It was the summer after 4th grade, a period of time in which silly bands were still worn and shopping at Justice was peak fashion. I had not seen a Broadway show yet in my life..until this one fantastic summer! It was really the summer that started it all (regarding my love for Broadway:)). I went to a summer camp at my home-town dance studio—the highlight of the month of July for a 9 year old girl. Living right outside NYC, it was convenient for us to visit and see Broadway shows. So, every weekend we would take a trip into the city on a yellow school bus, filled with eager young dancers to see first hand what their future could look like. These were some of the best memories of my younger life. One of the first shows I remembering seeing was “On the Town”. Set in 1940s New York City, the music and costumes reflect just that. It feels as Broadway as you can get—right down to the classic jazz square step. Of course for me, the dancing is what I found most fascinating. Choreographed by Jerome Robbins (1918-1998), it was sure to be a hit. He was a famous choreographer. Robbins’ choreography had an emphasis on American dancing, to American music (like blues and jazz). He always wanted an easy, natural style from his dancers. It was said he often told them to dance as if they were “marking” it.
It’s original broadway run started in 1944 and so att he time, the show was of the time period. It has since been on and off broadway and has yet to lose it’s charm! With each new run, there is a new perspective one has on it. Niw, we look back on the time of World War II and the things that have changed since!
The show follows the adventures of three sailors who are on leave for only 24 hours in NYC before heading off to battle in World War II. With the premise of a day of freedom during a time of war, On the Town is an American classic! Loved and cherished for both its moment in history and for its timeless qualities of youth and adventure.
One of the three sailors falls for a photograph of Miss Turnstiles, a beauty queen, in the subway. The three all join in to find this dream women and, on the way, find all of the romance, adventure, and New York atmosphere they wished for on this day of freedom.
In the performance I saw, Miss Turnstiles was played by famous ballerina Megan Fairchild—so of course we were all freaking out. Her part incorporates a lot of classical ballet (which is my dance focus) and so it was encouraging to see a professional ballerina in the world of Broadway!
Megan Fairchild in the On the Town 2014 revival:
In 1949 it was also made into a movie that starred Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin—all heart throbs of the time period known for their beautiful voices and dancing.
Pictured below:
I would not be surprised of we saw yet another revival of this show in years to come(it has already enjoyed 7 major revivals), and if so I highly encourage you go see it!
Sorry my comment is late this week but I feel like I learned a lot more about you and your interests with this post. The Justice being peak fashion comment definitely brought back some memories from the early 2010s. Ballet seems so difficult, and I find it so cool that you focus on that as a dance specialty. Do you still dance at college? Sometimes it can be hard to continue high school hobbies with so much school work.
I always love how you add so many pictures from the performance because I can tell what you are talking about, like when you said they look like they are right out of the 40s, I can clearly see that because the picture right below it shows people in that type of clothing. I enjoyed how you say the things you like about the show without spoiling it as well!
I liked hearing about your childhood memories connected to this play, you did such a great job describing it so vividly! This show seems like a really great one to be the first one you saw! And maybe a good choice for anyone just starting to get into watching Broadway shows. From the video clip I can tell it has such high energy levels and the upbeat dancing is really a major part of it. It is so fun that you can connect your love for dancing with a love of Broadway shows!