Jerome Robbins, Something to Dance About

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:00pm

Absolutely Inspired Story
Troubled mind
Genius
Updated On: 2/22/09 at 11:00 PM

[marknyc]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:33pm

Yes, but very disturbing that the only time they mentioned his sexuality was when they said that Ed Sullivan threatened to out him if he didn't name names before HUAC.

I'm sure I will get a lot of flak for this, but I think any artist's sexuality had a tremendous influence on his work. Do you mean to tell me that not one of his lovers was worth mentioning? That a gay man who worked in theater and ballet for over 6 decades didn't have any male muses? If he had been straight, you can be sure his wives/lovers/affairs would have been discussed. They even talked about his "ex-fiancee"!

Once again, I'm not saying this should be covered simply to satisfy prurient interest. I think it honestly affected his art and I'm tired of seeing this aspect of many gay artists' lives erased in their biographies.

I guess it's still too "icky" for documentarians to discuss. Sad.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:49pm

I'm sure that was stipulated by the Robbins estate.

Mr. Robbins was an extremely complicated man, and he didn't want two things discussed publicly: (1) his equally tortured sexual relationships with both men and women and (2) his testimony in front of HUAC.

Given those strictures, I thought American Masters did their usual excellent job.

If you want the personal details, read the Amanda Vaill:

The author dives deeply into Robbins' childhood to seek answers to his personal dichotomy, and she pieces together a vivid if somewhat pat portrait of self-loathing. Robbins' mother comes across as a vindictive woman who used her deep-rooted insecurity as a lightning rod for attention, while his father seems weak-willed and foolish. The combination of their personalities already reinforces Robbins' incurable sense of self-doubt due to his shame over being both Jewish and gay. His resulting bisexuality gave way to a string of lovers of both sexes, though his most intense and enduring relationships were with men including a two-year affair with a young Montgomery Clift. Ironically, he was able to translate these passions into some of the most beautiful male-female duets in musical theater.


Somewhere: The Life of Jerome Robbins

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:53pm

I guess you must have taken a phone call or changed channels or left the room but his sexuality was indeed discussed.

A segment covering his sexuality (with both men and women) was included, including photos of his former partners (male and female). Rose Tobias Shaw, a live-in girlfriend, discusses Jerry's sexuality, as well as mentioned that he was lovers with Montgomery Clift. The documentary also went on to cover how his sexuality affected his work: a psycho-sexual ballet titled FACSIMALE, which Robbins stated was inspired by a relationship he had with 2 other people. His light understones are also shown via a vintage TV clip of a male performing/singing "I'm a Guy Who's Gotta Dance", mentioning in the lyrics obvious 'gay' stereotyping in male dancers.

Seeing footage of the older Robbins dancing alone in front of the mirror spoke volumes to me. Its one image that is now engraved in my brain for the rest of my life.

I don't have anything else to add about this sensational documentary.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:54pm

It was interesting that his sexuality was not more explored.
But, the fact that one of the main turning points of his career was when Ed Sulivan basically blackmailed Robbins's for his sexuality them later applauded his work.
They did mention that he was Lovers with Montgomery Clift,
that would make anyone crazy.
The footage and discussion of his work was outstanding.
I loved his black and white TV stuff.
Remember, being gay in the 50's was very complex.
The Artist's work in this, as other cases, explore his whole life.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/18/09 at 11:58pm

For those interested... this American Masters documentary is being released on DVD on March 31, 2009.

In a life that inspired controversy, no one disputes the place that Jerome Robbins holds as the preeminent director/choreographer of American musical theatre. He transformed Broadway with shows like West Side Story, Gypsy and Fiddler on the Roof and he forged a career in ballet, first at American Ballet Theatre, then at New York City Ballet. This two-hour film, produced and directed by Judy Kinberg and written by best-selling 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.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 12:14am

What a documentary! I loved it. Correct me if I'm wrong though, but Robbins was notorious about NOT allowing his work to be filmed, hence why there was no home movie footage of West Side, Gypsy or Fiddler?
Being someone who doesn't know a great deal about ballet (mea culpa), I thought the last segements of the film were fascinating. What a genius!

