PBS' AMERICAN MASTERS presents the highly anticipated profile on the complex king of ballet and Broadway, Jerome Robbins. It will be the first-ever and only documentary on the preeminent choreographer. "Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About" is by Judy Kinberg and written by best-selling Robbins biographer Amanda Vaill. The PBS program will air on Feb. 2nd , 2009
With the current success of Gypsy's revival and West Side Story returning on Broadway, the timing couldn't be more perfect to celebrate Robbins and his work on PBS.
In a life that inspired controversy, director/choreographer Jerome Robbins transformed Broadway with shows like West Side Story, Gypsy and Fiddler on the Roof. He forged a career in ballet, first at American Ballet Theatre, then at New York City Ballet.
The son of an immigrant deli owner, he was known for his often ruthless perfectionism and was dogged by his decision, in 1953, to name names in his House Committee on Un-American Activities testimony. Nevertheless, he was universally respected for his unparalleled artistry and impact on American culture.
This two-hour film, produced and directed by Judy Kinberg and written by Robbins biographer Amanda Vaill, features excerpts from Robbins' work, never-before-seen rehearsal footage, and interviews with many of his colleagues from ballet and Broadway, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Suzanne Farrell, Jacques d'Amboise, Arthur Laurents, Chita Rivera, and Stephen Sondheim.
