This February, Ballet Philippines will be presenting William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for the first performance of 2019. It is anticipated to be an epic cultural event as it will feature the music of Sergei Prokofiev and choreography of Ballet Philippines Artist Director and National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes. First presented in 1981, the piece is one of the company’s most famous and memorable ballets in the repertoire.
“For more than a year we had been arranging for a guest choreographer to come and restage the ballet,” shared Ms. Reyes. “As it sometimes happens, things did not pull together quite as expected.” She then decided to helm the production herself, choreographing the show in under a month.
When word came out to the public, this production of Romeo and Juliet became one of the most anticipated productions of the 49th season.
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In Old Verona
To build the grandeur of Old Verona, National Artist Salvador Bernal has been commissioned to design sets and costumes that will transport viewers to the ancient streets of the Italian countryside town. “He gave us the sunniest piazza in all of Venice, a most entrancing bedroom for sweet Juliet, elegant and splendidly rich halls for the lords and their ladies to dance in, and what has to be the most impressive cavernous vault for Juliet and her Romeo,” gushed Alice Reyes. The set has been done in large-scale proportions and features an 18-foot high platform, wide grand staircases, arches and an eye-catching candelabra in the ballroom.
Where for Art Thou, Romeo?
American ballet dancer Joseph Gatti made his mark with Philippine audiences when he performed as a guest artist in Don Quixote for Ballet Philippines’ 48th season. To celebrate the highly anticipated return of Romeo and Juliet, Gatti will once again grace the CCP stage. He will play the tragic lead character of Romeo in select performances, against Denise Parungao’s Juliet. “This is one of the best companies I have guested for. Their encouragement and their hunger for dance has been an inspiration for me as well,” Gatti shared in a statement about the local company. During his stay in Manila, Gatti will also be hosting workshops for dance (follow Ballet Philippines on Facebook for more details). Joseph Gatti is best known for his roles as the Prince in Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker, Desire in Kirk Peterson’s Sleeping Beauty, and the Prince in Peter Stark’s Cinderella, amongst others.
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NOTE: Also essaying the iconic roles of the star-crossed lovers are Ronelson Yadao and Victor Maguad as Romeo and Monica Gana and Jemima Reyes as Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet runs from February 15 – 24, 2019 at the CCP Main Theater. Show dates and schedules are as follows:
February 15, 2019 | 8:00 PM (With live Orchestra)
February 16, 2019 | 2:00 PM
February 16, 2019 | 7:00 PM (With live Orchestra)
February 17, 2019 | 2:00 PM
February 23, 2019 | 7:00 PM
February 24, 2019 | 2:00 PM
Get your tickets exclusively on Ticketworld (891-9999), CCP Box Office, or Ballet Philippines Box Office (551-1003).
You can avail tickets online at www.ticketworld.com.ph
Tickets will also be available in all Ticketworld outlets.
For more information, connect to Ballet Philippines online through the following social media networks:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/balletphilippines
Instagram: @balletphilippines
YouTube: balletph
Website: http://www.ballet.ph/
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