Interview with Yasmine Naghdi as she dances in the world premiere of Alastair Marriott’s The Unknown Soldier - with photos by Dasa WhartonI last interviewed Yasmine Naghdi in September of 2015 when she and Matthew Ball were preparing to dance Romeo and Juliet together. They were dancing the roles for the … Continue reading
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Matthew Ball in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake
Luke Jennings – The ObserverFrom the moment of his first entrance, it’s Ball’s show. As well as being an assured technician, he’s a dance actor of real charisma. As the Swan, he’s dangerous and commanding, all sinew and hissing aggression; and as the Stranger he’s as disdainful as he is sexually predatory, … Continue reading
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Carla Fracci and the Women’s National Volleyball Team
Carla Fracci, Rosita Missoni (founder, with her husband, of the Missoni fashion house in the 1950s), Marco Tronchetti Provera (Chief Executive of Pirelli), Javier Zanetti (the footballer) and Italy’s Women’s … Continue reading
Designs and rehearsal photos of La Scala’s new production of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker opens the ballet season at La Scala. The new production has sets and costumes by Italian designer Margherita Palli.15 December 2018: Preview performance for young people16, … Continue reading
Soup Kitchen Menotti – an inspired Amahl in New York City
New York’s Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen has been home to Menotti’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors over the last couple of days.It is, unsurprisingly, the latest venture from On Site Opera as part of their … Continue reading
Mariella Devia’s extraordinary three queens at the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo
How extraordinary is Mariella Devia. In 2006 she gave her final performances as Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala, leaving the public astonished that she was saying goodbye to the role after witnessing the perfection … Continue reading
Daniele Gatti is appointed new Musical Director of Rome Opera
General Manager of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Carlo Fuortes, has named Maestro Daniele Gatti as the opera house’s new Musical Director, with a three-year tenure, until 31 December 2021.The orchestra director’s … Continue reading
Photo Album: Nutcracker with The Royal Ballet – in cinemas live
Curtain goes up on The Royal Ballet's Nutcracker at 7.30pm local time tonight and will be broadcast to cinemas internationally.Clara is Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Hans-Peter/The Nutcracker is Marcelino Sambé. The … Continue reading
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Prix de Lausanne 2019 – Jury members and artistic team
The jury panel of the 47th Prix de Lausanne will be presided by Carlos Acosta who won the Prix de Lausanne in 1990.Among the artistic … Continue reading
Photo Album: first photos of tonight’s triple bill with The Royal Ballet
Two contrasting ballets from Wayne McGregor and George Balanchine return with a world premiere by Alastair Marriott.The classical and the … Continue reading
Photo Album: In the Upper Room and Embrace with Birmingham Royal Ballet
In the Upper Room and Embrace were part of a triple-bill programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet called Polarity & Proximity. Embrace, a … Continue reading
Another Royal Ballet dancer joins the cast of Cats the movie – Olivia Cowley
Kevin O'Hare faces the possibility of ever more complicated cast changes on the Covent Garden stage when filming of the adaptation of the Andrew … Continue reading
Royal Ballet Principal Steven McRae cast in Cats movie
Steven McRae, Principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, is to join the cast of Universal Pictures and Working Title’s film adaptation of the Andrew … Continue reading
Illustrated look at La Scala’s visit to Australia with Don Quixote and Giselle
After almost a month touring China, La Scala’s ballet company popped back to Milan for a run of Manon performances, before popping off to … Continue reading
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Photo Album: first look at La Scala’s new Attila with Ildar Abdrazakov
Attila opens La Scala’s 2018-2019 Season and runs from 11 December 2018 to 8 January 2019.CREATIVE TEAMConductor - Riccardo Chailly Staging - … Continue reading
Ildar Abdrazakov – the man with the perfect technique?
Is there anything that Ildar Abdrazakov cannot do with his voice? In a programme that began with Giordani (Caro mio ben) and finished with … Continue reading
San Francisco Opera removes David Daniels after allegations of sexual assault
A surprising and sad press release has arrived from San Francisco Opera:San Francisco Opera today announced it is removing countertenor David … Continue reading
Aged 97, Franco Zeffirelli will stage a new production of Rigoletto
At 95, Franco Zeffirelli is returning to the opera house to direct a new production of Rigoletto.The opera will open in September 2020 at the … Continue reading
Interview: Carmen Giannattasio on her first Tosca, Lady Gaga, and homicide
Soprano Carmen Giannattasio has been in demand since she was thrust before the public eye when she won both the First Prize and the Audience … Continue reading
Royal Swedish Opera auctions costumes to finance its activities for children
UPDATE 25 October 2018: The auction generated over €48,000 which will go to fund the opera house's activities for children and young people. … Continue reading