''Double Feature (A Ballet in Two Acts)'' was choreographed by

Susan Stroman Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', '' Contact'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She i ...

for the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

to music by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

and

Walter Donaldson Walter Donaldson (February 15, 1893 – July 15, 1947) was an American prolific popular songwriter and publishing company founder, composing many hit songs of the 1910s to 1940s, that have become standards and form part of the Great American Song ...

. The libretto is by Ms. Stroman and Glen Kelly, with orchestrations by

Doug Besterman Douglas Besterman (born February 3, 1965) is an American orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards out of six total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a ...

and arrangement by Mr. Kelly; the libretto for "Makin' Whoopee!" is based on the play ''

Seven Chances ''Seven Chances'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton, based on the play of the same name by Roi Cooper Megrue, produced in 1916 by David Belasco. Additional cast members include T. Roy Barnes, Snitz ...

'', variously attributed to Roi Cooper Megris and

David Belasco David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story '' Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of ...

. The premiere took place on 23 January 2004 at the

New York State Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

, with scenery by Robin Wagner, costumes by

William Ivey Long William Ivey Long (born August 30, 1947) is an American costume designer for stage and film. His most notable work includes the Broadway shows '' The Producers'', '' Hairspray'', ''Nine'', '' Crazy for You'', '' Grey Gardens'', ''Young Frankenste ...

, and lighting by Mark Stanley.

The Blue Necklace

Music: Irving Berlin

*''

Alexander's Ragtime Band "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911 and is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Despite its title, the song is a march as opposed to a rag and contains little syn ...

'' *''Always, What'll I Do?'' *''

How About Me? "How About Me?" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin in 1928. The song is an expression of sorrow over a love affair that is over. The first recording by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians (vocal by Clare Hanlon) was popular in 1928 and the song ha ...

'' *''

Slumming on Park Avenue "Slumming on Park Avenue" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1937 film ''On the Avenue'', where it was introduced by Alice Faye. Popular recordings in 1937 were by Red Norvo and his Orchestra (vocal by Mildred Bailey), Fletcher Hende ...

'' *'' Let Yourself Go'' *''Everybody's Doin' It Now'' *'' All Alone'' *''The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing'' *'' Mandy'' *''

Steppin' Out with My Baby "Steppin' Out with My Baby" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin and introduced in the 1948 musical film '' Easter Parade''. There it was sung by Fred Astaire as part of a dance number involving Astaire on stairs and three different dance p ...

'' *''You're Easy to Dance With'' *''No Strings'' *''How Deep is the Ocean''

Blue Necklace original cast

Maria Kowroski Maria Kowroski is an American ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. Early life Kowroski was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She started ballet at the age of five. In 1992, she entered the School of American Ballet ...

Kyra Nichols Kyra Nichols (born July 2, 1958) is an American retired ballet dancer and teacher. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1979. She is one of the last dancers to have worked with George Balanchine, alt ...

Ashley Bouder Ashley Bouder (; born December 10, 1983) is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. She also founded and currently runs her own project, The Ashley Bouder Project. Early life Ashley Bouder was ...

Megan Fairchild Megan Fairchild (born October 23, 1984) is an American ballet dancer. She is currently a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Early life Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began her dance training at the age of four, stu ...

* Jason Fowler *

Damian Woetzel Damian Woetzel (born May 17, 1967) is an American choreographer. Woetzel was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, where he performed from 1985 until 2008. He also frequently performed with companies like the Kirov Ballet and Ameri ...

Makin' Whoopee

Music: Walter Donaldson

*''

Makin' Whoopee! "Makin' Whoopee" is a jazz/blues song, first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical ''Whoopee!''. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical. The title refers to cel ...

'' *'' My Baby Just Cares for Me'' *''

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java Isl ...

'' *''Reaching for Someone'' *'' My Buddy'' *'' My Blue Heaven'' *''The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady'' *''He's the Last Word'' *''You'' *''Romance'' *'' Love Me or Leave Me'' *''Yes Sir! That's My Baby'' *''

Carolina in the Morning "Carolina in the Morning" is a popular song with words by Gus Kahn and music by Walter Donaldson, first published in 1922 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. The song debuted on Broadway in the elaborate and risqué musical revue '' The Passing Show of ...

Makin' Whoopee original cast

Alexandra Ansanelli Alexandra Noel Ansanelli is a retired American ballet dancer who was a Principal dancer at New York City Ballet and the Royal Ballet prior to her retirement at a relatively young age. Early life Ansanelli was born in Manhassett, Long Island ...

* Tom Gold * Albert Evans *

Arch Higgins ''Arch Higgins'' (born Berkeley, California) was a soloist with New York City Ballet. He began his study at eight years with Berkeley Ballet Theater with former City Ballet dancer Sally Streets. From 1982 he attended summer courses at the Schoo ...

Seth Orza Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...

References

*''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's ...

'', New York City Ballet, Tuesday, May 20, 2008 *''Repertory Week'', New York City Ballet, Spring Season, 2008 repertory, week 4

Articles

NY Times
by Jennifer Dunning, September 9, 2007
NY Times
by Jack Anderson, January 27, 2008
NY Times
by Matthew Gurewitsch, January 18, 2004

Reviews

Anna Kisselgoff Anna Kisselgoff (born 12 January 1938) is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for ''The New York Times''. She began at the ''Times'' as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she h ...

, January 26, 2004
NY Times

John Rockwell John Sargent Rockwell (born September 16, 1940) is an American music critic, dance critic and arts administrator. According to ''Grove Music Online'', "Rockwell brings two signal attributes to his critical work: a genuine admiration for all k ...

, February 21, 2005
NY Times
Jack Anderson, February 26, 2005
NY Times
Jennifer Dunning, February 2, 2008 {{col-end Ballets by Susan Stroman Ballets to the music of Irving Berlin Ballets to the music of Walter Donaldson Ballets designed by William Ivey Long 2004 ballet premieres Ballets designed by Robin Wagner New York City Ballet repertory