Tango Dancer Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 34 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Aaron Kok wasn't in the cast when I saw the company in Generations at ROH (he might have danced at a performance I didn't attend). What is interesting, @Tango Dancer, is that your assessment (according to various critics and the NB performances I've seen) can equally apply to both Aaron and Harris! I will definitely be booking more performances for more casts but like others here would have to wait for casting so that I don't miss out on seeing Poeung and Kok again. I think Harris was on the original cast as Mercutio but then it was changed to Aaron when Harris had an injury and I didn't pick up on this and just went with the name I had written down and didn't check. I'd agree Aaron was amazing in the performance. He was so beautifully light in the jumps and landings which is a lovely thing to watch and really made me sad when Mercutio died, because he made Mercutio come across as such a fun character, the sort of person you want to be around. I'm sure Harris would also be amazing because I've seen him in other things (I think he was in Nutcracker) and he's a lovely dancer. So whoever you see will be great. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) 46 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said: I think Harris was on the original cast as Mercutio but then it was changed to Aaron when Harris had an injury and I didn't pick up on this and just went with the name I had written down and didn't check. I'd agree Aaron was amazing in the performance. He was so beautifully light in the jumps and landings which is a lovely thing to watch and really made me sad when Mercutio died, because he made Mercutio come across as such a fun character, the sort of person you want to be around. I'm sure Harris would also be amazing because I've seen him in other things (I think he was in Nutcracker) and he's a lovely dancer. So whoever you see will be great. We had Harris Beattie in Tiler Peck's creation for Northern Ballet called Intimate Pages and in Benjamin Ella's ballet called Joie de Vivre, and he was incredible, @Tango Dancer! I couldn't believe he was still so young and not yet a premier dancer (their equivalent of principal) in the company. He's going to go far! But they do have oodles of talent in the ranks. I'm hoping to catch both him and Aaron. Can't wait 😀. Edited March 12 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 12 Author Share Posted March 12 Judging from Sake's IG story she and Harris are making their debuts as Juliet and Romeo this evening. I so wish I could have been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silke H Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 13 hours ago, Sim said: I have booked for the first night. So have I. And the last one on Saturday evening. Just because those dates worked best for me at the time of booking 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terpsichore Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 I caught the matinee performance at the Sheffield Lyceum yesterday. I could not have asked for a better cast. Sarah Chun was Juliet, Jonathan Hanks was Romeo, Abigail Prudames was Lady Capulet, Joseph Taylor was Tybalt , Harriet Marden was the nurse and Jun Ishi was Mercutio. Although I am a great fan of Jean-Christophe Maillot and hope Northern Ballet keep his version of Romeo and Juliet in the repertoire it was a pleasure to see the Moricone/Gable ballet again. Some of my favourite works were created when Christopher Gable was Artistic Director. I look forward to "A Christmas Carol" later in the year. I have written a long review in my blog if anybody is interested. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 In Sheffield last for R&J. I had forgotten just how great this production is. I always found MacMillan's a bit too long, actually I only really enjoy the pdd's. But that's so not the case with this production it's all so exciting and engaging. Sitting either side of me were people who had never been to the ballet before and they were in a trance, completely caught up in the experience. Romeo last night was Harris Beattie - and wow he was just fantastic! Not just his technical ability which was more than impressive, but his actual portrayal of a young man in love for the first time. He was believable & amazing and without a doubt a star in the making. An unforgettable night. Congratulation to the whole production team at NB for bringing back this wonderful ballet. Christopher Gable would be very happy and proud I'm sure. 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 Really looking forward to this in late May after reading all these reviews. 😀 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 2 hours ago, Emeralds said: Really looking forward to this in late May after reading all these reviews. 😀 Me too! Really looking forward to seeing a version post MacMillan and excited that people find it even more engaging. