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Beauty and the Beast casts a spell at the Birmingham Hippodrome
One of the most beloved of all fairy stories proved to be equally as enchanting when performed as a ballet, when Beauty and the Beast weaved it’s spell at the Birmingham Hippodrome last night. The latest production by the Birmingham Royal Ballet told that age of told of love conquering all with a mixture of menace and charm, and with an ending that was sublimely romantic. The story is the one we are all familiar with, an angry violent Prince is transformed into a beast by a woodsman disgusted by his bloody pursuit of a vixen. Meanwhile, a down-on-his-luck merchant, faced with baliffs and creditors, is waiting for a fleet…
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The Nutcracker brings Christmas Magic to Birmingham
A visit to see ‘The Nutcracker’ always signifies the start of my Christmas. The classic Tchaikovsky ballet which tells the magical story of the night before Christmas, is a seasonal treat that arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome this weekend, delighting audiences young and old. To put it simply, The Nutcracker is Christmas, especially when staged by the fabulous Birmingham Royal Ballet, celebrating 25 years in 2015. It is sparkle and glitter, excitement and anticipation, presents and children, and, most of all dreams and magic. This is all reflected in the exquisite set design, which transforms from a sumptuous Victorian home, complete with an enormous Christmas Tree (courtesy of Prince Albert,…
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Birmingham Royal Ballet The King Dances/Carmina Burana
The Birmingham Royal Ballet celebrated David Bintley’s 20th anniversary as director with the opening of a new double header. The World Premiere of ‘The King Dances’ and a revival of ‘Carmina Burana’ promised to bring drama, morality, sex and just a little bit of horror to the Birmingham Hippodrome, and this was all delivered in spectacular style. The King Dances The King Dances is a brand new ballet from David Bintley. Freely based on Le Ballet de la Nuit from 1653, and on the legendary Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, ‘The King Dances taps into dance and theatre from history by being performed by a company almost wholly…
