Bolshoi Ballet Summer 2019 ROH London Residency

[McJagger]

To my surprise we'll also be in London in August and I have booked tickets. Not Zakharova but I can't have everything.

[Drew]

7 hours ago, sohalia said:

I have not ! I was starting to watch videos of Stepanova on YouTube, but then decided to not spoil myself. It will be interesting to see this production with everything you mentioned. I love ballet, but I do not know the specifics of it all or little details like these, so it is certainly good to know. 

Some of the video of Stepanova's Swan Lake on youtube shows her in the Mariinsky production which is quite different anyway, so if you break down and decide to watch youtube video of her in Swan Lake after all, you will probably want to keep track of which production it is. The Bolshoi's isn't my favorite and I find the cutting of Tchaikovsky's music for the end of the ballet almost unbearable, but many people admire this production a lot and without a doubt you will see some fantastic dancing. I wish myself I could attend Stepanova's performance.

 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Drew

[Laurent]

On ‎4‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 3:21 PM, Drew said:

Some of the video of Stepanova's Swan Lake on youtube shows her in the Mariinsky production which is quite different anyway, so if you break down and decide to watch youtube video of her in Swan Lake after all, you will probably want to keep track of which production it is. The Bolshoi's isn't my favorite and I find the cutting of Tchaikovsky's music for the end of the ballet almost unbearable, but many people admire this production a lot and without a doubt you will see some fantastic dancing. I wish myself I could attend Stepanova's performance.

Would you find it more "bearable" if you learned that the music wasn't composed for the Swan Lake and that Tchaïkowsky may have never given permission to use it? At this (and the British) ballet forum it became a matter of good taste to publically express one's disdain for Grigorovich's staging of Swan Lake as if he committed a serious crime against the sacrosanct integrity of the work. Could it be that this attitude is based on incomplete knowledge of the history of Swan Lake? This parallels the situation with the attitude towards the original, "glorious", Petipa choreography for the Sleeping Beauty versus the "corrupt", Kirov, version. One is accorded uncritical adulation while the other is scornfully rejected. The irony is that the original Sleeping Beauty was remembered and praised for the music, for the costumes, for the decorations, not for the choreography. In fact, it was noted by a number of critics present at the première that choreography was scant and derivative. In a long, detailed report of over 2000 words, from a special correspondent of The New York Herald, who was present at the première in Petersbourg, Marius Petipa's name is not even mentioned once, the work is pronounced to be primarily the triumph of the composer, the costume designer and the author of the scenery.

[Helene]

There are plenty of works that were dismissed at their premiere and are considered masterworks now, regardless of how well-respected and eminent the original critics were.

[Drew]

4 hours ago, Laurent said:

Would you find it more "bearable" if you learned that the music wasn't composed for the Swan Lake and that Tchaïkowsky may have never given permission to use it? At this (and the British) ballet forum it became a matter of good taste to publically express one's disdain for Grigorovich's staging of Swan Lake as if he committed a serious crime against the sacrosanct integrity of the work. Could it be that this attitude is based on incomplete knowledge of the history of Swan Lake? This parallels the situation with the attitude towards the original, "glorious", Petipa choreography for the Sleeping Beauty versus the "corrupt", Kirov, version. One is accorded uncritical adulation while the other is scornfully rejected. The irony is that the original Sleeping Beauty was remembered and praised for the music, for the costumes, for the decorations, not for the choreography. In fact, it was noted by a number of critics present at the première that choreography was scant and derivative. In a long, detailed report of over 2000 words, from a special correspondent of The New York Herald, who was present at the première in Petersbourg, Marius Petipa's name is not even mentioned once, the work is pronounced to be primarily the triumph of the composer, the costume designer and the author of the scenery.

I love the Kirov Sleeping Beauty.

That has not kept me from enjoying efforts at reconstruction of the nineteenth-century choreography and production which, whatever its official critical reception, seems to have inspired people and  artists who saw it enough to impact their later work including their work for the Ballets Russes.

