antoinette Sibley is here tonight! KOH introduced her from the stage and mentioned that it’s her 85th birthday today. As for the performance - so far, so fabulous! 14 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 15 minutes ago, Nina99 said: Dame Antoinette Sibley is here tonight! KOH introduced her from the stage and mentioned that it’s her 85th birthday today. As for the performance - so far, so fabulous! How wonderful! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Happy 85th birthday Dame Antoinette Sibley, the first of many Manons. MacMillan created the role on her initially then she was injured so Jennifer Penney took over. However, Sibley had recovered by the opening night. Picture by Leslie E Spatt, from the Royal Ballet School Flickr, with Dowell, 1974 it's a preview link; if you click it takes you to the official Royal Ballet School Flickr. It isn't actually pasted here (quirk of the site software that this can be done). 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 I'm running late on saying anything about last night's performance, given half the Forum are already at the next one, so I'll try not to be too long-winded. [ETA Well, that didn't work!] I didn't have the best view in Act I because the girl next to me was leaning forward (I know it's so tempting on the stalls circle bench seats) so I had to try to look beyond/over her head to see the near side of the stage. She also took a photo at the start of the first pdd. I'm not good at speaking to people but I nerved myself to speak to her at the end of the act & fortunately she was much better trying not to lean for the rest of the performance & her phone stayed away until the curtain calls so I was able to concentrate better on Acts II & III than Act I. Usually (sample size 12) when I see Manon it is Des Grieux who is the emotional key to the piece for me. Last night however it was Manon herself who I felt the most emotion for. I thought Lamb was absolutely superb in the role. At times I was reminded of her Countess Larisch, with one of the keynotes of both being that being in control was a very important part of their personalities. I did not feel that her Manon was one who was either being forced into prostitution by her brother or who suddenly succumbed to the lure of riches but that she knew what she wanted, she knew what she was doing to get it, & she was in control of the situation she was in. When she gave into Des Grieux's pleadings in Act II the first crack appeared in the control, which was then broken a few minutes later with the fracas. Then it felt as if she was happy at the beginning ot the next scene because she was back in control, even if her plans had changed, only for her to realise during the course of the bracelet pdd that she could no longer control Des Grieux as she not only wanted but expected to. Then her control was suddenly & totally smashed by Lescaut's muder in front of her. I can still see Lamb's screaming reaction to that moment in my mind's eye. I felt as though an important part of Manon's spirit died at the same time as Lescaut did & I was almost more moved by the end of Act II than the end of Act III as by Act III it felt as though Manon was really only half there, with her spirit broken at least as much as her body. Even when she was trying to fight off the Gaoler at the moment of the rape she wasn't fighting him very hard. At the start of the final scene her death felt absolutely inevitable, and that it would be a merciful release for her. I will be very sorry if, as unfortunately seems quite likely, last night turns out to be the last time I get to see Lamb in the role. I thought Hirano gave a very good performance in his Des Grieux debut. In fact I really don't understand why he hasn't been cast before. It seems almost insulting that he only finally gets to do the role at 40, and that only because of McRae's injury, so he'll perhaps get one more go at it at most. There were a few slight wobbles in his solos but his partnering work all looked exemplary (they did play it a bit safe in the final pdd with him fairly close behind Lamb when she did the fall at the front of the stage rather than running in from further back). I wasn't sure how I'd find his characterisation, given I'm a bit ambivalent on his Rudolf (thought I did like him significantly more in that role when I finally saw him with Hamilton than the 2 times I'd previously seen him with Osipova), but I really liked his take on Des Grieux. During the Act II party scene I found the expression "dumb suffering" came into my mind (though I suppose that's a bit daft given ballet is all dumb!) as it sort of felt from his body language as though his Des Grieux was suffering more than he could really express through facial expressions. Hay was the only Lescaut I didn't see in the last run so I was pleased to finally see him in the role this time around, as well as seeing him doing a proper dancing role this season after Gamache & Clients. I thought he was excellent in both acting & dancing & I found his death heart-wrenching with the expression on his face as he died. The only minor downside was, as with other Lescat/Des Grieux pairings, the implausibility of him overpowering Hirano at the end of Act I. Hinkis I thought did a decent job as Lescaut's Mistress without being outstanding, though I confess I didn't really pay that much attention to her Act II solo because I was more focused on Manon & GM at the table & Des Grieux's reactions to them. I thought Saunders' GM seemed to be a bit more into it with Lamb's Manon than with Kaneko's the other day, especially in the party scene, maybe because he & Lamb have played opposite each other in previous runs so are more at ease with each other. Or perhaps it was just because I was looking at them more last night because of being on the right side of the