BLACK SABBATH Ballet Reveals International Performance Dates For 2024 And 2025

BLACK SABBATH Soars Again: The Ballet Returns for a Global Tour

Following a triumphant world premiere and sell-out UK tour in 2023, the innovative production “Black Sabbath – The Ballet” gears up for a new chapter, hitting international stages in 2024 and 2025.

This electrifying spectacle brings the music of BLACK SABBATH, the undisputed godfathers of heavy metal, to the world of classical dance. The Birmingham Hippodrome, the band’s hometown theater, witnessed the ballet’s official debut in September 2023.

The production boasts a powerful score, featuring a unique blend of elements. Specially reorchestrated BLACK SABBATH classics intertwine with original compositions inspired by the band’s legendary sound. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia brings this captivating music to life with a live performance.

“Black Sabbath – The Ballet” international dates:

Luxor Theatre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
June 12-15, 2024

Grand Theatre de la Ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg
June 19-20, 2024

Staatsoper, Hamburg, Germany
July 9-10, 2024

The Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, D.C.
June 4-8, 2025

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s director, Carlos Acosta, envisioned this project as one of three Birmingham-focused commissions. He was captivated by the enduring legacy of BLACK SABBATH and their pioneering role in heavy metal. The full-length ballet promises a groundbreaking experience, featuring the talents of three composers and three choreographers.

Award-winning writer Richard Thomas (“Jerry Springer: The Opera“) joins forces with renowned choreographer Pontus Lidberg (whose works grace stages like the Swedish Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet) and composer Chris Austin (known for orchestrating THE WHITE STRIPES music for Wayne McGregor‘s “Chroma“). This creative team unites to craft a three-act “metal symphony,” a truly extraordinary fusion of dance and music.

In an October 2023 video from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sharon Osbourne the wife and manager of BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne, said: “When I first heard that Birmingham Royal Ballet was putting on a ballet to BLACK SABBATH music, I just thought, this is so left field. It’s so not expected. Who would have ever thought the combination? And I just thought, brilliant. This is just so out there that it’s wonderful.”

BLACK SABBATH themselves haven’t been bystanders in this unique collaboration. Guitarist Tony Iommi actively participated, attending rehearsals and making a surprise appearance at the UK tour’s opening night. He graced the stage with a live performance of BLACK SABBATH‘s iconic “Paranoid” alongside the cast and crew, much to the audience’s delight.

Adding to the night’s star power was the presence of Iommi‘s bandmate Geezer Butler, BLACK SABBATH‘s bassist, and Sharon Osbourne. Legendary figures from the rock world also joined the audience, including LED ZEPPELIN‘s vocalist Robert Plant and Bev Bevan, who not only toured as BLACK SABBATH‘s drummer from 1983 to 1984, but also lent his percussive talents to the band’s 1987 album “The Eternal Idol.”

Acosta revealed early last year that 60 percent of tickets at that point for the U.K. shows had been bought by SABBATH fans. He said that “BLACK SABBATH is so different from the world of ballet, and I wanted to multiply our reach. I hate to be predictable; I hate for the company to be taken for granted. Everyone knows ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘Cinderella’ … [It’s] a great opportunity for us to show people the world of dance.”

Austin, who supervised the music for the project, said: “Unlike THE BEATLES where you can buy two enormous volumes of all their scores with all the instrumental parts, there’s not so much for BLACK SABBATH.

“When I was asked to take part in this project I thought, where do you start? The BLACK SABBATH catalog is enormous, it’s so rich and so varied. So the process initially was starting to narrow down the amount of material that we wanted to work with that would furnish us with variety, with richness, with different emotional tones, but also help us create this evening-length show.”

Austin added: “What I love about BLACK SABBATH music is the glorious irregularity. All the aspects of music — the flexibility of tempo and feel. And the extraordinary early period Ozzy vocals which are stratospheric, it’s exceeding Pavarotti in term of the high notes and ringing power.”

The songs chosen for the performance are as follows:

* “Paranoid” (“Paranoid” album, 1970);
* “Iron Man” (“Paranoid” album, 1970);
* “War Pigs” (“Paranoid” album, 1970);
* “Black Sabbath” (“Black Sabbath” album, 1970);
* “Solitude” (Master Of Reality” album, 1971);
* “Orchid” (Master Of Reality” album, 1971);
* “Laguna Sunrise” (“Vol 4” album, 1972) and
* “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” (“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” album, 1973).