The Nutcracker at the London Coliseum

On Friday 20th December 2013 I attended the English National Ballet's matinee performance of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at the London Coliseum. We took a journey back in time to a frost-covered, gas-lit London and joined Clara, her Nutcracker doll and the magician Drosselmeyer in this traditional, festive tale.

This production of The Nutcracker was based on a concept by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling. There were fantastic performances from Elena Glurdjidze as Clara and Fabian Reimair as the Nutcracker. Gavin Sutherland conducted The Orchestra of English National Ballet.

On an enchanted Christmas Eve, under the heavy boughs of the candlelit tree Clara battled with the Mouse King and fell in love with a handsome stranger. As the air grew colder and snowflakes began to fall, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker took a hot air balloon ride across the frost-dusted London skyline to the glistening Land of Snow where her adventure really began.

In a world of Edwardian elegance, The Nutcracker brought to life the eternally popular Tchaikovsky score featuring the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. This classical production is a magical, memorable and unmissable Christmas treat. This was the third year in a row that I have seen this production at the London Coliseum and it is always a wonderful experience and performance.

The Perfect American at The London Coliseum

On the evening of Thursday 27th June 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Philip Glass's The Perfect American at the London Coliseum. I enjoy my visits to this amazing venue with it's relaxed atmosphere and the English National Opera's productions always seem unique and interesting.

Based on Peter Stephan Jungk’s novel and written by Philip Glass, one of the world’s most important composers, The Perfect American imagines the final months of Walt Disney’s life, including mythical imaginings of Abraham Lincoln and Andy Warhol. This latest opera from Glass, his 24th, was commissioned by ENO and Teatro Real Madrid to mark his 75th birthday.

The sounds of Minimalism and the world of Walt Disney made for a surreal night at the London Coliseum as we discovered Disney’s delusions of immortality and got a glimpse into his private life. There were fantastic performances from Christopher Purves as Walt Disney and Janis Kelly in the role of Disney’s studio nurse and confidante.

This was a very enjoyable night at the London Coliseum as Philip Glass's The Perfect American made for a fascinating and entertaining Opera which included a brilliant score. The Opera ends with Dantine, an animator who worked on the classic Disney films, meeting the undertaker at the funeral home. He is told that Walt Disney has not been frozen but rather his body has been cremated. In the distance the chorus echoes Disney’s dreams of a magical world of everlasting happiness.

Medea at the London Coliseum

On the evening of Wednesday 20th February 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea at the London Coliseum. This continues ENO's pioneering exploration of French baroque operatic masterpieces with this being the first ever UK/London staging of Charpentier's dramatic full scale opera.

The exemplary cast included internationally acclaimed British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly in the title role, US tenor Jeffrey Francis making his ENO debut as Jason, internationally acclaimed bass Brindley Sherratt returning to ENO to sing the role of Creon and exceptional baritone Roderick Williams as Orontes. David McVicar directed this reworking of Medea which updates the opera to the close of the Second World War. The Opera is set in a baroque palace which is being used as a war room and meeting place for allied officers.

Banished, betrayed, besieged on all sides, the barbarian sorceress Medea exacts a terrible vengeance upon her faithless lover and all those he holds most dear. David McVicar reworked one of the most disturbing of all the Greek myths, that of a mother who murders her own children. Charpentier’s thrillingly orchestrated score boasts a harmonic daring and psychological complexity unparallelled in its day.

This was an amazing evening to be at the London Coliseum as Sarah Connolly put on a wonderful performance as Medea on a brilliant but scary night on St. Martin's Lane. The musical theatre choreography with prancing sailors and chorus girls made for some light relief and laughter during the Opera. I always enjoy my visits to the London Coliseum as it is very interesting to see how the ENO are going to rework the Opera's they perform. This was a great success for the ENO and made this a night to remember for me at the Opera in London.

St. Martin-in-the Fields Choral Evensong

On Wednesday 20th February 2013 I was in Central London to attend an Opera at the London Coliseum in the evening. After an visit to The National Gallery during the afternoon I attended the Choral Evensong at St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a landmark church in the heart of London. It is a hospitable, vibrant and forward thinking community with worship at its heart. Located on the northeast corner of Trafalgar Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields is steeped in beautiful Georgian architecture which has been imitated across the world.

