‘Billy the Kid’ to Highlight Joffrey Run

A new production of Eugene Loring’s “Billy the Kid,” in its California premiere, will highlight the Joffrey Ballet’s April 18 through 23 run at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Joffrey’s production of “Billy the Kid,” seen for the first time in New York in November, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the ballet and was choreographed from the Labanotated score by Virginia Doris of the Dance Notation Bureau in New York.

Also on the Orange County engagement will be the reconstruction of Vaslav Nijinsky’s historic “Le Sacre du Printemps,” which created a scandal at its premiere by the Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev in Paris in 1913.

The work, believed lost for many years, was reconstructed and staged for the Joffrey by Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer, and this version was given its premiere by the Joffrey in Los Angeles in 1987.

Two other works from the Diaghilev era will be danced during the Orange County run--Nijinsky’s “L’Apres-midi d’un Faune” (set to the music of Debussy) and Massine’s “Parade” (music by Satie).

In addition, the engagement will include the revival of the Pas de Deux from Robert Joffrey’s “Remembrances,” created in 1973 to music by Wagner.

Casting will be announced later.

The season:

April 18, 8 p.m.: “Cloven Kingdom” (Taylor/Corelli), “Billy the Kid” (Loring/Copland), “Suite Saint-Saens” (Arpino/Saint-Saens).

April 19, 8 p.m.: “Billy the Kid,” “Sea Shadow” (Arpino/Ravel), “Remembrances” Pas de Deux (Joffrey/Wagner), “Viva Vivaldi!” (Arpino/Vivaldi).

April 20, 8 p.m.: “Parade” (Massine/Satie), “L’Apres-midi d’un Faune” (Nijinksy/Debussy), “Le Sacre du Printemps” (Nijinsky/Stravinsky).

April 21, 8 p.m.: “Cloven Kingdom,” “Billy the Kid,” “Le Sacre du Printemps.”

April 22, 2 p.m.: “Parade,” “L’Apres-midi d’un Faune,” “Le Sacre du Printemps.”

April 22, 8 p.m.: “Cloven Kingdom,” “Billy the Kid,” “Suite Saint-Saens.”

April 23, 2 p.m.: “Viva Vivaldi!” “Sea Shadow,” “Remembrances” Pas de Deux, “Le Sacre du Printemps.”

Tickets will range from $13 to $39 and will go on sale March 19. Information: (714) 556-2787.