American Ballet Theatre Announces Casting For Weeks Five and Six of 2018 Spring Season

Casting for the fifth and sixth weeks of American Ballet Theatre's 2018 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin Mckenzie.

The season's first performance of Romeo and Juliet on Monday, June 11 will be led by Gillian Murphy ( Juliet ), Cory Stearns ( Romeo ) and Daniil Simkin ( Mercutio ). The matinee on Wednesday, June 13 will feature debuts by Devon Teuscher as Juliet and Aran Bell as Romeo, and Gabe Stone Shayer in his New York debut as Mercutio. Stella Abrera will dance the role of Juliet for the first time in New York on Thursday, June 14, opposite James Whiteside as Romeo.

Set to the score by Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet features scenery and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis and lighting by Thomas Skelton. Romeo and Juliet received its World Premiere by The Royal Ballet in London on February 9, 1965 and was given its ABT Company Premiere at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1985 with Leslie Browne and Robert La Fosse in the leading roles.

The sixth week will feature eight performances of Swan Lake, beginning Monday, June 18, led by Devon Teuscher as Odette /Odile, Cory Stearns as Prince Siegfried and Calvin Royal III as von Rothbart. At the matinee on Wednesday, June 20, Christine Shevchenko will make her New York debut as Odette /Odile, opposite James Whiteside as Prince Siegfried, and Aran Bell will dance the role of von Rothbart for the first time.

Swan Lake is set to the score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. This production of Swan Lake premiered on March 24, 2000 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. with Julie Kent ( Odette /Odile ), Angel Corella ( Prince Siegfried ) and Marcelo Gomes ( von Rothbart ). ( more ) ABT CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR FIFTH AND SIXTH WEEKS - Page 2 Tickets for American Ballet Theatre's 2018 Metropolitan Opera House season, beginning at $ 22, are available online, at the Met box office or by phone at 212 - 362 - 6000.

The Metropolitan Opera House is located on Broadway between 64 and 65 streets in New York City. For more information, visit ABT's website at www.abt.org. Complete casting follows : American Ballet Theatre's performances of Romeo and Juliet are generously underwritten through an endowed gift from Ali and Monica Wambold. Swan Lake has been generously underwritten by R. Chemers Neustein. Costumes for Swan Lake are generously sponsored by the Ellen Everett Kimiatek Costume Preservation Trust. American Airlines is the Official Airline of American Ballet Theatre. Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.

ABT is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts ; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature ; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. - 30 - Thursday, May 31, 2018

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