Premiere of Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev will open the 72nd season of NOVAT. Ballet Company of the Theatre proceeded to rehearsals with Oleg Vinogradov, the legendary choreographer.
The distinguished maestro of choreography, People's Artists of the USSR Oleg Vinogradov began his career in the Novosibirsk opera and ballet theatre - it is here where he staged his first large-scale ballet productions such as Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet, which have won the professionals' attention in no time and let the world of ballet speak of a new name among stage choreographers. Premiere of Romeo and Juliet ballet in Novosibirsk took place in 1965, set and costumes were designed by Valery Levental.
"Music by Sergei Prokofiev is rightly considered a classics of the century. For me, Prokofiev's ballets, and primarily Romeo and Juliet, are original, magnificent and inexhaustible. Fifty years ago, not long after the premiere of Romeo and Juliet, I left the Novosibirsk Theatre. It is the colossal success of that production and its acceptance by specialists and ballet critics who came from St. Petersburg to see the premiere, that have opened new creative horizons and perspectives for me" - the choreographer reminisces.
Half a century later Romeo and Juliet returns to the Theatre stage. NOVAT dedicates the first premiere of the season to the 125th anniversary of Sergei Prokofiev's birth. Set designer Semyon Pastukh, costume designer Galina Solovyova and light designer Alexander Kibitkin are working on the premiere together with Oleg Vinogradov. Musical director and conductor of the production - Dmitry Jurowski.
Premiere performances are scheduled on September 13, 14, 15 and 16.