[marknyc]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 12:25am

I did see the section with his "ex-fiancee" but it was less than a minute long. I felt there was no exploration of how his sexuality affected his work. I'm currently reading "Sing For Your Supper" about 1930s musicals, and I'm spoiled by his adept analysis of Porter's and Hart's sexuality and how it changed their work.

Perhaps with the Robbins Estate, it was too much too ask that similar attention be paid here.

P.S. There is great home movie footage of WSS on the DVD documentary. I do find it odd that no one ever uses any of the audio of Merman onstage in Gypsy - it's great and would have added a lot to those great color stills of the production.
Updated On: 2/19/09 at 12:25 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 12:45am

I think you're just looking for something inappropriate to the subject and missing the forest for the trees.

From the little I got to know of Mr. Robbins's relationships with the men and women in his life, I was glad the documentary didn't dwell on them.

I do wish, however, it had explored his naming names.

I've always thought that he started out hating himself, then committed that act, which assured that his success would not end on a blacklist, and then hated himself for doing so until the day he died.

Remember too that being gay in the 1950s was not something experienced with pride--men and women who admitted their sexuality to themselves had to struggle with enormous self-loathing.

But that's a matter for biographers and armchair psychologists.

The American Masters was a splendid portrait and if all you came away with is "It wasn't gay enough," you would never have appreciated his ballets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICJxLH5XenM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 12:51am

His 1955 Afternoon of a Faun, with Jacques d'Amboise and Tanaquil LeClercq:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmnnhq_ZXlw

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 1:02am

jv: I'm not sure if he allowed it or not, but Bob Fosse NEVER allowed his works to be filmed as well, even though we do have a little home video footage of the original Chicago.

[marknyc]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 2:33am

That's the point I tried to make in my initial post: I don't feel his sexuality is "inappropriate to the subject." I think it affected his work, especially as a gay man struggling in the pre-Stonewall era.

I enjoyed much of the show, especially the many stories from his associates, and I didn't want lurid details (as I said earlier).

But it felt like, once again, a conscious decision was made to nearly omit his romantic life - something that would not have been done, I think, were he straight.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 8:40am

"P.S. There is great home movie footage of WSS on the DVD documentary. I do find it odd that no one ever uses any of the audio of Merman onstage in Gypsy - it's great and would have added a lot to those great color stills of the production."

I know footage exists of Merman as Rose. It's breif, very breif, but Rick McKay had it in his film. It exists.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 11:38am

Thoroughly enjoyed the program and intend to get the DVD. One of the treats for me was the sequence from Look Ma, I'm Dancin' with Harold Lang. There's just not enough footage of Lang out there and any snippet is welcomed. I'm not sure that there's enough interest to warrant such a thing, but I would LOVE to know that someone was writing a book about Lang. There is one out there, but it's really not that good -- written by a student/coworker of Lang's, in soft paperback. Arthur Laurents discusses him in his autobiography and the picture aint purty, to put it mildly.

Updated On: 2/19/09 at 11:38 AM

[Actor 7]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 2:14pm

Excellent documentary. I did resent the fact that the PBS Network had to censor certain words in order to broadcast it. It was shown here on the West Coast at 10:00 pm last night so I don't think the damn words should have been censored at all. Still, I enjoyed every minute of it. Some people that knew Robbins who were not in his "theatre-ballet" circle, but just neighbors and friends outside of a professional circle, had a much better opinion of him. Those whose careers were ruined as a result of his naming them, had different low opinions of him because their lives were changed as a result of his actions. Complicated man, but one of the most talented director, dancer, and choreographers that ever lived.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 2:50pm

You're saying that if the choreographer were straight, the documentary would have focused more on his sex life? [really?]

It was a two-hour film; how much do you take away from the dance to give to the sexuality effect?

