It is 1958, the golden age of the New York City Ballet. Behind the velvet curtains and the thunderous applause of Lincoln Center lies a world of ruthless ambition, fragile egos, and the intoxicating shadow of one man: George Balanchine. To the world, he is the “Maestro.” To those in his inner circle, he is simply Mr. B.
Tonight, the performance isn’t at the theater. It’s in Mr. B’s private dining room.
The guest list is a delicate choreography of the “Jet Set”—the stars who glide across the stage and the power players who pull the strings from the wings. But as the evening progresses and the champagne flows, the “gloves-off” reality of their world begins to emerge. In this masterclass of social warfare, every witty remark is a calculated strike, and every shared memory is a potential weapon.
From the physical toll of the en pointe life to the psychological cost of being the Maestro’s muse, The Maestro’s Last Course is a biting, elegant, and uncompromising look at what happens when the lights go down and the truth finally takes center stage.
In the world of Mr. B, you are either in step—or you are out.
Author’s Note: Heavily researched, 80 percent of the dialogue is in the guests’ own words.