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 I was in Sheffield for the weekend and what a weekend it was! On Friday evening I got to see one of the other casts - Harris Beattie and Saeka Shirai - and they were glorious and oh so very young. They gave such beautifully nuanced performances and they were utterly believable and utterly heartbreaking. Dominique Larose was just glorious as the nurse. She must be one of the best dance-actresses in the country. Kevin Poeung was fantastic as Mercutio and Filippo di Vilio was a fun loving Benvolio till tragedy struck. George Liang was superbly angry as Tybalt. The whole cast was invested in this tremendous performance. Saturday evening's treat was Kevin Poeung and Sarah Chun - even better than they had been in Leeds. The cast was basically the same as I had seen in Leeds and they were all wonderful. The trouble is that I am now running out of superlatives but suffice to say that the evening (and weekend) ended on a high! Saturday afternoon's cast was led by Joseph Taylor and Dominique Larose (yes - after she played the nurse on Friday evening! Joe and many of the other dancers are also playing multiple roles in different performances. I was talking to Helen Bogatch in Leeds and she said she was dancing every female role except Juliet!). Harris Beattie was a wonderful, fun loving Mercutio. His joyfulness made his death even harder to watch. Filippo again excelled as Benvolio. What can I say about this performance - well I think it is the BEST performance of this production I have ever seen. I was totally overwhelmed. Dominique and Joe WERE Juliet and Romeo. The whole cast rose to the occasion and this is one of those performances where there is magic dust in the air. I was totally overwhelmed by the end and trying very hard not to sob out loud. Thank you to the whole cast for this special performance. We were truly privileged to be in the audience on Saturday afternoon. You can now only get cast sheets on line by looking at the website or using the QR code in the theatre that takes you to the website. I don't think the company has got it quite right yet... 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 This ballet is my favorite and I have high expectations especially OF COURSE because it makes you sob when the magic really happens. From your enthusiastic reports I see that the cast did just that. How wonderful that you got to have this experience. ❤️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 Great review Jan, thanks. I can’t wait to see this in London at the end of May. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 Perhaps we all should invest in shares in Kleenex? Then donate the profits to keeping the orchestra alive? (It's a ballet that always makes me well up too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 I saw three performances in Nottingham this week - Wednesday evening and both performances on Thursday - with 3 casts Saeka/Harris, Sarah/Kevin & Dominique/Joseph. All 3 performances were spectacularly wonderful and all three casts have grown even more into their roles since Leeds. In act 3, when Dominique was the nurse, I loved her obvious shock when Lord C started shouting at Juliet to come down from the balcony. I finally got to see Joe as Tybalt and just loved his understated menace. George Liang and Harry Skoupas are also wonderful as Tybalt with Harry being an out and out thug. I had been hoping to see Abby Prudames as Juliet but I have still managed to miss her. I did see her as a wonderfully icy Lady C and am so glad I did. One or two people have mentioned about which cast to go for. All I can say is go for them all!! If you can only make one or 2, pull the names from a hat! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I wish ... There are so many things I need to fit in that week ☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddieRose Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 I was able to catch the Saturday matinee cast on the 4th after not seeing any ballet for just over a year (luckily I've got a lot more lined up this year) I adored this production, I think it really brings the story to life because everyone's always doing something, if that makes sense. All the dancers are so animated and that aspect pulls you in to the story and makes it feel so much more real. The fight choreography was absolutely brilliant and added to the excitement. I had Joseph Taylor and Dominique Larose as Romeo and Juliet, and both of them were phenomenal. They had such good chemistry together, and on top of their incredible dancing the acting was really well done too. Dominique in particular was brilliant as bringing Juliet to life, and when it came to her death she was heartbreaking. Harris Beattie was the scene stealer as Mercutio - it was quite a slow audience at first but he got them laughing. He's an excellent dancer, but the way he commands the stage stood out and was the thing a lot of people were talking about. Joseph, Harris and Filippo Di Vilio as Benvolio had a real camaraderie, the three of them were superb at getting across how good friends the characters are. The rest of the roles were dance exceedingly well. Special mention to Heather Lehan who was hilarious as the Nurse, yet was able to bring the right caring nature when it came to her relationship with Juliet. Jonathan Hanks and Harriet Marden were wonderful as Lord and Lady Capulet, and Harry Skoupas was similarly excellent in the role of Tybalt. I feel like I say this every single time I see the company but their versatility is amazing. Of course I couldn't not mention the orchestra. The campaign to keep the company live continues, and the orchestra themselves greeted the audience at the theatre doors with flyers explaining the situation - this was a good thing, as I checked just before the performance and after it and the signatures on the petition had gone up, so obviously some people are taking note. Overall it was a brilliant performance. I actually don't like the story of R + J that much, I find it a bit dull, but there's nothing dull about this production. 8 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 I love that in this production, the Romeos can double as Lord Capulet at another performance and the Juliets can also portray Nurse or Lady Capulet at other performances. Great test of their versatility and extra chances for us to catch favourites in another role when they're not dancing Romeo or Juliet. I've booked two tickets but left a couple of dates free in case the casts I want are dancing on other dates. Also looking forward to seeing their orchestra! