Bernstein and Robbins

<b>The formative early ballets of <i>West Side Story</i> creators Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins explored in detail for the very first time.</b><br><br>2022 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Winner.<br><br>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 <i>Fancy Free</i> (1944) their triumphant debut collaboration produced by Ballet Theatre Bernstein Robbins and set designer Oliver Smith-all in their mid-twenties- 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 <i>On the Town</i> (1944) and a now largely forgotten ballet <i>Facsimile</i> (1946) followed over the next two years. <br><br> Drawing extensively on previously unpublished archival documents <i>Bernstein and Robbins: The Early Ballets</i> provides a richly detailed and original historical account of the creation premiere and reception of <i>Fancy Free </i>and<i> <i>Facsimile</i></i><i>. </i>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.