Cape Town Opera Presents Gounod's ROMÉO ET JULIETTE at Artscape Theatre

Breaking news to your phone. US mobile only. No password required.

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

West End / UK

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

Brittany Smith and Lukhanyo Moyake lead the Cape Town Opera cast in Gounod's lush adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy, with design by Leopold Senekal.

Most Popular

Get all the top news & discounts for Opera & beyond. No password required.

Cape Town Opera is inviting audiences to experience the world's most famous love story through the lush, melodic brilliance of Charles Gounod 's Roméo et Juliette, opening at Artscape Theatre on 18 November 2026. Kamal Khan will conduct the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra while Marcus Desando will direct. Desando, a South African opera singer and arts administrator, has performed in more than 75 opera, musical theatre and concert productions internationally and directed over 40, including Rigoletto for SABC2 and Così fan tutte.

Get all the top news & discounts for Opera & beyond.

From the electric spark of a first meeting to the devastating silence of the tomb, Gounod's opera transforms Shakespeare's enduring tragedy into a sweeping musical portrait of young love, passion and loss. With its soaring melodies, grand orchestral writing and intimate love duets, Roméo et Juliette captures both the intoxicating beauty of romance and the terrible consequences of an ancient feud.

Premiered in Paris in 1867, Gounod's opera is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Rather than simply illustrating Shakespeare's play, the operatic form places the emotional lives of its central characters at the heart of the drama. Gounod's lyrical writing presents some of opera's most celebrated love music, while the unfolding conflict between the Montagues and Capulets drives the lovers inexorably towards tragedy.

Cape Town Opera will bring together a distinguished ensemble of South African singers led by CTO House Soloists Brittany Smith as Juliette and Lukhanyo Moyake as Roméo. The cast also features House Soloists Nonhlanhla Yende as Gertrude and Conroy Scott as Capulet and includes Judith Neilson Young Artists Nica Reinke as Stéphano and Dumisa Masoka as Benvolio. Completing the stellar lineup is Msimelelo Mbali as Frère Laurent, Thandolwethu Longo as Tybalt and Riaan Hunter as Mercutio. Design is by Leopold Senekal.

The story begins at a masked ball, where Roméo Montague and Juliette Capulet meet and fall instantly in love, unaware that they belong to rival families. Their discovery of each other's identities cannot extinguish their passion and with the help of Frère Laurent they secretly marry. But violence and circumstance soon intervene. A fatal confrontation, exile, a desperate plan and a tragic misunderstanding propel the young lovers towards their final reunion, in the tomb.

With its opulent theatrical world, heart-wrenching duets and music of extraordinary lyrical radiance, Cape Town Opera's Roméo et Juliette promises an evening of spectacle and emotion, a celebration of love that is as beautiful as it is doomed.

Nominate your favorite local productions and performers before the deadline on October 31, 2026.

Houston Grand Opera Names Chairs for 2026-27 Signature Events

OPERA DAY IN THE BAY to Present Free Concert with 13 Bay Area Companies

San Francisco Opera Cancels Additional Performances Due to Orchestra Strike

Opera Saratoga General And Artistic Director Mary Birnbaum To Transition Into Advisory Role

When are you seeing ?

Get an Alert Each Time Stephi Wild Writes

BroadwayWorld TV

Breaking Broadway news & show discounts. No password required.

Breaking alerts by text. US mobile only.

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 — Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

Episode

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwopera/article/ROMO-ET-JULIETTE-to-Open-at-Artscape-Theatre-From-Cape-Town-Opera-20260917)._