But I DO love the Kirov Sleeping Beauty and have expressed that love many times over the years.

re Swan Lake. It is always wonderful to learn new things —I had been aware that the fourth act as I know it in several Western and, indeed, Russian productions has had much of its music re-arranged as was the case already in  Petipa-Ivanov’s production worked on by Drigo as well. But of course I do not have the kind of detailed historical knowledge you bring to the discussion. Still, I am not sure we are talking about the same music. I had NOT been aware that the shift of the ballet’s main theme into a  ‘major’ key and final apotheosis music and chords were not part of the original score and those are the passages I was thinking of when I wrote my  comments about finding the loss of the ending music unbearable. But if you could show me that a computer program had generated the passages I love, I guess I would be forced to say ‘well done, artificial intelligence,’ (that’s a joke).

But I never thought Grigorovich committed a crime against “the sacrosanct INTEGRITY of the work” —a category that I have found hard to apply to nineteenth-century ballets that often went through multiple productions and  were reworked in multiple ways even by their original creators let alone by those who followed them. As indeed Grigorovich has reworked his Swan Lake production this century. I have said on another thread (that you perhaps are remembering?) that I find cutting those measures just mentioned—the final change of key and apotheosis—a crime against music. But I take it as a fair reproach that that is melodramatic language.

They may not be the majority on English speaking message boards, but I have always found fans here and on other message boards who admire Grigorovich’s production of Swan Lake and I acknowledged that directly in my post above on this thread. The older I get the more I am aware of the vast range of responses even the most important choreographers and  productions generate. I suppose message boards would be unnecessary otherwise, but even among dance historians and stagers, I find a wide range of judgments on these matters. 

As for Grigorovich’s stagings of older ballets generally....without thinking they are perfect productions I would have been thrilled to see his Raymonda or his Bayadere in London as I admire them quite a bit. I don’t feel the same way about his Swan Lake. I am also confident his oeuvre is resilient enough to withstand a range of responses—indeed has done so. It WILL be interesting to see if Vaziev decides to change any of the Grigorovich nineteenth-century productions at the Bolshoi, but personally I would be surprised if he did so anytime soon.

Edited April 25, 2019 by Drew

[volcanohunter]

9 hours ago, Drew said:

It WILL be interesting to see if Vaziev decides to change any of the Grigorovich nineteenth-century productions at the Bolshoi, but personally I would be surprised if he did so anytime soon.

The Grigorovich Giselle is being replaced next autumn by a new production by Ratmansky. It's actually not the worst of Grigorovich's after-Petipa productions, so I'm a little sorry the company has started the great overhaul there.

Grigorovich does have a terrible tendency to hack up scores. I find what he does to the fairy prologue in Sleeping Beauty unbearable, and the way he hacks up and rearranges Romeo and Juliet is also hard to stomach. The score of The Golden Age is practically unrecognizable, although most people aren't familiar with the original anyway. But I agree with you that the ending of the current Swan Lake is the most unbearable of all, because it's so anticlimactic. Just as the score is hurtling to its overwhelming conclusion, and the music is supposed to switch to the major and continue on to the apotheosis, he reverts to the muted conclusion of the overture instead. This is a crime against Tchaikovsky and completely lacking in good sense. Interestingly, the so-called Grigorovich Ballet of Krasnosar continues to dance his previous production with the Soviet-era ending. One thing I do appreciate about Grigorovich's Lakes is that he eliminates the interpolated reconciliation duets, which are deemed dramatically necessary, but which slam the brakes hard on the music. So it's unfortunate that in the Bolshoi's current version Grigorovich messes with the score at the very end, because it's rather like letting the air out of a balloon and letting it deflate slowly and with no purpose.

[Xiaoyi]

It might be two productions existing at the same time, like Ratmansky’s and Grigorovich’s Romeo and Juliet.

I was very disappointed at Ratmansky’s R& J. Terrible waste of dramtic power in Prokofiev’s music. So I have some doubt on his Giselle.

[volcanohunter]

4 hours ago, Xiaoyi said:

It might be two productions existing at the same time, like Ratmansky’s and Grigorovich’s Romeo and Juliet.

