John Carrafa
Latest News on John Carrafa
Bio:
Two Time Tony Nominated Choreographer of URINETOWN and INTO THE WOODS.
John Carrafa is a two-time Tony Nominated, Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle and Obie Award winning Broadway director/choreographer. He's also a Media Choreography Award and World Dance Feature Film ...
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Latest News on John Carrafa
Stage Credits
Productions
OBIE AWARD 2002
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PerformancesProductions
John Carrafa Biography
Two Time Tony Nominated Choreographer of URINETOWN and INTO THE WOODS.John Carrafa is a two-time Tony Nominated, Lortel Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle and Obie Award winning Broadway director/choreographer. He's also a Media Choreography Award and World Dance Feature Film Award winning television and film choreographer.
Broadway credits include: URINETOWN THE MUSICAL (Tony Nomination), James Lapine's DIRTY BLONDE, Terrance MacNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! DANCE OF DEATH with Ian Mckellan and Helen Mirren, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and GOOD VIBRATIONS, which he also directed. He received a TONY NOMINATION for his work collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on a new Broadway production of INTO THE WOODS starring Vanessa Williams and worked with Sondheim again on A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Kennedy Center starring Kristen Bell and Blair Brown. Also at the Kennedy Center, he choreographed Richard Wagner's RING CYCLE for the Washington Opera, starring Placido Domingo.
He's choreographed three musicals for the NY City Center Encores Series, OUT OF THIS WORLD, THE PAJAMA GAME and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER.
He's been a collaborator both as a director and choreographer in the creation of countless original musicals. He won Best Director both at the NY MUSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL and the Daegu, Korea INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL for his direction of the original musical ACADEMY and choreographed the original musical version of FINDING NEMO at Disneyworld.
Recent television credits include Julian Fellowes THE GILDED AGE, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, DEAD TO ME, SUCCESSION, BARRY, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, Stephen Soderbergh's THE KNICK, TRANSPARENT, THE BLACK LIST, BLUE BLOODS, MANIAC, HAPPY! HAPPYISH, NURSE JACKIE, PRODIGAL SON and the Disney Musical FREAKY FRIDAY. He choreographed the Emmy winning "Eat Shit Bob" mega-musical number for LAST WEEK WITH JOHN OLIVER. He was series choreographer for six seasons of the ABC/CMT show NASHVILLE which he also directed and as well as Season 1 of EMPIRE.
Upcoming television includes Season 4 of WESTWORLD, Season 2 of THE GILDED AGE, the new Scott L. Burns drama EXTRAPOLATIONS, starring Meryl Streep, Daveed Diggs, Toby Maguire, Forrest Whitaker and Marion Cotillard, THREE WOMEN starring Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin and DeWanda Wise, LOOT starring Maya Rudolph, and the new David E. Kelly crime drama, THE MISSING, directed by Barry Levinson.
He pioneered the use of Motion Capture technology to create choreography on THE POLAR EXPRESS for to win the Media Choreography Award and received the World Dance Feature Film for SOMETHING BORROWED. Other films include THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, BRIDE WARS, ANALYZE THAT, IF I STAY, LET'S BE COPS, THE OTHER GUYS, REBEL IN THE RYE, THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO and THE CHAPERONE.
Broadway credits include: URINETOWN THE MUSICAL (Tony Nomination), James Lapine's DIRTY BLONDE, Terrance MacNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! DANCE OF DEATH with Ian Mckellan and Helen Mirren, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES and GOOD VIBRATIONS, which he also directed. He received a TONY NOMINATION for his work collaborating with Stephen Sondheim on a new Broadway production of INTO THE WOODS starring Vanessa Williams and worked with Sondheim again on A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Kennedy Center starring Kristen Bell and Blair Brown. Also at the Kennedy Center, he choreographed Richard Wagner's RING CYCLE for the Washington Opera, starring Placido Domingo.
He's choreographed three musicals for the NY City Center Encores Series, OUT OF THIS WORLD, THE PAJAMA GAME and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER.
He's been a collaborator both as a director and choreographer in the creation of countless original musicals. He won Best Director both at the NY MUSICAL THEATER FESTIVAL and the Daegu, Korea INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL for his direction of the original musical ACADEMY and choreographed the original musical version of FINDING NEMO at Disneyworld.
Other work includes Creative Director/Producer for the National Basketball Association, Director for concerts such as CAROLE KING AND FRIENDS at Madison Square Garden and the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME CONCERT with Paul Macartney, Director/choreographer of the alternative circus, CIRQUE BERZERK at the Nokia Center and co-creator and director of the musical SHOWDOWN which has been running on Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2008.
He has choreographed music videos for SARAH BAREILLES, EDITORS, GREG LASWELL as well as MACHINE GUN KELLY's live Perfomance at the 2022 VMA Awards.
Commercials for a countless top brands including VERA WANG, SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL, ATT, SPRINT, OLD NAVY, THE GAP, BARNES & NOBLE.
He's known for being equally comfortable choreographing both lead actors with little or no dance training, and highly trained technical dancers. With the philosophy that everyone can dance, his calm and methodical approach has brought out the inner dancer in a countless number of the biggest stars in our industry. Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Daveed Diggs, Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Connie Britton, Kate Hudson are just a few.
John Carrafa Awards and Nominations
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2002 - Outstanding Choreography | ||
John Carrafa, Urinetown | ||
The Lortels - 2002 - Outstanding Choreographer ![]() |
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John Carrafa, Urinetown | ||
Tony Awards - 2002 - Best Choreography | ||
John Carrafa, Into the Woods | ||
Tony Awards - 2002 - Best Choreography | ||
John Carrafa, Urinetown The Musical | ||
Drama Desk Awards - 2001 - Outstanding Choreography ![]() |
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John Carrafa, Urinetown |
John Carrafa News

