As noted on another thread the Royal Ballet will be performing at the Mann Center in Philadelphia, July 10 - 13. Here are the performances and casting:

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:00 PM The Royal Ballet - Romeo & Juliet
Featuring Principals: Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 8:00 PM The Royal Ballet - Romeo & Juliet
Featuring Principals: Mara Galeazzi and Edward Watson

Thursday, July 12, 2007 8:00 PM The Royal Ballet - Swan Lake
Featuring Principals: Tamara Rojo and Federico Bonelli

Friday, July 13, 2007 8:00 PM The Royal Ballet - Swan Lake
Featuring Principals: Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares

Any suggestions on which one to see? I am slightly more inclined to see Romeo & Juliet but could be convinced to see Swan Lake. As we are traveling from the other side of the state I think we will only go to one performance although it is tempting to consider going to both Wednesday and Thursday evenings....

If there was any chance for me to travel to Philadelphia this summer, from everything I've read about this wonderful dancer, I would see the Swan Lake with Rojo. As much as I'd like to see Cojocaru and Kobborg, it wouldn't be for MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet.

As has been noted on Johan's message board, I believe Alina Cojocaru is out for the rest of the season with a neck injury.

I couldn't tell you which to pick; if you have the means to do both, you by all means should. Also, I hope you've gotten your tickets already. When we got ours, they had a huge block of tickets set aside for VIPs. Its a gargantuan venue, so you'll want to get the closest seats you can afford. And give yourself time to get up to "the hill"--last time I was there it was pretty poorly organized. It's no Ravinia or Tanglewood. As a transplanted Philadelphian, it's another one of those Philly things that I just shake my head at--a wonderful resource that's very poorly managed, and strangely out of touch with what's going on in nearby New York and DC--and with the city in which it resides!

From everything I've read about Rojo I would also choose to see her Swan Lake if I could, unfortunately this is a Tuesday - Friday engagement which really discourages anyone thinking about traveling in from out of town...

I'm thinking about trying to catch the Friday night performance with Nunez and Soares but I'm not sure. From what I hear the Mann is in a bad neighborhood and not easily accessible by public transportation. That makes things a little dicey since I don't drive. They supposedly have a shuttle bus that runs from downtown Philly to the Mann and then back after the performance but I don't know how reliable that is and I'm not sure I'm ready to count on it as my only option to get back to my hotel after the show...

Ray - you'd know more about transit options to the Mann Center - can you address them?

It's a question of taste, but between Rojo and Nunez I'm only marginally more inclined to Nunez. I've liked her so far in everything I've seen her do. Between Bonelli and Soares though - Bonelli.

I'd also opt for Swan Lake over R&J. It's the MacMillan R&J, which can be seen here frequently. Now, most Londoners consider this production of Swan Lake to be far less than ideal, but when you compare it to NYCB's or ABT's version it's so much better it's disheartening. If you're yearning for a Swan Lake that actually quacks like a Swan (tragic ending, no jester, no dancing von Rothbart, not cut to ribbons or sped up) then it's worth your time.

What? No jester? Rothbart isn't sexy? And they have the sheer temerity to call it "Swan Lake"???

What next?

Nunez and Soares are wonderful together in Swan Lake, and I particularly love Nunez' Odette/Odile. She's a marvelous stage presence and a wonderful actress. In addition to a very solid technique, there's so much emotion in her body and her facial expressions - she's a very human and touching Odette, and her Odile is a force to be reckoned with. So you can't go wrong with Nunez/Soares, IMO (though Rojo/Acosta would be out of this world as well).

So it sounds like, the two Swan Lakes

The Royal Ballet in Philadelphia...!!! So close to home! And I'll be away all summer.

