A lack of great new choreographers and director-choreographers?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/18/23 at 11:05pm

It seems that in the past decade, we have not seen the emergence of many great new director-choreographers. It seems particularly dire for women and people of color as choreographers and director-choreographers, especially in the musical-comedy mode. Who’s doing exceptional work at the regionals or Off-B that Broadway should be making note of?
 

The "usual suspects” have been around a long time (Casey Nicholaw, Jerry Mitchell, Susan Stroman, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Ashford) and their quality is inconsistent of late. Christopher Wheeldon is a shining light but he’s only done two shows in nine years. Blankenbuehler, Warren Carlyle, and Josh Rhodes have tried directing but are better as choreographers. A lot is riding on Christopher Gattelli for DEATH BECOMES HER and Sergio Trujillo for REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. Donna Feore and Camille A. Brown are being hired on potential.

I’m finding that some of the emerging go-to choreographers range from uninspired to poor: Lorin Latarro, Ellenore Scott, Mayte Natalio, Chris Bailey, Danny Mefford, Chase Brock, Sarah O’Gleby, Spencer Liff, Kelly Devine, etc. A few people who’ve come from other areas of dance haven’t yet returned to Broadway (Ayodele Casel, Hofesh Schecter, Michelle Dorrance). Some people have done great work on one or two shows and I’d like to see them do more: Sonya Tayeh, Denis Jones, Jennifer Webber, Rick & Jeff Kuperman, Sam Pinkleton. And of course there's Justin Peck, the most promising of all in my book.

Thoughts? Am I alone in this thinking?

[JoeW4]

Posted: 12/18/23 at 11:48pm

Dance/choreography isn't my strongest area of knowledge with theatre, but here are some scattered thoughts:

Sonya Tayeh has done a fair amount theatre, just not a lot on Bway - and she always does good work IMO.

Surprised Steven Hoggett doesn't appear anywhere in your post. He's always been one of my favorites (Sweeney Todd was the first misfire I've ever seen from him, and even then I mostly blame Kail). He's even someone who I think could try his hand at directing and do a good job, if he was ever so inclined.

Agree that Justin Peck is quite promising. And I thought he did a good job directing Illinoise, though of course that could be categorized more as "dance theatre" than "musical theatre."

For Camille A. Brown, I assume you mean she's being hired as a director on potential, right? Because obviously her choreography is pretty outstanding. She might be my favorite choreographer working right now!

I guess Savion Glover could be lumped in with "people who come from other areas of dance" but of course he did just try his hand at co-directing Pal Joey. Not to much acclaim, obviously, but the directorial choices that seemed to be his (I'm guessing) were some of the better choices IMO. I'd be curious to see him direct again.

Bill T. Jones is in the mix, I think.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/18/23 at 11:51pm

Ah I should have specified --- I intentionally left out people like Savion Glover, Steven Hoggett, and Bill T. Jones because they're choreographers who have been doing great work for more than a decade and aren't really new to the field.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 3:13am

I did enjoy Keone and Mari Madrid's choreography (for the most part) for Once Upon a One More Time, though I found them to be weak directors. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more from Justin Peck, and I'm definitely interested in seeing if he does more theater or sticks mostly to ballet.

For Andy Blankenbuehler, Only Gold wasn't that great in terms of direction, but I think Bandstand showed a lot of potential so I think he could possibly go down the director-choreographer route with a bit more experience under his belt.

I think we might also be in the era of "super athletic impressive dance" (I was having a conversation with a friend about this recently), where the dance numbers serve more as crowd pleasers rather than being tied specifically to a plot point or character development, and this could be exacerbated by things like music video dancing that audiences are used to seeing.  I think people like Sonya Tayeh and Jennifer Weber occasionally fall into this trap, but their choreography is thrilling to watch, and for the types of shows they do it's somewhat expected (I'm very curious about Gatsby at ART).

[Boq101]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 9:25am

I think there's also honestly nowadays more money to be made for those really amazing choreographers in other things. With the number of shows being put up being much less than in the past, the idea that an up-and-coming choreographer could have a show or two mounted every year and sort of naturally make their way up the chain to directing is a lot more fragmented. And now with how often shows are workshopped as two-day readings and hardly ever any workshops, they sort of become the least likely kind of director for someone to put their money on at the beginning of a project. 

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

Posted: 12/19/23 at 10:01am

We also can't forget that the legacy of the great director-choreographers comes from the pre-AIDS era.

There was sort of a dynasty; to this day, particularly at Dancers Over 40 events, you can see who came from the schools of Michael Bennett (who gave us, in a sense, Bob Avian, Baayork Lee, Michael Peters [on Dreamgirls], Thommie Walsh, etc.), Gower Champion, Bob Fosse (who gave us Christopher Chadman, Wayne Cilento, Ann Reinking, Chet Walker, etc.), Michael Kidd, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins (who gave us Peter Gennaro), Tommy Tune, and so forth.

