American Songs and Dances

This program begins with Peter Martins’ Thou Swell, set to 15 classic songs by Rodgers and Hart, and for good measure, one by Rodgers and Hammerstein as well. Featuring a lavish set design by Robin Wagner that depicts a glamorous Art Deco nightclub, and orchestrations by Don Sebesky and musical arrangements by Glen Kelly, Thou Swell takes us back to 1930s Manhattan. The ballet’s glorious score is performed by the 62-piece New York City Ballet Orchestra, an on-stage jazz trio, and singers Betsey Wolfe and Mike McGowan. Both Broadway veterans, Wolfe appeared in the recent revival of 110 in the Shade, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Wonderful Life; and McGowan has recently appeared in the Broadway revival of The Apple Tree as well as the long-running hit The Producers.

The evening also includes two works that showcase both the Broadway and ballet genius of Jerome Robbins. First, there’s the ballet Ives, Song, his 1988 work for New York City Ballet set to 18 songs by composer Charles Ives, which is performed by baritone Philip Cutlip.

The evening concludes with West Side Story Suite, Robbins’ thrilling distillation of the original dance sequences from his landmark Broadway musical West Side Story, in which New York City Ballet’s dancers trade in their ballet slippers for sneakers, and even sing selections from the classic score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.