Tony Iommi Excited About Black Sabbath Ballet
Tonny Iommi shared his enthusiasm over a ballet based on the music of Black Sabbath, which will debut in the band’s hometown in September.
Titled simply Black Sabbath – the Ballet, the performance is set to feature eight classic Sabbath songs adapted for the stage: “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “Black Sabbath,” “Solitude,” “Laguna Sunrise” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” Five performances are planned at the Birmingham Hippodrome, with the show moving elsewhere in England afterward.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this all develops,” Iommi said in a statement. “Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this. I’d never imagined pairing Black Sabbath with ballet, but it’s got a nice ring to it!
“I performed alongside some of the dancers at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and they had an incredible energy, so I’m happy to go along for the ride with them, and see you on the other side.”
The show was commissioned by Birmingham Royal Ballet director Carlos Acosta, who's met Iommi on several occasions. “Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s biggest export, the most famous (and infamous) cultural entity to ever emerge from the city,” he said. “So I was naturally drawn to the idea of a collaboration between what most people might think are the most unlikely of partners. The band’s enthusiasm for the project is a huge endorsement.”