The Phantom of the Opera (North American Tour)(January 17th, 2016 Matinee)

The Phantom of the Opera:

North American Tour

January 17th, 2016

Matinee

Well, it only took me about five years, but I finally saw the much-discussed tour of The Phantom of the Opera. To be fair, I have seen one of the UK Tour bootlegs (it was a gift, and it was my favourite Christine… don't judge, I didn't keep it) so I did have a rough idea of what I was walking into, and I also know that the general consensus was that the restaged tour, to put it bluntly, sucked pretty badly. But nevertheless, everything is worth seeing at least once, and I'm really glad I did go to this production as I quite liked it. 

I'm going to discuss individual performances briefly, before moving onto a more general review of the production itself. 

Seat/Venue Review: I don't love the Princess of Wales Theatre; the view from the seats are good, plenty of leg room, etc., but the bathroom and concessions situation is deplorable. There are only four bathrooms in the entire theatre (and it's a big theatre!), and they're all underneath the orchestra. Also, popcorn should never be allowed into live theatre. Enough said. But my seat was great; it was E23 in the Orchestra (premium seat… way expensive), and the view was just about perfect. No obstructions, no heads - if I'm being picky I would've liked to be 4/5 rows closer to the front.

Celia Hottenstein (alt. Christine Daae)

Celia Hottenstein (Pinterest)

Friends who had seen the show and know my taste in Christines (strong emotional actors, detailed characterisations, and good dancing) insisted I see Celia, and that I'd love her. I'm always a bit skeptical about pre-judging anyone, but I couldn't help but be excited to see her. She really was wonderful. The first thing that really stood out to me was her dancing - she's a gorgeous dancer (and not just because she dances en pointe, which is a real selling pointe (haha) for any Christine; I'm going to guess she's had a lot of dance training - she has the crazy hyperextended legs that a lot of ballet dancers and RGs get from all the stretching. I could be wrong though); Celia has beautiful arms, lovely extension, and great musicality. Her Hannibal was smooth and effortless, Masquerade was fluid, elegant, and expressive, and PONR was sharp and sultry - every dance she did really captured the feel of the piece. I would've happily had her show up in Il Muto ballet just to watch her dance more, she was that good (very reminiscent of Layla Harrison, actually, in terms of expression and elegance). 

I also really loved Celia's acting. There was a nice evolution of character through the performance, from very shy, happy-in-the-background Christine, to a more mature, strong woman. In the beginning, I liked that though Christine is shoved in the back, Celia was still acting very perceptive, watching Carlotta carefully, etc. It was a nice touch. Some other moments that stood out to me acting-wise include Think of Me, Angel of Music, the journey to the lair, beginning All I Ask of You, Wishing, and the Final Lair. At the beginning of TOM, I liked how she was looking very unsure, and when Firmin/Andre complained about her she got this really sassy look on her face like "watch me!" then proceeded to be incredible. Nothing specific in Angel of Music, I just thought she was very convincing, I liked the character and relationships with Meg and Raoul she was establishing in this scene. It set everything up for what followed. Also loved watching her remember Raoul; it was a cute moment. In the journey to the Lair, Celia's reactions to the vanishing stairs were great. You could feel the fear and apprehension, but also the excitement and anticipation of this new adventure (Celia's Christine struck me as having a bit of an adventurous/rebellious streak, which I loved, and which kept popping up through the show. I'd never seen that take before, but it really worked well). At the beginning of AAIOY, her little emotional breakdown after Raoul stopped her from throwing herself off the roof was really heartbreaking (a general comment; Celia's acting was very realistic. Yay for feeling bad for fictional characters). Same deal for Wishing; realistic, emotional acting that made me teary. The set in that scene was so pathetic that Celia was carrying the entire scene with her voice and acting, and she single-handedly managed to make that a beautiful, heartbreaking scene. Kudos. Then at the end of the Final Lair, I loved how Celia really stood up to the Phantom, got in his face, didn't act all injured and pathetic, and basically was the only mentally stable person in that scene. The very end, when she came back to drop the ring of, had me in tears again - when the Phantom was singing that he loved her, you could see the sadness and distress in her face and actions. I'm going to overuse the word heartbreaking because it fits (sorry, former english teachers). Acting wise, my only actual complaint was the really pathetic Raoul slap. I get no one wants to really hurt their fellow actor, but given the type of character Celia established (that rebellious streak I mentioned earlier), I thought the slap could've been a bit more… passionate. I also thought that in the final lair it would've been more effective to throw the music scores all around rather then tossing them up in the air like a giant volleyball. But all-around, Celia's acting was incredibly convincing, and very detailed and thoughtful. But the best part was that it was totally unique to her; there was nothing cookie-cutter about her acting, and I'd never see quite that approach before. I really enjoyed it. 

Celia Hottenstein
(Phantom Tumblr)

Her voice was good, not the most powerful Christine ever, but she hit every note easily. The crazy high notes sounded clear and effortless. My one issue with her vocally is she tended to pronounce 'Music' like "moosic". It might be an accent thing (although of all the people in the show, Celia was closest to a british accent), but it sounded a bit funny. Thinking back, she does have some enunciation issues in general (i.e. "here in this room, he *halls* me softly"), though they're not too noticeable. But all in all, stellar Christine, loved her, really want to see her again… so hopefully she goes to the West End some day (that's where I see her fitting in best). Also, tall Christine, yay!

