Mother Goose (ballet) explained

Mother Goose is a ballet made for New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival by balletmaster Jerome Robbins to Ravel's music and scenario, the Ma Mère l'Oye Suite from 1908, orchestrated by the composer in 1912. The premiere took place on May 22, 1975, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with costumes by Stanley Simmons and lighting by Jennifer Tipton. At its premiere it bore the French title, which was retained when it was first revived in January 1978 but anglicized by May of that year.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Ma Mère l'Oye was written as a suite of five pieces for piano four hands and later orchestrated and adapted into a ballet, by M. Ravel, with the addition of a prelude, an opening scene and four interludes connecting the five original pieces.

Cast

Original

• Muriel Aasen
• Delia Peters
• Tracy Bennett
• Deborah Koolish
• Colleen Neary

• Richard Hoskinson
• Matthew Giordano
• Jay Jolley

References

• Playbill, NYCB, Thursday, May 15, 2008
• Repertory Week, NYCB, Spring Season, 2008 repertory, week 3

Reviews

• NY Times review, Jennifer Dunning, April 29, 1983
• NY Times review, Jack Anderson, January 6, 1983
• NY Times review, Anna Kisselgoff, June 11, 1990
• NY Times review, Jennifer Dunning, June 27, 1991
• NY Times review, Jennifer Dunning, February 15, 1992
• NY Times review, Gia Kourlas, May 17, 2008

Notes and References

1. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/30/archives/the-ballet-robbinss-mere-loye.html NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff, January 30, 1976
2. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/10/archives/dancers-play-lets-pretend-for-robbins.html NY Times review by Jack Anderson, January 10, 1978
3. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/30/archives/new-jersey-pages-ballet-illusions-and-contrivances.html NY Times review by Jack Anderson, May 30, 1978