The Grigorovich Romeo and Juliet has not been scheduled all season, so I suspect the "co-existence" of the two productions is a sham. The Grigorovich version is basically no longer in the repertoire. (I don't like either version.)

There were two versions of Giselle, Grigorovich's on the main stage, and Vasiliev's more eccentric staging on the new stage, running concurrently. After Vaziev took over, the Vasiliev version was soon dropped.

Since Ratmansky's version will be performed on the main stage, I suspect it is replacing the current Grigorovich production.

[bingham]

11 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

The Grigorovich Romeo and Juliet has not been scheduled all season, so I suspect the "co-existence" of the two productions is a sham. The Grigorovich version is basically no longer in the repertoire. (I don't like either version.)

There were two versions of Giselle, Grigorovich's on the main stage, and Vasiliev's more eccentric staging on the new stage, running concurrently. After Vaziev took over, the Vasiliev version was soon dropped.

Since Ratmansky's version will be performed on the main stage, I suspect it is replacing the current Grigorovich production.

Is the Ratmansky Giselle a reconstruction or just a new staging?

[volcanohunter]

The Bolshoi's London casting has been updated to work around Lantratov's absence. Marchenkova's Swan Lake has been reassigned to Krysanova, which should improve ticket sales, and Rothbarts have been cast. However, casting for Don Quixote is even less starry than before.

No doubt these won't be the last of the changes.

Mon 29 Jul 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Rodkin/ Sevenard Denisova / Lantratov Ovcharenko / Zakharova)

Tue 30 Jul 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Tsvirko/ Nikulina/ Ovcharenko Belyakov / Smirnova)

Wed 31 Jul  2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Lobukhin/ Vinogradova/ Belyakov Skvortsov / Stepanova Shipulina)

Thu 1 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Vasiliev/ Denisova Sevenard/ Skvortsov Belyakov/ Shipulina Stepanova)

Fri 2 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Smirnova/ Chudin / Lobukhin)

Sat 3 Aug 2019, 2pm:  Swan Lake (Kovalyova/Tissi/Gerashchenko)

Sat 3 Aug 2019, 7.30pm:  Swan Lake (Zakharova/ Belyakov / Kryuchkov)

Mon 5 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Stepanova/ Ovcharenko / Lobukhin)

Tue 6 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Nikulina/ Chudin / Soares)

Wed 7 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: The Bright Stream (Zhiganshina Khokhlova/ Vasiliev/ Skvortsov/ Krysanova)

Thu 8 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: The Bright Stream (Nikulina/ Lobukhin Chudin/ Lantratov Skvortsov/ Shipulina)

Fri 9 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Rodkin/ Sevenard Denisova/ Belyakov Ovcharenko/ Zakharova)

Sat 10 Aug 2019, 2pm: Spartacus ( Tsvirko/ Nikulina Shrainer/ Skvortsov/ Krysanova)

Sat 10 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Vasiliev/ Denisova Sevenard/ Lantratov Belyakov/ Smirnova)

Mon 12 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Stepanova/ Ovcharenko/ Soares)

Tue 13 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Marchenkova Krysanova/ Belyakov/ Kryuchkov)

Wed 14 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Kovalyova/ Tissi/ Gerashchenko)

Thu 15 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Shrainer/ Vasiliev Tsvirko)

Fri 16 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Krysanova/ Lantratov Soares)

Sat 17 Aug 2019, 2pm: Don Quixote (Sevenard/ Tsvirko)

Sat 17 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Stepanova/ Rodkin Belyakov)

Edited May 25, 2019 by volcanohunter

[Mashinka]

Thank you so much, I've made a note of the current state of play.

Might I ask about Soares?  Presumably not Thiago Soares, this will be someone entirely new to me so I would be very grateful for an opinion please.

