The National Ballet of Canada

Three Debuts in Title Roles in Romeo and Juliet

Guillaume Côté Dances Romeo for Final Time
New York City Ballet’s Sara Mearns Guests as Juliet 

May 23, 2023… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the casting for Alexei Ratmansky’s acclaimed production of Romeo and Juliet. Principal Dancer Genevieve Penn Nabity and Second Soloist Tirion Law will make their debuts in the title role of Juliet and First Soloist Christopher Gerty will make his debut as Romeo. Romeo and Juliet is onstage at Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts June 15 – 25, 2023 and concludes the 2022/23 season. #RomeoandJulietNBC 

As previously announced, Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté will dance the role of Romeo for the final time. A signature role, Romeo was created on Côté by Ratmansky in 2011. Although Côté will say farewell to this role, he will continue to perform in other leading roles with the National Ballet. He will dance opposite New York City Ballet Principal Dancer and Guest Principal Artist Sara Mearns. The internationally celebrated dancer makes her debut in this production.

The opening night performance on June 15 will feature Principal Dancers Harrison James and Heather Ogden reprising the roles of Romeo and Juliet.  

Also making debuts this season are Second Soloist Noah Parets and Corps de Ballet Member Alexander Skinner as Benvolio, Principal Dancer Ben Rudisin and Corps de Ballet Member Josh Hall as Tybalt, Principal Character Artist Stephanie Hutchison and Second Soloist Hannah Galway as the Nurse, First Soloist Tanya Howard as Lady Capulet, Corps de Ballet Member Teagan Richman-Taylor as Lord Montague, Second Soloist Kathryn Hosier and Corps de Ballet Member Isabelle Bratt as Lady Montague and Corps de Ballet Members Peng-Fei Jiang, Keaton Leier and Larkin Miller as Paris.  

Romeo and Juliet was commissioned by the National Ballet in 2011 to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary. Hailed “a Romeo and Juliet with soul” (Toronto Star), Romeo and Juliet is set to Sergei Prokofiev’s glorious score with costumes and sets by Richard Hudson and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. 

Casting    

Juliet  
Heather Ogden (June 15, 21 at 7:30 pm/ June 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Sara Mearns*+ (June 16 at 7:30 pm/ June 18 at 2:00 pm) 
Tirion Law* (June 17 at 2:00 pm/ June 22 at 7:30 pm)  
Chelsy Meiss (June 17, 23 at 7:30 pm) 
Genevieve Penn Nabity* (June 22 at 2:00 pm/ June 24 at 7:30 pm) 

Romeo  
Harrison James (June 15, 21 at 7:30 pm/ June 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Guillaume Côté (June 16 at 7:30 pm/ June 18 at 2:00 pm) 
Naoya Ebe (June 17 at 2:00 pm/ June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Ben Rudisin (June 17, 23 at 7:30 pm) 
Christopher Gerty* (June 22 at 2:00 pm/ June 24 at 7:30 pm)

Mercutio  
Jack Bertinshaw (June 15, 21 at 7:30 pm/ June 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Spencer Hack (June 16, 24 at 7:30 pm/ June 18, 22 at 2:00 pm) 
Siphesihle November (June 17 at 2:00 pm/ June 22 at 7:30 pm) 

Benvolio  
Albjon Gjorllaku (June 15, 21, 22 at 7:30 pm/June 17, 25 at 2 pm) 
Noah Parets* (June 16 at 7:30/June 18 at 2 pm) 
Alexander Skinner* (June 17,23 at 7:30 pm) 
Kota Sato* (June 22 at 2:00 pm/June 24 at 7:30 pm) 

Tybalt  
Peng-Fei Jiang (June 15, 17, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/ June 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Josh Hall* (June 16 at 7:30 pm/ June 18 at 2:00 pm) 
Piotr Stanczyk (June 17 at 2:00 pm/ June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Ben Rudisin* (June 22 at 2:00 pm/ June 24 at 7:30 pm) 