I'm no innocent (trust me), but when Ed Sullivan's blackmail maneuver was explained, I felt it like a slap in the face - it was so offensive. Maybe if you knew about it previously, it didn't have the same impact, but that fact alone told a great deal about the times, the fear, the pain... I didn't need a lot more spelled out for me.

[fr. Brody...] The documentary also went on to cover how his sexuality affected his work: a psycho-sexual ballet titled FACSIMALE, which Robbins stated was inspired by a relationship he had with 2 other people...
I thought that including this example said enough about what was pertinent regarding how his sexuality influenced his work. (Incidentally, Brody, you made an interesting "slip" in the way you spelled "FacsiMALE" -- that spelling would have made things more obvious, no?)

I was pleased that the film was as comprehensive as it was, and the use of archival film of his early work inter-cut with recent dancers was a nice surprise.

I watched with particular interest in what Mr. Laurents had to say. He neutralized his envy pretty effectively, don't you think?
PJ, please check your PM.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 3:00pm

One of those interviewed in the documentary said something to the effect of "choreographers don't do that anymore" (alluding to thinking a dance piece through thoroughly and artistically as opposed to choreography without much substance, I gather). Does anyone remember the quote better than my fuzzy brain allows?

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 3:34pm

OH GOD that was my favorite actor (and teacher) of ALL TIME Austin Pendleton, morosco, and wow, I thought that was such a wonderful moment, too.

I think they were addressing the time and care that Robbins took with the work, asked performers to really understand who they were and who the character was, (you know, acting) -- but he wanted his dancers to be actors too, which was a revelation...
I never realized how key Robbins was in Austin Pendleton's career -- 'cause he's a real philosopher too.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 3:45pm

I agree with you guys, that moment when Austin welled up killed me.

But what about the story Sondheim told about Jerry stealing Dainty June's batons?
One of the cruelest things I have ever heard.
I wonder if Robbins was Bi-polar?

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 3:49pm

sorry, my continuation --
(What Robbins did that was fresh, and that we don't see anymore)
...and how the most essential parts of Story should also be communicated through dance:

[Fiddler, the Wedding] "this is the communion with God and they do it through movement"

Regarding the “Bottle dance:”

Pendleton said: “the danger and risk of it was attributed to the fact of the wedding itself; not just on the part of the bride and groom but of the father of the bride and her mother. The risk everyone was taking in having these two people become a couple was reflected in the dan-–
people don’t think like that anymore.”

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 4:28pm

I just said in a PM to you, Lady D, that Robbins may have been a monster, be he significantly BETTERED the contributions of the artists he worked with and behaved monstrously toward. That's why Sondheim said he would work with him anytime and why Zero ended up deciding to work with him, despite Robbins naming names.

And it's why, 28 years after the 1980 revival, I remember every moment I got to spend with him as an assistant as a moment near greatness. (Despite the bruise he gave me!)

The others involved with West Side were geniuses, but only Robbins, as a director/choreographer, had a genius that made others better.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 4:44pm

Think about what Jerry did for Austin: He made him both a Broadway comedy star and then a Broadway musical-comedy star.

Think about what he did for Maria Karnilova: He turned a past-her-prime ballerina into a comic actress and then into a dramatic actress.

He made Broadway lighting design as dramatic as ballet lighting, decades before computerized light plots.

He made dancers into actors, actors and singers into triple threats and pop songwriters into composers.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 4:56pm

Thanks everyone for the clarification on what Austin Pendleton said. That really moved me.

[A Director]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 5:30pm

Think about what Jerry did for Austin: He made him both a Broadway comedy star and then a Broadway musical-comedy star.

When Oh, Dad, Poor, Dad was first done Off-Broadway and Austin Pendleton was in the show; when the show moved to Broadway, he was not.


He made pop songwriters into composers.

So, Jerry Bock was just a pop songwriter before he wrote Fiddler? I never knew that Fiorello and She Loves Me were filled with pop songs. And before On The Town, Leonard Bernstein turned out pop song after pop song.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 2/19/09 at 5:43pm

Wait a minute.

Who are you arguing with? [What are you addressing?]