Serge Lifar created the role. The premiere took place on Tuesday, May 21, 1929, at the
Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, with décor by
Georges Rouault and lighting by
Ronald Bates, in what was to be the Ballets Russes's last Paris season: "Balanchine's choreography upset Prokofiev, who conducted the premiere. The composer had envisioned a production that was 'real'; his concept of the Siren, whom he saw as demure, differed radically from Balanchine's. Prokofiev refused to pay Balanchine royalties for his choreography." Balanchine's
American Ballet danced
Prodigal Son at its first public performance in 1934. The
New York City Ballet premiere was on Thursday, February 23, 1950, at
City Center of Music and Drama, New York, the title role danced by
Jerome Robbins, with lighting by Mark Stanley.
Hugh Laing and
Francisco Moncion also danced it before it lapsed from the performance
rota for a decade. It was restaged in 1960 with
Edward Villella in the title role (Villella recounts his work in recreating the role in his autobiography of the same name). Prokofiev used the music from the ballet to form the basis of the two versions of his
Symphony No. 4 composed in 1929 and 1947, respectively. ==Cast==