Eric Ruiz (u/s Phantom)

I must admit, I'm not too picky about my Phantoms. As long as they can sing decently and don't act too badly, I'm happy. Eric was a nice Phantom. Nothing really stood out; he seemed to struggle a bit with the really long, high notes, often lowering them halfway through the note (wow, so technical. I clearly know my music - best example of this I can think of is the note at the end of Music of the Night). He did have a strong, powerful voice though. It just wasn't typical phantom-y highness. The one thing I thought was interesting about him was his Phantom was very human rather than ethereal. I don't really know how to convey how he did this, but all I can say is Raoul's "He was nothing but a man" made a lot of sense with Eric's Phantom. Maybe it had to do with the staging, but I felt that Eric's portrayal was less ethereal or majestic than other Phantoms - he seemed to have a lot more emotion and his mini breakdowns (like at the end of the 1st act and in the final lair) were more consistent with man rather than 'angel'. Anyway, I liked what he did with it.  

Storm Lineberger (Raoul)

Storm Lineberger (google)

I don't necessarily like what was done with Raoul in this production direction-wise, but I thought Storm did the best he could with what he had. He toned down the violence of Raoul in the restaged version as much as possible (really, there's no way to make the fist fight after Wishing not ridiculous - but he tried. I'm basing this statement on having only seen Simon Bailey's restaged tour Raoul and hearing other reports of how overly violent Raoul was made in the tour), and made Raoul very protective towards Christine (but not overwhelmingly so, if that makes sense - he made sure she knew he was there for her, but didn't smother her physically or emotionally). I liked how in the Final Lair he kept edging towards Christine, trying to reason with the Phantom but also get closer to Christine to pull her away. I also liked that in Masquerade he kept Christine securely behind him and wasn't letting the Phantom anywhere near her. He seemed to have a solid grasp of multiple aspects of the character, which many Raouls lack. On the protective note, I liked how offended Storm looked when Christine basically said "You promised you would protect me, you failed!", I mean, she was right, but I still felt a bit bad for Raoul after that! Storm also had a really powerful voice that resonated through the theatre (which I liked because often Raoul gets drowned out in the group numbers), and he was good at expressing his character's emotions through his voice (in that he didn't really 'over sing'. Also he was probably the best looking Raoul I'd ever seen, and that doesn't hurt. So yeah, protective, non-violent, great voice, great hair, cool name. All-around good Raoul, and I'd happily see him again (actually he's another I could see in the London production, he has the type of stage presence they tend to go for. Why must all of these people be American?!). 

Rebecca Robbins (u/s Carlotta)

Rebecca Robbins
(www.rebeccarobbins.com)

Rebecca was SO funny. The restaged production seemed to put a heavier focus on Carlotta (taken from Piangi and Meg), but deservedly so when Carlotta is played as skilfully as Rebecca did. She had a great voice, humorous yet thoughtful acting, and an overall entertaining, engaging portrayal. To an extent, her Carlotta was a bit of a one-dimensional diva, but she did have a few moments of determination (Prima Donna), fear (TOM), taunting, etc. She had a wonderful voice, of course, and her comedic timing was absolutely on point. She was really playing of what was making the audience laugh and what was getting no response. Consistent accent, and I loved how fussy she was with Reyer during her rendition of TOM. 

Morgan Cowling (Meg Giry) and Anne Kanengeiser (Mme Giry)

Morgan Cowling (Phantom Tumblr)

Loved these two. Morgan was a very sassy, spunky Meg. A little more mature and grown up than most Megs - it was a very different take, but I liked it and she executed it well. Her Meg was clearly the leader of the BGs. I also liked that she established a secure relationship with Celia's Christine, they really did act like best friends, but Meg was clearly the more confident of the two. Morgan was also a lovely, expressive, and interesting dancer, with a strong singing voice (though her vibrato was a bit overboard - she was easily hitting the notes and wasn't going squeaky though, so no issues). She easily made it into my top 3 Megs. Anne Kanengeiser was an imposing yet sensitive Madame Giry. I felt she didn't really stand out too much - half the time I forgot Mme Giry was actually in a scene. But when she was the focus of the scene, she was amazing. Great voice, loved her acting and relationships with Christine, Raoul, and Meg. You definitely got the sense you wouldn't want to mess with Mme Giry (a la Meg in Angel of Music).  

Ballet Girls (Christina Dooling, Julie Eicher, Abigail Mentzer, Lily Rose Peck, Alexandra Pernice, Micki Weiner)

I have to mention the Corps de Ballet girls, because they were all fabulous. Gorgeous, gorgeous dancing (the restaged tour is far more dance-heavy than the original), great acting. They really stole the show for me (overall, if I could only pick one thing, the Corps de Ballet was probably the highlight of the entire show - even without the degas ballet, which is usually my favourite part of Phantom! I was so in awe of them that I couldn't even ask for an autograph at stage door… whoops!). Unfortunately I can't identify any particular girls as I don't know what they look like, but a dark-wigged soloist in Hannibal was very elegant and had the most beautiful extensions. There was some great acting going on (whoever was having the crying fit before Buquet's story was very amusing, and the one that was ignoring Carlotta in Hannibal - and subsequently got smacked by her - did a very convincing job. It's those little details that really make a show), and as far as I could tell they all had strong singing voices. I enjoyed the fact that all of the girls had developed little personalities, and all were very perceptive and reactive to the action occurring around them. I really cannot speak highly enough about the ballet girls. They were all wonderful. 

There were a number of other solid performances, and some that I just didn't like (i.e. Piangi), but this review is getting a little long, so I wanted to leave it there and move onto discussing the show itself. I'm dividing it into two acts, because my opinions on each act were vastly different.

