Prodigal Son (ballet)

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See also: New York City Ballet repertory, NYCB 2008 Winter Repertory, and NYCB 2008 Spring Repertory

Prodigal Son is a ballet made on Diaghilev's Ballets Russes by George Balanchine to Prokofiev's Le Fils Prodigue, op. 46 (1928–29) and libretto, based on the parable in the Gospel of Luke, by Boris Kochno who added a good deal of drama and emphasized the theme of sin and redemption ending with the Prodigal Son's return.

The premiere took place on May 21, 1929, at the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris, in what was to be the Ballets Russes' last Paris season. Balanchine's American Ballet danced Prodigal Son at its first public performance in 1934: "Balanchine's choreography upset Prokofiev, who conducted the premiere. The composer had envisioned a production that was 'real'; his concept of the Siren, whom he saw as demure, differed radically from Balanchine's. Prokofiev refused to pay Balanchine royalties for his choreography." ^[1]

The New York City Ballet premiere was February 23, 1950, at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, the title role danced by Jerome Robbins; Mikhail Baryshnikov danced it with City Ballet in 1979; Damian Woetzel has announced that he will dance it at his farewell performance, Wednesday, June 18, 2008. ^[2]