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 I just wish that I wasn't already so busy that week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 (edited) Casting for this week's performances in Norwich is now up on the company website, though not the Sadler's Wells ones yet. (I think there's a mistake in the dates though...the first show should be tomorrow, as confirmed by the theatre website, not tonight). https://northernballet.com/romeo-and-juliet/casts/norwich Edited May 13 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I think it's now been corrected. Pleased to see additional performances I could get to in the autumn, although not so pleased to see the Recorded music tag. I was considering going up to Norwich to see them, but was too busy, and the high bottom price was putting me off, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 (edited) 1 hour ago, alison said: I think it's now been corrected. Pleased to see additional performances I could get to in the autumn, although not so pleased to see the Recorded music tag. I was considering going up to Norwich to see them, but was too busy, and the high bottom price was putting me off, too. Unfortunately, recorded music for Romeo and Juliet would be a deal breaker for me. Glad we at least have the Sadler's Wells performances with NB Sinfonia so I'll try to get to as many as I can. I'll be skipping Three Short Ballets at Linbury this autumn as it's recorded music too. Had been looking forward to Rudi van Dantzig's version of Four Last Songs (and I know it's impossible to put a Strauss orchestra and soprano in Linbury Theatre and still have space for dancing) but it would be like watching RB in Swan Lake on the Main Stage with recorded music. Thanks for the update, Alison! Good to know that they managed to change the date-it confused me when I first saw it! Edited May 13 by Emeralds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 29 minutes ago, Emeralds said: Unfortunately, recorded music for Romeo and Juliet would be a deal breaker for me. Glad we at least have the Sadler's Wells performances with NB Sinfonia so I'll try to get to as many as I can. I'll be skipping Three Short Ballets at Linbury this autumn as it's recorded music too. Had been looking forward to Rudi van Dantzig's version of Four Last Songs (and I know it's impossible to put a Strauss orchestra and soprano in Linbury Theatre and still have space for dancing) but it would be like watching RB in Swan Lake on the Main Stage with recorded music. Thanks for the update, Alison! Good to know that they managed to change the date-it confused me when I first saw it! The mixed programmes have always used recorded music... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 12 hours ago, Emeralds said: Unfortunately, recorded music for Romeo and Juliet would be a deal breaker for me. Glad we at least have the Sadler's Wells performances with NB Sinfonia so I'll try to get to as many as I can. I'll be skipping Three Short Ballets at Linbury this autumn as it's recorded music too. Had been looking forward to Rudi van Dantzig's version of Four Last Songs (and I know it's impossible to put a Strauss orchestra and soprano in Linbury Theatre and still have space for dancing) but it would be like watching RB in Swan Lake on the Main Stage with recorded music. Thanks for the update, Alison! Good to know that they managed to change the date-it confused me when I first saw it! And presumably skipping London City Ballet? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppysaeed Posted Saturday at 07:33 Share Posted Saturday at 07:33 In case anyone is still to book, the Todays Tks app have an offer on for almost all price points and all days. I didn't check all seats (I find you have to br a bit careful with Tks as their original prices are sometimes a tad inflated against booking direct so discounts aren't as great as they might appear), but for this one £75 stalls are £65 and £65 stalls £55 (as against the Sadlers Wells website). 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted Saturday at 11:29 Share Posted Saturday at 11:29 Thank you very much for that @poppysaeed. Now I just have to hope the offer will still be on when the casting is released. Has anyone noticed from other venues if the casting is being released the week before the performances or only the week of the performances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted Saturday at 11:39 Share Posted Saturday at 11:39 9 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Thank you very much for that @poppysaeed. Now I just have to hope the offer will still be on when the casting is released. Has anyone noticed from other venues if the casting is being released the week before the performances or only the week of the performances? It seems to be a bit random - I'm hoping it will be released towards the end of this week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted Saturday at 11:48 Share Posted Saturday at 11:48 I'm hoping it'll be released before next Friday so I can decide before Friday rush tickets go on sale when to see R&J and therefore whether or not I can fit in Andrea Chenier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted Saturday at 12:02 Share Posted Saturday at 12:02 31 minutes ago, Dawnstar said: Thank you very much for that @poppysaeed. Now I just have to hope the offer will still be on when the casting is released. Has anyone noticed from other venues if the casting is being released the week before the performances or only the week of the performances? When I spoke to someone last week I was told casting was complicated due to having to juggle injuries. Management is aware that certain patrons are holding off booking until casting is announced and told me it will be released as soon as practicable. