Titled Double Feature, the work draws on music from two Broadway composers from the first part of the 20th century, Irving Berlin and Walter Donaldson. Among the songs used are "Let Yourself Go" and "Blue Skies" by Berlin and "Makin' Whoopee" and "My Blue Heaven" by Donaldson. The full-length, two-act ballet is inspired by the silent-movie era. By venturing into the world of ballet, Stroman is following in the footsteps of such past choreographers as Jerome Robbins and NYCB's own co-founder, George Balanchine, who divided their time between Broadway and ballet. Stroman took strides toward a more balletic style with two recent projects: Oklahoma!, in which she reimagined the musical's famous dream sequence, first created by Agnes DeMille; and Contact, a three-part, conceptual dance piece with only elemental dialogue.
More than any other choreographer, Stroman has dominated the Broadway scene in recent years, turning out hits like The Producers and Contact, as well as a splashy revival of The Music Man and one notable flop, Thou Shalt Not.
Double Feature will play Jan. 23-25 and then return to repertory Feb. 3-5, for a total of seven performances.
Double Feature is only the seventh full-length ballet in NYCB's history.
For information, call (212) 870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.