Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet ballet features music by Sergei Prokofiev as dancers take on telling the famous tale by William Shakespeare.
Even if you have never read the play, odds are you know the story. Written over four years in the 1500s, Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers kept apart by feuding families has been a classic for centuries; being retold and adapted in songs, films, and more!
Before you see BalletMet dancers perform this must-see at the Ohio Theatre, meet some of the most important Romeo and Juliet characters:
Romeo
Once infatuated with the beautiful Rosaline, nothing else matters to Romeo after he falls in love when he sees Juliet for the first time.
Romeo is forced to put his love for Juliet to the test when he is banished from Verona due to a long-standing feud between their families, the Montagues and Capulets.
Juliet
The only daughter of Lady and Lord Capulet, young Juliet is unhappily engaged to Paris, a kinsman of the Prince.
Going against her parents’ wishes, Juliet elopes with her true love, Romeo as she becomes willing to protect their love at any cost.
“I feel like audience members who come for all casts will see very different interpretations of it because we’re different people, and our take is different.”
– Caitlin Valentine, BalletMet company member performing the role of Juliet
Mercutio
A skeptic, Mercutio is one of Romeo’s closest friends. Puzzled when Romeo refuses to accept Tybalt’s duel, Mercutio takes his friend’s place, resulting in a tragic chain of events.
Tybalt
Hot-headed and fiercely loyal to his family, Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, finds himself at the end of Romeo’s sword as Romeo seeks revenge for the death of Mercutio.
The Nurse
A Capulet servant, the Nurse has cared for Juliet her entire life and acts as a liaison between Romeo and Juliet, sending notes back and forth between the two lovers.
Friar Lawrence
After secretly marrying Romeo and Juliet, Friar Laurence helps Juliet develop a plan to fake her death so she can reunite with Romeo after he is banished from Verona.
Now that you have met the most important characters from Romeo and Juliet, it is time to see the show! Get your tickets to see Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet, opening at the Ohio Theatre on April 26-28, 2024.