Double Feature (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Double Feature was made by Susan Stroman
on New York City Ballet
to music of Irving Berlin
and Walter Donaldson
and a libretto by Ms. Stroman and Glen Kelly with orchestrations by Doug Besterman
and arrangement by Mr. Kelly; the libretto for "Makin' Whoopee!" is based on the play Seven Chances
, variously attributed to Roi Cooper Megris and David Belasco
. The premiere took place January 23, 2004, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center
, with scenery by Robin Wagner
, costumes by William Ivey Long
and lighting by Mark Stanley.
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
on New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
to music of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
and Walter Donaldson
Walter Donaldson
Walter Donaldson was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s and 1920s.-History:...
and a libretto by Ms. Stroman and Glen Kelly with orchestrations by Doug Besterman
Doug Besterman
Douglas "Doug" Besterman is an American orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award nominee.- Career :Besterman found work in New York...
and arrangement by Mr. Kelly; the libretto for "Makin' Whoopee!" is based on the play Seven Chances
Seven Chances
Seven Chances is a 1925 American comedy silent film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, based on a play written by Roi Cooper Megrue, produced in 1916 by David Belasco. Additional casts members include T. Roy Barnes, Snitz Edwards, Ruth Dwyer, and others. The film also stars Jean Arthur, a...
, variously attributed to Roi Cooper Megris and David Belasco
David Belasco
David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright.-Biography:Born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs,...
. The premiere took place January 23, 2004, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
, with scenery by Robin Wagner
Robin Wagner (designer)
Robin Wagner is an American scenic designer.Born Robin Samuel Anton Wagner in San Francisco, he attended art school and started his career in theatres in that city with designs for Don Pasquale, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Tea and Sympathy, and Waiting for Godot, among others...
, costumes by William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long
William Ivey Long is an American costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens and Young Frankenstein.-Early life and education:...
and lighting by Mark Stanley.
Music: Irving Berlin
- Alexander's Ragtime BandAlexander's Ragtime Band"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. It was his first major hit, in 1911. There is some evidence, although inconclusive, that Berlin borrowed the melody from a draft of "A Real Slow Drag" submitted by Scott Joplin that had been submitted to a...
- Always, What'll I Do?
- How About Me?How About Me?-Notable recordings:*Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook *Judy Holliday - Trouble Is A Man *Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were...
- Slumming on Park AvenueSlumming on Park Avenue"Slumming on Park Avenue" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1937 film On the Avenue, where it was introduced by Alice Faye.-Notable recordings:*Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook...
- Let Yourself GoLet Yourself Go (Irving Berlin song)"Let Yourself Go" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1936 film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced by Ginger Rogers.-Notable recordings:*Fred Astaire *Tony Bennett - Bennett/Berlin...
- Everybody's Doin' It Now
- All AloneAll Alone (1924 song)"All Alone" is a popular song.It was written by Irving Berlin. The song was published in 1924. The song has been recorded many times, becoming a standard; it was most popular in a 1962 recording by Frank Sinatra....
- The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing
- MandyMandy (1919 song)"Mandy" is a popular song by Irving Berlin, published in 1919."Mandy" was originally used for an Army relief show called "Yip Yip Yaphank" during World War I . For the number, soldiers in the show dressed in blackface and in drag...
- Steppin' Out with My BabySteppin' Out with My Baby"Steppin' Out With My Baby" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin and introduced in the 1948 musical film Easter Parade. There it was sung by Fred Astaire as part of a dance number involving Astaire on stairs and three different dance partners....
- You're Easy to Dance With
- No Strings
- How Deep is the Ocean
Original cast
- Maria KowroskiMaria KowroskiMaria Kowroski is a principal ballerina at the New York City Ballet.Ms. Kowroski's training in ballet began at the School ofthe Grand Rapids Ballet and subsequently the School of American Ballet in 1992; became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 1994 and joined the corps de ballet in 1995....
- Kyra Nichols
- Ashley Bouder
- Megan FairchildMegan FairchildMegan Fairchild is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. She studied at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was born, and later on attended the School of American Ballet as a boarding student. She went to high school at the Professional Children's School. ...