I've only ever been driven there (no, not in a pumpkin coach), but I did see a shuttle bus. So I did a little research and found this link: http://www.septa.org/news/promotions/manncenter.html

Unfortunately, as with all things SEPTA, it's not a very tourist-friendly map! You'd need to get into Center City from 30th St. station if you're taking Amtrak; or, if you're taking the SEPTA train from Trenton, go to Suburban Station (one after 30th St.), and get this bus at 15th and JFK. If you take the bus (Chinatown or Greyhound--they both come to approx the same area), you'd have to walk down to the Academy of Music. It's shocking that there is no "culture bus" from 30th St. station! (The entire transit system is run by suburbanites who think of the city as only a 9-5 workplace--very Man in the Grey Flannel Suit--they would NEVER be caught dead on public transit themselves.) Shocking also that the Mann doesn't think about hiring its own bus. And while the Mann is kind of in a "bad neighborhood" it's also far from any neighborhood--and high above them! (Quite spectacular views, actually).

All that said, best bet would be to try to get a group and share cabs from 30th St. station.

I don't go to every performance of Swan Lake here (transport issues, especially with long ballets like Swan Lake or Beauty), but if you get Rojo/Acosta, go. Bonnelli is currently out with injury, so Acosta might fill in, as he is doing this Friday in London. Technically, Acosts obviously gets a big 'yo' factor... he's not the best of actors in my opinion, but it's okay for this, especially as he seems so besotted by Rojo's swan (or at least that's how it was last time I saw them do this together).... and I really do like Rojo in this.... And I mean like as in triple chocolate brownie with all the trimmings!

Well, I don't think I can pass up the chance to see anything resembling an actual traditional Swan Lake - so I'm going on Friday. I will plan to take the SEPTA shuttle but if anyone else is making the trip and wants to pool resources or even just meet at the shuttle - let me know!

Susan

The Mann really is in the middle of Fairmount Park, so it's not part of any neighborhood, good or bad.
The roof is a heat trap IMO and Philly is very humid in the summer so dress accordingly. If it's really warm, bring a fan.

This is insane! I've lived in Philadelphia for 3.5 years. I constantly bemoan the fact that I am 'so near and yet so far' from NY and DC - and I'm moving two weeks before the Royal Ballet comes to town...

Anyone who is interested in the Kirov reconstructions of Petipa-Era ballets via the Stepanov-notation books should see this amazing production. True, the decorations are cheap-looking filigree and most costumes are tacky BUT the staging of the two lakeside acts, in particular, is exquisite. It's the closest thing to the 1895 version of SL as can be seen on the planet. I just saw the two most recent performances at the ROH of the weekend (tentative Lamb/Putrov and spot-on Marquez/Kobborg pairings) and I'm thinking about going to Philly just to see the unparalleled Act IV staging once more. It is that wonderful, especially from the historical point of view.

Thank-you for all your suggestions! I bought tickets for Friday night after all. My husband and I are going to stay at the Hampton Inn near the conference center (thanks to a good IBM rate) and take the Mann shuttle. I just have to figure out where the nearest stop is - as someone mentioned the shuttle map is not very visitor friendly.

Not quite a dance question but what is the "dress code" for these kinds of events at the Mann?

I am going Tuesday and Thursday nights. I live right outside Philly (and about 5 minutes from Mann). I could offer transportation back to 30th St train station for a few attendees- PM me.

Well, because it's Philadelphia High Culture, some in the audience will be terribly overdressed for the venue/season. But ignore them: the Mann Center can be HOT HOT HOT so wear as little as you can get away with!

Thanks for the wardrobe advice Ray, and thanks to dufay for that very generous transportation offer. I envy you getting to see the Royal in R&J and am especially sorry to miss Tamara Rojo's Swan Lake - but it just didn't make sense for me to travel in from NY mid week. I'm going to come in for the Friday night SL and stay at a hotel near Rittenhouse square. I'll rely on the special shuttle to get me there & back - so I'll be wearing my running shoes...

Here's another lodging option for the die-hard balletomane on a budget:

http://www.philahostel.org/

Chamounix Mansion Hostel, in Fairmount Park, is a mere 7-minute drive from Mann Center. Cost for dorm-room bed: $20/night members; $23/night non-members. Price includes sheets/pillows/etc. No age limit (not just 'youth'). Plenty of 'bunks' left for every night of the RB run!

