On Tony nominations Day Eve, a new tradition has emerged: The Chita Rivera Award Nominees Reception, celebrating the best in choreography on Broadway, Off Broadway, and Film.
I had the chance to catch up with some of this year's nominees: James T. Lane ( KISS ME KATE) Angie Schworer (THE PROM) , Ashley Blair Fitzgerald (CHER SHOW) , Dionne Figgins (SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE), Rick and Jeff Kuperman (ALICE BY HEART), Shea Sullivan (NEUROSIS, A MUSICAL THAT GETS IN YOUR HEAD), Denis Jones (TOOTSIE) Sergio Trujillo ( AIN'T TOO PROUD) Please Enjoy My Conversation with these fabulous folks.
2019 Chita Rivera Award Nominees
BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Choreography
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Outstanding Male Dancer
Corbin Bleu, Kiss Me Kate
Rick Faugno, Kiss Me Kate
James T. Lane, Kiss Me Kate
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Outstanding Female Dancer
Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, The Cher Show
Gabrielle Hamilton, Oklahoma!
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Angie Schworer, The Prom
Outstanding Ensemble
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Hadestown
King Kong
Kiss Me Kate
The Cher Show
The Prom
OFF-BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Raja Feather Kelly, If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice By Heart
Lorin Latarro, Merrily We Roll Along
Shea Sullivan, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
Outstanding Male Dancer
Brennan Caldwell, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
Zachary Downer, Alice By Heart
Brendan Henderson, Cleopatra
Jelani Remy, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Wesley Taylor, Alice By Heart
Outstanding Female Dancer
Emma Degerstedt, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Mia Dilena, Alice By Heart
Irina Dvorovenko, The Beast in the Jungle
Dionne D. Figgins, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Naomi Kakuk, The Beast in the Jungle
Outstanding Ensemble
Alice By Heart , MCC Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka, Playwrights Horizons
Smokey Joe’s Café, Steven Baruch, Mark Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel
Twelfth Night, The Public Theater
FILM NOMINATIONS:
Theatrical Release
Isn’t It Romantic – (Release date, February 13, 2019, Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth) Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli; Additional Choreography, Nick Kenkel, Assistant Choreographer, Jon Rua
Mary Poppins Returns – (Release date, December 19, 2018, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Choreographers: Rob Marshall & John DeLuca; Co-Choreographer, Joey Pizzi; Associate Choreographer, Tara Nichole Hughes, Assistant Choreographer: Marlon Pelayo
Shine – (Release date, October 6, 2018, Alysia Reiner, David Zayas)
Director of Choreography: Lyrik Cruz, Choreographers, Charlie Garcia, Osmar Perrones, Grisselle Ponce
Swimming with Men – (Release date, December 7, 2018, Rob Brydon, Rupert Graves) Choreographer: Caroline Pope
The Nutcracker and The Far Realms – (Release date, November 2, 2018, Misty Copeland)
Choreographer: Liam Scarlett
Documentaries
Ballet Now – (Release date, July 20, 2018; Tiler Peck)
Director: Steven Cantor
Bathtubs Over Broadway – (Release date, November 30, 2018; Tribeca Film Festival Award Winner prior and other festivals, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, etc.)
Director: Dava Whisenent
Hot to Trot – (Release date, NY, August 24, 2018, nationwide rollout to follow)
Director: Gail Freedman
If The Dancer Dances – (Release date, July 24, 2018, Dance on Camera Festival)
Director, Maia Weschler
Moving Stories, Lives Transformed By Dance – (Release Date, August 11, 2018, Battery Dance Festival, MoMa)
Director: Rob Fruchtman, Wilderness Films, Producer
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