About Romeo & Juliet: The Choice

Romeo and Juliet is a classic Shakespearean play about two star-crossed young lovers from dueling families who tragically take their lives at the conclusion of the play. In 1936, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev composed the initial draft of a ballet of the title work in the form of a piano score. In this version, Prokofiev gave the story a “happy ending” where Juliet wakes up before Romeo’s despair leads him to suicide. Prokofiev never orchestrated this ending, choosing instead to adapt his final published orchestra score to the original fate of the lovers to placate critics. 

Romeo and Juliet: The Choice presents audiences with an opportunity to experience either Prokofiev’s original “happy ending” or the more commonly performed version of this beloved score. Audiences will be invited to vote on which ending to be performed for this innovative and engaging performance. Like any voting scenarios, the production brings scholars and experts in English, History, Music, Theatre and more to discuss their choices and reasons before the performance begin. 

Live Piano by Frederic Chiu

Frederic Chiu plays major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Le Châtelet in Paris, the
Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, and extensive tours in smaller and unusual venues. He collaborates with Classical
music friends Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal and the St Lawrence String Quartet, as well as non-Classical friends
like jazz pianist Bob James or storyteller David Gonzalez, to bring vivid live piano experiences to all audiences.

Frederic Chiu recorded the most extensive complete piano works of Prokofiev, and his personal relationship
with the Prokofiev family makes him a world-recognized advocate of the composer. Across 30+ albums, he has
recorded works of Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Rossini and Grieg. His wide recording legacy is
seen in his latest recordings: Beethoven/Liszt Symphonies V and VII, “Hymns and Dervishes,” music of
Gurdjieff/de Hartmann, “Distant Voices: Music of Claude Debussy & Gao Ping,” and Schubert’s Fantasy for Violin and Piano.

His innovative programming includes “Classical Smackdown,” where composers face off in head-to-head
comparisons, with listeners voting for their favorite composer: Debussy vs. Prokofiev, Bach vs. Glass,
Mendelssohn vs. Chopin before age 20. Results tracked at ClassicalSmackdown.com. With his wife, Jeanine
Esposito, he co-created the arts non-profit, Beechwood Arts & Innovation to explore collaboration across art
genres and the integration of arts and technology to foster community. His innovative vision of Romeo & Juliet
– The Choice, an interactive production of the popular Prokofiev ballet, debuted in 2018. Frederic teaches at
both Carnegie Mellon University and The Hartt School.