Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. May 22, 1988 [sound recording]

Author

Robbins, Jerome

Publication

1988.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Guare, John.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 112 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 64 min.) [Begins abruptly; disc contains numerous interruptions for Guare and Robbins to attend to their dogs.] Robbins discusses his upcoming retrospective, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, including researching and reconstructing the dances; the lack of existing documentation on these works; his efforts to restage various dances including the Mack Sennett ballet in High button shoes (1947); the relationship between the worlds of ballet and Broadway; changes in the dance profession since his early years on Broadway; the choreography for Two's company (1952); innovations in Broadway musical choreography brought about by the work of Agnes De Mille in Oklahoma! (1943) and by others; brief discussion of his early work with George Balanchine at Ballet Society; his method of remembering his choreography in order to reconstruct it; his experience directing an opera, (The tender land by Aaron Copland, 1954); his upcoming show in comparison with the original choreography, set designs, costumes, etc.; videotaping compared with dance notation as a means of preserving dance; his work as show doctor for A funny thing happened on the way to the forum (1962); possible titles for his show; the various creative functions he has served in shows such as Call me madam (1950), West side story (1957) and The King and I (1951). [Disc ends abruptly.]
• Disc 2 (ca. 48 min.) [Disc begins abruptly.] Robbins discusses the structure of Jerome Robbins' Broadway; the lack of documentation of the musical theater; the nature of memory in recreating theatrical work; his objective for an accurate portrayal of his life's work; more on restaging the dances included in the show; the possible use of a narrator; the inclusion of newly staged dance numbers in the show. Robbins and Guare discuss possible actors for the narrator role.

Donor/Sponsor

Oral History Archive.

Series Statement

Jerome Robbins Collection

Subject

• De Mille, Agnes
• Robbins, Jerome > Interviews
• Dance > Documentation
• Dance > Production and direction
• Dance notation
• Musicals > New York (State) > New York > History and criticism
• Dance > Research

Note

• Interview conducted by John Guare on May 22, 1988 for his article, "Robbins: back to Broadway," New York times Sunday magazine, Sept. 11, 1988, p. 22+.

Access (note)

• Permission required.

Funding (note)

• Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3100 JRC

OCLC

NYPT03-R4

Author

Robbins, Jerome, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. May 22, 1988 [sound recording]

Imprint

1988.

Series

Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

Permission required.

Funding

Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-3100 JRC

Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3100 JRC

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3100 JRC

Partial, edited transcript: *MGZMT 3-3100 JRC

Local Subject

Choreography -- Reconstruction.

Musical comedies. Jerome Robbins' Broadway.

Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Added Author

Guare, John. Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3100 JRC