
Lot # 10 - Frames of Grace: Soviet Ballet & Opera Theatrical Archive Anthology
Opening Bid : | $ 5.00 |
Pickup Instructions: | Pick up Days and Times: FRIDAY August 29, 2025: 10:00am - 4:00pm SATURDAY August 30, 2025: 9:00am - 12:00pm |
Start Date/Time: | 19-Aug-2025 5:00:00 PM |
End Date/Time: | 28-Aug-2025 6:09:00 PM |
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Description :
Frames of Grace: Soviet Ballet & Opera Theatrical Archive Anthology This museum-worthy assemblage of authentic theatrical ephemera presents a transcendent narrative of mid-century performing arts through four distinct and historically verified programs. The centerpiece begins with The Threepenny Opera Original Program and 1954 Recording Lot, spotlighting director Carmen Capalbo’s boundary-pushing staging for producer Lucille Lortel. The cast, as credited in this specific program issue, includes Marcia Gilford, Mitchell Jason, Katherine Sergava, Charlotte Rae, and Rex Everhart, with dramatic portrayals of Mr. J.J. Peachum, Rev. Kimball, and Jenny Diver vividly illustrated in monochrome portraiture. Featured alongside the program is a 12" MGM Records pressing of Kurt Weill’s Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra, Op. 12, performed by violinist Anahid Ajemian with the MGM Wind Orchestra under the baton of Izler Solomon. Archival inserts reference the cast’s theatrical lineage and Capalbo’s modernist directorial inflections that shaped the production’s 1954 off-Broadway acclaim. From the American stage to Russian prestige, the 1964 Ballet Program—produced by the S. Hurok Association and the Cosmopolitan Music and Arts Association—documents a landmark presentation by the Mariinsky Ballet. The program credits the legendary Arthur Fiedler as guest conductor and honors civic figures Harold L. Zellerbach and Joseph H. Dyer, Jr., whose cultural philanthropy anchored the performance at the War Memorial Opera House. Photographed mid-leap in striking monochrome, the featured ballerina evokes the grace of Soviet-trained choreographic discipline. The program also references Fiedler’s musical directorship with the San Francisco Symphony’s summer Pop Concerts, reinforcing the artistic exchange between East and West. The Bolshoi Ballet Program & Promotional Materials Collection—arguably the crown jewel of this lot—features a comprehensive cast roster including Maya Plisetskaya, Natalia Bessmertnova, Ekaterina Maximova, Rimma Karelskaya, and Vladimir Vasiliev. Artistic direction was helmed by Mikhail Chulaki, with choreography by Yuri Grigorovich. Musical direction rotated among renowned Soviet conductors Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Alexander Gauk, and Kirill Kondrashin. The program documents performances staged at the War Memorial Opera House in both June and July, and includes rare promotional cards with Cold War-era advertising slogans such as “Get the credit you deserve,” lending a distinctly vintage commercial texture to the collection. Completing this curated anthology is the Civic Light Opera 20th Anniversary Season Program featuring My Fair Lady. Headlined by Anne Rogers as Eliza Doolittle and Brian Aherne as Professor Higgins, the cast also included Jan Farrand, Robert Rounseville, and Michael Kermoyan. Miscredited in this specific Playbill edition, the program lists Frederick Loewe as director—a printing anomaly traceable to its original layout. Production notes cite Alan Jay Lerner as librettist and lyricist, with scenic design by John Harris and choreography by Marc Breaux. Accompanying advertisements from Vanessi’s and Gomann’s Gay So’s restaurants evoke the exuberant flavor of 1960s San Francisco entertainment culture. Although traditionally performed at venues like the Curran Theatre, this rare variant suggests staging at the War Memorial Opera House, presenting an archivally intriguing deviation. Bound in saddle-stitch and rendered in original inks, these rare production-issued programs are ideal for museum conservation, private curation, or auction presentation. They represent a vivid cross-cultural ballet and theater exchange amid Cold War tensions, and preserve the artistry, personalities, and behind-the-scenes brilliance of iconic performers, directors, and producers whose contributions shaped the golden age of international performance. Measurements: The
Threepenny Opera:
Length: 9 Inches; Width: 6 Inches; Bolshoi Ballet: Length: 9 Inches; Width: 6 Inches; My
Fair Lady: Length: 9 Inches; Width:
6 Inches; Shipping Available: See “Learn
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