RB Faust

[MargaretN7]

Yes, I know Faust is actually the opera currently in the Royal Opera schedule, but who had the brilliant idea of casting the Royal Ballet's Eric Underwood as the "Male Principal Dancer"(that's how he's described in the castsheet)? He's having a ball, albeit one masterminded by that demonic begowned Bryn Terfel. A friend in the chorus said she thinks Eric is a fabulous dancer, they are enjoying having him in their production. Both his dancing and characterisation are good. And unlike his colleagues in the Royal Ballet's Winter's Tale, when Eric turns his "pregnant" ballerina upside down she screams. 

I hope Mr Underwood is not enjoying himself too much - we don't want to lose him permanently to the opera.

Edited April 23, 2014 by MargaretN7

[Coated]

Yup, he's definitely dancing up a storm in Faust - I hadn't read the cast sheet yet when I first watched it and was thinking the dancer they had looked really good, got the binoculars out and there was Mr Underwood smiling in a deliciously devious manner.

 

One thing that gets me about ballet in Opera though is the fact that ballerinas seem to get ravished (consent questionable) in most recent productions. Le Vespre Scicilienne, Manon Lescaut, Faust all had a lovely 'let's molest the dancers' sequence. I just hope this is not symptomatic of the way opera directors think of dancers in general....