 

[volcanohunter]

Golly, I should have thought of that.  This is David Motta Soares, also from Brazil, but a graduate of the Moscow Academy, who has been with the Bolshoi since 2015. Although still a member of the corps, his repertoire includes Albrecht, Franz, Grigorovich's Nutcracker Prince, Lacotte's Ta-Hor, Ratmansky's Romeo, Wheeldon's Florizel, the Golden Idol and the first duet in Emeralds. Spins like a top, but I've seen him have parterning problems. A bit loosey-goosey for my taste, and I don't find the way he uses his legs to be especially elegant (he just sort of pokes them out), but he has many admirers. Hopefully he won't be pushed into heavy-duty Grigorovich repertoire prematurely.

https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/persons/ballet/2863/

Edited May 25, 2019 by volcanohunter

[vendangeuse]

This will be my first time seeing the Bolshoi on tour. Is it possible that full/complete casting will be available before the performance? Has this been done in the past?

Some of the performances I am attending still have plenty of seats remaining, and I would consider upgrading the seats I have if certain soloists are performing. 

[Mashinka]

Casting has been available for some time, though there have been changes since then and I imagine there will be more changes before opening night.  I would hang on before upgrading.

ROH has increased its prices and the Bolshoi prices reflect the regular ticket prices.  That policy might misfire and tickets may not sell  so with luck there may be reductions closer to the day.  On Wednesday I went to see Carmen and in the 50+ years I've been going to ROH I've never before seen such swathes of empty seats before.

[Mashinka]

No, only the two principals, the casting for the RB is similarly inadequate.

[NinaFan]

Looks like they made more changes to the casting.  I haven't checked anything else, but I see that Vasiliev is no longer listed for Spartacus.

[vendangeuse]

2 hours ago, Mashinka said:

No, only the two principals, the casting for the RB is similarly inadequate.

Ah, I see. Does this mean complete casting is not generally available until the night of the performance? 

Edited June 30, 2019 by vendangeuse

[volcanohunter]

I would be extremely surprised if even Vaziev knows who will be dancing solo roles in London. At the Bolshoi these days casting is posted later and later and later.

A lot closer to the opening I expect the company will post casting for the Queen of the Dryads, Espada, the Street Dancer (but not Amour), for the women in the Swan Lake pas de trois and for the Jester, but that's about it, and it won't be soon. I won't be buying Don Quixote tickets until I find out, because the lead couples are not especially appealing.

Mon 29 Jul 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Rodkin/ Sevenard Denisova / Lantratov Ovcharenko Belyakov / Zakharova)

Tue 30 Jul 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Tsvirko/ Nikulina/ Ovcharenko Belyakov Ovcharenko / Smirnova)

Wed 31 Jul  2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Lobukhin/ Vinogradova/ Belyakov Skvortsov / Stepanova Shipulina)

Thu 1 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Vasiliev Rodkin/ Denisova Sevenard/ Skvortsov Belyakov/ Shipulina Stepanova)

Fri 2 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Smirnova/ Chudin / Lobukhin)

Sat 3 Aug 2019, 2pm:  Swan Lake (Kovalyova/Tissi/Gerashchenko)

Sat 3 Aug 2019, 7.30pm:  Swan Lake (Zakharova/ Belyakov / Kryuchkov)

Mon 5 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Stepanova/ Ovcharenko / Lobukhin)

Tue 6 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Nikulina/ Chudin / Soares)

Wed 7 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: The Bright Stream (Zhiganshina Khokhlova/ Vasiliev Tsvirko/ Skvortsov/ Krysanova)

Thu 8 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: The Bright Stream (Nikulina/ Lobukhin Chudin/ Lantratov Skvortsov/ Shipulina)

Fri 9 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Rodkin/ Sevenard Denisova/ Belyakov Ovcharenko Belyakov/ Zakharova)

Sat 10 Aug 2019, 2pm: Spartacus ( Tsvirko/ Nikulina Shrainer/ Skvortsov/ Krysanova)

Sat 10 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Spartacus (Vasiliev Lobukhin/ Denisova Sevenard/ Lantratov Belyakov Ovcharenko/ Smirnova)

Mon 12 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Stepanova/ Ovcharenko/ Soares)