Ah, Fairmount Park, Philly's untapped and neglected urban woodland--lots of, ahem, shabby gentility. I don't mean to be too cynical, but just be ready for an adventure: FP is no Central Park or even Prospect Park. (And notice how the hostel is very close to an extremely busy freeway, not to mention railroad tracks.)
Actually I'm impressed by the website, and I never knew that Chamounix Mansion was a hostel--the mysteries of Philly! (Though it's annoying that the FP map they link to doesn't show where the Mann Center is.) Those who stay should report back to us!

Actually, I've stayed at Chamounix House before, Ray, and it's up on a hill in an idyllic woodland setting, far above any freeway or railroad. Quite a lovely house; the common areas (living room, etc.) are full of antiques & furnished elegantly. The 'dorms' are spartan but clean and pleasant. I've stayed at hostels all over the world & this is one of the most beautiful and non-hostelish-looking. It's like staying at a big old family manse.

The one negative, IMO: a midnight curfew. No problem if the ballet ends at 11pm and it takes so little time to drive back.

I ran a 'mapquest' between the mansion and Mann Center - it's absolutely close. You just drive down the hill from the mansion on Chamounix Drive, continue round a circle, then you're practically at the doorstep of the Mann Center.

I wonder how the dancers will do tonight (Tuesday)--it's supposed to be super hot again. (Not easy for the viewer either!) I'd hate to be the nurse. Anyone who goes, please report.

Yes, R and J is NOT the ballet to be doing when it's 100 degrees. I don't think it affected the company too much, except, perhaps, some of the men's dancing. I loved the production- and comparing it to ABT- the RB sure knows how to do crowd scenes. I was disappointed that Alina C was injured, but was impressed with Leanne Benjamin. I didn't realize she was so tiny-she looked quite young, and her acting was refreshing. I thought Johann Kobborg was a bit too understated, but the heat and humidity might have wilted him. The poor orchestra probably had to tune constantly thruout due to the weather, and except for a couple of understandable oops, did a wonderful job.
Unfortunately, being Philly (and I live there, so I can say this), some treat the occasion as a night out at the ball park.
SL on Thursday. with Rojo.

That's a real tribute. Judging by an article in the Telegraph, she is 42.

Yes, but I saw Ferri as Juliet a couple of years ago, and she was totally believable too (take that NYCB). The balcony scene was beautifully done, and when she was left alone after refusing to marry Paris, you could see the emotion in her as she sat still.

I totally agree, but I have to say I was really thrilled to find a clip of Ferri doing R&J when she was really young (like 20?21?) on the web other day.

I probably prefer her in it now, but on film, where you can see her face so well, its amazing to see her do it while looking that young.

And to keep this from being *totally* OT--she was with the Royal at the time (though not in Philly) ;)

Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite ballets - I love the crowd scenes, I love the sword fights, I love the ensemble dances. Can you tell I'm a fan of it?

And the part in Act 3 where Juliet just sits motionless on the bed while the music roars around her - the stillness is so expressive.

Thursday, July 12 Swan Lake-Tamara Rojo, Federico Bonelli

Well, the first act of Swan Lake has never appealed to me, and unfortunately it didn't tonight either. I sat patiently through it, and the dancing was fine enough.

Act 2 was beautiful for the most part. Corps was mostly together, though I did spot one girl that seemed to forget the choreography/ timing. I did notice that there is a HUGE range of heights in the corps, and one of the four little swans was, in my opinion, too tall. A lot of the corps arm movements were too jerky for my taste, kind of like they were whacking their arms into position with no meaning....definitely NOT wings. Probably not their fault though, I imagine since they all did it they were told to do it that way. I also didn't like how the swans were on half pointe a lot of the time (for bourees, sous-sus, etc.), it looked strange. White Swan pas was beautiful; the only problem was some jerk repeatedly taking flash photos (meanwhile, my camera had been confiscated just because I had it in my purse). Rojo was wonderful; I wouldn't say that White Swan is her strength, because she is such an athletic dancer, but she was quite impressive.

