Romeo and Juliet: The Spectacle Musical

The Ball 1

"The Ball 1" begins. Romeo finally succeeds in breaking from Death. He breathes hard. It takes a lot out of him. Death keeps her distance and waits. Fate is on her side, after all. Off-stage, the Montagues call for Romeo.

Benvolio (O.S): Hurry, Romeo! Come on.

Mercutio (O.S): The hell are you waiting for? We'll be late, c'mon.

Romeo hesitates, looks at the mask in his hand. His decision is made: He puts on his mask and exits. Death opens the ball.

Scene: The Capulet estate. Masked guests in colorful costumes enter, Montagues hidden among them. Lady Capulet introduces Juliet to Paris. Tybalt and his Favorite have a silent argument: He wants her to distract Paris. The Favorite is reluctant, but he pleads with her, and she relents. All the characters are matched with their respective partners.

They dance. Tybalt hovers neat Juliet, intervening with her partners. His Favorite distracts Paris successfully; he is a bit of a flirt, as it turns out. Lady Capulet flirts with every guy she comes across, attracting a bevy of admirers including the Prince; Lord Capulet tries to curb her flirtations. Romeo skirts around the edges of the ball, dancing mostly with Rosaline. Death commands the shifts in music and the choreography.

Instrumental break. Romeo and Juliet see each other, Death between them, drawing them together like puppets. They lean in, but they're pulled away by Rosaline and the Poet respectively just as the acrobatic dancers arrive. The partygoers applaud them. Lady Capulet's admirers lift her up in the air. Juliet meets with the Mute and tries to sign her excitement to her before she is pulled away again by Tybalt.

Romeo breaks away from Rosaline. He asks one of the Montagues, Balthazar, who she is. He rejoins the dance, trying to get close. Juliet is led by her mother back to Paris, but Juliet switches and partners up with her mother's lover. Romeo watches her dance from upstage, kneeling. Juliet sees him. Their eyes meet. Death stops the ball.