Act One

I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved the first act of the restaged tour. I'd walked in with very low expectations (poor reviews, preconceived notions from the UK tour videos, etc.), which might've been a good thing, because I unexpectedly enjoyed most of what I saw. The transition between the auction and hannibal was very cleverly done, with dancers trickling in, a real hannibal princess replacing the mannequin with the princess dress, Raoul being slowly overwhelmed with these 'ghosts of the past'. It was eerie, and I loved it. My issue with Think of Me was the scarf - if they wanted to leave it out, they should've just left it out. They way they tried to introduce it with the dancers was cheesy and overcomplicated. I also thought it was blatantly obvious that Celia's hannibal bodice and gala skirt didn't match (US bodice + UK skirt = bad combination. The velvet doesn't match at all). I really missed the Degas dance, but I appreciated the effort that was made in trying to make the dressing room a bit Degas-esque. That scene was surprisingly realistic. I also liked the touches on the set (the UK Hannibal costume hanging on the wall, a ballet barre on the side). The dressing room looked 'lived in', and it made sense that Christine would still be in there rather than having her own room as in the original production. The checking herself out in the mirror thing was a bit odd, but it was kind of creepy to think that the Phantom was right behind that mirror watching her. I liked how they introduced Raoul, with her not remembering him at first. It was cute. And the rose! That was adorable. I liked that in this production, Raoul doesn't try to kiss her right off the bat, but they have a nice little bonding moment of remembering their childhood, and their relationship evolves from there. Celia and Storm were a very complementary C/R combination; I'm not exactly sure why, but they just matched well. Not Olivia and Antony, but pretty close.

The 'Vanishing Stairs' (Chris Mann and Katie Travis)
(photo by Matthew Murphy)

Loved the journey to the lair; the vanishing stairs were so magical, and the timing was excellent. This act just seemed so technically skilled that the sloppiness of the second act makes no sense. Anyway, it was breathtaking. Loved that you could feel Christine's anxiety and excitement through the choreography. Really well-done. Didn't really like the set up of the lair though; lose the bed, elevate the monkey box, and bring back the scary/awesome throne! The only thing I didn't like about this act was Music of the Night. The blocking and choreography were cheesy as all get out ("close your eyes…" *pulls out a blindfold* yeah, that was way too literal and far too 50-shades-of-grey-ish. Those around me were visibly uncomfortable with it). I liked how it started, with making it very much like a music lesson, but as soon as the blindfold was pulled out, it went downhill fast. Enough said about that, it was just embarrassing.

Adored Il Muto; it was so delightfully camp. Absurdly cheesy and overdone, but in the best possible way. The set was great; the costumes could've used a bit of fluffing but they were nice enough. I couldn't really see the dancing in Il Muto because of the way they set up the stage (in order to make Buquet's strangling more visible), but I liked what I saw. I really didn't mind the change in costume from the original in this part; what they'd done with it worked well, and fit the setting of the mock opera. The set for All I Ask of You was gorgeous, and I loved the change in choreography/blocking here. It looked a bit like Christine was about to throw herself off the roof, and Raoul talked her out of it at the last second. It helped establish that protective relationship Raoul had over Christine. AAIOY itself was cute, romantic - I actually don't remember a lot about it other than I liked it. So yay. The Chandelier crash was certainly dramatic, but it dropped over the audience rather than into the stage, and it sort of stopped short, smoked a bit, then went dark. Basically, it started really well, then had a very anti-climactic ending. But all in all, I enjoyed the first act immensely.

Act Two
I spent most of the second act with my face stuffed in my program, trying (and failing) not to laugh. Yeah, it was that bad. I want to make it clear that it was not the fault of the actors. As mentioned above, most of them gave stellar performances. I'm blaming the failure of the second act of the show on direction (Laurence Connor, I'm looking - well, glaring - at you). I could go on a major rant, but instead I'll keep it short and just write about what really bugged me (and the odd thing or two that I liked). Surprisingly, I liked most of Masquerade. The set was very nicely done (reminiscent of Versailles' hall of mirrors; it made the stage and cast seem bigger). The costumes were ok, but I LOVED Celia's Star Princess. The colour, fit, shape of the skirt - everything was so perfect. It was an absolutely stunning costume and it suited her beautifully. I didn't like the Phantom's entrance and exit. It was far too easy for him to get caught, and yet he didn't, for no good reason. There was nothing threatening about him, and he literally just walked out of the room, and no one tried to go after him. Yawn. Notes II was a non event, neither good nor bad. Liked the Don Juan rehearsal set up; they were actually rehearsing, not just singing the score. The transition to Wishing started nicely, with the rehearsal disassembling chaotically, but unfortunately it went downhill from there.

Katie Hall in "Wandering Child" (UK Tour, 2012)

Wishing was really disappointing. From crew men running around putting the tiny, unconvincing set (pictured - it was so bizarre because up to this point, the sets had been really clever and effective) in place, to people just wandering in and out of the scene (no interesting or mysterious entrances) to the really ridiculous fight that the Phantom and Raoul had after the fact - all I'm going to say is thank goodness for Celia's acting and singing. She single handedly carried that scene. The fist fight was just embarrassingly bad. Poorly timed effects, clearly fake and forced confrontation - it just made absolutely no sense. Those around me were commenting on its ridiculousness too. I liked bits of PONR; the table dancing on Celia's part was really nice and sharp, and her acting was great. I liked that they added the gloves to the Phantom's costume to make it less clear that it was him. A huge range of emotions portrayed there, and you could see 'Christine's' mind working out the situation (she clearly realised it was the Phantom early on, and waited for her opportunity - very consistent with Celia's Christine's rebellious/independent streak). I really didn't like how Christine was basically sticking her leg in the phantom's face through her dress, it was so out of place. The ending was just ridiculous; I completely missed Piangi's death because it was way off in a corner, and Christine just ran off with the Phantom following her… so how the heck did they end up in the lair? Didn't make sense at all.