At the end of the 30 minute (!!) intemission, Monica Mason came onstage and announced, to my deep disappointment, that Rojo was injured and would be replaced in Act 3 by Roberta Marquez. She apologized for the long intermission and explained that Marguez and Bonelli had needed time to rehearse as they had never danced together before.

Despite that, I think that they did quite well together; in fact, if I hadn't known that they had never danced together I would have thought nothing of it. Marquez is certainly a different dancer than Rojo--more elongated and certainly taller. There were a couple very very minor glitches in their pas but all in all it was incredible that they danced so well. Marquez couldn't have had that much time to warm up, and she was a little shaky but mostly great to watch. Her arabesque is one of the most beautiful I've seen. Bonelli's solo went well too. I imagine he was feeling some nerves at this quick change of partners but it didn't show; he landed his jumps and turns solidly enough. There was certainly a sense of triumph at the end of the coda! I didn't really care for the national dances, but then I'm not really a fan of character dancing. The Neopolitan couple was impressive and together though. The set bothered me a lot in Act 3...it looked like a whoel bunch of Mardi Gras beads strung across the stage.

In Act 4 Rojo returned; I suppose maybe she hurt a hamstring and couldn't do the quick, acrobatic movements of Odile, although of course I don't know. It is just a theory I have because I didn't see any visible limping. She and Bonelli were emotionally connected in this act; when they weren't onstage I wasn't really interested. Corps work was ok but nothing special for me.


One note that I have to make: WHY is Rothbart an evil, giant owl?? It just seems so bizarre to me...an owl is completely non-threatening, IMO. And the costume was jsut ridiculous, not scary or menacing at all. Weird weird weird. I much prefer the human Rothbart with a mohawk, as he appears in Act 3

-Carmen

I too was disappointed that Rojo pulled out of Odile, but thought Roberta Marquez did an amazing job, particularly given the circumstances. Her arabesque is high and gorgeous. I thought Rojo looked a bit more remote and uninvolved in Odette than I would have liked. As for the Cygnets- I think it was one girl who was too short, rather than one too tall. Yes, there is a wide range of heights in the RB, with more short dancers than in many US companies. Sets were a bit Tim Burtonish, and rather than the ABT "Swamp Thing" the "Owl Thing" described above.

Thanks for the reviews, I can't wait till tonight!



That must have been strange, and very distracting! I also heard that the audience was very unruly.

FYI - I haven't seen much of Rojo but Marquez is TINY. Certainly no more than 5' 2", probably closer to 5 feet. And von Rothbart is traditionally represented as an owl, though the major complaint I've heard about this production is about the costumes & scenery...

The audience was MUCH ruder than Tuesday night; it was embarrassing. Many looked and acted like they were at a Phillies game. Totally "Philly-stine". My daughter swore she would never attend another ballet there, as the audience was so rude. There was quiet about 5 minutes into the first act, but people still got up and walked around to buy pretzels with mustard (Philly haute cuisine). The concessions should be closed during the performances.
And I sure wish they could have brought an Ashton.

I thought Rojo's replacement for the black swan was much smaller, not bigger. When en pointe Rojo was as tall as her partner, the replacement was not. I did not find it very odd having a different person for the black swan, I've even read that in some productions (I believe one was the Cuban National Ballet) even plan it that way. I thought all in all it was a good production although I did not feel the dancers were as swan-like as I had seen in other productions, just not enough arm movement or something just seemed missing to me.

Thank you so much for the review, Petite Arabesque. I've seen Marquez a few times in London including in Swan Lake with Ivan Putrov about a year ago. She's a clear mime and takes coaching well; she's developed into a reliable performer that you can count on to do well. Though she is in fact tiny, she's got long, extended proportions, which is probably why you thought her tall - she's an absolute godsend to today's shorter male principals.

