I am with you on 'Scheherazade'Stuart. It is Kitsch but has got an appeal of 'sinful indulgence' a bit like double chocolate cake.<BR>You just have to have it every once in a while but only with the right cast please!<BR>This piece is totally unfogiving to miscasting. Put the wrong dancer in the lead roles and the whole thing just falls apart.

Changes to Period 5 casts.<P><B>ONEGIN</B><BR> <BR>Roles in the following order: <BR>Tatiana, Onegin <P><B>15, 18 July</B> <BR>Rojo, Cooper <P><B>16, 19 July</B> <BR>Tapper, <I>Coppen</I> <P><B>17, 20 July (e)</B> <BR>Cojocaru, Kobborg <P><B>20 July (m)</B> <BR>Galeazzi, <I>TBA</I> <P>*******************************<P><B>DON QUIXOTE</B><BR> <BR><B>22, 26 July</B> <BR>Rojo, Acosta <P><B>24, 27 July (m)</B> <BR>Cojocaru, Kobborg <P><B>25 July(m)</B> <BR><I>TBA</I> <P><B>25(e), 27 July (e)</B> <BR><I>Yoshida</I>, Cope <P>******************************<P><B>COPPELIA</B><P><B>29 July, 1 August(m)</B> <BR>Benjamin, Kobborg <P><B>30 July, 2 August</B> <BR>Yoshida, <I>Putrov*</I> <P><B>31 July, 3 August (e)</B> <BR>Nunez, Acosta <P><B>1(e), 3 August (m)</B> <BR>Tapper, <I>Sasaki</I> <P>From<BR><A HREF="http://www.roh.org.uk/ballet/index.cfm?ccs=173" TARGET=_blank><B>ROH website</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by sylvia (edited June 14, 2002).]

I've italicized the changes. There's no casting for Olga and Lensky. Unless there's some typo, Coppen seems to have been reinstated his Onegins from Tewsley. Harvey's supposed Onegin is now a TBA! Don't like that much since I booked especially to see him in that.<P>Poor Darcey has to miss out on Don Q again! <P>Oh well, any comments?

As always, many thanks Sylvia for bringing the details up to date. I'm pleased to see that Sasaki, a lovely dancer, has the chance for a lead role and with Jamie Tapper it sounds an intriguing partnership. As Nunez/Acosta is also tempting, that grumpy kill-joy Mr Sweeney might end up seeing two performances of 'Coppelia', despite my words above.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 14, 2002).]

I'm also pleased that Sasaki finally has something to do, though I think Franz isn't one of the most substantial roles I've ever seen! I saw Tapper with Kobborg and Sasaki with Hatley last summer and enjoyed both pairings quite a bit.<P>Nunez I wasn't too sure about back then but rehearsal time was a bit short - I agree, she and Acosta should be good fun.<P>And I wonder who's going to fill in for that spare Don Q - someone new I hope!

Hmmm, so Darcey Bussell is missing out on doing Kitri in Don Q yet again? I was under the impression that she always wanted to have a go at this role and only did not due to bad luck with injuries.<BR>Has there been any report about her having gotten injured in Australia? I would be surprised if she had asked to be pulled from it voluntarily? Can anyone shed some light on this?

There hasn't been any info regarding further injuries. I guess we'll know soon enough since she's scheduled for Giselle tomorrow. <BR>I think if she was injured the RB would have pulled her from her Australia performances before pulling her from Don Q which is still some weeks away. She said on the newsletter on her website that she would start rehearsing Don Q on tour - perhaps it's just a lack of rehearsal time given how busy her schedule is. <P>I'm disappointed since this was the only Don Q I booked for, but Yoshida and Cope got such positive reviews last year I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

Yes, a Spanish friend of mine went to see Yoshida with Cope and it was his first time of seeing Yoshida. He was really enthusing about her.

