THE MERRY WIDOW Plays the Auditorium Theatre, Closes 2/27

The Joffrey Ballet presents the Midwest premiere of Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow for its Winter program in the current 2010-2011 Stars season. Hynd originally choreographed the three-act story ballet for The Australian Ballet in 1975, set to an adaptation of Franz Lehár's 1905 romantic operetta The Merry Widow. This evening-length work, also a company premiere, will be performed for the final time at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway, February 27, 2011. 

"This year, we have an exciting opportunity to celebrate the 80th birthday of renowned choreographer, Ronald Hynd, by presenting his ballet The Merry Widow during our Winter program," said Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater. "This is an opportunity for The Joffrey and the city of Chicago to become familiar with the work of this master choreographer."

A neo-classical ballet, the scenario for The Merry Widow was created by Sir Robert Helpmann. Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno's exquisite costumes and scenery lay the backdrop for a tale of comedic intrigue filled with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors and famed can-can dancers. The narrative, set amidst the glamour of turn-of-the-century Paris, revolves around the fictional principality of Pontevedro, which faces financial ruin when it's discovered that its sovereign, the dashing Count Danilo, is actually bankrupt. Count Danilo is persuaded to woo and marry a wealthy, aristocratic widow, the intoxicating Hanna Glawari, to keep her money in Ponteverdo, but revelations about their shared past comically complicate the matter.

Ronald Hynd's works have been performed over the last twenty years by English, Australian, American, South African and European companies to great critical acclaim. After training with British ballet pioneer Marie Rambert, Hynd joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet company in 1951 and progressed quickly to soloist and then to principal dancer rank, dancing in such important new works as John Cranko's Prince of the Pagodas. After his debut as a choreographer with a 1967 Baiser de la Fée for the Dutch National Ballet, it was Cranko who urged Hynd to accept the position of director of the Munich State Opera Ballet, where he remained from 1970 to 1973 and 1984 to 1986. Based in London since that time, he has choreographed extensively as a freelance choreographer. A fluent choreographer with a light, popular touch, his ballets spring from a wide range of score and subjects and include Dvorák Variations, Charlotte Brontë, The Sanguine Fan, The Nutcracker, Rosalinda, Papillon, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Sleeping Beauty.

Performance Schedule and Tickets
The performance schedule for The Merry Widow at the Auditorium Theatre is as follows: Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 pm; Friday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sunday, Feb. 20 at 2 pm; Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 pm; Friday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Feb. 26 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 pm.

Single tickets, priced between $24 and $145, are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet's official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, as well as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University box office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by telephone at (800) 982-2787, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The Joffrey Ballet's 2010-2011 Stars season will conclude in the Spring with Rising Stars, May 4 - 15, 2011, a mixed repertory program featuring two World Premieres, by Edwaard Liang and Yuri Possokhov, and a company premiere by Julia Adam. A former soloist for New York City Ballet, Liang's first work for The Joffrey, The Age of Innocence, premiered in the fall of 2008 and was met with critical and audience acclaim. His theatrical work paired 19th century romanticism with athletic prowess and a contemporary sensuality. Possokhov, a former dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, and a principal dancer and choreographer for the San Francisco Ballet, has made a name for himself as an austere and charismatic dancer and a bold, innovative choreographer. The Joffrey Ballet is proud to commission these two new works. Rounding out the bill will be the company premiere of Night, choreographed by Julia Adam and originally premiered by the San Francisco Ballet in 2000. Inspired by the paintings of Marc Chagall and set to the music of "Night Grooves," commissioned by composer Matthew Pierce, Adam's fantastical work follows a woman through her dreams and nightmares over the course of a night.

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support from its 2010-2011 Season Sponsors and extends special thanks to Abbott Fund and NIB Foundation, co-sponsors of the Stars season; United Airlines, Official & Exclusive Airline; Weiss Memorial Hospital, Official Healthcare Provider; UBS, Live Music Sponsor; AthletiCo, Official Provider of Rehabilitation, Fitness and Performance; and MAC, Official Cosmetic Sponsor. The Joffrey would also like to acknowledge its Stars Season Partners, including: Sara Lee Foundation, Groupon, and Whole Foods Market; and theWit Hotel. The Joffrey Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors of The Merry Widow: Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Margot & Josef Lakonishok, Nuveen Investments and Lorna Ferguson & Terry Clark, Production Sponsors; Jane Ellen Murray Foundation, Costume and Set Sponsor; Park Hyatt Chicago, Official Hotel Sponsor.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet, please visit its newly redesigned website at joffrey.org.

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