That dynasty was interrupted in no small part by the AIDS crisis. Heirs to the throne were cut down before they could flourish or, in some cases, even bloom, and I think we missed out on decades of innovation as a result. For example, every few years, people talk about reviving Grand Hotel: The Musical, and what always scuttles it is that no director, choreographer, or combination thereof can bring what Tommy Tune brought to that show in their own unique way. At least in my opinion, part of the problem is that there are missing links in the chain that would have created that person, and that's why we can't think of any stager right now who can bring something akin to what Tommy did. A Jerry Mitchell or a Susan Stroman are brilliant in their own way at what they do, but they're not legends on the level of the greats, and I think it's because they don't have the competition that could have been their whetstone and made them truly majestic.

It's heartbreaking, but important to remember and acknowledge.

Updated On: 12/19/23 at 10:01 AM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 10:09am

What has changed is the base training ground for chroegoraphers. The great choreographers of the Golden Age of Musical Theatre all came from the world of ballet and classical dance, which is rooted in using dance and pantomime to tell a story.  Most of the choregraphers today come from contemporary dance which isn't focosed on those idioms.  

As a result, most choreographers today don't truly know how to use movement as an extension of revealing character or telling a story. They focus instead on things like generic audience pleasing athleticism. 

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 10:39am

QueenAlice said: "What has changed is the base training ground for chroegoraphers. The great choreographers of the Golden Age of Musical Theatre all came from the world of ballet and classical dance, which is rooted in using dance and pantomime to tell a story. Most of the choregraphers today come from contemporary dance which isn't focosed on those idioms.

As a result, most choreographers today don't truly know how to use movement as an extension of revealing character or telling a story.They focus instead on things like generic audience pleasing athleticism."

This. These director/choreos have a different jumping off point. 

Three that immediately came to mind reading this thread were Josh Rhodes, Keone/Mari Madrid, and Andy Blankenbuehler. I thought OUAOMT had potential that was dulled by two directors with no hands on directing training. Rhodes and Blankenbuehler read as choreographers that were given directing duties. It reads amateurish in their productions.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 10:44am

Good points being made here.

I think there ARE a lot of other outlets for choreo nowadays, and opportunities for people like James Alsop or Mia Michaels to try out Broadway, but I don't know if those are keeping people away from Broadway. There's a lot of short contracts.

I'm, anecdotally, finding the ones who come up as associate choreographers and then branch out on their own are among those in the "uninspired to poor" category. Warren Carlyle might be the best modern example (if trying to become a director/choreographer for 20 years counts as modern), but he still hasn't directed a successful show. I assume if a dancer like Robbie Fairchild wanted to try his hand at choreographing, he could do so (at least regionally or off-B in the way that Jared Grimes and Stephanie Klemons have tried to break in as choreographers in their own right).

I wonder also if some of the choreo problems come from shows being workshopped to death in 2-3 week increments, where there isn't enough time to devote to big dance numbers? That paired with the natural evolution of smaller, character-driven musicals that don't have as many opportunities for dance, and shows being developed at nonprofits with small stages and thus smaller casts.

Updated On: 12/19/23 at 10:44 AM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 10:47am

Also worth noting -- I think in the Golden Age of Musical Theatre, as shows were being wrritten there was a consideration amongst the writing and creative team about how dance would be involved as a story telling device.  An example of this is the number "Tradition" in FIDDLER. The song was written in collaboration with Jerome Robbins in consideration of how Robbins wanted to introduce a coheasive dance vocabulary into the production's staging.

I don't think we see this kind of collaboration between composers/directors/choreographers in the writing process as often today.

 

[Kad]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 11:32am

Raja Feather Kelly.

[Chaz Hands]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 12:08pm

I personally am excited to see how Danny Mefford’s career continues to grow in the next few years.

I think his choreography work is very story-driven, so I’m optimistic that his directing will be well-informed, too.

I also think we need to give some grace though to newer director/choreographers because it is a hard role to break into, especially when so many of the “classics” are still working such as Casey Nicholaw, Jerry Mitchell, Susan Stroman, etc. 

[Ensemble1698878795]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 12:09pm

Josh Rhodes! 

[elc234]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 11:24am

I honestly think this isn't from a lack of talented choreographers. Cast sizes continue to get smaller. The ensemble has to cover all of the leads. I don't think contemporary shows are allowing choreographers and dancers to shine.

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 1:33pm

Speaking from the regions, I want to throw two names in the mix that have done exceptional work, in my opinion, again and again.

First is Dennis Jones. Who, of course, has choreographed a couple of Broadway shows (quite impressively, in my opinion). I find his movement creative, original, exciting, and deeply based in story. He was a protegee of Stroman, and the influence is clearly felt. He's a person whose work I always seek out, and I'm surprised his Broadway work hasn't made him a more recognizable name yet.

