Roméo et Juliette

Packed houses and glowing reviews followed PNB's West Coast premiere of Jean-Christophe Maillot's Roméo et Juliette. Praised as "seamlessly fusing the vocabularies of ballet and modern dance... an astonishing and absorbing view of an old world with all the impetus of the new" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), the ballet's stylized movement and avant-garde design narrow focus to the core of Shakespeare's tragedy with intensity that equals Sergei Prokofiev's passionate score. Maillot drives the story's large-scale plot elements with action that is distinctly cinematic in nature, and he employs the production's lustrous simplicity to underscore and balance its character definitions. Most significantly, Roméo et Juliette's fearless depiction of the elation and devastation of young love demands such a high degree of commitment from its principals that audiences rushed to multiple performances, eager to witness every moment in the evolution of a major PNB artist.

Content may not be appropriate for young children.

Production Information

Music: Sergei Prokofiev (Op. 64, 1935–1936)
Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot
Scenic Design: Ernest Pignon-Ernest
Costume Design: Jérôme Kaplan

Approximate running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 20 minute intermission