Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladinoare unconcerned that a TV show they create will be too niche, even when it comes to the often-obscure world of ballet.
Nearly two years from the last episode of the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this husband-and-wife team of writers/directors/executive producers are presenting Étoile, about two ballet companies –- one in New York and the other in Paris -- who swap lead dancers and choreographers in order boost the attendance and viability of both companies.
The creative minds behind Maisel,Bunheads, Gilmore Girls, and now, Étoile, say “we go with things that we feel in our gut."
“We never try to be too obscure. We feel like we have a sense that there’s an audience out there for something that we want to do,” Dan Palladino exclusively explains to Parade. “We would, of course, hope that people who aren’t naturally drawn to the ballet would still watch the show for the workplace comedy aspect of it, with the workplace being a ballet studio, and the fish out of water story in both countries.”
“I think everybody can relate to wanting something and having it taken away from you, or having it slip away,” adds Sherman-Palladino. “Or making a decision that you realize way too late took you in the wrong direction.”
Related: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein Tell Us How They Found Their 'Natural Chemistry'
Luke Kirby in the Prime Video series Étoile.Étoile, the new series from Prime Video, premieres on April 24, with Luke Kirby, who played Lenny Bruce in Maisel, as the leading man. He portrays Jack, the head of the American dance company. Additional cast members include French film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg (Genevieve) and Lou de Laage, (Cheyenne), Gideon Glick (Tobias), also from Maisel, and Yanic Truesdale(Raphael) from Gilmore Girls.
While some may see Étoile as a super niche series because of the ballet theme, Sherman-Palladino does not. “I think you make a mistake if you believe that if you like something that the audience is not going to get it. Audiences are much smarter than we give them credit for,” she said. “We just go along and create characters who we want to hang out with, and who we find funny and amusing.”
She adds that it's about “hearing their voices in my head and hearing the dialogue. If you can do that, you are on the right track, and you hope that other people will like it, too.”
Of course, setting a production in the world of ballet and making it feel realistic presents a unique set of hoops to jump through.
"The amount of scheduling, shooting dates, getting into theaters in Paris and at Lincoln Center was a major challenge," says Sherman-Palladino. “We could not have made it harder on ourselves, but it was completely worth it.”
Related: 'Étoile' Stars Reveal the 'Family' Aspect That Brings Them Back to the Sherman-Palladinos (Exclusive)
Gideon Glick and Yanic Truesdale in ÉtoileSome 25 years ago, the duo created Gilmore Girls, which initially had a small but loyal audience, and recently has had a resurgence on Netflix. They went on to create Bunheads, which only ran for one season, about a group of girls growing up in a small town, who embrace ballet and are mentored by a former Vegas showgirl played by Sutton Foster. This was followed by Maisel, which won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and earned Sherman-Palladino a coveted Peabody Award.
Related: 'Mrs. Maisel' Stars Say Friendship Forged on Set Will Last 'Forever'
One key to the success of their various TV series is a loyal crew and cast who want to follow these creators. There are actors from each of their earlier TV projects in Étoile, and much of the behind-the-camera crew from Maisel returned, which add to the "nurturing family feel" of the production.
“I am most proud of people enjoying being on the set, because a lot of actors, even those doing extremely great projects, have bad associations with sets and the tension that can be there,” says Palladino.
“We try to make the sets very actor-friendly. Our crew is very actor-conscious. What they are doing is so hard, it’s so bare, and it’s constantly being judged. So, it's important that any tension must be left off stage. We’ve kicked producers off the stage for talking too much about scheduling,” Sherman-Palladino adds.
That loyalty is so strong that two of the ballerinas, who were 11 and 16 during Bunheads, now portray dancers in Étoile.
“We always felt that there was unfinished business with Bunheads,” Palladino says, “but this show gave us the opportunity to show what happens when you achieve top status. From the beginning, we find out that Cheyenne, at age 32, is already worrying about how much time she has left. It’s a very short-lived pursuit.”
Related: 'Étoile' Gets a Release Date: Everything to Know About the New Show From the Creators of 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
When it comes to Étoile, they strongly believe that “there’s nothing about ballet that is above people. We think that people who think that ballet is for somebody else, hopefully, will tune in for the comedy and realize that ballet is for everybody; it’s just great storytelling,” Sherman-Palladino adds, noting that they created the part of Jack for Kirby after working closely with him on Maisel.
“We wanted Luke to anchor our next show,” she says, “because we wanted to spend more time with him, because Lenny Bruce didn’t work enough days. We think Luke is the most fabulous leading man walking around out there, and we wanted to grab him before someone else did. To do that, you’ve got to create a show for him and put him in it.”
Gideon Glick in the Prime Video series, ÉtoileRelated: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Marin Hinkle: “Rachel Brosnahan is Like a Daughter to Me”
When asked if there could be more Maisel or Gilmore Girls, Sherman-Palladino agrees with the many fans who would love to revisit these favorite characters, but says it’s a matter of scheduling and timing.
“I would always want more Maisel. I wanted more Maisel at the time,” she says. “For Gilmore, we never say never, not because we are being coy, but because sometimes it’s difficult to get these very busy actors together in one space where they can say the words that we give them," adds Sherman-Palladino. "There is nothing more fun than hanging out for hours with Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham and Maisel’sRachel Brosnahan. I could hang out with those two awesome women for the rest of my life.”
Étoile premieres on April 24 on Prime Video.
Next,The Surprising French Travel Destination Everyone Should Visit at Least Once, According to Getaway Guru Darley Newman
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 'Gilmore Girls' Creators Explain Why Fans Will Love Their New Ballet Series 'Étoile' (Exclusive) )
Also on site :
- ‘This is about more than burgers and fries’: Boycott of McDonald’s to begin this week
- Trump announces Iran and Israel have agreed to a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE"
- Royals Option Kyle Wright