Maximo Califan as Tybalt at the Capulet's Ball in Act I of Dennis Nahat's ROMEO AND JULIET for Ballet San Jose. Photo by John Gerbetz
Wherefore art thou going to be on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.? That’s when I’ll be speaking at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago about Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, which is the subject of Ravinia’s One Score, One Chicago initiative this year. Everyone knows the plot, but not everyone knows the story of how this incredible ballet was composed, rejected and eventually triumphed as a crown jewel of the ballet repertoire. In researching this talk I’ve come to know and love this score, and I’m really excited about being able to share some of my thoughts on it and its place in history. There will be plenty of recorded examples as well as a live performance of excerpts played by pianist extraordinaire Mary Rose Norell, who has played these examples throughout the Chicago Public Schools system during the past year in our REACH*TEACH*PLAY programs. Be thou there, or be thou square!
John Schauer
Associate Director of Communications, Publications