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Great Performances Premieres “Romeo and Juliet” Nationwide Friday, Sept. 11 at 9 pm
< < Back toFeatures the current generation of dancers from The Royal Ballet including “Cats” star Francesca Hayward
This film adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece takes legendary Royal Ballet choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s 1965 audience favorite out of the theater and into the streets of a cinematic Verona, offering a passionate reimagining of this timeless love story. A film by the BalletBoyz, the award-winning team of Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, this romantic classic is vividly recreated on atmospheric studio sets in Budapest, combining inventive cinematography and dynamic choreography. Set to Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s original score performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, the film features the internationally acclaimed current generation of stars from The Royal Ballet including Francesca Hayward as Juliet (who recently appeared as Victoria in the feature film “Cats”), William Bracewell as Romeo and Matthew Ball as Tybalt. Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet premieres nationwide Friday, September 11 at 9 p.m. on PBS, pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.
Notable Talent
- William Bracewell, stars as Romeo, first soloist of The Royal Ballet
- Francesca Hayward, stars as Juliet, principal dancer of The Royal Ballet and recently appeared as Victoria in the feature film “Cats”
- Matthew Ball, stars as Tybalt, principal dancer of The Royal Ballet
- Kenneth MacMillan, original choreographer, director of The Royal Ballet 1970-1977 and principal choreographer 1977-1992 and choreographer of “Gloria,” “Manon,” “Mayerling,” “Requiem” and more
- Sergei Prokofiev, original score, revered 20th century ballet, opera and film composer
- Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, director and director of photography, Emmy Award-winning artistic directors of BalletBoyz and former dancers of The Royal Ballet
- David Horn, executive producer of Great Performances
Noteworthy Facts
- The score is a 90-minute abridged version of Sergei Prokofiev’s original score from 1938 and is unique to the film.
- 2016’s Great Performances: Young Men, commemorating the centennial of World War I, was also produced by BalletBoyz.
Production Credits
A film by Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet is a Footwork Films production for the BBC in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Great Performances is produced by THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET. Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.
Underwriters
Major funding for Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet is provided by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, Irene Diamond Fund, Rosalind P. Walter, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, The Starr Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold, the Lewis “Sonny” Turner Fund for Dance, Ellen and James S. Marcus, Seton J. Melvin, and The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation.
Websites: pbs.org/gperf, facebook.com/GreatPerformances, @GPerfPBS, youtube.com/greatperformancespbs #GreatPerformancesPBS
About BalletBoyz
Founded in 2000, BalletBoyz established itself as one of the most original and innovative forces in modern dance: revolutionizing programming formats, commissioning work and collaborating with cutting-edge talents. The company’s chief aim is to challenge, excite and enlighten audiences through its work, bringing together elements from diverse realms of the arts including composers, artists, designers and filmmakers.
The company has won numerous awards and nominations including an Olivier Award, National Dance Awards, an International Emmy and The Golden Prague and Rose d’Or Awards twice. In 2013, BalletBoyz won Best Independent Company in the National Dance Awards, Best Modern Choreography for Russell Maliphant’s Fallen, while Michael Hulls won the 2014 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his work with BalletBoyz. In 2016, the company’s first feature film was broadcast: “Young Men” won The Golden Prague Arts Award (2017) and the Rose d’Or in the Arts Category, rewarding originality, quality and creativity.