“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is airing its final episode at the end of May, and if you’re already wishing upon a star for a new Sherman-Palladino show, we have some good news.
“Étoile” — which means “star” in French — is the name of a new dance show that the TV power couple is currently working on. It will star nice Canadian boy Luke Kirby, who played Lenny Bruce in “Maisel.” So far, the show has one Jewish cast member, Gideon Glick, who plays the extremely lovable illusionist Alfie on the fourth and fifth seasons of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
“Danseur etoile” means star dancer and is the title of the principal dancer in French ballet. The show, filmed both in New York and in Paris (guess that “Maisel” Paris stint was very inspiring!), is about two world-renowned ballet companies who, in an attempt to financially save themselves, swap their star dancers. French “Call My Agent!” actress Camille Cottin and “Outlander” actor Simon Callow feature in the cast. It also stars award-winning French actress Lou de Laâge and David Alvarez (“West Side Story”) — both of whom have extensive dance backgrounds.
This isn’t the Sherman-Palladinos’ first dance show. They previously worked on “Bunheads” in which Sutton Foster stars as a former ballerina turned Vegas chorus girl who marries a former fan and moves to his small coastal town, where she ends up running a ballet school with her mother in law (Kelly Bishop). The 2009 ABC show was cancelled after one season, much to the consternation of its devoted fans. Hopefully, some of them will be comforted by this new show.
Fun fact: “Etoile” is also the name of a 1989 movie starring the daughter of Yeshiva student Ilene Connelly — Jennifer Connelly. Yet while the Sherman-Palladinos gave us one of the most Jewish shows ever made on TV, I doubt that “Etoile” will have much Jewish content (though I’d love to be dissuaded of this notion!), since most of their shows prior to “Maisel” did not have much Jewish rep (no, I’m not forgetting Paris Geller!). And as Sarah Elizabeth Hartman wrote in Hey Alma, ballet itself has a diversity problem — and a Jewish problem. While there are some famous Jewish ballet dancers, from Melissa Hayden to Alicia Markova to Michaella DePrince, it is still mostly a Christian, white space — which I hope the show will address.
Still, I’m glad that the fast-paced dialogue TV universe of the Sherman-Palladinos will keep expanding, and that “Maisel” will not be their last hurrah.
