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Title details for Jerome Robbins, by Himself by Jerome Robbins - Available

Jerome Robbins, by Himself

Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir

by Jerome Robbins
Amanda Vaill
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The titanic choreographer, creator of memorable ballets, master of Broadway musicals, legendary show doctor and director, now revealed in his own words—the closest we will get to a memoir/autobiography—from his voluminous letters, journals, notes, diaries, never before published. Edited, and with commentary by Amanda Vaill, author of Robbins's biography, Somewhere, 2006 ("I can't imagine a better book about Robbins ever being written"—Terry Teachout, chief drama critic, The Wall Street Journal).
He was famous for reinventing the Broadway musical, creating a vernacular American ballet, pushing the art form to new boundaries where it had never gone before, integrating dance seamlessly with character, story and music, and as Associate Artistic Director, Ballet Master, and Co-Artistic Director, with George Balanchine, shaping the New York City Ballet with daring and brio for more than five decades through his often startling choreography in ballet's classical idiom. He was known as the king of Broadway, the most sought-after director-choreographer and show doctor who gave shape to On the Town (1944), Call Me Madam (1950), The King and I (1951), Wonderful Town (1953), Peter Pan (1954), The Pajama Game (1954), Silk Stockings (1955), West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Funny Girl (1964), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), and many other classic musicals, winning four Tony Awards, two Oscars, and an Emmy. He shocked and betrayed those he loved and worked with by naming names to the House Un-American Activities Committee. ("I betrayed my manhood, my Jewishness, my parents, my sister," he wrote in a diary. "I can't undo it.")
    Now, Amanda Vaill, Jerome Robbins biographer and authority, drawing on the vast and closely held Robbins archives, has put together a selection of his writings, giving us a sense of his extraordinary range as a thinker and artist, as well as a surprising and revealing glimpse into the mind and heart of this towering cultural giant.
    Interspersed throughout, his correspondence with George Balanchine, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Robert Graves, Lincoln Kirstein, Arthur Laurents, Tanaquil Le Clercq (the fourth of Balanchine's four wives, with whom Robbins was also in love), Laurence Olivier, Stephen Sondheim, et al.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593149119
      • File size: 406176 KB
      • Duration: 14:06:11

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrators David Pittu and Gabra Zackman do wonders with editor Amanda Vaill's carefully arranged collection of moments in the life of award-winning choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918-1998). Using Robbins's archives, Vaill offers an insightful, often intimate look at the man through his writings, which cover his thoughts, ideas, fears, and loves. Pittu portrays a whimsical, self-assured yet self-deprecating Robbins. We can hear his mood swings through Pittu's subtle tonal shifts. Zackman's narration offers another look at the man through letters from friends. Her voice is cultured and elegant, warm and inviting. Both narrators successfully add color to letters from such notables as Leonard Bernstein, Laurence Olivier, Stephen Sondheim, and Aaron Copland, to name only a few. Pittu and Zackman make this audiobook a special experience. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 12, 2019
      Vaill (Somewhere: the Life of Jerome Robbins) gathers a fascinating selection of illustrations, photographs, and writings from the personal archives of dance choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918–1998). Eager to escape Weehawken, N.J., Robbins attended college at New York University. In a journal entry, he writes, “There was no money to allow me to continue college... so then I decided I’d try dancing.” He studied with Senya Gluck Sandor, then worked his way from chorus member to soloist in summer resort and Broadway shows, before discovering a talent for choreography. Vaill expertly weaves Robbins’s insight into his artistic accomplishments: Robbins debuted as a choreographer with Fancy Free in 1944, and shortly after told a reporter, “I was just another dancer. Now I’m supposed to be somebody and I can’t get used to that.” As Vaill notes, Robbins went on to choreograph challenging pieces for the New York City Ballet, reinvent the American musical in such shows as High Button Shoes and On the Town, and jazz up many Broadway and film musicals including Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, and West Side Story. Provocative and illuminating, this portrait will delight dance enthusiasts.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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