auditorium! I really liked Boswell as the Beggar Chief, though I may be biased given I'd been hoping to see his debut in the role. I certainly spent more time in the first scene looking at the Beggar Chief than I have at the other performances I've seen. I thought Donnelly did a very good job for a debut as the Gaoler but at a few moments I felt he was slightly too much partnering Manon rather than pushing her around. I realise that it must be very difficult for dancers that after years of partnering when the men are supposed to take care of & show off the women suddenly there's this role where the man has to be as unpleasant as possible to the woman! I thought he died very effectively. (His curtain call flowers are from me as I thought it would be nice for him to have some on debut & the Gaoler never seems to get flowers. Though since I only saw his casting on the train down & my budget is limited I'm afraid it was £10 Tesco rather than £100 Bloomsbury. Still, it's supposed to be the thought that counts...) Among the small roles, Mosely as one of the clients provided some moments I loved in the party scene, especially when the three Gentlemen were doing their dance & he was trying to show off to a couple of the Harlots by marking some of the steps along with them. It made me wonder if he'd ever danced the Gentlemen role many years ago. Does anyone know? Apologies, as is so often the case this has gone on a lot longer than I intended. Oh well, I daresay most people will be too busy reading the posts that are bound to appear soon about tonight's performance to slog through all my ramblings! 34 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Thank you for your fascinating 'ramblings', @Dawnstar! Really interesting, and I'm now looking forward to Saturday even more than I was! 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 (edited) 36 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: (His curtain call flowers are from me as I thought it would be nice for him to have some on debut & the Gaoler never seems to get flowers. Though since I only saw his casting on the train down & my budget is limited I'm afraid it was £10 Tesco rather than £100 Bloomsbury. Still, it's supposed to be the thought that counts...) I noticed the flowers in the photo and thought exactly that, a last minute buy from a real fan. I'm sure he appreciated those as much as he would 100 roses. How kind and thoughtful of you. I hope @Rob S won't object to a little bit of cut and paste of his photo? Your flowers, in a starring role! Edited February 27 by Roberta 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 30 minutes ago, Roberta said: I hope @Rob S won't object to a little bit of cut and paste of his photo? Your flowers, in a starring role! At least the wrapping paper held up. I was running out of time & couldn't find anywhere to put it down so had to somehow get the paper round the flowers while holding both of them in mid-air, then try to slap some sellotape on without having any scissors to cut it. While as for the handwriting on the card, he'll probably be looking for a hieroglyphics expert to decipher it! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 How wonderful to see Antoinette Sibley tonight! She brought the house down with her curtain call. Put through the wringer tonight: a ballet that still horrifies and shocks. The other-worldly beauty of Muntagirov and Kaneko in such disturbing material is quite hard to reconcile in my aged brain. I thought Joseph Sissens was excellent: a dancer I've had my eye on for a long time, like many of us - who is really coming into his own now. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 Thank you @Dawnstar - what a brilliant and comprehensive review! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts The photo is great (courtesy of @Rob S) and David Donnelly looks really pleased with his lovely flowers! What a thrill to have a photo of him with them! 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 5 minutes ago, Linnzi5 said: Thank you @Dawnstar - what a brilliant and comprehensive review! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts Yes as did I. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob S Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 So so annoyed to have missed Sibley on stage on her 85th birthday! I saw her in Manon many years ago and still remember her dancing in the final Act. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Well that was stunning, especially Act 3. Fumi gave the impression that the life had really left her body, Vadim’s agony really shone through. Such a marvellous portrayal. Joseph was a brilliant Lescaut! Lots of laughs in the drunk scene. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 (edited) 7 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said: Joseph was a brilliant Lescaut! Lots of laughs in the drunk scene. Joe Sissens is wearing a particularly delightful example of the costume, as well as variations in the waistcoat colour the embroidery is different on the coat for each dancer I note. His is especially sumptuous. How fine he looks with Antoinette Sibley in that photograph by @Rob S Edited February 28 by Roberta 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 A very emotional evening, not least because of the presence of Dame Antoinette Sibley. Kevin O’Hare came out before it started to tell us that in this 50th anniversary of Manon, the creator of the role was in the audience and that it’s her 85th birthday! Joe Sissens brought her out from behind the curtain at the end and she got a huge ovation. The house lights went up and she could see everyone applauding her. She had a huge smile and gave a graceful and balletic acknowledgment to us. She looked beautiful. A moment to treasure. 