Roméo et Juliette

Gounod's opera debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris in 1867, eight years after Faust. The composer again turned to a great work of literature - Shakespeare's timeless drama of doomed love between two teenagers from rival families in 14th-century Verona. Many of the most famous scenes from the play are captured in the opera: Mercutio's charming Ballad of Mab, the Fairy Queen; Juliet's breathless arrival at the Capulets' ball; the nocturnal balcony farewell of the young couple; their secret marriage by the kindly Friar Laurence; flashing swordplay that results in the deaths of two young men; the touching bedroom scene; the magic potion; and the final, anguished meeting of the "star-crossed lovers." Gounod lavished on this score a sure hand with a distinctively French touch, creating some of his most beautifully memorable music.

Support for Romeo and Juliet comes from A.E.I. and Dr. Kenneth Atchity, producer/literary manager, in honor of Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Professor and Director LSU Neuroscience Center of Excellence, for his contributions to eye and brain research, and to the New Orleans community, on occasion of the publication of his novel, Una Vida, a Fable of Music and the Mind.

With additional support from The Windsor Court Hotel.