368. Who Cares? 1970 | The George Balanchine Foundation

368. Who Cares? 1970

George Gershwin (songs as given below), orchestrated by Hershy Kay

George Balanchine

Costumes by Karinska. Lighting by Ronald Bates

February 5, 1970, New York City Ballet, New York State Theater. Conductor: Robert Irving. Pianist on opening night (orchestration had been completed only for Strike Up the Band and I Got Rhythm): Gordon Boelzner. Clap Yo’ Hands played by George Gershwin, recorded

Karin von Aroldingen, Patricia McBride, Marnee Morris, Jacques d’Amboise, 15 women, 5 men
STRIKE UP THE BAND (1927): Ensemble.
SWEET AND LOW DOWN (1925): Ensemble.
SOMEBODY LOVES ME (1924): Deborah Flomine, Susan Hendl, Linda Merrill, Susan Pilarre, Bettijane Sills.
BIDIN’ MY TIME (1930): Deni Lamont, Robert Maiorano, Frank Ohman, Richard Rapp, Earle Sieveling.
‘S WONDERFUL (1927): Pilarre, Rapp.
THAT CERTAIN FEELING (1925): Flomine, Lamont; Sills, Sieveling.
DO DO DO (1926): Hendl, Ohman.
LADY BE GOOD (1924): Merrill, Maiorano.
REPEAT: Ensemble.
THE MAN I LOVE (1924): McBride, d’Amboise.
I’LL BUILD A STAIRWAY TO PARADISE (1922): von Aroldingen.
EMBRACEABLE YOU (1930): Morris, d’Amboise.
FASCINATIN’ RHYTHM (1924): McBride.
WHO CARES? (1931): von Aroldingen, d’Amboise.
MY ONE AND ONLY (1927): Morris.
LIZA (1929): d’Amboise.
CLAP YO’ HANDS (1926): von Aroldingen, McBride, Morris, d’Amboise.
I GOT RHYTHM (1930): Entire cast

Performance Type

Ballet

Note

Balanchine and Gershwin had discussed a collaboration before the composer’s death in 1937. Thirty-three years later, Balanchine selected and formed into this ballet seventeen of Gershwin’s classic songs from Broadway musicals. First performed with costumes but without décor; from November 1970, with scenery by Jo Mielziner. On opening night Balanchine was presented with the Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural award, by Mayor John V. Lindsay. The ballet is sometimes performed in “concert version,” which consists of the solos and pas de deux for the principal dancers, namely THE MAN I LOVE; I’LL BUILD A STAIRWAY TO PARADISE; EMBRACEABLE YOU; FASCINATIN’ RHYTHM; WHO CARES?; MY ONE AND ONLY; I GOT RHYTHM (arranged for four dancers).

Additional Productions

Revisions

New Productions by Balanchine Companies

1983, New York City Ballet: New costumes by Ben Benson (commissioned by Balanchine before his death)