Did anyone catch the Friday night performance of Swan Lake with Marianela Nunez? I had the opportunity to take class with her on Friday morning and she was extraordinary. Though she complained of being off her leg, she still managed to whip out a clean, slow, well controlled six pirouettes. I was lucky enough to see the other 3 performances (which were all incredible might I add), but unfortunately I couldn't make it to the Friday night show. I'm really eager to hear what people thought.

I suppose it wasn't so much that she is tall than it was that she seemed to be such a different body type--leaner than Rojo (not saying Rojo is big, AT ALL!), and, like you say, appearing taller.

I think it is highway robbery what the Mann charges. It was very distracting for me to have people getting up and walking around during the performance, let alone the boxes of popcorn prevalent throughout the audience and the occasional car alarm and airplane heard over the music. I imagine that the dancers can get very distracted; I know I would.

That was a really ugly owl costume in the 4th act!

I guess high expectations got the best of me on Friday night. I went in expecting to love this production and wound up liking it a little. Before seeing it I couldn't really sympathize with all the complaints the Brits had about the costumes, scenery & misbehaving aristocrats. After what passes for Swan Lake in NY I figured that as long as it had the authentic dance text how could it be anything but wonderful? Now I know what all the fuss is about.

I dislike the switch from Medieval Germany to what, 18th or 19th century Vienna? I guess it's still supposed to be Germany but in the first act Rosato's Queen Mother & Pennefather's Siegfried kept making me think of Sisi & Rudolph. I have to say that while the costumes & scenery were fussy & overdone they were also very beautiful & rich looking, nothing like some of the cheesy stuff we've seen lately from ABT. And the company looked wonderful – I love their open, expansive style of dancing. I was more impressed with the women than the men and really enjoyed Sara Lamb and Lauren Cuthbertson in the pdt.

As the curtain closed on the first act I 'd just about convinced myself that I could live with an 18th century Swan Lake. Then it opened for act 2 and revealed a set that I can only describe as sci fi Goth. And it only got worse for act 3. Again – it was all really well done and very effective in its own way but I found it so distracting that despite the authenticity of the dance text I would hardly call this a traditional Swan Lake. The thing I disliked most was the costumes for the swan corps. Their dresses were romantic length tutus but multi layered with shredded ends and they were bright shiny white. Even their swan headpieces looked like some kind of filigreed, stylized feathers rather than natural looking ones. They looked more like a bunch of maniacal wilis than enchanted swan maidens and as much as I loved seeing the choreography the costumes really obscured the dancing for me. There were a couple of things I liked a lot about the production – I loved the mime. I'm familiar with the first act mime but I don't think I've seen the 4th act mime in years, and it was great to see it again. There was also a moment towards the beginning of the 4th act when the swan maidens mimed something like "where is Odette – what happened". It was all of a few seconds long but they all did it in unison and it was a beautiful moment.

Nunez & Pennefather were both good, but I didn't think either one was outstanding in their roles. Pennefather has nice long lines and cuts a very elegant figure. His acting was strong, partnering was solid & his dancing was clean but not exceptional. Nunez looked very strong technically. Her Odile was great, charmingly seductive and her dancing was spectacular throughout the black swan pdd. She's a great turner, her balances were extraordinary and her fouettes were beautiful and secure. Unfortunately I'd been marveling at her technical prowess all the way back in the second act, in the white swan pdd. I don’t want to see technique in the lakeside acts, I want to see magic. Her arabesque is beautiful, but there were way too many 6 o'clocks & not nearly enough poetry for me.

I also went on Friday (Nunez/Pennefather). I recently saw multiple casts of this production in London but, at that time, missed Nunez...hence, my great interest in revisiting the production in Philly.

I agree with nysusan on many counts, including the overall ugliness of the set design and many of the costumes, especially for the men. However, I love the feathery quality of the long corps swan dresses; they truly enhance the choreography, particularly when the girls are waltzing (a lovely swishing quality to the skirts).

