Romeo & Juliet has endured from Shakespeare’s time due to the timeless story of love and loss. The venerable Joffrey Ballet brings a multimedia, contemporary rendition of Romeo & Juliet tale to the Auditorium Theatre stage beginning Wednesday, April 30.
The Joffrey Ballet brings the U.S. premiere of Krzysztof Pastor’s ballet in three acts to the modern era with a multimedia video backdrop depicting different political eras of the 20th century. “The ballet opens with imagery of Italy in the 1930’s, the time of Mussolini and the rise of Fascism. The Capulet family represents the upper class conservatives with stiff, militaristic movement, while the Montegues represent the liberal low and middle classes, danced with loose, flowing motions laced with pedestrian naturalism according to the Joffrey Ballet.”
The performance is described as “Pastor’s counterpoint of the star-crossed lovers and real world politics heightens the universal plight and amplifies the metaphor of a group sacrificing its individuals for the sake of divisive politics.”
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The darkly intense score by Sergei Prokofiev, performed live by the Chicago Philharmonic under the baton of Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck adds layers to the already romantic story. Combined, the breathtaking dancing, intense score, timeless story and multimedia backdrop unite to create a fresh take on a classic tale of ill-fated true love.
Romeo& Juliet runs Wednesday, April 30 through Sunday, May 11. Single tickets, ranging from $31 to $152, are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, as well as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by telephone at (800) 982-2787, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
