JEROME ROBBINS, BY HIMSELF Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir

Narrators David Pittu and Gabra Zackman do wonders with editor Amanda Vaill's carefully arranged collection of moments in the life of award-winning choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918-1998). Using Robbins's archives, Vaill offers an insightful, often intimate look at the man through his writings, which cover his thoughts, ideas, fears, and loves. Pittu portrays a whimsical, self-assured yet self-deprecating Robbins. We can hear his mood swings through Pittu's subtle tonal shifts. Zackman's narration offers another look at the man through letters from friends. Her voice is cultured and elegant, warm and inviting. Both narrators successfully add color to letters from such notables as Leonard Bernstein, Laurence Olivier, Stephen Sondheim, and Aaron Copland, to name only a few. Pittu and Zackman make this audiobook a special experience. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]