David Hyde Pierce, Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee, Tony Yazbeck and More to Present at 2017 Chita Rivera Awards

The 2017 Chita Rivera Awards will be presented on September 11, 2017, directed by four-time Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner and hosted by Two-time Tony and two-time Emmy Award winner Bebe Neuwirth. Produced by American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21) and its Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Nikki Feirt Atkins in association with Patricia Watt, the Chita Rivera Awards have announced award presenters today.

Presenters include: Chris Noth, David Hyde Pierce, Carmen De Lavallade, Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee, Priscilla Lopez, Nikki M. James, Tony Yazbeck, Karen Ziemba, Melissa Errico, Jerry Zaks, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Lee Roy Reams, and Pam McKinnon.

To celebrate the evening, Tony Yazbeck will be joining ADM21 and will be featured in the Grand Hotel number.

The evening will include a performance by Robert Fairchild and Melanie Moore, dancing a duet from La La Land as well as performances from: A Bronx Tale, Come From Away, Off-Broadway'sSweet Charity and previously announced performances by The New York City Ballet honoring Ms. Rivera, and ADM21 performing "We'll Take A Glass Together" from Grand Hotel to honor a Tommy Tune and "Manson Trio" to honor Diane Paulus.

Theater and dance legend Tommy Tune will be presented with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, Diane Paulus will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theater Award as director and Antonio Vendome will receive the Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Humanities Award. The Clive Barnes Foundation will receive The Douglas Watt Award for Editorial Excellence in Dance and Musical Theater.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence. The awards seek to continue that vision by not only celebrating the superb achievement of each nominee but by recognizing the immeasurable talents and passion of every theatrical choreographer and dancer.

Nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers and ensemble in shows on Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as, outstanding choreography in film, that opened in the 2016-2017 season. Nominations for the productions under consideration this season were determined by the designated Nominating Committees. There are separate Nominating Committees for Broadway, Off Broadway and Film. There is an Awarding Committee for Broadway, which determines the final nominations that are received from the Broadway Nominations Committee.

Tickets for the Chita Rivera Awards are currently on sale and can be purchased at www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com. Ticket prices are as follows: $100 for the Awards show only, $500 for the Awards show and VIP after party at Sardi's, and $5,000 for Awards show and table of 10 at the VIP after party at Sardi's.

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (ADM21), founded in2012, is dedicated to creating a living and vibrant archive of classic and current notable musical theater choreography. ADM21 is continuing the legacy of the late Lee Theodore, who established The American Dance Machine in 1976. Theodore created a "Living Archive" of musical theater dance to address her belief that "many great choreographic works are lost with the musical they once embellished." Of concern was that the artistry of each dance would vanish with the artists who created them. That was the impetus that drove The American Dance Machine from its pilot program in 1976 to its final days following the death of Lee Theodore in the late 1980s.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff