dirac Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Reviews of the Royal Ballet in "Manon." The Standard Quote lexander Campbell makes Manon’s brother a nasty piece of work – his every clasp leaves bruises – giving his dashing dance an undertow of desperation. As his mistress, Mayara Magri moves in a slash of citrus, while Gary Avis as Manon’s sugar daddy is all icy falcon profile and pervy fingers. Throughout his life, MacMillan feared debt – so he doesn’t judge Manon’s desire to wriggle away from poverty. The Daily Telegraph Quote If the piece is “dated” in any way, it is only in MacMillan’s very un-2020s fondness for grown-up moral daring, for showing good people doing bad things (and vice-versa), for his absolute refusal to paint Manon as merely some sort of craven, contemptible vixen. Sure, she finds riches impossibly tempting when presented to her. But she is both young and poor, and in fact it is not her yearning for financial security that finally proves her undoing, but her love of love. How often, MacMillan seems to be asking, was a man ever confronted with that impossible dilemma, or treated this vilely by the opposite sex? The Independent Quote One of the Royal Ballet’s brightest stars, Hayward has a ravishing flow of movement, with mercurial speed and temperament. Her Manon soaks up admiration but she’s not a passive object of desire. As she dances with Marcelino Sambé’s elegant, ardent Des Grieux, her gaze turns hungry. In the decadent trio of Manon, her brother, and her rich patron Monsieur GM, she is swung between the two men, both languid and calculating. As she allows them to wind her into different shapes, we can see her making choices. Link to comment
dirac Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 More: The Guardian Quote In the 1970s Kenneth MacMillan snatched ballet from the land of myths and fairytales and thrust it into worlds of psychological darkness, with complex, unsympathetic characters that dancers love to get their teeth into. Does Manon, a ballet about prostitution and sexual violence, come dangerously close to misery porn? In the lower rungs of 18th-century Paris, women are bought and abused, the society on show is an ugly one, but this is ballet so it’s also beautiful: I think that’s called cognitive dissonance. The New Statesman Quote The scenery, designed by Nicholas Georgiadis, is defiantly drab, with rags of varying brown hues serving as the backdrop, flooded by a wash of warm yellow lighting designed by Jacopo Pantani. The 18th-century full skirts beautifully complement the dancers’ movements – but the monotonous colour palette of beige and yet more brown simply causes the corps to fade into the background. Broadway World Quote Hayward’s portrayal is nothing short of astonishing. Each of the character’s different modes are portrayed perfectly. In act 1, she starts delicately and carefully, full of wide-eyed innocence. Then, during her dance with Des Grieux, she grows more confident to the point of ecstasy as she throws herself on the bed, sure of her victory. During the scenes with GM at the end of Act 1 and during Act 2 she is almost arrogant in the way she presents herself, certain that she will succeed in escaping poverty through her con. And finally, in Act 3, we receive the complete reversal with a Hayward who looks downtrodden and lost. Link to comment
dirac Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 A review of the RB by Teresa Guerreiro for Culture Whisper. Quote On opening night Francesca Hayward conveyed the gradations of Manon’s character with assured dancing, though the famed bedroom pas de deux could have done with a little more raw sensuality. Marcelino Sambé had tremendous presence as a deeply expressive lover, handling MacMillan’s choreography with elegance, his safe partnering particularly skilful in the final frenzied pas de deux. Review by Jonathan Gray for Bachtrack. Quote For the latest revival at the Royal Opera House, The Royal Ballet fielded a glorious first-night cast that could not be bettered today, and in Francesca Hayward the company has a Manon that can stand comparison with the very best. Tiny, quick, alive, Hayward’s Manon is both delectable and conniving, her body bending and melting into movement as easily as her character changes her mind. Capricious, beautiful and amoral, here is a young woman prepared to grab at any opportunity, but who also lives under the delusion that she will be able to continue to take from her wealthy protector Monsieur G.M. whilst continuing a love affair with the ardent Des Grieux. Things can only end badly. Link to comment
dirac Posted February 10 Author Share Posted February 10 Three critics from The New Yorker remember Joan Acocella and talk about the role of the critic in today's culture in the magazine's "Critics at Large" podcast. Quote In the age of Goodreads and Letterbox, with nearly every aspect of the cultural landscape up for review by professional writers and superfans alike, The New Yorker’s critics consider their vocation—and why it matters. Link to comment
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