Two star-crossed lovers…a vial of poison…
the perfect show for a romantic Valentine’s weekend!

Click below to purchase tickets now before they’re gone!
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:00pm
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 2:30pm
at The Historic Tennessee Theatre
Opera preview hosted by Maestro Salesky begins 45 minutes prior to each performance


San Francisco Opera’s sensational Noah Stewart and Puerto Rico’s enchanting Zulimar López-Hernández star as the passionate, ill-fated lovers.

In French with projected English translations

This production features brief dramatic readings from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in English during the opera performance.



CANDACE EVANS
(Stage Director)


JOHN SIPES
(Fight Director)


NOAH STEWART
(Romeo Montague)


ZULIMAR LÓPEZ-HERNÁNDEZ
(Juliette Capulet)


ANDREW WENTZEL
(Friar Laurence)


BRENT REILLY TURNER
(Mercutio)


ALEX BUMPAS
(Tybalt)


JESSE STOCK
(Capulet)


DIXIE ROBERTS
(Gertrude)


A Word From the Stage Director:
A love story was written in 1550 by the Italian poet Matteo Bandello. Who?

History would have forgotten, were it not for his timeless tale of love, secrets, family pressure, mangled communication and good intentions gone stunningly awry; issues that still dominate our talk shows and headlines, captured in the story of two young lovers – Romeo and Juliette.

Is it any wonder this little Italian novella has woven through centuries of inspired adaptations? In 1590, Shakespeare based his play on it, which has since been translated into over 80 languages. Berlioz and Tchaikovsky wrote major orchestral works in the 1800’s and in the next century Prokofiev created exquisite ballet music. The love themes feature in the jazz music of Duke Ellington, with pop references springing up in the lyrics of artists ranging from The Supremes
to Dire Straits. More than 34 film interpretations began with the Oscar nominated work of George Cukor in 1936, and we can all hum “There’s a Place For Us,” the achingly hopeful duet from “West Side Story.” But perhaps the most surprising iteration is an interactive Twitter venture called “Such Sweet Sorrow.”

Naturally, opera composers were also inspired. There have been 24 operas based on these young lovers, with the most beautiful and acclaimed work being that of Charles Gounod. Debuted in Paris in 1867 and filled with lush and evocative music, it reminds us that the yearnings of the heart and soul will always be our reason for living.

It is a story so real that every year thousands of tourists visit Juliette’s balcony in Verona, a place where she lived only in our hearts and minds. I am delighted that my Knoxville Opera directorial/choreographic debut is bringing you the eternal story of Romeo and Juliette.
-Candace Evans, Stage Director, Romeo & Juliette

Gounod’s Romeo & Juliette Synopsis

(Location: Verona, in the 14th century)

Act I: A Capulet Party; Tybalt reveals that Juliette is engaged to Paris (although her father hasn’t informed her yet). Count Capulet welcomes his guests and introduces Juliette.
Romeo has snuck into the party with some other Montagues. Mercutio sings of the Faerie Queen Mab. They leave, and Juliette enters with her nurse, Gertrude, dancing happily. Gertrude leaves and Romeo returns; he sees Juliette, and they fall instantly in love.
Tybalt enters; Romeo replaces his mask, but Tybalt suspects his identity and wishes to attack him. Count Capulet calms Tybalt, not wanting violence at his party, and encourages the guests to start up a waltz.

Act II: Juliette’s Balcony; Romeo, having left his companions, finds himself under Juliette’s balcony. They express their love for each other, and she proposes marriage. They are interrupted twice, first by Gregory (who suspects an intruder in the garden) and next by Gertrude. They bid each other farewell.

Act III; Scene 1: A Church; Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliette in secret, hoping to help end the feud between their families.
Act III; Scene 2: Outside the Capulet House Romeo’s page, Stephano (a part invented for the opera) sings a ditty mocking the Capulets. Gregory attacks Stephano, and a larger fight breaks out between the Montagues and Capulets. Tybalt challenges Romeo, who refuses; but Mercutio fights him instead, and is killed. Furious, Romeo kills Tybalt. As punishment, the Duke of Verona banishes him.

Act IV: Juliet’s Room; Romeo bids Juliette farewell before he must depart. She tries to make him stay, insisting that it is not yet daylight; but eventually she must relent and let him leave.
After Romeo has gone, Gertrude enters, warning Juliette that Tybalt’s dying wish was for Juliette and Paris to be married immediately. Friar Lawrence offers his help, giving her a potion that will make her appear dead.
(For a later performance, Gounod added a ballet here, which makes little dramatic sense but catered to the French tastes of the time.)

Act V: The Capulet Vault; Juliette has been presumed dead and placed in the Capulet vault. Romeo arrives, mourning her death. No sooner has he taken poison than Juliette awakes. They attempt to flee together, but he reveals that he will die soon, and they sing a final duet. Juliette stabs herself with a dagger and dies with him.

Read more at Suite101: Opera Guide—Romeo and Juliet, by Charles Gounod: Roméo et Juliette, French Opera Based on Shakespeare’s Play