Born on October 11, 1918 in New York City, Robbins was one of the major forces in 20th century performing arts. He received world renown for his choreography for New York City Ballet, where he spent much of his creative life, as well as for his work with American Ballet Theatre, Ballets: U.S.A., and other dance companies around the world. He received equal acclaim for his work as a director and choreographer of Broadway musicals, plays, movies, and television, winning five Tony Awards and two Academy Awards, as well as numerous other honors including the Handel Medallion of the City of New York (1976), the Kennedy Center Honors (1981), and the National Medal of the Arts (1988).
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He took piano lessons as a boy and attended the Garrison and Boston Latin Schools. At Harvard University, he studied with Walter Piston, Edward Burlingame-Hill, and A. Tillman Merritt, among others. Before graduating in 1939, he made an unofficial conducting debut with his own incidental music to 'The Birds,' and directed and performed in Marc Blitzstein's 'The Cradle Will Rock.' Then at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he studied piano with Isabella Vengerova, conducting with Fritz Reiner, and orchestration with Randall Thompson.
The 66th Music Circus season continues with the delightful and enduring musical Seussical. Explore the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as you've never seen it before. Travel back to your childhood to the land of the Whos and the Jungle of Nool, and rediscover the delightfully zany characters imagined by one of the most beloved storytellers of all time. Created by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island), this is one visit to the doctor that neither kids nor parents will mind, an enchanting musical where anything's possible. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
To round out its 65th season, Music Circus presents HAIR, the groundbreaking musical that defined a generation and introduced rock 'n' roll to Broadway. Set against a backdrop of the Vietnam era, a group of late 1960s youth join a social revolution and 'Let the Sun Shine In.' Featuring hit songs such as 'Aquarius,' 'Let The Sun Shine In' and 'Easy To Be Hard,' HAIR is an exhilarating and emotionally intense ride. Click below to watch highlights from the show!
The hilarious musical La Cage aux Folles, featuring the bawdy humor of Harvey Fierstein and the melodic genius ofJerry Herman, is the final show in the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are August 19 - 24. Check out a first look below!
Videos