Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins stand as giants of
the musical-theatre world, but it was ballet that launched their stage
careers and established their relationship. With Fancy Free (1944),
their triumphant debut collaboration produced by Ballet Theatre,
Bernstein, Robbins, and set designer Oliver Smith - all only twenty-five
years old - captured the spirit of wartime New York, created a defining
ballet of the period still widely performed today, and became overnight
sensations. The hit musical On the Town (1944) and a now largely
forgotten ballet, Facsimile (1946), followed over the next two
years.
Drawing extensively on previously unpublished archival documents,
Bernstein and Robbins: The Early Ballets provides a richly detailed
and original historical account of the creation, premiere, and reception
of Fancy Free and Facsimile. It reveals the vital and sometimes
conflicting role of Ballet Theatre, explores how Bernstein composed the
scores, sheds light on the central importance of Oliver Smith, and
considers the legacy of these works for all involved. The result is a
new understanding of Bernstein, Robbins, and this formative period in
their lives.
SOPHIE REDFERN is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of
Sheffield, UK and Curator for the European Opera Centre.