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 And I - like a lot of other people, I guess - missed it I'd beaten a fairly hasty exit for once because I could see the trains were still completely up the creek and half of mine were cancelled - got to the station and found the supposedly non-cancelled one was also cancelled, so I'd wasted my time Dawnstar, thank you for your report on last night's performance - there are some very perceptive comments in there. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Dawnstar’s flowers and the picture of Dame Antoinette have made me feel a bit weepy! Thanks Dawnstar for your wonderful review. How I wish I could have seen an additional Manon! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 When Kevin O'Hare came out in front of the curtain before the performance last night, I have to say, my heart sank a little, having specifically wanted to see this cast, so it was quite a relief that this special evening was made even more special, hearing that Dame Antoinette Sibley was in the audience, although, as luck would have it, directly underneath me... By the end of the performance, I was feeling the usual emotional impact of the final scenes and when Antoinette Sibley came out on stage with Joseph Sissens, I have to say, I got a little misty eyed. This was a special performance all round - I was keen to see this season's debuts, if not their first performances - and particularly keen to see Fumi as Manon. As others have shared from their first performance, I did find Fumi and Vadim's connection take a little time to build, I loved their dancing in act 1, but didn't neccessarily feel the electricity of their connection and there also seemed to be a couple of moments in their pdds which were perhaps not as well oiled as some of the other partnerships I've seen, or it may have been my off-centre balcony vantage point... All was well though from the beginning of act 2, with the step change in Manon from girl to knowing woman. Her solos and the dance where she is passed around almost as an object from man to man were absolutely spellbinding and you could feel the tension and the hurt in her pas de deux with de Grieux and the absolute connection in the second bedroom pas de deux. Act 3 was heart wrenching and the final pas de deux was one of the most dramatic and emotive I have seen. Every ballet step Vadim takes is perfect, regardless of the level of drama. He dances with such respect for classicism and MacMillan's choreography, every solo made my heart soar. I also really enjoyed his partnership with Fumi overall and look forward to seeing them dance together again. Joseph Sissens was another reason why I was so much looking forward to seeing this cast and he is another dancer whose every step seems perfect. Back in the insight, this meant that he'd struggled to play drunk, so I really enjoyed seeing his character development there., He delivered a brilliant death scene, it felt more real and more shocking as the curtain came down. I also enjoyed seeing Leticia Dias as his mistress, a role I look forward to seeing her develop further in future runs. Her pdd with the drunk Lescaut got the customary laughs and I can imagine it's not easy going against everything you've learnt in terms of placement and centre of balance to create the desired effect. As always, the music was entirely absorbing, the 'sub plots' in the background were well delivered by a cast who really know how to act as well as dance, which is what makes this company so special for me. Unfortunately my last Manon of this run, but the sumptuous score is still running through my head and I will at least have a spring in my step on my dog walk this morning! 13 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeauxArts Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Thank you Dawnstar for your enjoyable review of the Lamb Hirano cast. About last night: in a word - Fumi! Such beauty in her every movement - big and small - her arms are surely a work of art in themselves.. Her allure after throwing her lot in with Monsieur GM (I thought an underwhelming Christopher Saunders) was off the scale. I was left feeling she could be one of the very great Manons, and it was serendipitous that Antoinette Sibley was present to see how the masterpiece she and Jenny Penney created is illuminated today by this wondrous ballerina. Fumi lives her Manon - in no way did I feel she was having to act a role, but rather through her dancing first and foremost she really was Manon. There are some very special qualities to watching Fumi and Vadim dance together: their classical purity and beautiful lines are ideally matched. For me Vadim did not have the seamless command of the Act 1 solo in particular that Will Bracewell had in his 2 performances (and others report Matt Ball also had). His portrayal just about worked for me but at times I could not read his descent to despair and loss, although his bafflement at being drawn into the cards scheme at the party was very well conveyed. I thought Joe Sissens was assured as Lescaut but Leticia Diaz was miscast as his mistress. In his elegant opening tribute to Dame Antoinette, KOH described her partnership with Dowell as the greatest in the company’s history. I think in Fumi and Will he has something possibly as special and that was how I was left: Fumi and Vadim make many wonderful things on stage but not (for me) the magic I think Fumi and Will make when they dance together. May they have that chance in Manon when the 3-year cycle rolls round again. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missfrankiecat Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 @Dawnstar what a lovely gesture to send those flowers to Donnelly to mark his debut. I really enjoyed your review of Monday night. I have seen Lamb in previous runs and loved her multi-layered interpretation of the role. