Free operatic rendition of “Romeo and Juliet” comes to Battery Park City for 100th Anniversary performance
Performance features 30-piece orchestra, a double chorus, and multimedia elements, creating an immersive experience for viewers
Free registration here: www.eventbrite.com/e/giulietta-e-romeo-registration-331876921807
The Battery Park City Authority and opera company Teatro Grattacielo announced that the operatic rendition of Giulietta e Romeo, composed by Riccardo Zandonai, will be presented to New Yorkers for the first time in Battery Park City’s Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, 2022. Both performances will start at 9PM, and admission is free to the public. Commissioned by the Battery Park City Authority as part of its free summer programming and event schedule, Giulietta e Romeo is also part of the inaugural Festival of New York, a movement of over 200 organizations across the city to marshal the creativity, resiliency, diversity and spirit of collaboration that makes New York one of the strongest and most inspiring cities in the world.
Based on Luigi Da Porto’s 16th century novella by the same name rather than the traditional Shakespearean version, Giulietta e Romeo first premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in 1922 and starred some of Italy’s most acclaimed singers of the time. To celebrate the opera’s 100th anniversary, New York City-based professional opera company, Teatro Grattacielo, is bringing the full-scale performance to downtown Manhattan for the first time. The site-specific production includes views of the Hudson River waterfront and Statue of Liberty.
“This performance of Giulietta e Romeo builds on Battery Park City Authority’s commitment to provide free, dynamic, and diverse programming that brings together a wide range of residents and visitors,” said B.J. Jones, President and CEO of the Battery Park City Authority. “I look forward to welcoming attendees to the first full production of this celebrated opera in Battery Park City.”
Teatro Grattacielo is led by Artistic Director Stefanos Koroneos, who has been praised most recently for his productions of Idomeneo in Rhodes and Crete in Greece. The company is known for its forward-thinking, progressive and multimedia-based exploration of opera and is driven by a deep appreciation of classic elegance and aesthetics. Teatro Grattacielo has received wide international recognition and is a recent recipient of funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to break down the perceptions of opera, take it outside of the theater, and offer it in a public space where all New Yorkers can share a unique experience” said Stefanos Koroneos, Executive and Artistic Director at Teatro Grattacielo.“We chose Zandonai’s beautiful Giulietta e Romeo because it tells a story of eternal love and was originally intended for the masses – both appropriate themes for this moment in history.”
Giulietta e Romeo features three acts – love, passion, and tragedy – stripped down to their most pure and intimate form, along with the traditional arcs of family rivalry, ecstatic fight scenes, and the prohibited love saga between Giulietta Capuleti and Romeo Montecchi. Dynamic projections will bring the space to life, creating scenic backdrops while the color palette will be black and white with splashes of sultry color to contrast. In addition to Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, and nine secondary characters, the composition includes a 30-piece orchestra and 30-person double chorus representing the two opposing families, the Montagues and the Capulets.
“New York Tech is thrilled to be collaborative partners with Teatro Grattacielo and Battery Park City Authority for the Giulietta e Romeo performance!” said Suzanne Musho, Vice President, New York Institute of Technology a fellow member of the Festival of New York and collaborator on the Giulietta e Romeo project. “We also thank Mediapro for their collaboration as well. Our faculty and students are grateful for this amazing opportunity to contribute to this world class performance that embodies the efforts of the Festival of New York, exclaiming the resilience of New York City and of New Yorkers!”
About Teatro Grattacielo
Teatro Grattacielo’s mission is to promote performances from an operatic repertoire rarely heard in the U.S which accompanies a season of classic operatic titles. Through performances in New York City, strategic national and international collaborations and educational outreach, Teatro Grattacielo promotes artists and the appreciation of operatic traditions with an eye on innovation and inclusivity. For more info visit: Grattacielo.org
Back to Blog Homepage