Tue 13 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Marchenkova Krysanova/ Belyakov/ Kryuchkov)

Wed 14 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Swan Lake (Kovalyova/ Tissi/ Gerashchenko)

Thu 15 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Shrainer/ Vasiliev Tsvirko)

Fri 16 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Krysanova/ Lantratov Soares)

Sat 17 Aug 2019, 2pm: Don Quixote (Sevenard/ Tsvirko Belyakov)

Sat 17 Aug 2019, 7.30pm: Don Quixote (Stepanova/ Rodkin Belyakov Rodkin)

Edited July 1, 2019 by volcanohunter

[volcanohunter]

duplicate post deleted 

Edited July 2, 2019 by volcanohunter

[Drew]

I have tickets since my dates in London are dictated by work and my opportunities to see any kind of ballet are very limited. For me, therefore, it's Spartacus opening night and Swan Lake over the weekend....no matter who ends up dancing. 

 

[Deflope]

On 7/1/2019 at 4:25 AM, volcanohunter said:

I would be extremely surprised if even Vaziev knows who will be dancing solo roles in London. At the Bolshoi these days casting is posted later and later and later.

A lot closer to the opening I expect the company will post casting for the Queen of the Dryads, Espada, the Street Dancer (but not Amour), for the women in the Swan Lake pas de trois and for the Jester, but that's about it, and it won't be soon. I won't be buying Don Quixote tickets until I find out, because the lead couples are not especially appealing.

 

 

And here it is

https://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/tours/London-tour-2019/

 

(Sorry on phone so cant do the transliteration)

 

[ellecatalano]

I did the translation quickly, apologies for any mistakes  

Spartacus

July 29, 19:30
Spartak - Denis Rodkin
Crassus - Artemy Belyakov
Aegina - Svetlana Zakharova
Phrygia - Anastasia Denisova

July 30, 19:30
Spartak - Igor Tsvirko
Crassus - Artem Ovcharenko
Aegina - Olga Smirnova
Phrygia - Anna Nikulina

July 31, 19:30
Spartak - Mikhail Lobukhin
Crassus - Ruslan Skvortsov
Aegina - Ekaterina Shipulina
Phrygia - Maria Vinogradova

August 1, 19:30
Spartak - Denis Rodkin
Crassus - Artemy Belyakov
Egina - Yulia Stepanova
Phrygia - Eleanor Sevenard

August 9, 19:30
Spartak - Denis Rodkin
Crassus - Artemy Belyakov
Aegina - Svetlana Zakharova
Phrygia - Anastasia Denisova

August 10, 14:00
Spartak - Igor Tsvirko
Crassus - Ruslan Skvortsov
Aegina - Ekaterina Krysanova
Phrygia - Margarita Schrainer

August 10, 19:30
Spartak - Mikhail Lobukhin
Crassus - Artem Ovcharenko
Aegina - Olga Smirnova
Phrygia - Eleanora  Sevenard

Swan Lake

August 2, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Olga Smirnova
Prince Siegfried - Seymon Chudin
Evil Genius - Mikhail Lobukhin
Versions of the Prince - Elizaveta Kruteleva, Antonina Chapkina
Jester - George Gusev

August 3, 14:00
Odette-Odile - Alena Kovaleva
Prince Siegfried - Jacopo Tissi
Evil Genius - Egor Gerashchenko
Versions of the Prince - Daria Bochkova, Anastasia Denisova
Jester - Alexei Putintsev

August 3, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Svetlana Zakharova
Prince Siegfried - Artemy Belyakov
Evil genius - Mikhail Kryuchkov
Versions of Prince - Daria Khokhlova, Ana Turazashvili
Jester - George Gusev

August 5, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Yulia Stepanova
Prince Siegfried - Artem Ovcharenko
Evil Genius - Mikhail Lobukhin
Versions of the Prince - Daria Bochkova, Anastasia Denisova
Jester - George Gusev

August 6, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Anna Nikulina
Prince Siegfried - Seymon Chudin
Evil Genius - David Motta Soares
Versions of the Prince - Elizaveta Krutelev, Antonina Chapkina
Jester - Alexei Putintsev

