Written by Serena
There are some familiar faces from the ballet world making the transition to Broadway this year. Megan Fairchild will be starring in the revival of On the Town, her brother Robert Fairchild will make his debut in An America in Paris this spring, and Robert’s wife, Tiler Peck, will lead a production of Little Dancer. As a fan of both Broadway musicals and ballet, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Anyone who has seen them perform as principal dancers for the New York City Ballet would know that they are all superbly talented. (Read more about them here.)
While you are waiting for these new dancers to arrive on the Great White Way, why not head uptown to Lincoln Center and take in a ballet? The NYC Ballet season starts September 23rd and fans of Broadway musicals are bound to love NYCB as well.
Now I know a lot of you are thinking that ballet can be super boring and stuffy- I used to think that too. But just like Broadway shows, ballet has a variety of different styles for everyone to enjoy. There’s classical (think Nutcracker and Swan Lake) and contemporary (which can be almost any style!)… For instance, did you know that On the Town is based on a ballet called Fancy Free, choreographed by Jerome Robbins? And if you’re a fan of Robbins’ choreography (West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof) then you should also know that he created 54 pieces for NYCB. One of my favorites is The Concert. It has everything you could ask for in a show- exquisite dancing with a comedic twist, wonderful costuming and staging, great dramatic music… it leaves you wanting to experience so much more.
NYCB was co-founded by Jerome Robbins & George Balanchine who both served as ballet masters for the company, in addition to their choreography for Broadway shows. Balanchine’s style is less theatrical and athletic than Robbins. His pieces tend to be more graceful and fluid, like poetry in motion. My absolute favorite of his works is Tchaikovsky Suite No. 3. The costumes and colors combined with the beautiful Tchaikovsky music… breathtaking.
With a repertoire ranging from traditional to modern and everything in between, NYCB is fantastically entertaining. On most nights the program will feature 3-4 different pieces, so you are bound to enjoy something. Every season they premiere new works by up and coming choreographers as well. If you are afraid you won’t like ballet, why not test the waters with something more familiar? There are plenty of “Broadway ballets” to choose from. West Side Story Suite, Carousel, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Cinderella, and many more.
There is a misconception that ballet is too expensive, when in reality it can be more affordable than a Broadway show. Prices for NYC Ballet range from $30-$164. Of course at Broadway Wiz we love to spread the love with amazing deals, so here’s the good news: NYCB has a $30 for 30 rush program! Anyone under the age of 30 can buy up to 2 tickets from the box office the day of the show. From my past experiences the seats are pretty good and almost always available last minute. (Unlike Broadway rush tickets which you sometimes have to line up for at 6am!) There are really no bad seats in the David H. Koch Theater. It has a beautiful interior with comfortable seats, good views from any angle and bathrooms on every floor. The theater is located in Lincoln Center which is one of my favorite spots in the city.
So who’s excited to see a ballet this season? Let us know in the comments below!