Without the mirror bride in the first lair, the wedding dress in the Final Lair made no sense. It didn't look like a wedding dress, so Christine may as well have done that scene in the Aminta costume. If they don't want to add a mirror bride, they should've at least put a veil on Christine to convey that it was, indeed a wedding dress. It probably would've made all that throwing her around on the bed even creepier, but that's probably a good thing. The lasso was also very sloppily done and didn't seem fully thought out. However, in the Final Lair I did like that Christine came back to return the ring and overheard the Phantom singing that he loved her, without them actually having another confrontation. It made it so much more heartbreaking, especially with Eric Ruiz's more human approach the Phantom and Celia's complete breakdown. So I liked that, and then when the Phantom finds the ring and realises she came back. Nice touch, I'd actually be ok with them putting that in the original production. I sort of liked how the Phantom was actually confronted by Meg and the guards at the end of the lair, but his disappearance was too obvious. You could see his feet disappear, and the way Meg was holding the cloak for so long just made the trick too clear.

So, my conclusion is that the first act is great, the second needs some serious reworking (and some new set design!). In general, the performers were excellent with some very thoughtful portrayals that I would love to see either in London or on Broadway. I'd happily see this tour again and would recommend that others see it, but I also really do hope they continue to work on the production and develop it.

Matilda the Musical (December 10th, 2015)

Matilda the Musical

So I’ve got about four half-finished Matilda reviews in my drafts folder. It’s been difficult to write them lately as I’ve been sitting in the back of the Upper Circle, and therefore miss the details of the show and performances, making it far more difficult to write. So I finally got to sit back in the Stalls (front row, even), and have enough thoughts about the show to write a complete review again! Yay! I’m going to do this by performer; I won’t write about everyone, just those that stood out to me (whether for good or bad reasons).

Seat/Venue Review: I sat in A7 in the Stalls. I love the Stalls at the Cambridge Theatre; great view, lots of legroom, lots of bathrooms – absolutely no complaints. 

Evie Hone (Matilda)

After a marathon of seeing Lizzie Wells and Lara McDonnell, I final saw someone new! I was really excited to see Evie as I’d seen a few glimpses of her at Oxford St Christmas Lights, and liked her a lot. So it was really thrilling to see her name on the cast board when I walked into the theatre.

Evie was a nice Matilda. She was absolutely adorable and innocent looking, with a very high-pitched voice. She was a good dancer who was sharp and didn’t look awkward, and she had minimal stumbles over her lines (only two fumbles that I counted) and she spoke very clearly (I had no trouble understanding her), though she did spend a lot of time fiddling with her costumes. My main problem with her was that she was quite unresponsive in her acting, especially when opposite any of the adult performers. When Mr Wormwood was ripping up Matilda’s book, Evie didn’t even look like she was paying attention. Her face was totally blank; she didn’t look upset, or angry, or sad, or anything… nothing. Matilda can be quite stoic, but that doesn’t equal emotionless. In My House, Evie said the lines very blankly and bluntly, and didn’t really appear to be showing sympathy or empathy for Miss Honey, which is a characteristic I really think Matilda needs to show. Evie’s acting was great when she was on her own though, and when she was working opposite other kids (her and Lavender’s interaction during the Thripp Throw was amazing).

One of my favourite moments of Evie was her hugging Miss Honey; she nearly sprinted at her, and it was really cute and emotional. It felt like Matilda was so desperate for love that she abandoned her usually stoic exterior and showed a lot of love and feeling towards Miss Honey. I really liked this detail. I also liked how she did the choreography in Quiet a little bit differently than the other girls; it seemed as if her Matilda was really considering her words and actions, and her arms ‘burst’ out when it felt right emotionally, rather than when the choreography called for it.

Miria Parvin (Miss Honey)

I can’t say enough good things about Miria’s portrayal of Miss Honey. It’s sensitive, intuitive, detailed, thoughtful… I could go on for a while. She's very motherly towards Matilda - with all the kids, actually. She gets down on the kids' levels to speak to them, and is very kind and understanding towards all of them. But you can also sense that she's trying to hide the hurt and vulnerability in front of the kids. When Trunchbull is screaming at her in front of the children, she stays very resolute and stony-faced, which makes her complete breakdown in front of Matilda really heartbreaking. Some of the details I love about Miria are at the end of My House, when the Escapologist/Her Father places his hand on her arm, her voice cracks, almost as if she can feel his presence. It's a beautiful and effective moment. I also really love her completely over the top dance at the end of Bruce (it's hysterical but also shocking - which probably makes it more funny). The final detail I wanted to mention is during the scene where Matilda is writing on the chalkboard; before she starts to write "Run", Miss Honey nods and says "Run" first; it's like Matilda got the idea to say that from Miss Honey. It's cute seeing how Miss Honey is really hopeful for a second that it really is her father, but when she sees that it's Matilda; she doesn't get angry or upset. It's sort of a quiet acceptance and a wave of affection for this girl who's trying to help her in the only way she can. I loved Miria's performance and all the emotion and intricacies it contained. I'll happily see her Miss Honey a dozen more times. 

