The season of love is upon us and Can Can Culinary Cabaret is awash in its sentiments with an all-new, modernized dance adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous Romeo + Juliet. As part of Seattle Celebrates Shakespeare, a citywide festival taking place in Spring 2018, Can Can will honor one of history’s greatest writers by putting their own stamp of playful entertainment on the tale of star-crossed lovers. Can Can’s Romeo + Juliet will run February 9 – April 29, 2018 and tickets are on sale now at TheCanCan.com.

“Can Can has been producing original works for over 10 years at our venue underneath Pike Place Market,” Chris Pink, Can Can Artistic Director comments. “That said, in the last four years, we have taken our form and started to create full, evening length shows with an arc to them, as opposed to more vignette, cabaret style evenings. When we got the call from David Armstrong at the 5th Avenue Theatre to participate in the citywide festival, the idea came to the team and me almost immediately – the story of Romeo + Juliet was just made for Can Can! It felt natural that this be our first production to be based on a pre-existing story and as such, we’re really pulling out all the stops.”

Inspired by captivating and dramatic interpretations of this story from the likes of Franco Zeffirelli, Baz Luhrmann, Carlo Carlei, traditional operas, the Royal Ballet, and others, Can Can’s Romeo + Julietfeatures an original score composed and produced by Pink and Pezzner (Chris Pink and Dave Pezzner) with additional production by Justin Hartinger. The music is an original electronic soundtrack flourished with programmed, sampled, and live instrumentation featuring elements of classical, pop, big band, and more. The Can Can Company will dance all new choreography by Fae Phalen Pink while also incorporating a new apparatus into their show concept. “This has been a really fun process,” Fae Phalen Pink, Can Can choreographer commented. “We went into this last Spring aiming to create a sort of juxtaposition of both the traditional story and modern adaptations that instead of creating tensions with violence and death, instead would do so through sexy, romantic encounters performed through dance, burlesque, vocal performance, and so on. It’s much more fun, and much more Can Can this way. One of my favorite moments is the balcony scene in our show – in this version of the tale, our star-crossed lovers perform on a spinning spiral staircase. Now, how does this possibly happen in our intimate, underground venue that seats just 60, you may ask? Well, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself!”

Can Can’s behind-the-scenes shop has been a bustle of activity. Creative team credits include apparatus and set design by Jonathan Betchtel and JC Bedard; lighting design and brand new installation by Robert Aguilar (Seattle Repertory Theatre: Pride and Prejudice, Dry Powder). Music composition by Pink and Pezzner with mix by Floyd Reitsma (Litho: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews) and mastered by Ed Brooks (Resonant Mastering: Fleet Foxes, Deathcab for Cutie); Projections by TJ Davis of Lux Collective (Base Nectar, Google); and choreography by Fae Phaelen Pink.

The Can Can Company of dancers for Romeo + Juliet (playing evenings onlyl) feature co-producer and principle emcee Jonathan Betchel (BFA Cornish College; Can Can: Wonderland, French Kiss); Elise Landles (BFA Cornish College; Can Can: Ice Cream, Wonderland); and Shay Jenkins (Can Can: Ice Cream; Wonderland); Joel Domenico (Can Can: Ice Cream Sundaes; Wonderland) and Shadou Mintrone (Spectrum Dance Theatre; Can Can: Wonderland Brunch; This Is Halloween).