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need help picking casts, seating for CInderella ar


Paul Parish

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Not sure if this is hte right place to post this, but I'm inquiring for friends who're going to London on Dec. 31 and are hoping to see Cinderella at Covent Garden -- She knows I became a fan of hte RB when I lived in England (the high SIbley/Dowell/Mason era).

She writes me, "we are looking at horrendous prices (84 pounds for evenings, 55 for matinee). Do you have any suggestions about casts or seats in the Opera House? Last time I was there was in 1969. I can scarcely remember, but I saw an opera from what I think were the balcony sides. The casts are different, too. I'm thinking about a matinee on Jan. 2 to save money."

WHen I was aat Oxford, you could get into Covent Garden for a half a crown , get a cheap seat upstairs, identify vacancies in the orchestra, and run down and grab them without the ushers doing anything but smiling. SO I can't help much. Any of you Londoners/RB buffs enough up on the situation to give her some help?

My friends are new to ballet, are seeing everything they can, utterly smitten -- both are musical, one was once a child prodigy, played a piano concerto with the LA Symphony when she was like 14... so you would be helping someone who is really a great maven....

THanks,

Paul

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Paul, this ---> link shows the ROH seating plan.

When I visited in March, 2002, my seat was Grand Tier, Row A, number 44, and my shoulders were completely perpendicular to the stage. I had a stiff neck for days afterwards. :angry:

A friend about to go to London just mentioned that the rebuilt ROH orchestra level is not very raked, so visibility depends on the person in front of you (or your friend). :angry:

On the other hand, placing my phone order could not have been a more efficient or pleasant experience.

I'm sure London-based BA'niks will chime in with more specific suggestions.

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Paul, sightlines are still a problem at the ROH - unfortunately. My advice would be to avoid orchestra stalls seats. They are ludicrously expensive and because of the insufficient rake in many cases you can't see a thing. Better are balcony center, first or second row, or amphitheatre center, first rows (although many people consider this already too high and far - which it is, and you will still know what you are paying for), or stalls circle center and sides, not too close to the stage. Stalls circle seats usually have good sightlines, but there are not too many of them.

And the ushers did change a bit since the days you are describing, Paul :wink:

Hope this helps.

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I'd say that on a budget, the stalls circle seats were the best. Being at the same level as the stage was a new and wonderful experience for me - I loved being so close to the action. Balcony seats are also good, as are the front rows in the amphitheatre. I actually liked all these seats better than the 3rd row of the grand tier as they are, in my opinion, more fun as you can people watch as well as have a more intimate view of the stage.

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THanks, guys -- wow, Carbro, that's quite a seating chart..... incredibly user-friendly......

Please, everybody, feel free to give more tips on seating -- but how about casting? WHo do you like in Cindreella? I saw Sibley, and AShton and Helpman (sp?), myself -- which was ideal... WHo do you like now, and do they dance matinees?

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Casting for Cinderella you can find here :

http://info.royaloperahouse.org/Performing...?ccs=492&cs=894

I would recommend -without doubt !- the stellar-cast on 30-12 matinée : Alina Cojocaru & Johan Kobborg, but it's very unlikely that there will be tickets left :blink:

1st January, matinée : Leanne Benjamin & V.Samodurov, can be interesting although Somodurov is a new principal at the RB and have been distrubed very little so far !.

2nd January, matinée : Yoshida & Bonelli. I not a big fan of Yoshida, Bonelli (another new principal) can be interesting 'if' he has settled down with his new company in the mean time.

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The trouble is, Paul, that none of the casts scheduled for this run of "Cinderella" is really settled. Of the casts listed there's only Benjamin and Yoshida whom we can remember from the past. Neither one struck me as ideal for the role, but that's only personal, and at least they danced it before. Most of the others will be dancing their debut in the role (Cojocaru, Rojo, Tapper, Makhateli, Bonelli, Samodurov, Kobborg...), so your guess is as good as mine. We should realize that this company has changed quite a lot in the last few years (principals-wise). Buying a ticket is more than ever luck of the draw and it's best to forget about the glorious Sibley-Dowell-Helpmann-Ashton years (although Dowell will now return as one of the sisters, if that's of any consolation...).

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Guest sebonnell

Iwould like to thank everyone who responded to Paul's request for information. I am the friend (and her husband) who will be in London from 1-12 January 2004. We will be unable to see Cojocaru and Kobborg on Dec. 31--too bad. But we will probably go to a matinee and get less expensive tickets, thanks to all of you.

So, again thanks.

Sylvia Bonnell

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Paul, what was Antoinette Sibley like? I would have liked to have seen her do something. She has been my favourite ballet dancer since I was little, because a lot of my mother's annuals from the 1960s have her as a star and a role model (how different than today's Britney Spears!) I used to read her old books and wish I could go to ballet class and go and see a ballet. :wink:

Sylvia Bonnell - I hope you have a lovely time!

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