Oliver Brooks (u/s Trunchbull)

I honestly don’t see a lot of difference between him and Craige Els; aside from a few little nuances and details, Oliver’s Trunchbull is a carbon copy of Craige’s. Voices sound the same, mannerisms are the same. Oliver does a good job, but there’s nothing original or innovative about his performance; I’ve seen it all before. One thing at this show that was funny was he dropped the ribbon at the end of The Hammer. The music ended, Oliver stopped, picked the ribbon up with as much contempt as he could muster, and then said “Now get out!”; I thought this could’ve gone so badly, but he handled it exactly how Trunchbull would’ve. It was a nice touch.

Rebecca Thornhill (Mrs Wormwood)

Have to admit, I’m not her biggest fan. She doesn’t really play with the character enough; it’s a very ‘safe’ approach. Mrs Wormwood is such an exuberant, lively character, and Rebecca made her very lackluster, and far too catty for my taste. I also didn’t find her dancing very strong; she’s not very flexible (her drop split is entirely cheated; she doesn’t do a split at all, and she really depends on her partner to get her legs where they need to be. She also doesn’t express very much when she’s dancing, which is when Mrs Wormwood should be at her most alive. I didn’t like her Rudolpho (John Brannoch); he isn’t flexible either (Rudolpho’s main characteristics are part-Italian and ‘supple’, aka flexible… so Rudolpho needs to be flexible!) and I just don’t find anything interesting about watching him, because he’s not an extraordinary dancer, nor did he really have fun with the character. Both he and Rebecca are mean and catty rather than humorous. In this case I guess they’re a good partnership – they’re both equally bland to watch.

Michael Begley (Mr Wormwood)

Well, I’m a bit annoyed because he called me a smelly little bookworm…. That wasn’t very nice. ( ;) ) But otherwise, he was really good. Very stern, serious Mr Wormwood, with an unintentionally humorous streak. But he wasn’t necessarily mean to Matilda – he just ignored her and had his occasional bouts of anger that were directed at her. He actually reminded me a lot of my dad, which is maybe why I felt a bit of sympathy towards his character. Anyway, it made his little interaction with Matilda at the end of the show more believable and heartwarming. I liked how he ripped up Matilda’s book; he was really over-exaggerating the struggles of figuring out how to rip it to the point that I was having hysterics in the front row. It was the same with the hat and the green hair. He had these great comical moments that cooled down the intensity of the scenes and provided much-needed comic relief. Anyway, loved him, love his Mr Wormwood, don’t love being called a ‘S-Worm’.

Ensemble

Alice (Lia Moxom) and Amanda (Caoimhe Judd) were amazing. Really expressive and interesting; they didn’t just scrunch their faces up the entire show, they actually showed a variet of different emotions from fear, to enthusiasm/excitement, to triumph – great range from these two, who also seemed to have strong singing voices and sharp, accurate dancing. Amanda was so cute during the throw; really great acting from her, and her lines were clear and well-spoken. Hortensia (Tilly Cook) was the exact opposite; I could barely hear her during her individual lines, and her dancing looked sloppy and lacked character. She wasn’t doing much acting-wise either. Olly Dobson played both the Doctor and Michael Wormwood. I loved his acting; he brought a great personality and enthusiasm to the doctor (coupled with a strong singing voice), and he was so funny as Michael.

The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker (December 11th, 2015)

The Royal Ballet's

The Nutcracker

Dec. 11th, 2015

This spectacularly sparkly performance of the Nutcracker is a yearly tradition at the Royal Ballet. A Christmas essential across Europe and North America, the Nutcracker comes in hundreds of versions (with different choreography, stories, and characters) all set to the same score.  It’s easy to think you ‘know’ the Nutcracker after seeing it a number of times; I’ve seen NBoC’s Nutcracker at least four times. But the Royal Ballet’s was so different, and it’s opened my eyes to how one score and basic story can be interpreted so many different ways.

Alexander Campbell and Francesca Hayward (ROH.org)

In the Royal Ballet’s version of the Nutcracker, choreographed by Peter Wright, Drosselmeyer's (Gary Avis) nephew, Hans-Peter (Alexander Campbell), has been bewitched to become a Nutcracker, and must defeat the mouse king to regain his human form. With Clara's (Francesca Hayward) help, the Mouse King is defeated, and Drosselmeyer and Hans-Peter take Clara on a adventure through a magical land full of different characters and dances. 

As I said, Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker is very different from the one I’m used to. In most cases, this is a good thing. But where I think NBoC’s Nutcracker is superior is the story. Royal Ballet’s follows the loosest possible storyline it can in the first act, and abandons it entirely in act two. The coherent ‘action’ ends about halfway through the first act, and the rest of the ballet seems like an excuse to have lots of little dances; it was basically just using the music. I had to reread the plot summary a few times to wrap my head around what was supposed to be happening. I think it’s very necessary for ballets to clearly communicate a story (especially a ballet with a large audience of children), so in this aspect, RB’s Nutcracker fell short. I think I can fairly say that in general, NBoC has more emotional performances and more ably develops coherent storylines, while Royal Ballet has superior dancers, more finesse, more variety in performers, and are clearly better rehearsed.

