Ballet meets Broadway in this larger-than-life production
Cincinnati, OH (October 8, 2025) – Cincinnati Ballet opens the North American premiere of Septime Webre’s The Great Gatsby at the Aronoff Center for the Arts with a live jazz band, tap dancer, singer, actor, dog, and, of course, Cincinnati Ballet dancers! Join us for eight performances from November 7 – 15. It’s The Great Gatsby like you’ve never seen it before!
Internationally acclaimed choreographer and Hong Kong Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre has created a full-length ballet, retelling the classic story of the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “The Great Gatsby is an unforgettable invitation into the Roaring Twenties, filled with glittering parties, romance, and the irresistible energy of live jazz,” says The Katherine and Richard Rosenthal Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Cervilio Amador. “With dazzling choreography, spectacular projections, and a state-of-the-art LED wall, this production immerses audiences in a world that feels larger than life. At its heart, Gatsby’s story of hope, ambition, and longing will resonate long after the curtain falls.” To bring Webre’s grand production to North America, various ballet companies joined forces to share the ambitious costs of shipping and assembling the set from Hong Kong. Kansas City Ballet will perform The Great Gatsby following the November premiere in Cincinnati.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby, that inspired Webre’s full-length ballet version. Cincinnati Ballet will celebrate this anniversary in style, bringing along local singer Mandy Gaines, local actor and narrator Wesley Carman, two tap dancers, and live jazz band, Billy Novick’s Blue Syncopators from Boston, to join company dancers on stage. The production will also feature an original score by Billy Novick and costumes by Tim Yip, most known for his work on the 2000 martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
Tickets for The Great Gatsby are on sale now, starting at $39. For more information, visit cballet.org or call our Box Office at 513-621-5282.
PERFORMANCE DATES AND INFORMATION
WHO: Cincinnati Ballet
Choreography: Septime Webre
WHAT: THE GREAT GATSBY
WHEN:
- Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:30pm
- Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2:00pm
- Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30pm
- Sunday, Nov. 9 at 1:00pm
- Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:30pm
- Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30pm
- Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:00pm
- Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30pm
WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts
650 Walnut Street – Cincinnati, Ohio
TICKETS: Call 513.621.5282 or visit cballet.org
Cincinnati Ballet 2024-2025 Season Sponsors:
Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council and The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation.
About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.
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