Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Kickstarts New Strategic Partnership Between Royal Opera House And Bbc

Following its sell-out premiere season at the Royal Opera House in February, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the new ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon with music specially composed by Joby Talbot and designs by award-winning Bob Crowley, heralds the new strategic partnership between the Royal Opera House and the BBC.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will be broadcast on BBC TWO on Saturday 23 April at 2.30pm immediately preceded by a documentary exploring the making of the ballet at 2pm.

The new strategic partnership involves greater creative collaboration between the two organisations and builds on the long-standing relationship across both television and radio. The Royal Opera House and the BBC will come together to co-produce new commissions for 2012 created especially for television prior to live performance on the stage as well as continuing to showcase some of the world’s finest opera and ballet.

This long-term partnership will also see a greater mix of programmes on television including documentaries on opera and ballet as well as productions giving audiences an insight into what goes into getting a new work to the stage. The new deal includes a series on classical masterworks presented by Antonio Pappano, beginning with Pappano’s Essential Tosca for BBC TWO and also the development of a new five-part series about singing to be written and presented by Antonio Pappano. This new direction demonstrates a commitment to reaching and inspiring a broader audience across the UK.

BBC Radio 3’s relationship with the Royal Opera House will continue to be a significant partnership with up to 15 works broadcast each year in Opera on 3. Music Matters and In Tune reflecting the work of both The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

Jan Younghusband, Commissioning Editor BBC Music & Events said “This is a hugely exciting development for both organisations. We have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years now and this new creative relationship means we will not only continue to bring great performance to the viewers but co-commission new work with the Royal Opera House especially for TV. “

Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House said “I’m delighted that we’re entering a new stage in our relationship with the BBC to make innovative programmes on both opera and ballet as well as to show some of our productions on television. This builds on the hugely successful Opera Italia series presented by Royal Opera Music Director Antonio Pappano in 2010 and will bring these two wonderful art forms to millions of viewers in new ways.”

Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is The Royal Ballet’s first full-length work in 18 years. Packed to the brim with strange and wonderful characters from Lewis Carroll’s novel, this new work is an assault on the senses with intricate designs depicting the weird world in which Alice finds herself, after falling down a rabbit-hole.

Other presentations include The Royal Opera’s production of Tosca with Angela Gheorghiu in the title role and Bryn Terfel as Baron Scarpia, accompanied by Pappano’s Essential Tosca, a documentary presented by Antonio Pappano in which he examines the dramatic importance of each location in the opera and illustrates what Puccini does musically to create a great theatrical experience.

Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 said: “Saturday night remains the home of opera on BBC Radio 3. Our partnership with the Royal Opera House allows millions of people nationwide the pleasure of having the best seat in the house on a regular basis for high quality operatic performance.”

Highlights of Radio 3’s season include Tosca with Angela Gheorghiu as the heroine, Jonas Kaufmann as her lover Cavaradossi and Bryn Terfel as the Chief of Police Scarpia; Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón starring in Massenet’s Werther, Nina Stemme as the heroine Leonora in Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Simon Keenlyside singing the title role of Verdi’s Macbeth for the first time in the UK. BBC Radio 3 will also broadcast two operas live, Puccini’s Madam Butterfly and a new production of Massenet’s Cendrillon (Cinderella) with Joyce DiDonato in the title role.

Release issued by: Royal Opera House

LINKS

Royal Opera House – Tickets and booking

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Set and Design Winners

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Set and Design Winners

Best Set Design

2011 The White Guard designed by Bunny Christie
2010 Jerusalem designed by Ultz
2009 August: Osage County designed by Todd Rosenthal
2008 Rae Smith and the Handspring Puppet Company for War Horse
2007 Sunday In The Park With George, designed by David Farley and Timothy Bird
2006 Hedda Gabler designed by Rob Howell
2005 His Dark Materials designed by Giles Cadle
2004 Hitchcock Blonde designed by William Dudley
2003 A Streetcar Named Desire designed by Bunny Christie

Best Set Designer

2002 Tim Hatley for Humble Boy and Private Lives
2001 William Dudley for All My Sons
2000 Rob Howell for Richard III, Troilus and Cressida and Vassa
1999 Anthony Ward for Oklahoma!
1998 Tim Goodchild for Three Hours After Marriage
1997 Tim Hatley for Stanley
1996 John Napier for Burning Blue
1995 Stephen Brimson Lewis for Design for Living and Les Parents Terribles
1994 Mark Thompson for Hysteria
1993 Ian MacNeil for An Inspector Calls
1992 Mark Thompson for The Comedy Of Errors
1991 Mark Thompson for The Wind In The Willows

Designer of the Year

1989/90Bob Crowley for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Hedda Gabler, Ghetto and The Plantagenets
1988 Richard Hudson for his season at The Old Vic
1987 Lucio Fanti (with Design Team) for The Hairy Ape
1986 William Dudley for Futurists, Kafka’s Dick and The Merry Wives Of Windsor
1985 William Dudley for The Mysteries and The Critics
1984 John Gunter for Wild Honey
1983 Ralph Koltai for Cyrano De Bergerac
1982 John Gunter for Guys And Dolls
1981 Carl Toms for The Provok’d Wife
1980 John Napier and Dermot Hayes for Nicholas Nickleby
1979 William Dudley for Undiscovered Country
1978 Ralph Koltai for Brand
1977 John Napier for King Lear
1976 Farrah for Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) and Henry V

Love Never Dies – Starts tonight

Editors update since this article was first posted: See a round-up of Love Never Dies reveiews from critics following last night’s world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in London

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brand new musical Love Never Dies will start previewing tonight at the Adelphi Theatre in London.

And to say there is some anticipation is an understatement.

The show is directed by legendary Broadway director Jack O’Brien, responsible for big Broadway hits The Full Monty and Hairspray.

The first preview performance was originally scheduled for Saturday 20 February but had to be cancelled to give the cast and crew more time to rehearse.

The multi-million pound new musical, which has already taken more than £8 million at the box-office, follows the story of Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, this time setting the show on Coney Island in New York at the turn of the last century.

The original musical has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide, so the pressure is on to create a new work that lives up to the incredible legacy of the original.

The new show is based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth called The Phantom Of Manhattan, and adapted initially by Ben Elton (We Will Rock You), who was responsible for reintroducing some of the original characters including Christine and Raoul.

A strong launch cast includes Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry, Summer Strallen as her daughter Meg,  Joseph Millson as Raoul, Niamh Perry as Fleck, Adam Pearce as Squelch and Jami Reid-Quarrell as Gangle.

The show’s World Premiere will be on Tuesday 9 March 2010, followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and Australia in 2011.

In the musical, the story continues with the Phantom moving from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island in New York. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of the Phantom from Paris, the show works on the themes of obsession and intrigue, promising a number of shocking plot twists and large-scale spectacles.

LOVE NEVER DIES – CREATIVE TEAM:

Director – Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Catch Me If You Can)

Music – Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita)

Lyricist – Glenn Slater(The Little Mermaid, Sister Act)

Set and costume designer – Bob Crowley (Phèdre, The History Boys, Mary Poppins)

Choreographer-  Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray, The Full Monty)

Book tickets to see Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London

Hotel and theatre breaks to see Love Never Dies