However, in most other areas, I really enjoyed the Royal Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker. As soon as I saw how glittery and ‘big’ the first scene was, I knew I would love it (as we all know, I love everything grand and detailed!). The sets were so large and detailed; I was sitting quite far off to the side so I did miss a lot set-wise (especially the Christmas tree! Pout), but what I did see was incredible. They really created an environment in which the story could unfold; there was no question of where things were happening, and the contrast between the warmth of the Act 1 sets versus the iciness of the Act 2 sets helped to communicate the change from Clara's  reality to her dream.

Francesca Hayward (ROH.org)

The costumes were exquisite. From the simple beauty of Clara’s nightgown, so the incredible detail on the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu and wig, every costume looked newly made (the costume department at the ROH should be commended for their excellent work). Even all of the group costumes for minor background characters were so detailed and individualized. I can’t comment on them enough. Favourite costumes of mine included Clara’s nightdress (it was so flowy – I need to know what fabric that was because I want to make something with it), the Rose Fairy’s glittery (!!) pink (!!!!) tutu, the Snowflakes’ costumes, and the Angel costumes. I also loved that every costume was a head-to-toe look. Nothing was just a tutu with a hairpiece. Wigs, makeup, shoes – everything came together to create a complete look that embodied and accentuated every single character in the show.

All the dancers performed beautifully. I always commend the Royal Ballet on how well-rehearsed their dancers are. Of course there are the odd mistake, but nothing is ever sloppy, and any mistakes are quickly rectified (and no one fell – every time I see Nutcracker, someone – usually a main character – falls). I was particularly impressed by the caliber of the student dancers; the children were charming and synchronized, and the older students performed so well you would think they were members of the corps. One of my favourite large group numbers was Snowflakes; I loved all of the intricacies and nuances of the choreography. The choreography itself was nothing especially revolutionary, but it was nice enough. I thought all of the divertissements - though too short - accurately communicated the 'feel' of the music. I did dislike the Sugar Plum's main variation; she did these odd little jumps (they're like pas de chats, but smaller, with what looked like a baby ronde de jambe - I'm sure it has a name, but I'm still new to ballet, so forgive my lack of knowledge) that looked awkward, and there was nothing 'fairylike' about the piece. The PDD was gorgeously done though; very grand, very attention-grabbing and exciting. 

Olivia Cowley (ROH.org)

A few outstanding performances were those of Clara (Francesca Hayward) and the Nutcracker (Alexander Campbell), that of the Rose Fairy (Yasmine Naghdi), and that of Lead Arabian (Olivia Cowley). Francesca Hayward is quickly becoming one of my favourite dancers. She is an absolute delight to watch, and Clara was a perfect role for her. She was sweet and innocent (blending in perfectly with the children onstage), absolutely solid technique-wise, and created a character that was believable and loveable. Alexander Campbell was charming and charismatic, and you could see why Clara would like him (I mean, other than the fact that he’s adorable). I didn’t really get much of his character, but I think that was a story issue rather than a problem with his performance. Yasmine Naghdi was beautiful and ethereal; she had a little stumble at one point towards the end of her performance (not in her main variation, but in a little aside later on in the ballet), but otherwise was sharp and tidy, hitting all the accents of the music, and giving an all-around charming and engaging performance. Olivia Cowley, a favourite dancer of mine, was sultry and charismatic as Lead Arabian. I’ve always found that music quite tricky to interpret, but Olivia does so with her usual elegance, finesse, and musicality. Not to mention she’s made out of elastic bands; the flexibility and strength Olivia showcased in this too-short piece would rival that of some of the top Rhythmic Gymnastics (Evgenia Kanaeva totally comes to mind). The Nutcracker was full of great performances, but these were the main ones that stood out to me. I did also have a soft spot for Drosselmeyer and his tendency to throw glitter everywhere though.

Lauren Cuthbertson (the Guardian)

One thing that surprised me was how unenthusiastic dancers Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli (The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Prince) appeared to be. Now, in all fairness, there had been a last minute cast change (Matthew Golding was originally scheduled to dance the Prince). Lauren was, as always, exquisitely elegant, and absolute technical perfection, but I felt she was lacking in the emotional department. Her smile seemed forced, and she didn’t really bring anything to the character. It was Lauren dancing, not a character. She and Federico didn’t look comfortable together; he seemed to be struggling to maintain his grip on her during lifts. On his own, Federico is a nice dancer, but like Lauren, he wasn’t really dancing a character. He was just doing a performance. I do love watching them dance, but something just seemed off about their performance that night. There was nothing memorable about either of them.

I had a wonderful time at The Nutcracker. Even if the story isn’t the greatest, Nutcracker’s a great, not-too long night out (it ends at 945, perfect for kids!), full of entertaining performances, beautiful costumes, and grand sets.

The Phantom of the Opera (November 14th, 2015)

The Phantom of the Opera

November 14th, 2015

Matinee

Another trip to Phantom! I've been at the Royal Opera House so much that it felt a bit weird to be back in my old haunt. It's not quite the same as I've been sitting in the Grand Circle (cheaper seats!) rather than stalls, but still. Anyway, I finally got around to seeing the new principal Christine Celinde Schoenmaker, and also managed to catch a few new covers on, so it made for an interesting show. I don't have too many comments on the show itself as I was mostly focusing on the performers, so I've divided the review into sections based on performer. Enjoy!

Seat/Venue Review: I sat A21 in the Grand Circle, and it was £51. Overall quite a good seat. You have to lean forward a bit, but you can see everything on the stage happening. You miss a few details being farther away, but I think it's a good value for what you get. The only thing I hate about the GC is the lack of bathrooms. Also the staff get quite snippy if you want to check the cast board before going up to the GC. 

