Photo by Jennifer Zmuda
BalletMet’s final production of the 2016-17 season brings William Shakespeare’s tale of Romeo and Juliet to the Ohio Theatre stage, trading the Bard of Avon’s poetic verses for dancers’ pointe shoes.
The company will celebrate the Columbus premiere of the show, choreographed by BalletMet artistic director Edwaard Liang, on April 28.
Featuring the music of Sergei Prokofiev, performed live by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Romeo and Juliet uses elements of classical ballet to tell the dramatic story of a tragic love affair.
The plot, which unfolds on the cobbled streets of Verona, Italy, focuses on the eponymous characters’ budding romance amid an intense feud that has been brewing between two families for many years. As Romeo and Juliet dangerously pursue a forbidden relationship, tensions mount as the interclan fighting takes a deadly turn.
Romeo and Juliet has a runtime of two hours and 15 minutes, and the show is split into three acts with two 15-minute intermissions.
Performances are scheduled for April 28 at 8 p.m., April 29 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and April 30 at 2 p.m.
Tickets, which start at $29, are available online via Ticketmaster.
An opening night dinner with lighting designer Les Dickert and fight coordinator Steven White will be held on April 28 at the Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square. The event begins with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, which will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for this Dine with the Artists event are $70 for the dinner only, and $130 for the dinner and a ticket to that evening’s performance of Romeo and Juliet. Interested guests can RSVP here.
Amanda Etchison is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.