On Friday, January 23, 2004, New York City Ballet will present the world premiere of a new full-length ballet by Broadway director/choreographer Susan Stroman. The first premiere of New York City Ballet’s year-long celebration of the centennial of George Balanchine’s birth, Stroman’s ballet was commissioned by NYCB as a tribute to Balanchine’s pioneering work in Broadway musical comedy during the 1930s and ‘40s. Called Double Feature, the piece is a narrative full-length ballet in two acts and is an homage to the silent film era. The first act, “The Blue Necklace,” is a melodrama with an original libretto by Stroman and Glen Kelly. The second act, “Makin’ Whoopee!,” is a comedy, also with a libretto by Stroman and Kelly, based on the 1916 play Seven Chances by Roi Cooper Megrue. The cast for Double Feature features nearly 60 dancers, including several students from the School of American Ballet.

The score for “The Blue Necklace” is an original orchestration of songs by Irving Berlin, including “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “What’ll I Do?,” “Always,” and “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” The score for “Makin’ Whoopee!” is an original orchestration of songs by Walter Donaldson, including “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” “My Blue Heaven,” “Yes Sir! That’s My Baby,” and the title song, “Makin’ Whoopee!” The original orchestrations of the Berlin and Donaldson songs are by Doug Besterman, with musical arrangements by Glen Kelly.

The creative team for Double Feature includes Robin Wagner (scenic designer), William Ivey Long (costume designer), and Mark Stanley (lighting designer). The ballet will be conducted by NYCB Music Director Andrea Quinn.

Presented as part of New York City Ballet’s winter season celebration of George Balanchine’s heritage, Double Feature is the first-ever full-length ballet by Stroman, a five-time Tony Award winner. Double Feature will mark the second time that Susan Stroman has worked with New York City Ballet. The first was in 1999, when she created “Blossom Got Kissed” for the ballet Duke!, a salute to Duke Ellington featuring three short ballets by Stroman, Garth Fagan, and Robert La Fosse.

New York City Ballet commissioned Stroman to create a world premiere for the Company’s winter season exploration of Balanchine’s heritage as a tribute to his pioneering work on Broadway. From 1936 to 1951 Balanchine created the choreography for more than 15 Broadway shows, working with such legends as Rodgers and Hart, Florenz Ziegfeld, George Abbott, and Josephine Baker. For Broadway musical comedy, Balanchine created the first dances that functioned as essential elements of the story, and were not just plot-stopping interludes. He was also the first choreographer on Broadway, at his insistence, to be credited with “choreography by” rather than “dances by.”

Stroman is an award-winning choreographer and director of musicals, theatrical productions, opera, and ballets. She directed and choreographed The Producers, winner of a record 12 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography. She also co-created, directed, and choreographed the ground-breaking Contact for Lincoln Center Theater, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Choreography. Stroman also received Tony Awards for choreography for Crazy for You (1992), and Showboat (1995). In addition, Stroman has choreographed several productions for the New York City Opera, and also created But Not For Me for the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Following the world premiere performance on Friday, January 23, Double Feature will be performed on Saturday, January 24 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sunday, January 25 at 3 p.m.; Tuesday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m.; and on Thursday, February 5 at 8 p.m.

Tickets for Double Feature are available through Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100, at the New York State Theater box office, or online at www.nycballet.com.

The New York State Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street. For information on any New York City Ballet performance call 212-870-5570 or visit www.nycballet.com.

Susan Stroman's Double Feature is made possible in part by a generous gift from Perry and Marty Granoff. Additional support is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts through the Dance Commissions program.

Lead support for the creation of new work is provided by The Irene Diamond Fund and members of the New Combinations Fund, and by the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Endowment Fund.

Leadership support of Balanchine 100: The Centennial Celebration is generously provided by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Solomon and Gillian Attfield/Harriet Ford Dickenson Foundation.

The Balanchine Centennial Celebration is also made possible by gifts and grants from Altria Group, Inc., Mattel, Inc., The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Movado, National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and The Shubert Foundation.

NYCB extends special appreciation to contributors who support the Repertory Fund, which helps to make possible new works, revivals, and special projects, and the many donors who support the Company’s education and outreach programs.