Unlike nysusan, I was absolutely bowled over by Marianela Nunez' Odette and Odile. WOW! WOW! WOW! Think Uliana Lopatkina's lines, balances, pirouettes...then add warmth. PERFECT! As Odette, Nunez was 100% poetic and lyrical, while acting as if Siegfried (long and elegant Rupert Pennefather) was truly THE man in her life. Her mime was clear as a bell; she truly engaged us, the audience, in her plight. In the pdd and, esp., her solo, she was expansive and musical. Whether hitting an arabesque or executing a multiple pirouette, she made it seem effortless. Smooth as butter. So languid. Nothing was rushed. Nothing was 'punched.' I have admired this languid, easy turning quality in only one other dancer in my 40-plus years of traveling the globe for ballet -- Michele Wiles. But Nunez adds to Wiles' technique-uber-alles manner.

Now it is not even worth comparing Nunez to the other Royal ballerinas who I saw performing this ballet in London last May; Nunez blows them all out of the water, I'm sorry to say.

Only tiny fault: Nunez is such a 'Can Do' dancer that sometimes -- just a tad -- she pushes the musical envelope as she slowly extends a pirouette or a balance well past the musical limit. [She must drive some conductors nuts.]

As always, it is a JOY to see the two white acts of this production -- the ONLY production on earth that preserves Lev Ivanov's original 1895 choreography for Acts 2 & 4, as staged ca 1985 by R.J. Wiley from the Stepanov Notes at Harvard Univerity Library. My main complaint about the touring aspect of this production: The Mann Center audience was unable to see A2 as Ivanov envisaged, with eight children accompanying Odette. The kids did not come along on tour, so Nunez emerged from the wings without the eight girls. Adults took the place of the girls during the Waltz of the Swans (the central line at the start of the waltz, where Ivanov intended the pre-teen/early-teen girls to perform). To see the true-and-complete 1895/Ivanov A2, one must travel to London.

p.s. I was highly impressed by the two dancers who appeared as 'solo swans' - Helen Crawford and Gemma Sykes. The taller one, in particular, who danced the first 'demi solo' segment in the A4 Valse Bluette (Crawford?...going by photos of faces in RB 06/07 Season programme book) has 'future Odette/Odile' written all over her. Both were wonderful.

p.s.s. Unlike the casting at most of my London viewings, Ashton's 'Neapolitan pdd' in A3 was NOT performed in Philly-July 13 by Stephen McRae, who absolutely, almost-embarrassingly 'stole the show' at the ROH. Nonetheless, it was impossible to miss McRae's stunning leaps and expansive movements during Friday's A1 Waltz by the corps de ballet! I wonder if Thursday's Philly audience saw McRae's Neapolitan?

Thursday's Neapolitan is listed as Ricardo Cervera. As I recall, he was pyrotechnically spot on.

Has anyone seen Alexandra Ansanelli in Swan Lake? Does she do the pas de trois or anything else? I'm curious about how she is doing. I used to enjoy her in NYCB.

Vipa, I saw Ansanelli in London, where she danced in A1 pas de trois, as well as performing one of two big swans. She did a very fine job with both. She has danced Aurora at the ROH and will perform Gamzatti-Bayadere in the fall + Sugar Plum at the opening of the Nutcracker run in December. [Casting already announced for the fall period, on the ROH website - http://esales.roh.org.uk/tickets/eventList...?evt=64&g=1]

Cervera is wonderful but McRae is simply phenomenal. Very odd that the guy who won the greatest applause in London in Neapolitan-- sometimes more applause & louder 'bravos' than given to the principals -- is not given his chance to shine overseas. I guess that it's all about seniority.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but i thought ORIGINALLY the black swan and the white swan were danced by different ballerinas?

Also, btw, add K-Ballet to the companies that have a different Odette and Odile. And they also use the Tchaikovsky Pdd music for the black swan (or at least they do in the DVD).

-goro-