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
- Damian WoetzelDamian WoetzelDamian Woetzel, former ballet star, is a producer and director of dance and music performances. Among his recent projects was directing the first performance of the White House Dance Series in September 2010, which took place in the East Room of the White House and was hosted by First Lady Michelle...
Music: Walter Donaldson
- Makin' Whoopee!Makin' Whoopee!"Makin' Whoopee!" is a jazz/blues song, first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical Whoopee!. Walter Donaldson wrote the music and Gus Kahn the lyrics for the song as well as for the entire musical.The title is a euphemism for sexual intimacy,...
- My Baby Just Cares for MeMy Baby Just Cares for Me"My Baby Just Cares for Me" is a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. It was written for the 1930 film version of the 1928 Ziegfeld musical comedy Whoopee!, starring Eddie Cantor. It is known as the signature tune of singer and pianist Nina Simone.-Nina Simone...
- BorneoBorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
- Reaching for Someone
- My BuddyMy Buddy (song)"My Buddy" is a popular song.The music was written by Walter Donaldson, the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was published in 1922.-Recorded versions:*Gene Autry*Chet Baker *Teresa Brewer *Benny Carter*Rosemary Clooney...
- My Blue HeavenMy Blue Heaven (song)"My Blue Heaven" is a popular song written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by George A. Whiting. It has become part of various fake book collections....
- The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
- He's the Last Word
- You
- Romance
- Love Me or Leave MeLove Me or Leave Me (song)"Love Me or Leave Me" is a U.S. popular song from the 1920s.The music was written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was introduced in the Broadway play, Whoopee!, which opened in December 1928...
- Yes Sir! That's My Baby
- 'Carolina in the MorningCarolina in the Morning"Carolina in the Morning" is a popular song with words by Gus Kahn and music by Walter Donaldson, first published in 1922 by Jerome H. Remick & Co....
Original cast
- Alexandra AnsanelliAlexandra AnsanelliAlexandra Ansanelli was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and at The Royal Ballet, London. She trained at City Ballet's affiliated School of American Ballet before joining NYCB and in 2003 was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch"....
- Tom Gold
- Albert EvansAlbert EvansAlbert Evans , was a British Labour Party politician.A master engraver, Evans became involved in the Labour movement in the the 1920s, and was elected to Islington Borough Council in 1936...
- Arch HigginsArch HigginsArch Higgins was a soloist with New York City Ballet. He began his study at eight years with Berkeley Ballet Theater with former City Ballet dancer Sally Streets. From 1982 he attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet which he entered full-time on scholarship four years later. He...
- Seth Orza
Articles
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/arts/dance/09dunn.htmlNY Times by Jennifer DunningJennifer DunningJennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
, September 9, 2007]
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E5D81531F934A15752C0A96E9C8B63NY Times by Jack AndersonJack Anderson (dance critic)Jack Anderson is an American dance critic and author. Since 1978, he has been a contributor of dance reviews and other articles in The New York Times...
, January 27, 2008] - NY Times by Matthew Gurewitsch, January 18, 2004
Reviews
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE6DF1738F935A15752C0A9629C8B63NY Times by Anna KisselgoffAnna KisselgoffAnna Kisselgoff is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the New York Times. She began at the Times as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she held until 2005...
, January 26, 2004] - http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/arts/dance/21doub.htmlNY Times, John RockwellJohn RockwellJohn Rockwell is a music critic, editor, and dance critic. He studied at Phillips Academy, Harvard, the University of Munich, and the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Ph.D. in German culture....
, February 21, 2005]
- http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/26/arts/dance/26doub.htmlNY Times, Jack AndersonJack Anderson (dance critic)Jack Anderson is an American dance critic and author. Since 1978, he has been a contributor of dance reviews and other articles in The New York Times...
, February 26, 2005] - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/arts/dance/02stro.htmlNY Times, Jennifer DunningJennifer DunningJennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
, February 2, 2008]