It was a wonderful experience to visit such a splendid building as well as attending the Choral Evensong which featured the Choral Scholars of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. From London's first free lending library to the first religious broadcast, St. Martin's has broken new ground in defining what it means to be a church.

The Nutcracker at the London Coliseum

On the evening of Saturday 29th December 2012 I attended a traditional London Christmas performance of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. My festive destination was the London Coliseum for the English National Ballet's production of this timeless classic.

A combination of Wayne Eagling's choreography and Peter Farmer's designs brought us the magic of Christmas while showing a darker version with the threatening presence of the Mouse King being felt throughout the ballet until finally good triumphs over evil. The Orchestra of English National Ballet played beautifully at this historic London Theatre while Tamara Rojo as Clara and Esteban Berlanga as the Nephew were outstanding. Tamara Rojo is in her first season as Artistic Director of English National Ballet.

The audience at the London Coliseum were taken on a journey back in time with the English National Ballet to a frost-covered, gas lit world with Clara, her Nutcracker doll and the mysterious Drosselmeyer in this traditional, festive tale full of Edwardian elegance. On Christmas Eve under the candlelit tree Clara battles with the Mouse King and falls in love with a handsome Prince. As the snowflakes begin to fall Clara and her Nutcracker take a balloon ride across the frosty skyline to the Land of Snow where her adventure really begins.

This was a magical and memorable treat not to be missed and showed us all the magic of Christmas combined with wonderful ballet and music. The setting was perfect as we were all enchanted by this perfect festive story. Christmas is not complete without The Nutcracker.

Porgy and Bess at the London Coliseum

On Thursday 19th July 2012 I attended the matinee performance of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess from the Cape Town Opera and the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera. Christine Crouse the Artistic Director of the Cape Town Opera said that transferring the South African township history to Porgy and Bess seemed a perfect fit. All the cultures of township life in Africa rule in Catfish Row.

On Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, Jasbo Brown is playing the blues for a group of dancers. Clara sings a lullaby to her child (“Summertime”). The drug dealer Sporting Life, Clara’s husband Jake, and some of the other men are playing craps. Jake sings his child a lullaby of his own (“A woman is a sometime thing”). The beggar Porgy comes in to join the game; he defends Crown’s woman, Bess, who the others are talking about. When Jake accuses him of being soft on her, Porgy says that he isn’t soft on any woman; God made him a cripple and meant him to be lonely.

Crown enters with Bess. He’s drunk, and when he loses he starts a fight and kills Robbins with a cotton hook. Crown runs to hide, but tells Bess he’ll be back. Sporting Life offers to take her to New York with him, but she refuses. Nobody else will give her shelter when the police arrive except Porgy.

Porgy and Bess are at Robbins’ funeral, where Serena is leading the mourners. The police enter and arrest Peter as a “material witness.” Serena is still mourning (“My man’s gone now”) as she convinces the undertaker to bury Robbins for less than his usual fee, but as the scene ends, Bess leads the mourners in a spiritual. (“Oh, the train is at the station”).

A few weeks later, Jake and the Fishermen are working on their nets when Porgy leans out the window and compares his life to theirs. (“I got plenty o’ nuttin’”). Maria, a shopkeeper, chases Sportin’ Life away from her shop when he tries to sell his ‘happy dust’ near her store (“I hates yo’ struttin’ style”). Lawyer Frazier comes in and sells Bess a divorce for a dollar; when he learns that she and Crown were never married, he raises his fee to a dollar and a half. Mr. Archdale, a well-meaning white man, comes in and offers to pay Peter’s bail. The group is frightened by a low-flying buzzard. Porgy chases it away, saying that trouble is far away from him now (“Boss, dat bird mean trouble”).

All leave except Bess and Sporting Life, who asks her again to come to New York with him and tries to give her more dope, which she refuses. Porgy chases him away and he and Bess sing about their new happiness. (“Bess, you is my woman now”). All except Porgy leave for the church picnic. At the picnic, Sporting Life sings about his own brand of religion (“It ain’t necessarily so”). All are getting ready to leave when Crown, hidden in the bushes, calls out to Bess. She tells him she’s Porgy’s woman now, but he won’t let her go. (“What you want wid Bess?”). He pushes her off into the thicket as the boat leaves without her.

