Ben Stevenson's Romeo and Juliet

(Dallas / Fort Worth, TX – January 2010)…  Texas Ballet Theater’s Artistic Director Ben Stevenson O.B.E. is proud to present Romeo and Juliet, a tragic tale of forbidden love, February 12 – 14, 2010 at the Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and March 12 – 14, 2010 at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

Ben Stevenson’s masterful adaptation brings Shakespeare’s classic story to life.  Set in sixteenth century Verona, Italy, Romeo and Juliet chronicles the tragic romance of two young lovers from families on opposing sides of a bitter feud.  After meeting at a masked ball, the couple fall in love during a romantic encounter on Juliet’s balcony and are secretly wed.  They then find themselves trapped in a vicious web of circumstance as they rush headlong towards their tragic destiny.  With striking music by Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features stunning sets, lavish costumes, impassioned dance and dramatic action.

The role of the “Romeo” showcases Texas Ballet Theater’s most talented male performers.  Lucas Priolo, Eddy Tovar, Peter Zweifel and Carl Coomer will alternate performances. The role of the “Juliet” showcases the beauty and grace of Texas Ballet Theater’s most talented female performers.  Leticia Oliveira, Carolyn Judson and Lisa Kaczmarek will alternate performances. Notably, Carl Coomer “Romeo” and Leticia Oliveira “Juliet” are romantically involved off-stage and will captivate audiences as they perform together on Saturday, February 13 at 8:00pm in Fort Worth, and again on Friday, March 12 at 8:00pm in Dallas.   

The performance dates for Romeo and Juliet at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth are:  Friday, February 12 at 8:00pm; Saturday, February 13 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm; and Sunday, February 14 at 2:00pm.

The performance dates for Romeo and Juliet at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas are:  Friday, March 12 at 8:00pm; Saturday, March 13 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm; and Sunday, March 14 at 2:00pm.

Ticket Information
Tickets for Romeo and Juliet are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Texas Ballet Theater ticketing hotline toll free at 877-828-9200.   Patrons may also visit the box office at Texas Ballet Theater’s Administrative Offices, 6845 Green Oaks Road, Fort Worth, 76116.  Tickets for the Fort Worth engagement are $19 to $99 per person, depending upon seating location.  Tickets for the Dallas engagement are $19 to $109 per person, depending upon seating location.  For more information, visit www.texasballettheater.org.  

About Romeo and Juliet
Sergei Prokofiev’s 1935 score and Shakespeare’s dramatic play have inspired many notable choreographers.  In 1940, Leonid Lavrosky created the first Soviet production for Kirov Ballet.  Among other treatments of the work are Sir Frederick Ashton for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1955, John Cranko for La Scala Ballet in 1958, John Cranko for Stuttgart Ballet in 1962, Sir Kenneth MacMillan for The Royal Ballet in 1965, John Neumeier for Royal Danish Ballet in 1974, and Rudolf Nureyev for London Festival Ballet in 1977 which was also staged for La Scala in 1980 and the Paris Opera Ballet in 1984.  

Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet has a celebrated history.  The ballet’s world premiere inaugurated the opening of the Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston in September 1987.  In 1995 at the invitation of the Chinese government, Romeo and Juliet toured to Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.  The opening night performance of this two-and-a-half week tour was broadcast live on Chinese television, with an estimated audience of over 500 million.  In 2005, Romeo and Juliet made its Dallas / Fort Worth debut at the Bass Performance Hall.

About Texas Ballet Theater
Founded in 1961, Texas Ballet Theater is the premier professional ballet company in North Texas.  Under Artistic Director Ben Stevenson O.B.E., the ballet brings unprecedented talent, beauty and artistic expression to the stages of the Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and the AT&T Performing Arts Center Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in Dallas.