My first important New York credit as choreographer was the charming revue RICHARD NIXON IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PHNOM PENH. It was an unusual and also groundbreaking revue, in that there was no music of any sort.

But even as he composed the withering missal in his mind, Mandelbaum knew quite well that self praise, no matter how accurate, was not the answer. Something more was called for.