Jeffrey Gantz reviewed The Royal Ballet and Manon for the June 22 Boston Phoenix:
"Speaking to the New Yorker in 1974, [Kenneth] MacMillan boasted, 'You have a sixteen-year-old heroine who is beautiful and absolutely amoral, and a hero who is corrupted by her and becomes a cheat, a liar, and a murderer. Not exactly our conventional ballet plot, is it?'"
Read the full text of Stacked Deck.
John Rockwell compares the two versions of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon production seen on the East Coast this month; ours, of course, co-presented with The Wang Center last week at The Wang Theatre (and reviewed solo in the NY Times by Rockwell) and the American Ballet Theatre's version which opened at The Met two days after it closed here. Here's a snippet:
"New York uses the same set by Nicholas Georgiadis, but in a larger version originally built for La Scala in Milan. The props and costumes in Boston seemed more finely wrought, more elegant, as in Manon's fur coat, versus the plainer affair seen at the Met. The lighting in New York (by Thomas R. Skelton) looked more effectively moody and atmospheric (i.e., dimmer)."
Read the full text of The Competing Visions of 'Manon,' a Tale of Sweet Seduction (requires login)
The first crop of Manon reviews are in:
Debra Cash on WBUR.org
Iris Fanger for The Patriot Ledger
Sally Cragin for The Boston Globe
Theodore Bale for The Boston Herald
There are lots more to come, check this blog for more review links.
UPDATE: More Manon reviews...
John Rockwell for The New York Times (login required)
Sue Katz for EDGENewYork.com
And more...
Jeffrey Gantz for The Boston Phoenix
The Boston Herald's dance critic, Theodore Bale, tracked down Royal Ballet principal and Boston native Sarah Lamb between commitments in a busy schedule. Bale's article runs in today's Herald and several TAB/CNC papers this week. Here's a bit:
"It took some doing to speak with former Boston Ballet principal dancer Sarah Lamb about her U.S. tour with London’s Royal Ballet. She was occupied last week with the final rehearsals of a premiere by Christopher Wheeldon, and thoughts of the royal audience about to watch it: England’s Queen Elizabeth II and her entourage." Read the full text.
Royal Ballet Ballet Mistress Ursula Hageli demonstrates steps for her master class students
The Royal Ballet's Ballet Mistress, Ursula Hageli, led a free master class for intermediate level adult students at Boston Ballet studios yesterday afternoon (June 13). The Celebrity Series and The Wang Center sponsored the event, in association with Boston Ballet.
Not being one to frequent ballet class (I suppose I could, as comic relief), I was struck by Ms. Hageli's gentleness, patience and poise (it was beastly hot in the studio). Not that the steps she was putting the students through were easy, mind you. She challenged the dancers, certainly, but all the while she warned them not to overdo it if they did not take class regularly. Are all ballet mistresses so nice?
Royal Ballet principal dancer Johan Kobborg, not to be outdone by Carlos Acosta, has a web site of his own. In addition to his biography and video clips, the site features a message board with frequent responses from Kobborg.
Royal Ballet principal dancer Sarah Lamb as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty
There are many stars and many stories in the ranks of The Royal Ballet. In this Sunday's Boston Globe, Karen Campbell covered one story with a distinctly Boston orientation. Sarah Lamb was born, raised and trained as a dancer in the Boston area. She danced all the way to the level of principal dancer at Boston Ballet - the "pinnacle" of success at the company she had known all her dancing life. Two years ago she left Boston for London's Royal Ballet. She returns to Boston and The Wang Theatre this week for two performances as Lescaut's Mistress (Thursday and Saturday night) in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon.
Here's an excerpt from Dancer's leap of faith has put her in Royal company:
"Less than two weeks ago, just after the curtain closed on her acclaimed series of performances as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Ballet director Monica Mason made a dramatic onstage presentation promoting Lamb to principal dancer.
'It's really an incredible honor and great thrill,' Lamb said, 'because the Royal Ballet is one of the top companies in the world. I'm stunned at my good luck .'"
Full text of Karen Campbell's Boston Globe article.
Carlos Acosta as Des Grieux in Manon
The Royal Ballet has just concluded their 75th anniversary gala performance for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. It was also part of the celebration of Her Majesty's 80th birthday. Wouldn't it have been fun to have attended that event?
Zoë Anderson reviewed for today's Independent, here's a sample:
"The hit of the evening was the duet from Le Corsaire. Carlos Acosta comes bounding on, his jumps high, the landings as soft as velvet. As he hangs in the air, Acosta embellishes one whirling leap with more turns, more kicks, more sparkle. The entire Covent Garden audience gasped, a collective sizzle of astonishment." Full review.
Well dance (and knitting, and much else) blogger Leigh Witchell was in the audience and writes about the gala on his blog. He concurs with Anderson on Acosta's performance in the Le Corsaire pas de deux with Darcy Bussell. But Witchell includes a gesture made by Royal Ballet director Monica Mason, and the assembled company and school, who sang "Happy Birthday" to Her Majesty, an undoubtedly charming moment that The Independent review oddly did not mention.
Debra Cash writes in this week's Boston Phoenix about The Royal Ballet's production of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, opening one week from yesterday at The Wang Theatre and running for four performances (June 15-17). Some samples from her story:
On Manon the story:
"You think poverty and desperation in New Orleans is news? Wait till you see Manon, the conniving Parisian courtesan, reduced to degradation in the Louisiana swamplands and dying in the arms of Des Grieux, the student she once scorned. Crime, prostitution, betrayal: the story is replete with flawed characters and dark intimations."
On Manon, the role:
"The title role is a juicy diva role that a dewy ingenue just can’t pull off. Manon’s mix of hauteur and desperation calls for a ballerina with acting chops and some life experience in her pointe shoes."
Read all of New Orleans Story.
Read about The Royal Ballet's Manon engagement in Boston June 15-17.
