# Joffrey Ballet's 'Liliom' Premieres with Bold Sound Design > Joffrey Ballet's Chicago premiere of 'Liliom' features a unique dual-ensemble setup where orchestra and jazz band create a dynamic sound contrast. - Title: Joffrey Ballet's 'Liliom' Premieres with Bold Sound Design - Summary: Joffrey Ballet's Chicago premiere of 'Liliom' features a unique dual-ensemble setup where orchestra and jazz band create a dynamic sound contrast. The… - Keywords: joffrey ballet, liliom, michel legrand, john neumeier, lyric opera house, rob parton big band, chicago, ballet, jazz band, orchestra, depression era, classical music - Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/classical-music/2026/09/18/liliom-joffrey-ballet-michel-legrand-score-john-neumeier-dance-music-orchestra-jazz - Published: 2026-09-18T10:30:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: joffrey ballet, liliom, michel legrand, john neumeier, lyric opera house, rob parton big band, chicago, ballet, jazz band, orchestra, depression era, classical music ## Chicago Premiere Joffrey Ballet's 'Liliom' makes its Chicago debut at the Lyric Opera House with a unique dual-ensemble setup. > This is where the dancers start looking for downbeats ## Sound Challenge The orchestra and jazz band sit 80 feet apart, creating a 0.08-second delay in sound that requires precise timing. > The jazz band reaches him about eight-hundredths of a second behind the orchestra ## Conductor's Dilemma Conductor Nathan Brock coordinates two ensembles that must stay in sync despite the spatial delay. > How in the hell is this supposed to work ## Musical Innovation Michel Legrand's score blends classical and jazz elements with a distinctive rhythmic contrast between the ensembles. > This music is really challenging ## Depression Era Setting The ballet draws from a 1909 Hungarian play, reimagined in Depression-era America with a supernatural afterlife dimension. > Liliom winds up after a robbery gone wrong ## Jazz Band Role The Rob Parton Big Band, a Chicago jazz staple from the 1990s through 2010s, performs the jazz elements of the score. > It's not just a straight-ahead big-band blow ## Rhythmic Contrast The score alternates between the orchestra's square duple rhythms and the jazz band's swinging triplets. > The music oscillates between the pit orchestra and the jazz band ## Historical Context Michel Legrand composed for 'Liliom' after his Academy Award-winning work on films like 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'. > He won Academy Awards for his music for Summer of 42 ## Rehearsal Challenge The dual-ensemble setup requires musicians to adjust to a pulse that feels early to them but aligns with the audience. > The two bands began to pull apart ## Chicago Connection The Joffrey Ballet's production features Chicago's Rob Parton Big Band and the Lyric Opera Orchestra. > This is the Chicago premiere ## Musical Texture Legrand's score includes circusy waltzes, accordion-led French street music, and lush string arrangements. > It's kind of circusy music it's kind of dancey music it's kind of violent music ## Technical Execution The dual-ensemble setup has been successfully implemented in previous productions including Hamburg and Prague. > I can remember very vividly calling my dear friend Simon Hewett ## Audience Experience The jazz band's visibility creates a more immediate, tangible sound that contrasts with the orchestra's subtle textures. > It's more gritty it's more tangible ## Performance Details The ballet runs through September 27, 2026, with José Pablo Castro Cuevas dancing the lead role. > José Pablo Castro Cuevas will dance the role of Liliom ## Musical Legacy Legrand's work on 'Liliom' represents a rare fusion of classical and jazz traditions in ballet music. > You can definitely tell that a classical musician wrote this stuff ## Unique Production The Joffrey Ballet's 'Liliom' is the first Chicago production of this ballet since its 2021 revival. > This is the first Chicago production ## Key takeaway The Joffrey Ballet's 'Liliom' uses a spatially separated orchestra and big band to create a distinctive rhythmic tension between classical and jazz elements.