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Joffrey: History of The Joffrey Ballet
1. 'Light Rain' (photo by Herbert Migdoll) 2. Rehearsal from the 1980s 3. Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino in the 1960s In 1956, six young dancers made up what was then known as the Robert Joffrey...
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Joffrey: Film Excerpt: The ‘Parade’ Revival
The scene represents a Sunday Fair in Paris. There is a traveling Theatre, and three Music Hall turns are employed as Parade. There are the Chinese Conjuror, an American girl, and a pair of Acrobats....
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Joffrey: Photo Gallery: The Joffrey
They call The Joffrey Ballet “America’s Company of Firsts.” The first dance company to perform at the White House. The first to appear on television. The first American company to visit Russia. The...
View ArticleJoffrey: Podcast: Joffrey Mavericks
It’s American Masters radio: the other AM, on the podcast dial. To expand the story beyond what could be included in the film, the producers of Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance started this audio...
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Carl Sandburg: Posters: How Carl Sandburg Saw Chicago
BY TOM McNAMARA CHICAGO POEMS, published by Carl Sandburg in 1916, is an ode to a city. It’s a clear eyed and unapologetic love letter: where you tell your true-love you love them not in spite of their...
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David Geffen: Inventing David Geffen: The Soundtrack
Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass (background), and David Geffen | Photo Credit: Henry DiltzBY TOM McNAMARA It’s American Masters radio: the other AM on the Spotify dial. How many PBS films have a Whitesnake...
View ArticleDavid Geffen: Film Comment: Susan Lacy on David Geffen
Susan Lacy, creator and executive producer of American Masters, explains the drive behind telling David Geffen’s story, as well as the obstacles of capturing the life of a behind the scenes man. Lacy...
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Photo Gallery: The Sister Rosetta Tharpe Archive
Sister Rosetta Tharpe in pictures
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Timeline: The Years of Sister Rosetta Tharpe
BY GAYLE WALD Author of Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe The life and times of Sister Rosetta Tharpe 1915 – Rosie Etta Atkins is born in Cotton...
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Vote Sister Rosetta!
Somehow, someway, Sister Rosetta Tharpe — “The Godmother of Rock and Roll” — is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Like,” “Share” and/or download the poster in this post to start the campaign to...
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Philip Roth: Film Comment: William Karel, Co-Writer & Co-Director
An interview with Philip Roth: Unmasked co-writer and co-director William Karel, a French film director and author known for his historical and political documentaries, including Dark Side of the Moon,...
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Harper Lee: Hey, Boo: The Cake That Made Maycomb Famous: The Lane Cake
BY TOM McNAMARA The Lane Cake is a Southern tradition in these here United States, especially come Christmastime. The story goes that Emma Rylander Lane, of Clayton, Alabama, won first prize with it...
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Carol Burnett: Book Excerpt: Carrie and Me
Despite her busy schedule, Carol Burnett always made time for her three young children. But her oldest daughter, Carrie, faltered in adolescence, losing the self-esteem that had fueled her popularity...
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Philip Roth: Photo Essay: In Newark They Read Philip Roth
Weequahic High School -- Home of the Indians and Philip Roth | photo Tom McNamara BY TOM McNAMARA “Do you guys know who Philip Roth is?” That’s what I asked some students outside of Weequahic High...
View ArticleMel Brooks: #ComedyFest Live: Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner with Judd Apatow
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner in conversation with director and writer Judd Apatow, marking the day on which the 2000 Year Old Man joins Twitter. Mel Brooks: Make a Noise premieres nationally Monday, May...
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Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles: The Art of the Stereotype (and it on its head)
Mel Brooks never met a stereotype he couldn’t upend. The classic Hollywood cowboy is always white. Mel Brooks’s Hollywood cowboy is black. And his Indian chief speaks Yiddish. Designer: Ricardo Galvez....
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Mel Brooks: Young Frankenstein: The Art of the Homage (or, to spoof with...
For Mel Brooks the spoofing is in the details. The classic Hollywood Horror film is always black-and-white and includes scene transitions like iris outs, wipes and fades to black. Mel Brooks’s...
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Mel Brooks: Spaceballs: The Art of the Trope (or, making the cliché absurd)
What came first: the Mel Brooks movie or the cliché? The classic Hollywood Sci-Fi spaceship always gets gratuitous screentime from every camera angle. Mel Brooks’s Hollywood spaceship appears in a...
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Billie Jean King: Filmmaker Essay: On Billie Jean King
American tennis player Billie Jean King is seen in play during the women's singles at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London on July 8, 1967. King defeated her opponent Anne...
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Billie Jean King: Infographics: Billie Jean King Trading Cards
It’s the life and times of Billie Jean King in a series of vintage trading cards from American Masters: collect them all! (Click on images to enlarge) Click the following links to download/open in a...
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