Joffrey Ballet to partner with Lyric at Civic Opera House
The Joffrey Ballet is jumping to join the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the Civic Opera House at the start of the 2020-21 season, according to a statement released Friday.
It's a move away from the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, which served as the Joffrey's main Chicago home after the ballet company moved from New York in 1995.
"As a lifelong Chicagoan, I'm excited to lead the company during this time of growth and transformation," Joffrey Executive Director Greg Cameron said in a statement. "We also look forward to making our final years at the Auditorium Theatre the most memorable yet."
The Joffrey's current license agreement with The Auditorium Theatre concludes at the end of its 2019-20 season. The announcement was abrupt for Auditorium CEO Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, who learned of the Joffrey's planned move when contacted by Chicago news media.
"While the situation is not ideal, there is no doubt in my mind that the Auditorium Theatre's future is bright and that this opens up new opportunities for us," said Moskalenko in a statement.
The Joffrey and Lyric made the announcement on the eve of opening night for the companies' first collaboration: a new production of Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice" staged by John Neumeier, the director and chief choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet.
"This is terrific news for Chicago as we further solidify our city as a cultural hub," said Lyric general director Anthony Freud in a statement.
For more information, visit joffrey.org or lyricopera.org.