The second is Katie Spelman. A director/choreographer who started her career in Chicago but is now New York-based. Earlier this year, she did a stunning production of Once at Writers Theatre, just outside of Chicago, that--for my money--equalled and exceeded John Tiffany's staging. Several years ago she did a beautiful Cabaret as good as any I've seen. She'll be making her Broadway choreography debut this spring with The Notebook, although that show is not terribly heavy on dance. But I am sure she will soon be a very sought after name on major, high-profile musicals.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 3:42pm

I am very excited to see what Josh Rhodes does in his future. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 4:06pm

I am frustrated that Josh Rhodes has not had an opportunity to direct more in NYC.  In recent years, he has directed productions of Evita, Cabaret and The Sound of Music at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota.  His work on all three was spectacularly outstanding.  If his direction of Evita had been used by ART, Evita might right now be a hit on Broadway.  IT was that good and never seemed derivative of the original Prince direction. (I am sure he would not have cast the lead from ART).

I have seen 6 different productions of Cabaret that I can remember, and I honestly liked his version the best.  It certainly had the best ending, one that was truly shattering.  This is not to diminish the Prince and Mendes versions.  I'll acknowledge that he had the advantage that those productions had already existed, but he really added to the greatness of the production). 

Re SOM, I had no desire to see it, but went begrudgingly.  His staging made the performance outstanding.  

Someone needs to give him a shot at a new musical or at least a new revival with a decent budget.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 5:45pm

I loved Josh Rhodes' work in Bright Star. I look forward to his return to Broadway.

[dan94]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 10:24pm

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "We also can't forget that the legacy of the great director-choreographers comes from the pre-AIDS era.

That dynasty was interrupted in no small part by the AIDS crisis. Heirs to the throne were cut down before they could flourish or, in some cases, even bloom, and I think we missed out on decades of innovation as a result.

A Jerry Mitchell or a Susan Stroman are brilliant in their own way at what they do, but they're not legends on the level of the greats, and I think it's because they don't have the competition that could have been their whetstone and made them truly majestic."

I find it interesting you bring up Jerry Mitchell, because he very much is the 'missing link' in the problem you describe. Jerry Mitchell assisted Jerry Robbins on Jerome Robbins Broadway, was one of a few assistants on Michael Bennett's Scandal. He also assisted Jeff Calhoun who was overseen by Tommy Tune on the Grease revival. Unless you are saying there was a lack of competition for him to get jobs when he came of age, he certainly has a pedigree very few do. (I overall agree with your post btw.)

I think part of the problem in lack of great director/choreographers is financial in a different sense than was previously mentioned in the thread. Fosse and Robbins and Bennett are auteurs. There are other collaborators but the audience ultimately sat and watched the Director/Choreographer's perspective. It was the loudest authorial voice.

No one is giving Camille A Brown $20mill and giving her space to create the musical of her dreams. She is put on the Alicia Keys jukebox show and although she could likely direct that show herself, they bring in an endlessly tried and true director to further 'protect the investment'. 

Too many producers, with opinions they feel they cannot put aside considering the money at stake, leads to a dearth of the style of Auteurship that cements a Director/Choreographer's standing.

Updated On: 12/20/23 at 10:24 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 10:42pm

I'm sure if Camille Brown had an idea for a musical that she wanted to direct/choreograph/oversee from the ground up, she could easily get it off the ground. Someplace like The Public or NYTW or the National would gladly aid in the development of it, with or without a commercial partner. Same with other choreographers and directors of her stature.

I think we're also seeing that the emerging "new class" of directors aren't choreographers. They come from plays (Danya Taymor directing The Outsiders) or regional theatre (Jessica Stone directing Kimberly).

Updated On: 12/20/23 at 10:42 PM

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 11:40pm

Sam Pinkleton all the way.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 12/20/23 at 11:50pm

BETTY22 said: "I am very excited to see what Josh Rhodes does in his future."

Agree 100%

[John Adams]

Posted: 12/22/23 at 12:06am

I have a personal bias re: Josh Rhodes as he was a participant in a Decatur Park District program that I was in charge of way, way back when he and I both were much younger. (FYI, I DO NOT claim to be the "dance father" he credits in other interviews). Still, because I knew him when, I'm ecstatic for his professional success.

It does not matter to me whether Josh's acclaim comes from his work on Broadway or in regional theater. I feel that wherever he works, his accomplishments will be superior. His accolades will be well deserved!

The choreographer's work I currently most enjoy watching is Justin Peck's. I LOVED his work in Carousel. Does it matter to me if he directs, also? Nope, Not unless it matters to him.

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

Posted: 12/22/23 at 11:23am

@dan94: Jerry is the missing link only in his pedigree. In my personal opinion, which others are free to disagree with, none of his work shows the promise of that lineage.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/22/23 at 12:03pm

Jerry Mitchell may be able to channel the joy of a Tommy Tune show, but above all he is a populist, more aligned with Gower Champion. He's not doing crazy things like trying to resurrect a musical people thought was dead (GRAND HOTEL) or create something from nothing (MY ONE AND ONLY) or create a bio-musical of a lesser-known American figure (Will Rogers Follies) or a musical about a whorehouse.

I don't know if there's anyone equivalent to Tune nowadays who can take weird ideas and turn them into crowdpleasing stagings.