Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, today announces the Joffrey’s 2023/2024 Season at Lyric Opera House, featuring a Chicago debut of a full-length gothic masterpiece set in the dawn of modern science; a mixed rep program featuring a world premiere; the return of a Swedish tour de force; and a holiday tradition boldly reimagined for a new generation.

The Joffrey Ballet begins its 68th season with Liam Scarlett’s Chicago premiere of Frankenstein, October 12–22, 2023, a critically acclaimed, modern vision of Mary Shelley’s 19th-century science fiction novel. Soon after, the Joffrey celebrates the return of Christopher Wheeldon’s enchanting production of The Nutcracker, December 2–27, 2023, followed by Studies in Blue, February 15–25, 2024, an enlightening mixed rep program with original work choreographed by Scarlett and Andrew McNicol, rounded out with a world premiere by Stina Quagebeur. Closing out the season is the return of Alexander Ekman’s otherworldly trip into Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is far from a Shakespearean tale, April 25–May 5, 2024.

“Our 2023/2024 season invites audiences to journey with us through some of the most gorgeous worlds created for the ballet, full of love and pain, tragedy and triumph,” says The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE. “We begin by honoring the memory of a brilliant artist with the Chicago premiere of Liam Scarlett’sFrankenstein, an epic story told at a grand scale, its delicate emotion rendered in fine detail.  Another of Liam’s works, the breathtakingly beautiful Hummingbird, finds exceptional company in the works of Andrew McNicol’s layered and sophisticated Yonder Blue and a powerful world premiere from Stina Quagebeur.  Through a reunion with a long-time partner, Chicago audiences will again tread the fantastical realm of Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in all of its splendor and strangeness.  This season, audiences will find spectacle, intimacy, and above all, humanity at the ballet.”

“Since its founding, our company has followed Robert Joffrey’s guiding principles of creating compelling performances, inspirational education, and artistic innovation,” added President and CEO Greg Cameron. “Ashley Wheater has masterfully curated our 68th season with productions that illustrate these ambitions through modern interpretations of classic tales and bold new narratives. With a nod to the past and an eye on the future, our commitment to making dance accessible to everyone through ‘Joffrey for All’ initiatives brings captivating storytelling to the Lyric Opera stage, the Chicago community, and beyond.”

All season performances take place at the Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago at 20 North Upper Wacker Drive. All programs throughout the season feature live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.