The National Ballet of Canada Has Announced Principal Casting for ROMEO AND JULIET

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Romeo and Juliet by acclaimed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina will make her company debut in the title role of Juliet this season. Romeo and Juliet is onstage March 11 - 22, 2020 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and concludes the Winter Season. #RomeoandJulietNBC

Following a triumphant debut with New York City Ballet in Swan Lake earlier this month, Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté will reprise the role of Romeo opposite Principal Dancer Elena Lobsanova as Juliet. The pair will perform on opening night in the roles that were created on them in 2011. Mr. Côté will also partner Ms. Dronina. Subsequent performances will feature Principal Dancers Naoya Ebe, Harrison James and Brendan Saye as Romeo and Principal Dancers Svetlana Lunkina, Heather Ogden and Sonia Rodriguez and First Soloist Chelsy Meiss as Juliet.

Also making debuts this season are First Soloist Donald Thom as Mercutio and Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk and Second Soloist Joe Chapman as Tybalt. Mr. Thom and Second Soloist Christopher Gerty make their debuts as Paris. Debuting in the role of Benvolio are Principal Dancer Skylar Campbell and Second Soloists Spencer Hack and Siphesihle November.

Commissioned by Ms. Kain to celebrate the company's 60th anniversary, Mr. Ratmansky's version has been hailed a "Romeo and Juliet for our time" (Los Angeles Register) and "rich in dramatic and choreographic insights" (The Guardian). Set to Sergei Prokofiev's glorious score, Romeo and Juliet features costumes and sets by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.

Principal Character Artist Tomas Schramek, who will perform the roles of Lord Montague and Friar Laurence, celebrates his 50th anniversary with the National Ballet this season. He will be honoured by the company on March 13. Lorna Geddes, Principal Character Artist, reprises her signature role as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. After a career that spanned six decades, Ms. Geddes will be celebrated on March 22 as she says farewell.

On Thursday, March 19, the National Ballet's popular event, See the Music, Hear the Dance, returns. The 25-minute pre-performance talk led by Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin will give audiences a deeper understanding of Prokofiev's music for Romeo and Juliet, often hailed as one of the greatest ballet scores of all time. Musical selections will be performed by The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

Principal Casting

Juliet
Elena Lobsanova (March 11, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm)
Chelsy Meiss (March 12 at 2:00 pm/March 21 at 7:30 pm)
Heather Ogden (March 12 at 7:30 pm/March 14 at 2:00 pm)
Sonia Rodriguez (March 13 at 7:30 pm/March 15 at 2:00 pm)
Jurgita Dronina+(March 14 at 7:30 pm/March 22 at 2:00 pm)
Svetlana Lunkina (March 19 at 7:30 pm/March 21 at 2:00 pm)

Romeo
Guillaume Côté (March 11, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm/March 22 at 2:00 pm)
Brendan Saye (March 12 at 2:00 pm/March 21 at 7:30 pm)
Harrison James (March 12, 19 at 7:30 pm/March 14, 21 at 2:00 pm)
Naoya Ebe (March 13 at 7:30 pm/March 15 at 2:00 pm)

Mercutio
Jack Bertinshaw (March 11, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm)
Donald Thom* (March 12, 15 at 2:00 pm/March 13, 21 at 7:30 pm)
Skylar Campbell (March 12, 19 at 7:30 pm/March 14, 21 at 2:00 pm)
Piotr Stanczyk (March 22 at 2:00 pm)

Tybalt
Piotr Stanczyk* (March 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm/March 21 at 2:00 pm)
Joe Chapman* (March 12, 15 at 2:00 pm/March 13, 21 at 7:30 pm)
Brendan Saye (March 14, 22 at 2:00 pm/March 19 at 7:30 pm)

Nurse
Lorna Geddes (March 11, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm/March 22 at 2:00 pm)
Rebekah Rimsay (March 12, 15 at 2:00 pm/March 13, 21 at 7:30 pm)
Alejandra Perez-Gomez (March 12, 19 at 7:30 pm/March 14, 21 at 2:00 pm)

Friar Laurence
Peter Ottmann† (March 11, 12, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm/March 14, 22 at 2:00 pm)
Tomas Schramek (March 12, 15, 21 at 2:00 pm/March 13, 19, 21 at 7:30 pm)

Paris
Ben Rudisin (March 11, 18, 20, 21 at 7:30 pm/March 12 at 2:00 pm)
Christopher Gerty* (March 12, 13 at 7:30 pm/March 14, 15 at 2:00 pm)
Donald Thom* (March 14, 19 at 7:30 pm/March 21, 22 at 2:00 pm)

Benvolio
Skylar Campbell* (March 11, 14, 18, 20 at 7:30 pm/March 22 at 2:00 pm)
Spencer Hack* (March 12, 14, 21 at 2:00 pm/March 12, 19, 21 at 7:30 pm)
Siphesihle November* (March 13 at 7:30 pm/March 15 at 2:00 pm)

*Debut +Company Debut †Guest Artist

Casting subject to change.

Photo Credit: Bruce Zinger

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