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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 25, 2019 23:25:02 GMT
I know nothing of the genre of Opera and Ballet.
But I am enjoying the documentary dancing the Nutcracker on the BBC and what makes a great sugar plum fairy.
So Operas and Ballets have a very limited season of less than 50 performance? So to have a new set and costumes for each production would be expensive? So do the opera/ballet organisations put costumes/sets in storage and use them again? Would organisations exchange sets, for example ROH and Glynebourne?
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Post by jek on Dec 26, 2019 17:38:07 GMT
For some answers to this it is well worth, if you are able, taking the tour offered at Royal Opera House Thurrock where they have their production facilities including the huge costume workshop. It's an easy walk from Purfleet Station. When my kids were smaller we went on a number of inspiration days there and it is a very welcoming place with some historic buildings. Tour details here: www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/thurrock-tour-details I recently went on a backstage tour of the new home of the English National Ballet (in Canning Town) and they also have a very impressive backstage costume set up. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 26, 2019 18:10:27 GMT
So do the opera/ballet organisations put costumes/sets in storage and use them again? Would organisations exchange sets, for example ROH and Glynebourne? Most companies do store sets & costumes. Some productions can be used for decades, if they are successful, e.g. the ROH has had a run of the Eyre Traviata most years since it was first done in 1994 & they used the Visconti Tosca & Copley Boheme productions for decades. ENO have used several Millar productions for decades: Boheme, Mikado, Rigoletto.
Yes, companies often share productions, especially companies in different countries, for instance a few years ago there were some high-profile co-productions between ENO & the Met (e.g. the Minghella Madame Butterfly). UK companies do occasionally share productions, though I can't think of any that the ROH & Glyndebourne have shared. Examples that come to mind are ENO, Opera North & Scottish Opera having all used the McVicar Rosenkavalier, & Opera North and WNO sharing Kiss Me Kate a couple of years ago. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 27, 2019 8:52:52 GMT
The ROH & Glyndebourne 'share' was Porgy and Bess in the early 90's. I can't think of any others.
Glyndebourne like to keep it exclusive (they receive no public subsidiary so they can do what they like) and so if they co-produce it is done overseas. I think all Glyndebourne operas start life in Sussex. I'm certain they have never bought a production in.
Co producing is great way of sharing the costs and giving a production more life. I think the term I've seen mentioned is "production originated at (insert name of Opera company /house)"
The ROH backstage tour is well worth doing. I totally recommend.
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Post by Phantom of London on Dec 27, 2019 15:38:00 GMT
Firstly, thanks for all the replies above.
So Glyndebourne is like Chichester summer programme then? I am a massive fan of co-productions, as can lead to better production values, more stable work for actors and the sets are more environmentally friendly, nothing I find abhorrent than a set in a skip after playing tens of performances, hence why I started this thread.
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Post by Dawnstar on Dec 27, 2019 18:11:27 GMT
Firstly, thanks for all the replies above. So Glyndebourne is like Chichester summer programme then? I am a massive fan of co-productions, as can lead to better production values, more stable work for actors and the sets are more environmentally friendly, nothing I find abhorrent than a set in a skip after playing tens of performances, hence why I started this thread. Sometimes productions do land in a skip after one run. Usually, going by the reviews, it's the best place for them! I try to avoid the more extreme directors but can still think of a few productions I've seen that I wish had landed in a skip before even one run! |
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