Broadway Buff John Selya on the Best of NYC

June 16, 2008

Starting work on an Encores! version of “Damn Yankees”. I’ll be dancing a duet with Jane Krakowski (Tony Award winner, regular on “30 Rock”) We’re doing the original choreography of “Who’s Got the Pain?” by Bob Fosse. The ‘ography is brilliant in my opinion, old-school style—I YouTube’d it like a million times, partly because I wanted to know the steps before I started rehearsal, but partly because Fosse himself is dancing and he is goin’ off! (Gwen Verdon is rockin it as well.)

Aside from that… I was just thinking early summer is a great time to be in NYC for dancers. Here’s why:

Just at Lincon Center you have ABT AND City Ballet. In the past week, I checked out Stroman’s Double Feature (City Ballet soloist Tom Gold, a classmate of mine, was appearing for the last time in the role made for him—he’s retiring at the end of the season… Big loss, great dancer, hope he still comes to class… You rock, Tom).
I checked out Twyla’s new work for ABT. It was sweet, quite an occasion as well. Kind of an Oscar type night at the Met.
Next week I’m checking out THEEE major event of the season: Damian Woetzel’s retirement performance at NY City Ballet. State theater isn’t big enough for this occasion—so many people have been unable to get tickets. It’s a shame it’s not at Madison Square Garden.

On a more somber note ABT had a beautifully presented memorial service for the deceased Jennifer Alexander. Jennifer was a corps de ballet member who was killed in an automobile accident last winter and will be missed on stage and off.

So, there you have it. Until next month…