Nurse  
Alejandra Perez-Gomez (June 15, 16, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/ June 18 at 2:00 pm) 
Hannah Galway* (June 17 at 2:00 pm/ June 22 at 7:30 pm)   
Stephanie Hutchison* (June 17, 24 at 7:30 pm/ June 22, 25 at 2:00 pm) 

Friar Laurence  
Peter Ottmann† (June 15, 16, 17, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/June 18, 25 at 2:00 pm)  
Teagan Richman-Taylor (June 17, 22 at 2:00 pm/June 22, 24 at 7:30 pm)   

Lord Capulet        
Etienne Lavigne† (June 15, 16, 21 at 7:30 pm/June 18, 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Jonathan Renna† (June 17, 22 at 2:00 pm/June 22, 24 at 7:30 pm) 
Piotr Stanczyk (June 17, 23 at 7:30 pm) 

Lady Capulet       
Stephanie Hutchison (June 15, 16, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/June 18 at 2:00 pm) 
Tanya Howard* (June 17 at 2:00 pm/June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Alejandra Perez-Gomez (June 17, 24 at 7:30 pm/June 22, 25 at 2:00 pm) 

Lord Montague    
Trygve Cumpston (June 15, 17, 21 at 7:30 pm) 
Teagan Richman-Taylor* (June 23 at 7:30 pm) 

Lady Montague    
Selene Guerrero-Trujillo (June 15, 16, 24 at 7:30 pm/June 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Kathryn Hosier* (June 17, 22 at 2:00 pm/June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Isabelle Bratt* (June 17, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm/June 18 at 2:00 pm)  

Duke of Verona  
Jonathan Renna† (June 15, 16, 21 at 7:30 pm/June 18, 25 at 2:00 pm) 
Peter Ottmann† (June 17 at 2:00 pm/June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Etienne Lavigne† (June 17, 23, 24 at 7:30 pm/June 22 at 2:00 pm) 

Paris  
Christopher Gerty (June 15 at 7:30 pm/June 25 at 2:00 pm)  
Peng-Fei Jiang* (June 16, 24 at 7:30 pm/June 18, 22 at 2:00 pm) 
Keaton Leier* (June 17 at 2:00 pm/June 22 at 7:30 pm) 
Larkin Miller* (June 17, 21, 23 at 7:30 pm) 

*Debut  +Principal Guest Artist  †Guest Artist    

Casting subject to change.  

Watch Video: Five Things About Romeo and Juliet >
More Information About Romeo and Juliet > 

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BMO Financial Group presents the 2022/23 season. 

Nicola Wealth presents Romeo and Juliet.   

Lead philanthropic support for Romeo and Juliet is provided by Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., with additional generous support from Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, an anonymous friend of the National Ballet and Walter Carsen, O.C.  

Principal Guest Artist Sara Mearns’ appearance is made possible by The Estate of Katherine Barber. 

Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross.   

Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White.   

Heather Ogden is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky Gluskin.     

Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C.  

Genevieve Penn Nabity is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski.

Ben Rudisin is sponsored through Dancers First by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe. 

Jack Bertinshaw is sponsored through Dancers First by an anonymous donor. 

Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein. 

Chelsy Meiss is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne-Marie Canning. 

Hannah Galway is sponsored through Dancers First by Alison & Alan Schwartz.   

Kathryn Hosier is sponsored through Dancers First by Donna Meyers & Doug Richmond.   

Noah Parets is sponsored through Dancers First by John Covington Jr & Robert Lukey.    

Kota Sato is sponsored through Dancers First by Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell.   

Teagan Richman-Taylor is sponsored through Dancers First by Devida & Derek Smith.  

Alexander Skinner is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne & David LeGresley.   

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; and the Government of Ontario through The Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. 
 
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Harrison James and Heather Ogden in Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

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