Robbie Fairchild

Robbie Fairchild
Fairchild in An American in Paris 2015
Born (1987-06-09) June 9, 1987 (age 37)
NationalityAmerican
EducationSchool of American Ballet
Occupation(s)Dancer, actor
Spouse
(m. 2014; div. 2017)
RelativesMegan Fairchild (sister)

Robbie Fairchild (born June 9, 1987) is an American dancer and actor. He is best known for originating the role Jerry Mulligan in the musical An American in Paris, and as Munkustrap in the 2019 film Cats. He was a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet.

Early life

Fairchild was raised in Salt Lake City. His mother is a dietitian and his father worked for Utah's wildlife resources.[1] He started dancing at the age of four, and began formal ballet training at age ten. After attending the School of American Ballet's summer intensives in 2002 and 2003, he relocated to New York City and enrolled in the school as a full-time student in fall 2003.[2][3]

Fairchild's elder sister, Megan, is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet.[4]

Career

Dance

Fairchild became an apprentice at the New York City Ballet in 2005, and joined the company's corps de ballet the following year. He became a soloist in 2007 and principal dancer in 2009.[2] During his time in the company, he had danced works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky and Justin Peck.[5][6]

In October 2017, Fairchild left the company after a performance of Balanchine's Duo Concertant, he danced with his longtime stage partner, Sterling Hyltin.[4]

Acting

In December 2014, Fairchild starred as Jerry Mulligan in the musical An American in Paris, directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, in Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, which ran until January 2015. The musical also starred Leanne Cope.[7] The musical transferred to Palace Theatre on Broadway the same year. The previews began in March and officially opened on April 12. He and Cope starred in the show until his departure in March 2016. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2015[8][9] In 2017, the show premiered in Dominion Theatre on West End. Fairchild and Cope returned to the show, though he only stayed for three months.[10]

Fairchild had also starred in A Chorus Line at the Hollywood Bowl, Oklahoma! at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Brigadoon at the New York City Center.[5]

He played Munkustrap in Cats, the 2019 film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name.[11] He also appeared in the 2019 Netflix series, Soundtrack.[12]

In 2024, Fairchild starred in the stage adaptation of the film The Artist on the West End. He played George Valentin, a silent film era star who finds his career in jeopardy when the "talkies" become popular.[13][14][15]

Other ventures

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fairchild started his floral arrangement business, boo.kay, which was intended to be a "side hustle".[16][17] The company closed in 2024.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Robert Fairchild Is Ready to Break the Rules". Dance Magazine. April 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Robert Fairchild". Steps on Broadway. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "Robert Fairchild". New York City Ballet. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Robert Fairchild Says Goodbye to City Ballet With Balanchine and Roses". New York Times. October 16, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Robert Fairchild to Leave New York City Ballet". The New York Times. September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ "Robert Fairchild Crosses Back to Ballet, Gershwin in Tow". New York Times. April 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "Broadway-Bound An American in Paris Opens in Paris Tonight". Andrew Gans. www.Playbill.com. December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  8. ^ "Review: 'An American in Paris,' a Romance of Song and Step". New York Times. April 12, 2015.
  9. ^ "Robert Fairchild to Depart 'An American in Paris'". New York Times. February 9, 2016.
  10. ^ "An American in Paris show to dance into West End in 2017". BBC News. April 22, 2016.
  11. ^ "'Cats' Breakout Robbie Fairchild Brings Broadway + New York City Ballet to the Big Screen". www.backstage.com. December 19, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "A New Musical Netflix Series Starring Robbie Fairchild and Jenna Dewan Drops Tomorrow". Dance Magazine. December 17, 2019.
  13. ^ Bamigboye, Baz (September 27, 2023). "Breaking Baz: Broadway's Robbie Fairchild To Star In Stage Adaptation Of Oscar Winner 'The Artist'; West End's Gary Wilmot & Briana Craig Also Cast". Deadline.
  14. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (February 29, 2024). "See Who's Joining Robbie Fairchild in World Premiere Stage Adaptation of The Artist". Playbill.
  15. ^ "The Artist". Playbill. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  16. ^ "Robbie Fairchild Can Do Ballet, Broadway, and Even Bouquets". Town & Country. July 17, 2020.
  17. ^ Lee, Anna Grace (November 19, 2022). ""A Broadway Star Celebrates a Different Kind of Opening Night"". New York Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Fairchild, Robbie (January 12, 2024). ""As my grandma always said before hanging up the phone, 'All our love, bye for now.'"". Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)