LIVE FROM STUDIO 8H: AN EVENING OF JEROME ROBBINS' BALLETS WITH MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET (TV)
Summary
This special, broadcast live from NBC's Studio 8H, celebrates the choreography of Jerome Robbins with selections from five of his ballets performed by dancers from the New York City Ballet. The first selection, a segment from his first work, "Fancy Free," was later expanded to a full Broadway show in "On the Town." Featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, it tells the story of three soldiers on leave, played by Jean-Pierre Frohlich, Bart Cook, and Christopher D'Amboise, who compete in a "dance-off" as a way of vying for the attentions of two women, Lourdes Lopez and Stephanie Saland. Next, Ib Anderson and Patricia McBride dance a pas de deux in "Afternoon of a Faun." Accompanied by the music of Debussy, this variation of the ballet was inspired when Robbins saw two dancers at rehearsal one day; it is set in a mirrored rehearsal hall on a lazy summer afternoon. "The Cage," danced to Stravinsky's "Concerto in D Major for Strings," tells the story of the rites of an imaginary tribe of female insect-like creatures that devour the males of their species as prey. Next is "The Mistake Waltz" excerpt from Robbins's "The Concert," in which a corps of elegant ballerinas come face to face with a myriad of mistakes on stage to the music of Chopin. Following this, Brendan Gill, in a prerecorded segment, gives a brief summary of Robbins's career as dancer and choreographer using still photos and performance footage of both his classical ballets and Broadway works. The program's final segment features more Chopin in selections from "Dances at a Gathering," a series of short pieces depicting how dancers perform for each other. Includes commercials and promos. Commercials include Karl Malden for American Express traveler's checks, Jim McKay for Timex wristwatches, and James Garner and Mariette Hartley for Polaroid cameras.
Cataloging of this program has been made possible by Senator Roy M. Goodman, 1998/1999.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: July 2, 1980 Wednesday 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:27:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T80:0283
- GENRE: Dance; Music; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Ballet; Biography; Choreographers; Choreography; Dance
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1980-1982
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - American Express traveler's checks
- TV - Commercials - Bell System Telecommunications
- TV - Commercials - Clairol hair care products
- TV - Commercials - Excedrin pain reliever
- TV - Commercials - Kodak film
- TV - Commercials - Polaroid cameras
- TV - Commercials - Timex wristwatches
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Promos - "Buck Rogers"
- TV - Promos - "NBC Nightly News"
- TV - Promos - "Peeper"
- TV - Promos - "The Music Man" (telecast of a feature film)
- TV - Promos - "Wimbledon '80"
- TV - Promos - NBC "Proud as a Peacock"
CREDITS
- Alvin Cooperman … Producer
- De Paul, Judith … Producer
- Max Wilcox … Audio Producer
- Rodney Greenberg … Director
- Jerome Robbins … Choreographer
- New York City Ballet Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
- New York City Ballet, The … Dance Company
- For "Fancy Free":
- Leonard Bernstein … Composer
- Jean-Pierre Frohlich … Cast, a Sailor, Dancer
- Bart Cook … Cast, a Sailor, Dancer
- Christopher D'Amboise … Cast, a Sailor, Dancer
- Lourdes Lopez … Cast, a Woman, Dancer
- Stephanie Saland … Cast, a Woman, Dancer
- For "Afternoon of a Faun":
- Claude Debussy … Composer
- Ib Anderson … Cast, a Faun, Dancer
- Patricia McBride … Cast, a Nymph, Dancer
- For "The Cage":
- Igor Stravinsky … Composer
- Heather Watts … Cast, the Novice, Dancer
- Florence Fitzgerald … Cast, the Queen, Dancer
- Robert Maiorano … Cast, the First Intruder, Dancer
- Bart Cook … Cast, the Second Intruder, Dancer
- For "The Concert":
- Frederic Chopin … Composer
- For "Dances at a Gathering":
- Frederic Chopin … Composer
- Ib Anderson … Dancer
- Sean Lavery … Dancer
- Sara Leland … Dancer
- Lourdes Lopez … Dancer
- Robert Maiorano … Dancer
- Patricia McBride … Dancer
- Stephanie Saland … Dancer
- Helgi Tomasson … Dancer
- Gordon Boelzner … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Richard Moredock … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Jerry Zimmerman … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Brendan Gill
- Jerome Robbins
- Karl Malden … Talent, American Express traveler's checks commercial
- Jim McKay … Talent, Timex wristwatches commercial
- James Garner … Talent, Polaroid cameras commercial
- Mariette Hartley … Talent, Polaroid cameras commercial