Carmen

Lia Cirio and Paulo Arrais
Rachel Neville Photography

Find your passion

In our ongoing efforts to prioritize the safety of our audiences and artists, all performances of Carmen (originally postponed from March to Aug 20–30, 2020) will not be performed in-person at the theater.

All ticket holders and subscribers received an email with more details. If you have additional questions, please contact the Box Office at TICKETS@BOSTONBALLET.ORG or 617.695.6955. We are responding as quickly as possible and greatly appreciate your patience.

Powerful women. Beautiful women. Dangerous women. Creative women. Find all of them in this program dedicated to exploring many facets of femininity.

Jorma Elo’s Carmen updates the fiery Spanish antiheroine of stage and screen for the 21st century, exploring the timeless dynamics of passion, jealousy, and betrayal.

George Balanchine’s Serenade, famously born of the challenge to create a piece for fledgling ballerinas upon his arrival in the United States, paints intricate scenes on an unforgettable blue palette and its gorgeous Tchaikovsky score.

Helen Pickett’s Tsukiyo returns to the stage where it premiered in 2009—a seductive and intimate duet based on the Japanese fable of “The Woodcutter’s Daughter” set to music by Arvo Pärt. And Pickett’s popular Petal comes to Boston for the first time, full of “high-octane yet sensual choreography…a barely contained riot of wildflowers” (San Francisco Chronicle) on music by Philip Glass and Thomas Montgomery Newman.

 

With Appreciation
The 2019-2020 performances of Serenade have been made possible by a generous gift from the Stephanie L. Brown Foundation.

THE DETAILS

Serenade

Choreography

George Balanchine

Music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Costume Design

after Barbara Karinska

Lighting Design

Brandon Stirling Baker

Original Lighting Design

Ronald Bates

Regisseur

Judith Fugate

World Premiere

March 1, 1935, American Ballet, Adelphi Theatre, New York, USA

Boston Ballet Premiere

March 20, 1966, Boston, USA

Tsukiyo

Choreography

Helen Pickett

Music

Arvo Pärt

Costume Design

Charles Heightchew

Lighting Design

Brandon Stirling Baker

World Premiere

October 22, 2009, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera House, Boston, USA

Petal

Choreography

Helen Pickett

Music

Philip Glass, Thomas Montgomery Newman

Original Costume Design

Nete Joseph

Original Lighting Design

Todd Elmer

Scenic Design

Helen Pickett

World Premiere

February 1, 2008, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, USA

Boston Ballet Premiere

March 12, 2020, Citizens Bank Opera House, Boston, USA

Carmen

Choreography

Jorma Elo

Music

Rodion Shchedrin after Georges Bizet*

Costume Design

Joke Visser

Lighting Design

Mikki Kunttu

Set Design

Benjamin Phillips

Program run time: Approximately two hours and 32 minutes, including two intermissions

The performance of Serenade, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with the George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® service standards established and provided by the Trust.

The original development of Petal was facilitated by Boston Ballet, with funding from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet.

*By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner

AREA PARKING AND INFORMATION for the Citizens Bank Opera House