Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – The legacy of Jerome Robbins burns brightly

• By drediman
• January 21, 2016
• No Comments

Legendary director-choreographer Jerome Robbins is responsible for some of the most iconic stage pictures in musical theater history. Just try to imagine Broadway without the image of three sailors exuberantly running loose in Manhattan or the Jets and the Sharks’ gang warfare set to ballet steps. Not possible, at least for me. Currently, theatergoers luckily have an unprecedented opportunity to curate their own mini Jerome Robbins’ retrospective. Indeed, Jerome Robbins’ influence permeates the very fabric of Broadway, and it’s great to see the master’s legacy burn so brightly here and now.

When it comes to tastefully resuscitating classic musicals, director Barlett Sher has the magic touch. He located the pulse within the dusty South Pacific a few seasons back, and he’s done the same with two other classics, The King and I (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and Fiddler on the Roof (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), both of which are currently enjoying superlative revivals on Broadway. In both cases, Jerome Robbins’ original work has been tastefully preserved – not surprising given Mr. Sher’s sensibility as a director.

In Mr. Sher’s richly nuanced revival of The King and I for Lincoln Center Theater, now featuring a thrilling performance by Hoon Lee as the King that lifts the entire production into the stratosphere (yes, the Tony-winning revival is now better than ever), choreographer Christopher Gattelli (who most famously choreographed Newsies) has built out Mr. Robbins’ original work to give the entire production a balletic grace that’s new to the musical (the original staging wasn’t that dance-heavy), particularly during the transitions between scenes. He’s also quite effectively restaged the show’s two famous dance sequences – “Shall We Dance” and “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” – to accommodate the Beaumont’s rather large thrust stage.

In Mr. Sher’s thoughtfully considered and moving revival of Fiddler on the Roof, a musical which features a bit more dancing than The King and I, first-time Broadway choreographer Hofesh Shecther (who honed his skills with the fabulous Batsheva Dance Company) has done a marvelous job rejuvenating Mr. Robbins’ original choreography. Dance-heavy numbers like “Tradition”, “To Life”, “Tevye’s Dream”, and especially the Act 1 closer “The Bottle Dance” now throb with an authentic energy that comes from within, yet still pay homage to the original steps. And to see Danny Bernstein, who is giving a touchingly understated and grounded performance as Tevye, shimmying to “If I Were a Rich Man” is a priceless site to behold. Even Michael Yeargan’s ungrounded vision of Anatevka seems to be inspired by Robbins’ original vision (the original set design was by the great Boris Aronson, who was inspired by the paintings of Marc Chagall).

Down at the Signature Theatre in Virginia, the classic West Side Story (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) is being given a visceral, penetrating revival as directed by Matthew Gardiner and choreographed by Parker Esse – both young talents to look out for. Like Christopher Gattelli, Mr. Esse has the challenge of restaging Mr. Robbins’ famous original choreography for a thrust stage. However, unlike the expansive Beaumont stage, Signature’s stage is quite intimate in comparison – which Mr. Esse admirably works around without sacrificing bodies (this West Side Story has a cast of 30!). Although some of the dancing is uneven across the large cast, this reality almost seems appropriate given the musical’s rough setting. All-in-all, Signature’s revival makes a better case for the material than the museum piece that was the last Broadway revival. For me, the standout performance belongs to the hugely charismatic and silky-voiced Austin Colby as Tony, who makes the same tremendous impression as a young Jeremy Jordan did in the same role late in the run of the aforementioned Broadway revival.

You can also catch more Jerome Robbins at New York City Ballet (their winter season just began this week), in which they’ve programmed Fancy Free (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), the boisterous ballet on which On the Town is based. Fancy Free is currently being danced with great character and technical ability by the superb New York City Ballet dancers. If you were a fan of last season’s underrated revival of On the Town, get thee to the Koch!

THE KING AND I
Musical, Broadway
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
2 hours, 55 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Musical, Broadway
Broadway Theatre
2 hours, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run

WEST SIDE STORY
Musical, Regional
Signature Theatre (Virginia)
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through January 31

FANCY FREE
Dance
New York City Ballet at David H. Koch Theatre
30 minutes
Various dates