John Owen-Jones

John Owen-Jones
(program scan by Viscountess on Tumblr)

Love him! Really, really adore his Phantom. But I couldn't for the life of me tell you why. He's basically an all-around amazing Phantom. The voice is fabulous (I've never heard a Phantom get applause mid-song, but JOJ totally deserved it. His voice is like listening to melting caramel), his acting is interesting and engaging, and his very presence on stage is just *drool*. I'm kind of sparse on details because I can't actually tell you specific little things I liked or disliked about his Phantom, I just loved it all. Off the top of my head, I like how he turns the end of the title song into a bit of a music lesson (he's 'conducting' Christine with his hands), and I like how he's not overly violent in the Final Lair. You get the sense that there's some intense crazy under the calm, smooth exterior, but it doesn't pop out much. I also love how he does the Italian accent (mimicking Piangi) in PONR; it's a cool little detail that makes the setup and Christine's reaction far more believable. I also like that he expresses his emotions with his whole body; it's not confined to just his face/hands. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's like watching a dancer (like Matthew Golding in R&J) rather than someone just 'acting'. Anyway, JOJ is amazing and such a treat to watch. 

Celinde Schoenmaker

I wanted to like her. I so badly wanted to like her, because I adored her Fantine, and I thought it was amazing that someone really different from the typical casting was playing Christine. But I was unfortunately quite disappointed by her. 

Celinde Schoenmaker
(tumblr)

Let me start by saying: Celinde's voice is glorious. Her Think of Me Cadenza was the most mind-blowing thing I've ever heard. It was a much richer, deeper sound than your typical Christine. Though her voice is beautiful, I thought she over sung the part (and Harriet Jones was guilty of this early in her run too). She goes all out and sings literally everything. Even lines that are usually spoken, she sings. Because of this, she misses opportunities to express her emotions in her voice (true, she could do this while singing, but she doesn't). Her performance was so vocally-centered, that there was very little character development; nothing really emotionally engaging about her performance. I'm re-reading this and it's making no sense, but she just sings stuff. She doesn't feel it, and that shows in her voice. I also struggled with her accent quite a bit (which was odd because I didn't even notice it as Fantine); it was very thick. She was still understandable, but it seemed as though she was having a difficult time trying to hide the accent, the result being that any time she spoke/sung, it just sounded awkward. I expect she will become more comfortable with this in time.
I was also quite put off by her acting. It was just uncomfortable to watch. It was very much "I'm doing the choreography and blocking that was given to me," and therefore came off as rehearsed rather than natural. It didn't feel 'in the moment'. Some of her acting choices didn't make a lot of sense to me; she seemed far too excited about the Phantom appearing in her mirror (ok, this could make sense if you think about it, but I didn't get it at the time) and was really smiley and twitchy during MOTN. I heard others call it 'Orgasm acting' (a la Gina Beck) - I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it certainly looked off. She also never really got emotional with her face. I mean, she'd frown or smile, but otherwise kept a pretty neutral expression. I couldn't tell you what Christine was feeling at any given moment, and I can't say anything about how her character developed through the show, because it didn't. There's not a whole lot to say here… just disappointing. I loved her acting as Fantine and was expecting such an interesting, emotional Christine.
The one part of her performance that I unexpectedly loved was the second half of the Final Lair; it seemed that she finally let herself go, and went all out emotionally. Face, voice, movements - everything felt less choreographed and more natural. If she could do the whole show like that, she'd be incredible. From "Tears of Hate", she was just on FIRE! I also loved her "Angel of music, you DECEIVED ME!" etc. She just completely broke down, and it showed in her face, voice, and body (everything about her just collapsed inwards). After that line, she just started gasping, and looked very distressed. It was so effective, and demonstrated that she is more than capable of delivering an emotional performance.  The other time I felt like this was at the very beginning of PONR, when she was playing with the Apple. It felt as though she was actually having fun and playing around, rather than rigidly performing choreography. So yeah, let yourself go Celinde!

Nadim Namaan and Celinde Schoenmaker
(program scan by Viscountess on Tumblr)

Mostly, I feel like Celinde's being held back by trying to be the stereotypical vulnerable, delicate Christine. Whether that's her choice or the directors, I don't know. But she's never going to be a delicate, childlike, innocent Christine. She doesn't have the voice or the look to pull that off. However, she absolutely could be a more mature, fierce, badass Christine (a la Olivia Brereton). I mean, yes, there are essential moments of vulnerability. But it's so much more effective to play a really fierce Christine who has multiple layers, including a vulnerable layer which shows through during All I Ask of You, Final Lair, Wishing, etc.). This could be so effective if she just was allowed to portray it that way. Anyway, I've got my fingers crossed. Celinde's got a fabulous Christine inside of her, I'm just hoping we'll get to see it some day. 

Nadim Namaan

Not my favourite performance of his. I felt like he didn't gel very well with Celinde; they didn't seem like close friends or a couple. His usual protectiveness wasn't there, possibly because Celinde's Christine is much more mature and doesn't really need a protector as much. So I think he could've adjusted slightly, but since Celinde doesn't really know what she's doing character wise, Nadim didn't have a lot to work with. So I'll forgive it. Not much to say other than that, but he still had some really good moments as Raoul. "Cease this torment!" in Wandering Child Trio was very passionate, very believable. I love his acting in this scene; he speaks with such conviction and power - making a sometimes ridiculous scene actually mean something. Nadim does a great job at communicating Raoul's fiercer side without going overboard. Loved when he was in the noose; he was really struggling against it and fighting. I loved his, "Christine, forgive me, please forgive me," too. Definitely communicating that it wasn't her fault they'd ended up in this situation, or apologising for not being able to save her/listen to her sooner. Depends on your perception of Raoul. But I liked it.
All in all, great voice, powerful singer (you can always hear him properly), decent acting. I still love his Raoul, just not quite as blown away as the first time I saw him.

