Plus, the gala dinner setup was gorgeous! (photo via NYCB) For ballet nerds like me, there are few things more exciting than watching young dancers develop into beautiful, authoritative artists. Last night, New York City Ballet’s spring gala opened with a work that let some of my favorite rising stars prove just how much they’ve […]
We’ve been talking a lot about Christopher Wheeldon’s An American in Paris, and for good reason—the show’s 14 Tony nominations might have something to do with it, as well as Wheeldon’s genius choreography. Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope of An American in Paris performing on “Live! With Kelly and Michael.” (Screenshot via YouTube) Obviously with all […]
Pop quiz! Who’s getting really excited for this Sunday’s Tony Awards? a) The Broadway community. b) Your grandma. c) Anybody who loves dance. d) ME ME OMG ME. e) All of the above. The correct answer, of course, is E. But let’s put special emphasis on C here for a minute, shall we? Because the […]
The Tonys are coming, the Tonys are coming! It’s like musical theater Christmas! The 2015 Tony Award nominations were announced this morning by the ever-glamorous Broadway (and TV and movie) star Mary Louise Parker and Bruce Willis (whom you know as “Dancing with the Stars” front-runner Rumer Willis‘ dad). And guys, there are so many […]
She may be a Brit, but when she’s onstage as Lise in An American in Paris, Leanne Cope is the image of Parisian chic. Cope, who will make her Broadway debut in the role this month, is a first artist with The Royal Ballet. But it wasn’t simply her flawless technique that caught An American […]
Each year around this time, the ballet companies of the world begin revealing the programming for their upcoming seasons. And every time a season-announcement press release lands in my inbox, I squeal like a kid on Christmas morning—because they’re all full of delicious ballet goodies. Premieres! Revivals! Old favorites! YUM, YUM AND YUM. New York […]
The musical theater gods have showered us with love—or, rather, with two behind-the-scenes videos from Christopher Wheeldon’s new An American in Paris! And their timing is perfect: The show opens tonight in The City of Lights. I prefer the video with Wheeldon (the show’s director) and Craig Lucas (the show’s writer) talking about the production—because […]
Ballerina retirements are always hard. There’s a unique feeling of loss that comes with the knowledge that you’ll never see a particular dancer onstage again—that that part of her life, and yours, is over. But somehow, the luminous Wendy Whelan was able to make her final show with New York City Ballet a joyful event. […]