Recorded last autumn, the Royal Ballet's production of Kenneth MacMillan's Manon will be shown at Canadian cinemas on Saturday, February 28, at 1:00 p.m. local time.

Manon: Tamara Rojo
Des Grieux: Carlos Acosta
Lescaut: José Martin
Lescaut’s Mistress: Laura Morera
Monsieur G.M.: Christopher Saunders

The trailer's here: http://centralsystem.digiscreen.ca/ShowPag...on=237&ch=3
From the Royal Ballet web site: http://www.roh.org.uk/cinemas/manon/index.aspx

Most screenings will take place at Empire Theatres.

www.empiretheatres.com/opusArte

Participating cities: St. John's, Halifax, Sydney, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Charlottetown, St. Catharines, North York, Mississauga, Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Kingston, Richmond Hill, Burlington, Bolton, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, North Vancouver and Victoria.

It's also showing at the Princess Twin in Waterloo: www.princesscinemas.com
and the Ridge Theatre in Vancouver, www.festivalcinemas.ca, at 10:00 am PT.

On a side note, it appears that the Coast Capital Playhouse in White Rock, BC, the Paradise Cinema in Williams Lake, BC, and the Hudson Village Theatre in Hudson, QC, have also signed on to the Opus Arte network, but I haven't been able to verify exact dates for Royal Ballet/Opera screenings there.

If I were to sum up my reaction in one sentence, I'd say it's a nice performance that in no way eclipses the earlier film with Jennifer Penney and Anthony Dowell.

I found much to admire in Rojo's performance, less in Acosta's. Overall I was happiest with Laura Morera's Mistress and Paul Kay's Beggar Chief. Among the others I'd note Hikaru Kobayashi among the Courtesans and Valeri Hristov among the Gentlemen.

The most damning thing I can say is that I wasn't brought to tears, and I'm the sort of viewer who cries readily and willingly. This is not entirely the performers' fault since this ballet usually loses me midway through the second act, and I truly dislike Leighton Lucas' ham-fisted arrangements. Poor Massenet. Still, I'm glad I went if only because I'm not likely to buy the future DVD. (Oh dear, talk about a backhanded compliment.)

Manon will be screened at five UltraStar locations in California and Arizona in early May.

Sunday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 6 at 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m.

The participating cinemas are located in San Diego, CA; Carlsbad, CA; Apple Valley, CA; Surprise, AZ; and Lake Havasu City, AZ.

Here is the trailer:
http://centralsystem.digiscreen.ca/ShowPag...p;date=05032009
http://www.roh.org.uk/cinemas/manon/index.aspx