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted Monday at 21:51 Author Share Posted Monday at 21:51 Another weekend another city. Norwich is one of my favourite venues for watching Northern Ballet so it was a no-brainer that I would find myself there for the weekend. Northern Ballet has only been fielding 3 1/2 casts and I have seen 3 of them. They have all grown into the roles as the tour has progressed and the performances have all been tremendous. On Saturday afternoon Dominique Larose and Joseph Taylor did the impossible - they gave a performance that was even better than the Saturday afternoon performance in Sheffield (which I had thought the best of all time). Every tiny facial expression and every gesture had infinite meaning. I actually felt I was watching Romeo and Juliet rather than 2 dancers dancing the roles. Of course 2 dancers don't the ballet make and they had wonderful support from the rest of the cast with Heather Lehan giving an outstanding performance as the Nurse. The Friar is a small but very significant role and Albert Gonzalez Orts really makes the Friar a well-fleshed out character and brings out his significance. Most of the audience members in the stalls seemed to spontaneously jump to their feet as Dominique and Joe came on at the curtain calls and it was a well-deserved standing ovation. On Friday evening Kevin Poeung gave us a Mercutio of outstanding virtuosity - just wow! The other 2 performances were terrific but Saturday really was special. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJW Posted Monday at 22:17 Share Posted Monday at 22:17 23 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said: Another weekend another city. Norwich is one of my favourite venues for watching Northern Ballet so it was a no-brainer that I would find myself there for the weekend. Northern Ballet has only been fielding 3 1/2 casts and I have seen 3 of them. They have all grown into the roles as the tour has progressed and the performances have all been tremendous. On Saturday afternoon Dominique Larose and Joseph Taylor did the impossible - they gave a performance that was even better than the Saturday afternoon performance in Sheffield (which I had thought the best of all time). Every tiny facial expression and every gesture had infinite meaning. I actually felt I was watching Romeo and Juliet rather than 2 dancers dancing the roles. Of course 2 dancers don't the ballet make and they had wonderful support from the rest of the cast with Heather Lehan giving an outstanding performance as the Nurse. The Friar is a small but very significant role and Albert Gonzalez Orts really makes the Friar a well-fleshed out character and brings out his significance. Most of the audience members in the stalls seemed to spontaneously jump to their feet as Dominique and Joe came on at the curtain calls and it was a well-deserved standing ovation. On Friday evening Kevin Poeung gave us a Mercutio of outstanding virtuosity - just wow! The other 2 performances were terrific but Saturday really was special. Thank you for the reviews - very much looking forward to next week (plus the following Saturday when I am seeing NB in class) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted Tuesday at 13:02 Share Posted Tuesday at 13:02 Me too. Well, not the class ..: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted Tuesday at 13:04 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 13:04 14 hours ago, MJW said: Thank you for the reviews - very much looking forward to next week (plus the following Saturday when I am seeing NB in class) I'm there for the weekend, including class on Saturday morning. I can't wait! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncnp Posted yesterday at 11:24 Share Posted yesterday at 11:24 Don't know if this is the right place to put this and apologies if already mentioned. From Northern Ballet..... We are writing to share that our Premier Dancer Abigail Prudames is retiring from Northern Ballet this June. Abigail’s final performance as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet will be at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday 1 June, 7.30pm. Abigail has been a part of Northern Ballet since 2011 when she became an Apprentice, fresh from her training with the Royal Ballet and Elmhurst Ballet School. Since then, she has risen through the ranks, to become an exemplary Premier Dancer alongside her long-time dancer partner Joseph Taylor. A much-loved member of the Company, Abigail has been integral in creating some of the most iconic Northern Ballet roles such as David Nixon CBE’s Mermaid and Cathy Marston’s Victoria. She has also danced Juliet, Daisy in The Great Gatsby, Jane in Jane Eyre and many more besides. Artistic Director Federico Bonelli said, “Her natural talent and studious approach to embodying complex emotions on stage have garnered her a reputation that reaches far beyond our walls and will be sorely missed. Though it is always sad to see any dancing career reach its finale I am excited to see what the future holds for Abby and wish her all the best.” 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted yesterday at 11:49 Share Posted yesterday at 11:49 (edited) Sadler's Wells casts now uo: https://northernballet.com/romeo-and-juliet/casts/london (Abigail Prudames only has one show as Juliet, but dances Lady Capulet on Thursday evening and Friday.) Edited yesterday at 11:51 by Emeralds 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now