TONY AWARD for CHOREOGRAPHY PIPPIN

[troynow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:26am

I am confused. I have seen Pippin the original and the new version. How does someone get nominated for Choreography after stealing someone elses work>???? Someone meaning BOB FOSSE. Thoughts?

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 9:33am

Well, for one thing, it's not a steal. It's only choreographed in Fosse's style, meaning they use a lot of moves he used but not the exact same steps, with the exclusion of exactly one dance segment that is step for step his, and credited properly to him in the program.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:06am

That's a very good question, troynow.

Why don't you do research a little about who this man Chet Walker is, what he's done before, what his connection to Bob Fosse was--and get back to us with your answer.

[troynow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 10:51am

Actually I have done the research. He was FIRED fromt he original run not! Just like he was FIRED from FOSSE by Gwen herself. So thats why I am confused as to why the nomination. The research is there. Being apart of the original production meaning opening night does not give a person a TONY.

The history is there. I have the research. And there is ALOT more on that stage then just one EXACT number.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:05am

Did you join today just to stir up some unnecessary SH*T?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:10am

I would imagine that most Tony winners over the years have been fired--sorry, FIRED--from one project or another.

I don't get your point.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 11:15am

Oh, don't be so dramatic.

Fosse and Bennett and Robbins liked to fire people and hire them back.

It's just the way choreographers were back then.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 12:02pm

Does anyone know how Walker got this gig?
Was Reinking approached?
And who has to OK the use of FOSSE'S work, is it just his daughter, is she "the estate" of his work?

[bobs3]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 12:23pm

Bob Fosse named Gwen Verdon his literary executor in his will -- meaning she had exclusive rights to all of Fosse's choreography and who can use it. When Ms. Verdon died she named her daughter Nicole Fosse as executor of all of Bob Fosse's intellectual property. The Fosse estate reportedly quietly reached a financial settlement between Beyonce, her record label and her choreographer for plagiarism over the "Single Ladies" video.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 1:13pm

I don't believe there is any ill will between the Fosse estate and Chet Walker, who the originator of the idea of doing the show "Fosse" and was credited thusly:

Original Choreography by Bob Fosse
Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr., Chet Walker and Ann Reinking
Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Co-Director: Ann Reinking
Co-Choreographer: Ann Reinking
Choreography recreated by Chet Walker

In a 1999 article, veteran theater reporter Sylviane Gold of Newsday write the following article about the genesis of the show, in which she recounted:

Surprisingly, the project originated 13 years ago [in 1986], when Fosse was still alive. Chet Walker, who had danced in a number of Fosse shows and was the dance captain on the 1986 revival of "Charity," suggested putting together an anthology show. Walker and Verdon made some preliminary stabs at training dancers in the special Fosse style, but when Fosse died of a heart attack while "Sweet Charity" was trying out in Washington, D.C., the project was put on indefinite hold. "I just dropped everything to see that the family was OK," says Verdon. "But in '91, I called Chet and said, `Let's start again.'"

The OP's nasty tone seems silly. Even the most hardened Fosse-ites seems to be thrilled that Walker is involved with this. If not for him, this revival would not have as much of the Fosse-ish feel as it does.

I think the OP's post is manufactured outrage, posted here in the hopes of creating a controversy.
dearest - GWEN VERDON, ANN REINKING and NICOLE FOSSE - share

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 1:17pm

How does someone get nominated for Choreography after stealing someone elses work>???? Someone meaning BOB FOSSE.

Did you know Ann Reinking won for the revival of Chicago? Thoughts?

[troynow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 2:36pm

First and foremost, I have always been apart of the message board, however my email address has changed and thus I had to create a new profile.

That said, there is no "controversy". I am just confused. This nomination would be like giving the award to Joey Mckneely for west Side Story. When the bulk of the work belong to credited Jerome Robbins and uncredited Peter Genarro.

However this project wouldn't be so offensive to me, if Chet hadn't been advertisoing that he was apart of the original company of Pippin. There are many survivng and working Pippin originals who could have helped bring this current revival in. Let's see, Eileen Casy, Ann Reinking, Valarie Pettiford, Candy Brown, Kate Wright, Kathryn Doby, Candy Brown to name a few! So they could have remained pure but didn't. This isn't the point the point is I just didn't see enough new choreography on the stage to claim its Chet's and then to honor it with a Tony. At least when Anc revived Chicago the original and the current version were and are vastly different. Thus it warrents a Tony!

And for the record when Chet was given Co-creator credit itsbbecause he lost out on a contractual deal!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 3:26pm

When you scream about people being FIRED then you're implying there was some kind of controversy. The Playbill credits the original Manson Trio choreography to Fosse. Chet is doing it in the Fosse style so there is no issue here.

Please stop typing with your feet if you're going to continue to reply.

[evic]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 4:22pm

While a lot of the choreography is in the style of Fosse, Walker uses exact original choreogrpahy not only in Manson Trio, but in Magic To Do, War is a Science and Glory. The less said about Extraordinary and Right Track, the better. Despite all that, I liked the show a lot. As for Reinking, she did a better job of using Fosse style in a somewhat different way, save for Hot Honey Rag (which btw is not exactly the original. If you care to see that, check out Chita and Gwen doing it on youtube on the Howard Cossell or Mike Douglas show, where these goddesses end the number in a full split after the cartwheel!!!!!) Sorry Josh Rhodes didn't get a nomination for his beautiful work in Cinderella...Mitchell didn't deserve one this time around. And I don't think that Valerie Pettiford ever did the Broadway run of PIppin.

[troynow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 5:19pm

THANK YOU! So righjt and true about Ann Reinking and the blatent use of MUCH more original choreographjy used than just Manson Trio.

All I thought was that its seems uinfair to credit and or award someone even with a nomination and the bulk of the work is original. YEs! Josh should have been nominated for choreography, oif nothing else its original!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 5:22pm

Do you always have to be righjt, troy?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 5:58pm

The only thing I agree with this is that Josh Rhodes's beautiful, balletic, expert work should've been nominated over Jerry Mitchell's bland and boring dances in Kinky Boots. It seems obvious from clips of both shows alone that proves what seems to be a very obvious difference, yet I would be a much happier young man if Chet Walker would share the honor with Gypsy Snider who seemed to be the one that REINVENTED the musical much like Bob Fosse did with his original genius many years ago. But I am still fine with Walker it's just Mitchell who should've been snubbed in the grand scheme of things.

Still happy for Peter Darling.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 6:04pm

I agree, Musical Master. I think Gypsy Snider should have been jointly eligible for Choreography as her circus creations elevate not only the choreography but the whole production. Songs like "Simple Joys" and "No Time at All" are not the same without the circus elements. Snider was included in the Drama Desk nomination.

And yes, I would have loved to see Josh Rhodes recognized. Updated On: 5/2/13 at 06:04 PM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/2/13 at 6:11pm

^At least the Outer Critics and Drama Desk people ACTUALLY have brains. LOL

(When it comes to Josh Rhodes) Updated On: 5/2/13 at 06:11 PM