Some time later, the fishermen are getting ready to leave as Bess raves, still delirious after Crown’s attack. Peter wants to send her to the hospital, but Serena would rather pray over her. The street fills with vendors, and eventually Bess emerges, and explains to Porgy that she wants to stay with him but that when Crown comes she’ll have to go with him. Porgy tells her that she doesn’t have to go with him (“I loves you, Porgy”). A hurricane begins to rise, and Clara, frightened for her husband, calls out his name.

Everyone, gathered in Clara’s room, prays for shelter from the storm. There is a knock at the door; Crown enters and tries to take Bess away; he laughs at the frightened townspeople and sings a bawdy song to counteract their prayers (“A red-headed woman”). Clara sees Jake’s boat and runs out to find him. Bess calls for a man to go after her; Crown goes, after taunting Porgy and asking him why he won’t go.

After the storm, the women are crying for their men; Sporting Life teases them and Bess. Crown enters; he and Porgy fight, and Porgy kills him.

The police and the coroner come to Catfish Row the next morning; they want to take Porgy down to identify Crown’s body. Sportin’ Life tells him that when he looks at him Crown’t wound will begin to bleed. Telling Bess that Porgy will be locked up for sure, Sportin’ Life forces some dope on her, and leaves more outside her door as he leaves.

Porgy returns; while he tries to distribute the gifts he bought with the money he made playing craps in jail, he discovers Bess is gone (“Oh, Bess, oh where’s my Bess”). He learns that she has gone off with Sportin’ Life to New York; he gets in his goat-cart and prepares to follow her as the curtain falls.

This was a very moving afternoon at the London Coliseum as the Cape Town Opera brought their own unique style to Porgy and Bess. There were wonderful performances from Xolela Sixaba as Porgy and Tsakane Valentine Maswanganwi as Bess. The music fron the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera conducted by Albert Horne was outstanding and complemented the great singing on stage. The Cape Town Opera can be proud of their performance as they brought a true sense of the South African people to the heart of London.

The Flying Dutchman at the London Coliseum

On Saturday 5th May 2012 I was back in London at the London Coliseum to attend the English National Opera's performance of Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. This Opera was performed in english with translation by David Pountney. This production was directed by Jonathan Kent.

Edward Gardner was conductor as the Orchestra put on an outstanding performance which complimented the events on stage with Orla Boylan as Senta, Stuart Skelton as Erik, Clive Bayley as Daland and James Creswell as The Dutchman taking us to the world of Richard Wagner.

The Flying Dutchman provides an early outing for Wagner's idea of redemption through death: so called 'love-deaths' occur in several of his operas, and the Dutchman delivers a particularly vivid one in a legendary story which is salt-washed by dramatic sea-storms and fearful apparitions.

The opera begins with Daland's ship riding out a tempest which suddenly disgorges the ghostly ship of the Dutchman, a sea-captain cursed to roam the seas for ever, but allowed to come ashore every seven years – his sin of blasphemy will be wiped clean if he can find a wife who will be true to him. The stranger offers Daland gold for the hand of his unmarried daughter Senta, sight unseen. Senta knows the legend of the Dutchman and is determined to save him. When she meets the stranger, the connection is made, and she swears eternal fidelity. Daland's crew and the villagers try in vain to tempt the stranger's crew ashore: when these ghostly figures finally appear, everyone flees in fear.

Senta's discarded boyfriend Erik recalls their love and wants to rekindle it. Overhearing this, the stranger concludes that he has been betrayed again and once again is doomed. To general consternation, he reveals his identity as the Flying Dutchman and sets sail. Proclaiming herself faithful unto death, Senta throws herself into the sea – redeemed, they are seen ascending to heaven.

As you would expect from the English National Opera we were treated to a dramatic evening with a brilliant staging of Wagner's opera which is set on the Norwegian coast. With dreams, nightmares and ship in a bottle factories set against the raging sea we were taken on a rollercoaster ride with our emotions as the opera was performed without an interval to give us the full effects of this sometimes dark epic.