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Capricorn Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 I am very happy that I had the opportunity to see the dance partnership Fumi/Vadim finally on the stage of the Royal Opera House. After a couple of years of performing together around the world (Cape Town, Tokyo, Brno, Almaty, Geneva, etc.), they finally got this opportunity on their home stage and it seems that this is the beginning of a permanent collaboration, because their the partnership will also continue in Swan Lake and The Winter's Tale. In Manon they made an unforgettable pair; as someone mentioned above, especially in the second and third acts, their performance was breathtaking. I'm looking forward to seeing them in Swan Lake and The Winter's Tale in London in May and then the Gala in Geneva and Swan Lake in Rome. In the future, I would like to see them in the classical repertoire, in which Vadim has no equal competition and Fumi is his perfect partner. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Thanks for your review @Dawnstar, I really enjoyed reading it. Lovely flowers too. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina99 Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Well, for me, last night was wonderfully emotional. Like @Silver Capricorn I’m very happy to see Vadim And Fumi finally performing together on the ROH stage after guesting together all over the world. IMO they are a beautiful partnership and I hope they dance together many more times. I’m really looking forward to seeing them in Swan Lake in May. It was a great treat to see Antoinette Sibley appear on stage at the end. I’m old enough to have seen her dance with Anthony Dowell, many years ago. I was surprised by how tiny she is, Vadim seemed to tower over her. It must’ve brought back many fantastic memories for her, getting a standing ovation on the ROH stage. The house lights were put on so that she could see everybody enthusiastically applauding her. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Sibley and Dowell in the Dream are still my favourites in the roles of Titania and Oberon. Never seen anyone as gossamer light as Sibley and Dowell so ethereally aesthetic you really could believe the King and Queen of the Fairy Realm were genuine entities! 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 10 hours ago, LinMM said: So so annoyed to have missed Sibley on stage on her 85th birthday! I saw her in Manon many years ago and still remember her dancing in the final Act. Me too! I had commented on Chris Saunders Instagram post (wishing her happy birthday), that ROH should organise an evening celebrating this wonderful ballerina and roles created for her. But there was no mention of her planned visit at ROH that night. I do wish earlier announcements were made. Oh well perhaps ROH/RB will organise some kind of event for her - something that should of happened for Lynn Seymour - hopefully while she is alive to enjoy the love and appreciation from the audience 🙏🏽 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 2 hours ago, BeauxArts said: I thought Joe Sissens was assured as Lescaut but Leticia Diaz was miscast as his mistress. I may have to agree there. I really liked Leticia's performance overall but didn't get the vibe from her Mistress that Magri's gave - she almost stole the show for me, so that I couldn't really look away from her in Act 2. Of course, a debut performance wouldn't be at that same level yet. I am a bit surprised that Mariko Sasaki wasn't cast as Mistress, particularly after her performance as Mercedes with Sissens as Espada in Don Q. I expect because she's preparing for Odette/Odile! She really grabbed my attention as one of the courtesans yesterday - always such brilliant stage presence - alongside Chisato Katsura. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 I know I’ve always had a soft spot for Joe Sissens (since seeing him in YBSS summer school a good few years ago now) but I just love the photo of Sissens and Sibley standing together at the curtain call …just look at Jo’s face you can tell he feels so honoured …what a lovely memory for him to cherish. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 I very much enjoyed last night’s Manon and found Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov a stellar pairing. The praise heaped on them in the many posts following their first performance held out the promise of something very special and it was fabulous to experience their second performance. Quite a crowd wanting to see them afterwards and all managed very well by Stage Door staff. I was very pleased to have a few words offering congratulations: Ashton casting remains very much work in progress. Joseph Sissens made a pretty convincing Lescaut although I think less can often be more in the drunk scene. Leticia Dias projected well but I wasn’t sure the steps were quite there. Having seen Christopher Saunders the previous evening, I’d rather adjusted my expectations. Gary Avis’s Gaoler was evil incarnate. I think this was very much Fumi’s and Vadim’s evening. Performances of Manon work best when there is consistency across all the key roles and the corps. I think we’ve had more consistency in a number of performances so far with new casts still to see. I should make clear that the corps have provided a bedrock of excellence throughout this astonishing Manon run. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 6 minutes ago, LinMM said: just look at Jo’s face you can tell he feels so honoured …what a lovely memory for him to cherish. Yes indeed, a very emotional moment! I wish I'd got him flowers for yesterday as I didn't seem him with any - hope he got some on the Friday performance. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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