New York City Ballet has announced that Broadway stars Patti LuPone, Vanessa Williams, and Joshua Henry will join the company at its 2023 Fall Gala, set for October 5 at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, to perform songs by George Gershwin as part of George Balanchine's Who Cares?
The 1970 work was choreographed by New York City Ballet co-founder Balanchine to a selection of Gershwin hits including "The Man I Love," "Embraceable You," and "I Got Rhythm," orchestrated by Hershey Kay. The ballet features sets by legendary scenic designer Jo Mielziner, and, for the 2023 Fall Gala, new costumes by fashion designer Wes Gordon. Balanchine had previously collaborated with Gershwin on the 1938 film The Goldwyn Follies.
The Fall Gala will also include Glass Pieces, by New York City Ballet's other co-founding choreographer Jerome Robbins. The 1983 work is choreographed to music by Philip Glass, specifically excerpts from Glassworks and the opera Akhnaten. The ballet includes production design by Jerome Robbins and Ronald Bates, lighting design by Bates, and costumes by Ben Benson.
New York City Ballet's 75th anniversary season will kick off September 19 with Balanchine's Jewels. The fall season will continue through October 15 with five different all-Balanchine programs, as well as a special 75th anniversary performance October 11, recreating the company's first-ever performance from 1948. The winter and spring seasons will include works by Balanchine, Robbins, and an array of contemporary choreographers, including world premieres by Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Amy Hall Garner, and Alexei Ratmansky.
For more information, visit NYCBallet.com.
