John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (Staatstheater, Stuttgart 2017, Directed by: Beyer)

Fifty-five years after its premiere, the Stuttgart Ballet performed a new production of John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet, the legendary production that had laid the foundation for the Stuttgart Ballet's meteoric rise in the 1960s. Vivid characters with their flaws and quirks, breathtaking pas de deux, swordfights on the ballet stage, colorful ensemble scenes, wonderful sets, and costumes that brought sun-drenched Verona to the Stuttgart stage: Cranko had created all of this especially for the Stuttgart ensemble, which he led from 1961 until his death in 1973. Set to Sergei Prokofiev's world-famous music, Cranko's production became one of the most famous and popular ballet versions of Shakespeare's love tragedy. Marcia Haydee was Cranko's first Juliet. She also appears in the current new production, this time as Juliet's nurse. She was able to celebrate her 80th birthday on stage as part of this recording – a touching moment!