I’ll begin this blog by stating, very briefly, that the old journal I wrote about in my last post was given as a gift to my good friend Esmond before I left the UK. And speaking of the UK…
While in London, I was a regular attendee at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I am a huge fan of opera, musical theatre and ballet, so being in London was the perfect opportunity to indulge myself. I attended the theatre on a regular basis – something I quite miss here in California. London’s West End is the European equivalent of New York’s Broadway, and it offers some of the finest opera and theatre in the world. The ROH is a beautiful white stone building with roman columns lining the front. A section of the ROH used to be a flower market, as evidenced by the gorgeous, arched glass window standing several stories high. It is here that the bar and the lovely Balconies Restaurant are located. My aunt visited me in London during May of last year, and she and I had a fabulous dinner at Balconies before attending a performance of La Bohéme. During my time in London, I had the pleasure of seeing The Marriage of Figaro, La Traviata, La Bohéme, Falstaff, Don Giovanni and the Nutcracker ballet at the ROH. As brilliant as these shows were, however, it was the Royal Ballet’s performance of Alice in Wonderland that really amazed me.
The Royal Opera House
My originally plan was to write a review for this ballet. The problem is, I love the show so much that I have found very little fault with it. This is therefore much less a review than a lavishing of praise upon something I really enjoyed. Then again, a review does not necessarily have to involve criticism. I am such a fan of Alice in Wonderland that I bought myself a DVD of the performance and have been unable to go an entire week without watching it at least once. I love everything about it – the colors, the costumes, the music, the staging, the lighting, the dancing – everything. Much as I love opera, this dance was by far my favorite ROH show because it was so creative and fun. Alice has a lot to offer – a funny and fast-paced story line, acrobatic and expressive dancing, gorgeous music, the use of screens to project visual images on stage, as well as a cast of rambunctious, colorful characters. I highly recommend the Royal Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland to anyone who is a fan of Lewis Carroll’s fairytale. It successfully captures the imaginative, playful, and sometimes moody spirit of the original story. Even if you aren’t a particular fan of ballet, this show is so visually stunning and entertaining that it has a very wide appeal. One of the things that truly amazes me about ballet is the fact that it can convey an entire two-hour story with absolutely no dialogue – just movement and visuals. That, to me, is a truly admirable feat. But don’t take my word for it. Watch the show for yourself!
jenniferpeloso 