Milwaukee Ballet’s critically acclaimed passionate tragedy about star-crossed lovers and their opposing families

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Ballet closes its season with Michael Pink’s fiery retelling of William Shakespeare’s romantic masterpiece, Romeo & Juliet, performing May 10-13, 2007 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

Pink’s Romeo & Juliet premiered in Milwaukee in 2003 and has become one of the Milwaukee Ballet’s signature productions, acclaimed by critics worldwide. The piece features stunning Renaissance costume designs created by Judanna Lynn and Prokofiev’s beautiful score performed by the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra. Praised for her exquisite designs seen in last February’s triumphant return of “Scheherazade,” Lynn uses Shakespeare’s theme to rival the theatricality of this production. The dramatic fight scenes are under the direction of Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Lee Ernst, who has most recently appeared in productions such as “King Lear,” and “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure.”

Tom Strini, dance critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said, “Michael Pink's incisive, intelligent take on Romeo & Juliet is, to an unusual degree, a man's ballet. The focus is on Romeo and his Montague-clan pals, Mercutio and Benvolio. Their freely conceived and performed physical camaraderie -- roughhousing, really -- is entirely credible, sometimes impressively acrobatic, and so in tune with Prokofiev's music that you barely notice the clever musicality that underlies it.”

ABOUT ROMEO & JULIET

Romeo & Juliet is a tale of two star-crossed young lovers caught in a tug-of-war between their rivaling families.  In just a short week’s time, Juliet and Romeo must decide between their passion for each other and their desire to remain loyal to their feuding families.

“Pink has crafted a dashing, breathless Balcony pas de deux that distills young love out of control – this is a Romeo & Juliet well worth watching,” remarks Strini.

TICKET INFORMATION

Romeo & Juliet runs May 10-13 in Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water Street, Milwaukee. Tickets to Romeo & Juliet start at $20. To order call 414-273-7206 or visit www.milwaukeeballet.org.

SPONSORS

Romeo & Juliet is generously sponsored by Mary Vandenberg, Keith Mardak and the Hal Leonard Corporation and the Assurant Health Foundation.

ABOUT MILWAUKEE BALLET

Founded in 1970, the Milwaukee Ballet Company strives to inspire its audiences to think within and beyond traditional ballet through the presentation of outstanding performances and educational opportunities.  With an annual operating budget of $5 million, the Milwaukee Ballet Company presents more than 40 performances to 70,000 people each year.  The Milwaukee Ballet School, official school of the Milwaukee Ballet Company, provides quality dance instruction to more than 1000 students per year at four locations.  For more information about the Milwaukee Ballet Company or the Milwaukee Ballet School, call 414-643-7677 or visit the Milwaukee Ballet online at www.milwaukeeballet.org.