The Fairchilds Take Broadway

Megan Fairchild in ballet mode in Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering (photo by Paul Kolnik)

We love, love, love ballet dancers who are decidedly not bunheads. There’s nothing cooler than a world-class ballet professional who’s excited to take on other dance styles—or other sides of the dance world entirely.

Yesterday, it was announced that beautiful New York City Ballet principal Megan Fairchild will make her Broadway debut this fall in the revival of On the Town, playing Ivy Smith. You know she’s going to be great: Not only is she one of NYCB’s most charismatic actresses, but On the Town is also a sort of expanded version of the Jerome Robbins ballet Fancy Free, and as a NYCBer, she’s well-versed in the Robbins style.

Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild in Robbins’ Fancy Free—a.k.a. the ballet on which the musical On the Town, which Robert’s sister Megan is about to star in, is based. It’s like an endless loop of too-good-to-be-trueness! (photo Sharen Bradford/The Dancing Image)

What makes this news even more exciting? Megan’s brother Robert, also an NYCB principal, is about to take on Broadway, too. He’ll star as Jerry Mulligan—the Gene Kelly role—in Christopher Wheeldon’s stage production of An American in Paris, which is set to premiere in Paris (of course) this fall before coming to Broadway next spring.

But wait! There’s even more cuteness/awesomeness. Robert’s fiancée, fellow NYCB principal Tiler Peck (they’re getting married this weekend!) is also about to star in a major musical: Susan Stroman’s Little Dancer, based on the Paris Opéra Ballet student who posed for Degas’ famous sculpture. The new show premieres at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this October.

Now that’s what we call a Renaissance family. Merde/break a leg, all of you!