ROMEO AND JULIET
WHEN: Friday, October 11, 8 PM
WHERE: State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
TICKETS: $57, $52, $42, $37, $27
Ticket Office: 732-246-SHOW (7469)
For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732.246.SHOW (7469), or visit online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org. The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM; Wednesday 11 AM to 7 PM; Saturday, 1 PM to 5 PM; and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates, unless otherwise specified.
For information on group outings and discounts, call 732.247.7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
State Theatre presents the premiere of American Repertory Ballet in Artistic Director Douglas Martin’s full-length Romeo and Juliet, with Prokofiev’s score performed live by the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Kynan Johns.
Based on Shakespeare’s tragic story, Martin’s version of the ballet features a company of 30 dancers, sets by scenic designer Kevin Lee Allen, and costumes designed by Michelle Ferranti. Scenic and costume design has been executed with careful attention to the aesthetic of what is now known as the early Renaissance era in Italy.
In her review of a spring 2012 preview performance, Marina Kennedy of Broadway World calls the production “an outstanding example of dance being perfectly adapted to dramatic interpretation, with the ARB dancers in full command of their art.”
“We are thrilled to premiere our full length production of Romeo and Juliet with a live orchestra,” says Martin. “This extraordinary music and dance collaboration not only enhances the audience’s experience of Prokofiev’s extraordinary score, but also highlights the ephemeral interaction of dance and music. Dancers will be responding to and interpreting the music as the musicians play it, bonding the two art forms moment by moment in this dynamic performance.”
NY-based dance critic Jerry Hochman of CriticalDance and Ballet-Dance Magazine characterizes Martin’s masterwork as “an ambitious production...emotionally and artistically fulfilling...exuberant and exciting to watch...[and] invit[ing] comparisons to other well-known productions,…including…that of Sir Kenneth MacMillan.”
“The duets between Juliet and Romeo—in particular, the critical balcony scene,” Hochman continues, “are choreographed, and were executed, with the combination of rapture and conviction, that quality of being genuine, that is necessary to make the audience feel what the dancers feel, and to respond with the cathartic release that prompts appreciative, as opposed to obligatory, applause.”
State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98.3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. United is the official airline of the State Theatre.
