21 replies to this topic

[Kevin Ng]

Makarova didn't participate in the gala.  As for Irek Mukhamedov, I heard that he was somewher in Poland where he is in charge of a new production of Swan Lake.

[Sonja]

Hi Wendy,
FINALLY I have had time to check the web - thank you so much for sharing your memories. Reading your review made me feel almost as if I was there... Sob.
Thanks also to everyone else for contributing to a comprehensive picture - such a shame this gala obviously was not filmed... Will ever regret this!

[wjglavis]

Great to hear from you, Sonja; I thought you'd gone a bit quiet lately

Re Makarova - good point, Drew. I'm not sure that she was mentioned, now I come to think about it.

Ok, just had a look at my programme and there's a section on Dowell's time in the U.S.A., which includes a photo of him partnering Makarova in 'Les Sylphides' and mentions Makarova several times.

Towards the front of the programme there are tributes or memories written by all sorts of people who knew and admired Dowell and it occurs to me that some of you might be interested in hearing the names of those who contributed. (Don't know that we should make too much of the names that DON'T appear; perhaps they only chose the best or the most interesting! Others might have been busy...lost their forms...forgot to post them. But who knows.)

They are as follows (and listed in the order in which they were printed): John Tooley, Darcey Bussell, Anthony Russell-Roberts, Jeanetta Laurence, Viviana Durante, Sarah Wildor, Gelsey Kirkland, Wayne Sleep, Donald Macleary, Maina Gielgud, Deborah Bull, Beryl Grey, John Sainsbury, Anya (Linden) Sainsbury, Jenny Penney, Carole Stephen-Lane (nee Dowell), Clement Crisp, Derek Jacobi, Cynthia Harvey (a poem!), Georgina Parkinson, David Bintley, Susan Hampshire, John Lanchbery, Maria Bjornson, Deborah MacMillan, Yolanda Sonnabend, Peter Wright, Philip Gammon, 'A Fan', Panton Corbett, Peter S. Diggins, Roy Round, Vivien Duffield, Monica Mason, Michael M. Kaiser, Jay Jolley, 'The dogs - Suki, Daisy and Barney', Sylvia Guillem, Maria Almeida and Jonathan Cope.

Oh, and at the very beginning to the programme there's a letter from Princess Margaret (with photo). She was unable to attend the Gala, but was represented by her daughter.


- Wendy

[Kevin Ng]

Wendy, thanks so much for informing us about the list of tributes at the back of the souvenir programme.  I suppose your copy of the programme will be a valuable collectors' item, since there won't be any more copies on sale after the Gala.

[Helena]

There are some copies of the programme available - I've just ordered one by phone  from the Royal Opera House shop. £10 plus p&p. It will make up a bit for missing the gala.

[ 05-29-2001: Message edited by: Helena ]

[Drew]

Thanks to everyone for reporting on this.

[wjglavis]

Thanks everyone. Helen, I'm very glad to know it's possible to buy more programmes, as I'm sure a lot of people would like one. Thanks for posting that.

Kevin - for a minute there I thought I was going to become fabulously wealthy and could go to the ballet as often as I wanted. Oh well, back to the lottery.

- Wendy