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BOSTON BALLET PRESENTS THE COMPANY PREMIERE OF JOHN CRANKO’S ROMEO & JULIET
Boston Ballet Opens The Most Romantic Love Story Of All Time On Valentine’s Day
BOSTON, MA – December 19, 2007 – Boston Ballet will open the second half of its 2007-08 season on Valentine’s Day with John Cranko’s acclaimed staging of Romeo & Juliet. With this production, Boston Ballet becomes only the second U.S. ballet company to perform Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet and the only American company to boast three of Cranko’s greatest works as part of its extensive repertoire (The Taming of The Shrew, Onegin and Romeo & Juliet). Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet is widely regarded as the preeminent version of this enduring ballet.
Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet premiered in 1962 and was first performed by the Stuttgart Ballet. His exquisitely rendered ballet, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s magnificent score, is an inspired realization of William Shakespeare’s timeless tale. While Prokofiev’s original composition initially faced heavy criticism, it has become one of the most popular of all ballet compositions.
“Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet is the most satisfying match for Prokofiev’s score and provides the most vivid characterizations of this ageless classic,” said Boson Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “The choreography perfectly mimics the shape of Shakespeare’s original text and serves as a wonderful tribute to the play. This version of Romeo & Juliet poses a great challenge for dancers, as great acting skills must both complement and enhance each dancer’s performance.”
When the Stuttgart Ballet danced the American premiere of John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet in 1969, Clive Barnes wrote in The New York Times that this staging of Prokofiev’s score “is, quite simply, the best of a surprisingly distinguished bunch. Many choreographers have attempted the score . . . but it has been left to Cranko to give the work its complete fulfillment.”
More than 35 years later, that assessment continues to ring true. Cranko was a gifted story teller who masterfully wove choreography and drama into a seamless whole. His Verona teems with life: the crowd scenes are exquisitely etched, and the main characters are clearly part of the fabric of society. “It’s a very sophisticated production,” said Nissinen. “It’s a real dance drama with wonderful choreography, and the pas de deux are stunning.”
This is the third full-length masterpiece by Cranko to enter Boston Ballet’s repertory. The Company danced the heartbreaking Onegin in 2002, 1994 and 1997, and the delightful The Taming of the Shrew in 2004. “I want to expose audiences and dancers to important choreographers – not just one work, but a range of their works,” said Nissinen. “This gives us the trilogy of Cranko’s great full-evening ballets.”
Cranko (1927-1973) choreographed his first production of Romeo and Juliet for La Scala Ballet in 1958, with Carla Fracci as Juliet. In 1962, he restaged and revised the piece for Stuttgart Ballet, where he had been appointed director a year earlier, with Marcia Haydée was Juliet. Other companies that have danced Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet include the National Ballet of Canada, The Australian Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet (1983). In 1978, the Joffrey Ballet became the first American company to stage Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet.
Schedule of Performances for Romeo & Juliet
Thursday, February 14 and February 28 at 7pm
Friday, February 15 and February 29 at 8pm
Saturday, February 16 and March 1 at 2pm and 8pm
Sunday, February 17 at 2pm and 7pm
Sunday, March 2 at 2pm
Romeo & Juliet
Choreography by John Cranko
Staged by Jane Bourne
Music Sergei Prokofiev
Set & Costume Design Susan Benson
Lighting Design Christopher Dennis
Tickets
Tickets for season ballets can be purchased by phone through Telecharge at 800.447.7400, online at www.telecharge.com, or in person at the Citi Performing Arts Center (SM) Wang Theatre box office, located at 270 Tremont Street in Boston's Theatre District, open Monday- Saturday from 10am - 6pm. Prices for Romeo & Juliet range from $25 - 110. ($25 price available in person only) Discounted group tickets (10 or more) are available by calling Boston Ballet's Group Sales at 617.456.6343. Rush tickets are available. Contact the Boston Ballet box office at 617.695.6955 or visit www.bostonballet.org for details.
About Boston Ballet
Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading dance companies in North America. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Executive Director Valerie Wilder, the Company has 50 dancers and maintains an internationally acclaimed repertoire of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works, ranging from full-length story ballets to new works by some of today’s finest choreographers.
Boston Ballet’s second company, Boston Ballet II, is made up of pre-professional dancers who gain experience by performing with Boston Ballet and as an independent group, presenting lecture-demonstrations and unique programs to audiences throughout the Northeast. Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education reaches and instructs more than 3,000 students of all ages each year through Boston Ballet School, Young Dancers Summer Workshop, Summer Dance Program, DanceLab, Citydance, Adaptive Dance and Taking Steps.
Boston Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following institutional partners:
State Street Corporation, 2007 Sponsor, The Nutcracker
Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation/
Linda S. Waintrup, Trustee
Massachusetts Cultural Council
National Endowment for the Arts
Boston Organ & Piano, Official Piano Supplier of Boston Ballet
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Read a brief synopsis of Romeo and Juliet
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