Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – New York City Ballet Dancers Take on Broadway

• By drediman
• September 30, 2014
• No Comments

At the ballet in the upcoming months, you may find yourself wondering why you haven’t seen some of your favorite City Ballet principal dancers performing with their peers. It’s not that they’re suffering from injuries. On the contrary, they’re most definitely performing, just not at the Koch and in the medium you’d expect. This season, three much-loved City Ballet principals at the peak of their balletic powers – Megan Fairchild, Tiler Peck, and Robert Fairchild – are taking leave from the rigors of City Ballet to take on significant roles in three high-profile, much-anticipated Broadway musicals. We all know they can dance, but are they triple-threats? Only time will tell.

ON THE TOWN

Currently on the boards of the Great White Way is Megan Fairchild in the revival of Leonard Bernstein’s classic musical “On the Town”, which is now finishing up previews at the cavernous Lyric Theatre. The lovely Ms. Fairchild performs the role of Ivy Smith, one of the love interests in this buoyant musical, which also features fun-filled book and lyrics by Comden and Green. City Ballet ties are closer that they appear: the musical is based on a Jerome Robbins ballet entitled “Fancy Free”; Robbins would also go on to choreograph “On the Town”.

THE LITTLE DANCER

In about a month, performances of “Little Dancer” begin performances at The Kennedy Center. This highly-anticipated new musical, directed by the legendary Susan Stroman and which features a score by Ahrens and Flaherty, is the speculative backstory of the young ballerina who was the subject of Edward Degas’ famous sculpture. City Ballet ties also exist here, as Ms. Stroman has in the past choreographed for the company. City Ballet’s talented Tiler Peck will play the title role. As you’ll see in the videos below, Ms. Peck bears an uncanny resemblance to Degas’ sculpture.

Here’s a bonus – clips from the show photoshoot with Tiler Peck:

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

After premiering at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in December 2014, the ballet world’s wunderkind Christopher Wheeldon will open his production of “An American in Paris” at Broadway’s famed Palace Theater in spring 2015. Mr. Wheeldon, who has often choreographed for City Ballet, will direct and choreograph the production, which features a well-known score by George and Ira Gershwin. City Ballet favorite, the charismatic Robert Fairchild (who was recently married to Tiler Peck), will lead the musical as Jerry, a role made famous by Gene Kelly in the movie version.