More cast changes! (italicized) Some startling ones. As of today (28/6). It's all <A HREF="http://www.royalballet.org/ballet/index.cfm?ccs=173" TARGET=_blank><B>here</B></A> but I'm posting it as well.<P><B>Onegin</B><BR> <BR>Roles in the following order: <BR>Tatiana, Onegin <P>15, 18 July <BR><B><I>Galeazzi</I>, Cooper</B> <P>16, 19 July <BR><B><I>Lendvai</I>, Tewsley</B> <P>17, 20(eve) July <BR><B>Cojocaru, Kobborg</B> <P>20(mat) July <BR><B>Galeazzi, <I>Harvey</I></B> <P>***************************<P><B>Don Quixote</B><P>22, 26 July <BR><B><I>Nunez</I>, Acosta</B> <P>24, 27(mat) July <BR><B>Cojocaru, Kobborg</B> <P>25(mat) July <BR><B>TBA</B> <P>25(eve), 27(eve) July <BR><B>Yoshida, Cope</B> <P>*************************<P><B>Coppelia</B><BR> <BR>29 July, 1(mat) August <BR><B>Benjamin, Kobborg</B> <P>30 July <BR><B>Yoshida, <I>Sasaki</I></B> <P>31 July, 3 (eve) August <BR><B>Nunez, Acosta</B> <P>1(eve), 3(mat) August <BR><B>Tapper, <I>Putrov</I>*</B> <P>2 August <BR><B>Yoshida, <I>Sasaki</I></B> <P>*************************<P>Sad that Tamara will miss both Onegin and Don Q, but I'm sure Mara and Marianela won't disappoint. I'm happy I'll get to see Marinanela's Don Q after all and that Martin Harvey has his Onegin restored to him. I emailed the RB yesterday and specifically asked about Tewsley in Onegin but since he isn't up here I guess it's a no. And Yoshida-Sasaki in Coppelia should be fun.<p>[This message has been edited by sylvia (edited July 11, 2002).]

<B>COPPELIA SPECIAL OFFER</B><P>Special Offer - Exclusive Upgrade<P>Book tickets for £48 (Mon-Thu), £42 (Fri-Sat) or £30 (matinees) and your seats will automatically be upgraded, free, to the best available seats in the Orchestra Stalls/ Grand Tier and Boxes/ Stalls Circle worth £66 (Mon-Thu) £55 (Fri-Sat) or £42 (matinees). This offer also includes one <BR>complimentary glass of champagne per person and one programme for every two tickets purchased.<P>To book tickets with this offer telephone the Royal Opera House Box Office on 020 7304 4000 and quote 'Coppelia Bulletin Offer'.<P>Click <A HREF="http://213.232.90.124/click_through.php?email_id=271&id=400" TARGET=_blank><B>here</B></A> for more information on the production and casting on the Royal Opera House website<P>

Another cast change this morning...Tewsley is dancing with Jamie Tapper after all.

And Jamie isn't dancing at all it would seem. Unfortunately she's injured and been replaced by Yseult Lendvai, a principal from Stuttgart Ballet for the 16th and 19th July.<P>From the <A HREF="http://www.royalopera.org/ballet/index.cfm?ccs=173&cs=287" TARGET=_blank>ROH website</A>. I've made the change to the cast list on the previous page.<p>[This message has been edited by sylvia (edited July 11, 2002).]

Oh that is a shame. I was looking forward to seeing Tapper as Tatjana. Her performance in Giselle this spring really impressed me.<P>It is interesting that they invited yet another guest to cover the performances. Does this mean Reid Anderson only approved the 4 Tatjanas we saw last year and there was NO runner-up on the list? In a company with the many obviously gifted female dancers? That seems a bit strange to me.<BR><p>[This message has been edited by OdileGB (edited July 11, 2002).]

Odile, I wonder if the problem is that given the fact that the Summer is upon us it may not be possible to provide anyone to coach the role and so a dancer familiar with the role has been drafted in.

There seems to be a mild furor among RB-watchers about bringing in Ms. Lendvai from Stuttgart. I would note that she is a favorite of Reid Anderson, who was responsible for the staging, and has followed him from Ballet British Columbia (where I became somewhat familiar with her work) to National Ballet of Canada and now to Stuttgart. Given the short notice due to Jamie Tapper's injury (another Reid Anderson dancer, I should note), this should not come as a great shock....