August 12, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Yulia Stepanova
Prince Siegfried - Artem Ovcharenko
Evil Genius - David Motta Soares
Versions of the Prince - Daria Bochkova, Anastasia Denisova
Jester - George Gusev

August 13, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Ekaterina Krysanova
Prince Siegfried - Artemy Belyakov
Evil genius - Mikhail Kryuchkov
Versions of Prince - Daria Khokhlova, Ana Turazashvili
Jester - George Gusev

August 14, 19:30
Odette-Odile - Alena Kovaleva
Prince Siegfried - Jacopo Tissi
Evil Genius - Egor Gerashchenko
Versions of the Prince - Daria Bochkova, Anastasia Denisova
Jester - Alexey Putintsev

 "The Bright Stream"

August 7, 7:30 pm
Zina - Daria Khokhlova
Peter - Igor Tsvirko
Classical dancer - Ekaterina Krysanova
Classical dancer - Ruslan Skvortsov

August 8, 19:30
Zina - Anna Nikulina
Peter - Semyon Chudin
Classical dancer - Ekaterina Shipulina
Classical dancer - Ruslan Skvortsov

Don Q

August 15, 19:30
Kitri - Margarita Shrainer
Basile - Igor Tsvirko
Street dancer - Anna Tikhomirova
Toreador - Ruslan Skvortsov
Queen of the Dryads - Antonina Chapkina

August 16, 19:30
Kitri - Ekaterina Krysanova
Basile - David Motta Soares
Street dancer - Maria Vinogradova
Toreador - Vitaly Biktimirov
Queen of the Dryads - Olga Marchenkova

August 17, 14:00
Kitri - Eleonora Sevenard
Basil - Artemy Belyakov
Street Dancer - Ana Turazashvili
Toreador - Ivan Alekseev
Queen of the Dryads - Alexandra Trikoz

August 17, 19:30
Kitri - Yulia Stepanova
Basil - Denis Rodkin
Street dancer - Angelina Vlashinets
Toreador - Ruslan Skvortsov
Queen of the Dryads - Alena Kovaleva

Conductors - Pavel Sorokin, Pavel Klinichev

Edited July 3, 2019 by ellecatalano

[Mashinka]

With less than twenty days to go before first night I'm saddened that so many tickets remain unsold.  Only Swan Lake has sold out and most performances of Spartacus are selling well too.  However Bright Stream is doing badly and so too is Don Q.  For the last night there are literally hundreds of tickets available whereas the first night is sold out.  My solution would be for Vaziev to recall Alexandrova or negotiate with the RB for one of its principals, either Osipova, Nunez or Naghdi to get backsides on seats for the evening of the 17th.

[Deflope]

Alexandrova, like Lantrayov, was injured this spring and they were both recently in Germany doing rehab. 

[volcanohunter]

On 7/10/2019 at 1:26 PM, Mashinka said:

With less than twenty days to go before first night I'm saddened that so many tickets remain unsold.  Only Swan Lake has sold out and most performances of Spartacus are selling well too.  However Bright Stream is doing badly and so too is Don Q.  For the last night there are literally hundreds of tickets available whereas the first night is sold out.  My solution would be for Vaziev to recall Alexandrova or negotiate with the RB for one of its principals, either Osipova, Nunez or Naghdi to get backsides on seats for the evening of the 17th.

Yes, Alexandrova has been out of commission since March, and while she's no longer in a cast, she's still undergoing rehabilitation.

This comment reflects the two-tier pricing system at the Bolshoi, because tickets for the new stage are substantially less expensive, but there are two productions for which I really have trouble stomaching the astronomical prices charged: Jewels and Don Quixote. There's nothing wrong with the ballets, obviously, but they are cast atrociously. I've seen the current production of Don Quixote four times, but I've stayed to the end only once.

As for The Bright Stream, @Xiaoyi is probably correct: the ticket prices are too high.

At this point the presenters are probably hoping that interest will grow once the season begins.