Stagings

1971   Geneva Ballet (Grand Theatre de Geneve [Ballet])
1974   Pennsylvania Ballet
1980   Zurich Ballet (Ballett des Opernhauses Zurich)
1984   Festival Dance Theatre
1984   Pennsylvania Ballet
1986   Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia
1987   American Ballet Theatre
1987   Ballet de Basler Theatres (Switzerland)
1988   Ballet de Basler Theatres (Switzerland)
1988   Ballet du Nord (France)
1988   MALMO Stadsteater (Sweden)
1988   PACT Ballet (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa)
1989   Ballett der Deutschen Oper (Berlin)
1989   Pennsylvania Ballet
1990   Ballet du Nord (France)
1990   Milwaukee Ballet
1990   The Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia
1990   The Scottish Ballet
1991   Boston Ballet
1991   Heinz Bosl Stiftung Muenchen
1991   Texas Ballet (formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet)
1992   Hong Kong Ballet
1992   Pacific Northwest Ballet
1992   PACT Ballet (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa)
1992   San Francisco Ballet
1992   The Scottish Ballet
1993   Icelandic Ballet
1993   Miami City Ballet
1993   New Jersey Ballet
1994   Ballet Oklahoma
1994   Cleveland San Jose Ballet
1994   Hong Kong Ballet
1994   Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
1994   Miami City Ballet
1994   Pacific Northwest Ballet
1994   Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
1994   Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia
1994   Royal New Zealand Ballet
1994   San Francisco Ballet
1994   Texas Ballet (formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet)
1995   Boston Ballet
1995   James Sewell Ballet (St. Paul, Minnesota)
1995   Milwaukee Ballet
1995   Montana Ballet
1995   Pacific Northwest Ballet
1996   Allegheny Ballet Company
1996   Cincinnati Ballet
1996   Miami City Ballet
1996   Milwaukee Ballet
1996   Pacific Northwest Ballet
1996   PACT Ballet (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa)
1996   Pennsylvania Ballet
1996   Universal Ballet Company (Korea)
1997   Ballet de Zaragoza (Spain)
1997   English National Ballet (London Festival)
1997   Miami City Ballet
1997   Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
1997   Sacramento Ballet
1998   Ballet National de Marseille
1998   Carolina Ballet
1998   Charleston Ballet Theatre
1998   Chautauqua Institution (New York)
1998   City Ballet of San Diego
1998   Miami City Ballet
1998   Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis
1998   Teatro Comunale (Florence, Italy)
1999   Ankara State Ballet (Ankara Devlet Balesi)
1999   Aspen Ballet
1999   City Ballet of San Diego
1999   English National Ballet (London Festival)
1999   Ballet NY
1999   James Sewell Ballet (St. Paul, Minnesota)
1999   Milwaukee Ballet
1999   PACT Ballet (Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa)
1999   Singapore Dance Theatre
2000   Ballett der Bayerischen Staatsoper (Munich)
2000   Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse
2000   Cincinnati Ballet
2000   Colorado Ballet
2000   Ballet NY
2000   Pennsylvania Ballet
2001   Ballet National de Marseille
2001   Ballet West
2001   English National Ballet (London Festival)
2001   Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia
2001   Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
2001   Tulsa Ballet Theatre
2002   Ballet Austin
2002   Ballet of National Theatre Prague
2002   Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley
2002   Carolina Ballet
2002   Diablo Ballet
2002   National Ballet of China (Central)
2002   National Ballet Lisbon
2002   National Opera Sofia
2002   Philippine Ballet Theatre
2002   Teatro Comunale (Florence, Italy)
2003   Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse
2003   Ballet National de Marseille
2003   k Ballet Company
2003   Louisville Ballet
2003   Nippon Ballet Academy Ballet Company
2003   Texas Ballet (formerly Fort Worth Dallas Ballet)
2003   Tokyo Ballet/Japan Performing Arts Foundation
2004   Sacramento Ballet
2004   San Francisco Ballet
2004   South African Ballet Theatre (formerly PACT Ballet [Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal—Johannesburg, South Africa)])
2004   Ballet Arlington
2004   Boston Ballet
2004   Charleston Ballet (West Virginia)
2004   Contra Costa Ballet
2004   Dessau Ballet
2004   Ballet NY
2004   Grand Theatre de Bordeaux
2004   Dutch National Ballet
2004   National Opera and Ballet of Sofia
2004   New Orleans Ballet Theatre
2005   Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse
2005   Ballet West
2005   Diablo Ballet
2005   Ohio Dance Theatre
2005   San Francisco Ballet
2005   Teatro Colon
2005   Washington Ballet Studio Company
2006   Alberta Ballet
2006   Carolina Ballet
2006   Cincinnati Ballet
2006   English National Ballet
2006   Gem City Ballet
2006   Madison Ballet
2006   Oregon Ballet Theatre
2006   Richmond Ballet
2007   Nevada Ballet Theatre
2007   Orlando Ballet
2007   Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
2007   Sacramento Ballet
2007   San Francisco Ballet
2007   South African Ballet Theatre
2008   Ballet De Santiago
2008   Los Angeles Ballet
2008   Ballet NY
2008   Eugene Ballet (concert version)
2008   Minnesota Ballet (concert version)
2008   New Jersey Ballet (concert version)
2008   Novosibirsk Ballet
2009   Hungarian National Ballet
2010   Nashville Ballet (Concert Version)
2010   Miami City Ballet
2010   Kansas City Ballet
2010   Grand Rapids Ballet (Concert Version)
2010   Festival Ballet Providence (Concert Version)
2010   Estonia National Ballet
2011   Ballet San Jose
2011   Pennsylvania Ballet
2011   Sarasota Ballet, The
2012   Carolina Ballet
2012   Charleston Ballet Theatre
2012   Opera National de Bordeaux
2012   Royal New Zealand Ballet
2013   Ballet West
2013   Compania Nacional de Danza (Madrid)
2013   Royal Ballet of Flanders
2013   Sacramento Ballet
2014   Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
2015   Nevada Ballet Theatre
2015   West Australian Ballet
2016   BalletMet
2016   Charlotte Ballet
2016   Cincinnati Ballet
2017   Los Angeles Ballet
2017   Miami City Ballet
2017   St Louis Ballet
2018   Atlanta Ballet (Concert Version)
2018   Indianapolis Ballet Inc. (Concert Version)
2018   Richmond Ballet
2019   Het Nationale Ballet (Stitchting Nationale Opera and Ballet)
2019   Indianapolis Ballet
2019   Tulsa Ballet
2020   City Ballet of San Diego (Concert Version)
2020   Diablo Ballet (Concert Version)
2020   Rochester City Ballet (Concert Version)
2021 Richmond Ballet (Concert Version)
2021 Rochester City Ballet (Concert Version)
2022 Ballet Tucson
2022 Nevada Ballet Theatre
2022 New Jersey Ballet

Recorded Performances

Videos/DVD

1996, The Balanchine Library: The Balanchine Celebration, Part Two (THE MAN I LOVE, STAIRWAY TO PARADISE, EMBRACEABLE YOU, FASCINATIN’ RHYTHM, WHO CARES?, MY ONE AND ONLY, LIZA, I GOT RHYTHM [1993]);
2004, Kultur, Balanchine (STAIRWAY TO PARADISE)

Television

1971 (CBC [Montreal])
1975 The Man I Love (NBC)
1982 excerpt (PBS, Gala of Stars)
1983 excerpt (PBS, “A New York City Ballet Tribute to George Balanchine”)
1983 (French television, Channel 2)
1984 (French television, Channel 2, Emmenez-moi au theatre)
1984 (British television, Channel 4)
1986 excerpt (ABC, “Liberty Weekend”)
1988 concert version (PBS, Dance in America, “Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine”)
1989 concert version (BBC [London], “Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine”)
1993 concert version (PBS, Dance in America, “The Balanchine Celebration”)
2004 excerpt (PBS, Live from Lincoln Center, “Balanchine 100”)

Source Notes

Barbara Horgan (commissioning of Ben Benson costumes)