Lyndsey Gardiner

Lyndsey Gardiner
(operafantomet tumblr)

Story time! Back when I saw Phantom in London the first few times, there was a swing (I'd just learned what a swing was so I liked to try to spot them) that I really, really liked. She put her own unique little stamp on every ensemble character she played, even if said character was only onstage for 6 seconds. It felt like she put a lot of effort and thought into what she was doing, and that made her very entertaining to watch. A while later, I found out that said swing had been promoted to 2nd cover Carlotta! Whoop! Only… I never got to see her (I had the 1st cover Carlotta a lot, which was great because I loved her, but I still wanted to see said favourite swing). So, a year+ and a cast change later, I finally got to see my favourite swing as Carlotta! And it was so worth the wait.
Lyndsey's Carlotta was so delightfully funny, obnoxious, fierce - I could go on for a while. She really made the character her own, and it wasn't an interpretation that seemed copied from anyone else - very fresh and unique. She had a solid, believable accent, and a voice to die for. She wasn't too shrill or 'throaty' as some Carlottas can get; it was a very solid, clear sound, with just a touch of pomp and a 'look how wonderful I can be' air about it. I really liked that she kept the Italian accent consistent through the singing/speaking/etc. - a lot of Carlotta's tend to drop it when they're singing (after TOM).
My favourite part about Lyndsey's Carlotta had to be the acting. She was so charismatic and engaging; I couldn't take my eyes off of her. t loved how she said "She's mad," in Notes II; it sounded very snobby, frank, and high-schooler-ish, which was funny. Never heard anyone go for that angle before. I can't exactly put it into words, but I found her Carlotta so much fun to watch. Little details in her interactions with the other characters established a solid diva-esque personality, her little rants and emotional outbursts were over the top, yet entirely believable simply because she put the effort into thoroughly establishing her character. I really, really loved her as Carlotta, and I don't think this review does her justice. As with JOJ, I just loved everything she did, and it's difficult to put my finger on a few specific things that made her portrayal so enjoyable.

Basically at this point I'm just annoyed that after how much I liked her, I doubt I'll see her as Carlotta again (it was difficult enough to see her once!). I have a checklist for Carlotta, and Lyndsey checked all the boxes, and then some! She's an amazing, entertaining, and feisty Carlotta, and I totally recommend going to see her if you get the chance. Also, I feel like she'd make a really interesting Christine… she's got the right look for it, and I'd love to see her act something like that as I really thought she put her own stamp on Carlotta. I'd completely support her being the new cover Christine after Lisa's promoted (I mean, I doubt that'd happen, but I'd love to see it). 

Daisy Hulbert

Daisy Hulbert
(picslist.com)

I was very unpleasantly surprised by just how awful Daisy's Meg was. I liked watching her in the ensemble and thought she was a nice and interesting dancer, and I fully expected her to be a decent Meg. I was so wrong. She was embarrassingly bad. I'm surprised anyone let her on stage. In Hannibal, she was trying far too hard to stand out. A beat ahead of everyone, making ridiculous faces, movements not flowing… not pretty. Also, sickled foot! Argh. Even Celinde managed to keep her foot straight, whereas when Daisy's foot was on the floor, it was so turned in I don't know how she didn't hurt herself. Anyway, I wasn't impressed.

I'd heard her sing some stuff before, and I didn't think much of her voice, so I wasn't expecting too much from her vocally. I figured it'd be mediocre at best. I wish she'd been mediocre. Her singing voice was so bad I don't even know how to describe it (my friend described it as a drugged gerbil if that's any help…). Cringeworthy comes to mind. Squeaky. Wobbly. Babyish. Rodent-esque (my hamster made more pleasant noises than her, to be completely honest). Take your pick. It was just.. awful. I'm making faces just thinking about it. I mean, I think she was hitting the notes… sort of… she totally missed them on "the words aren't yours!" though (oh my goodness that was painful to listen to). I guess there's not much else to say about her singing, because I think I'm just ranting now. But it really was unpleasant. They could've used her Angel of Music as some form of torture. I mean, she couldn't even sing "Christine!" without sounding all warbly and shrill. There was no smoothness in her voice (forgive my lack of terminology; I'm a gymnast, not a singer). 

The one thing that wasn't awful was her acting. It wasn't to my taste, certainly. At times it was way over the top, whereas other times she faded into the background. But she seemed to be going for a very childlike approach, and she at least communicated that well. Did I like it? Nope. Did she make a choice and commit to it? Yep. So I'll give her that. But I really have no desire to see the atrocity that is this Meg onstage every again.  

General

The ensemble was weirdly sparse (illness/holiday I assume?); it looked as though a few female ensemble were missing, I spotted at least one male swing on, and there were at least two ballet girls missing (plus Daisy on for Meg), and no male dancer. It looked rather odd watching Daisy and Lily essentially partnering themselves in Il Muto. Unfortunately, no matter how good those girls are, it was very obvious that there were people missing. And I have to say, this group of girls don't gel nearly as well as the last cast (which is weird because it's almost all the same… I guess Layla being gone and Georgia and Danielle missing has a significant impact). Everyone was slightly off time with each other, nothing looked as tight and clean as it usually is.