by A.A. Cristi - Jun 7, 2022
Distinguished artists from across the nation's entertainment industry came together at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood for The 24 Hour Musicals, the intensive theatrical endeavor where stars from Broadway, film and TV write, compose, rehearse and perform four original musicals within 24 hours. Now, the show premieres tonight on Stellar at 5:30 PT/8:30 ET and will be available through June.

by Stephi Wild - May 25, 2022
On May 23, 2022, distinguished artists from across the nation's entertainment industry came together in Los Angeles for The 24 Hour Musicals, the intensive theatrical endeavor where stars from Broadway, film and TV come together to write, compose, rehearse and perform four original musicals within 24 hours at the Bourbon Room.

by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 17, 2022
On May 23, 2022, distinguished artists from across the nation’s entertainment industry will come together in Los Angeles for The 24 Hour Musicals, the intensive theatrical endeavor where stars from Broadway, film and TV come together to write, compose, rehearse and perform four original musicals within a 24 hour time span at the Bourbon Room.

by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 29, 2021
Dress Circle Publishing has announced the release of THE UNTOLD STORIES OF BROADWAY, VOLUME 4, the latest in a series by historian and producer Jennifer Ashley Tepper. The book will be available on Tuesday, March 9 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the 2020-2021 Broadway shutdown.

by Stephi Wild - Dec 7, 2020
The Broadway Green Alliance has just launched a free, online Toolkit outlining sustainable resources for the theatre community as they plan for reopening.

by Stephi Wild - Apr 3, 2020
On Monday, April 6th, the latest installment of Erik Liberman's Bridge to Broadway online training platform launches. Bridge matches theatre students and emerging artists around the world with Broadway luminaries, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund.

by Stage Tube - Nov 11, 2019
Over the past two years, John Oliver has been involved in a lawsuit with coal company CEO Robert Murray, after Oliver called Murray a 'geriatric Dr. Evil' and made fun of his energy corporation during a segment in June 2017. Recently, Murray dropped the suit against HBO. During this time, Oliver was unable to make jokes about Murray or the lawsuit, but now that the suit has been dropped, Oliver is going all out.

by Julie Musbach - Mar 7, 2019
Dance Lab New York (formerly Broadway Dance Lab) will celebrate its new identity, reflective of its mission to be an inclusive hub for dance makers of all genres at their annual Spring Gala on Monday, March 25, 2019 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater (405 W 55th Street, NYC).

by Tori Hartshorn - Aug 15, 2018
The world premiere of the Disney Channel Original Movie “Freaky Friday” on Friday, August 10 (8:00-9:45 p.m. EDT/PDT) reached 7.2 million Total Viewers – including 3.1 million Kids 6-14 – across seven telecasts in its first three days. The Friday (8:00 p.m.) telecast alone ranks as the summer's #1 TV telecast among both Kids 6-11 (999,000/4.2 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (782,000/3.2 rating) and is the top cable telecast in six months among both Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 – since 2/16/18 and 2/19/18, respectively. Disney Channel's “Freaky Friday” is available now on DisneyNOW and VOD.

by Stage Tube - Aug 6, 2018
Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Heidi Blickenstaff, stars of Disney Channel's music-driven, contemporary body swap comedy 'Freaky Friday,' chat about the fifth remake of the iconic movie. on ABC's 'Good Morning America' on Monday, August 6.
John Carrafa Videos

by Stage Tube - Nov 11, 2019
Over the past two years, John Oliver has been involved in a lawsuit with coal company CEO Robert Murray, after Oliver called Murray a 'geriatric Dr. Evil' and made fun of his energy corporation during a segment in June 2017. Recently, Murray dropped the suit against HBO. During this time, Oliver was unable to make jokes about Murray or the lawsuit, but now that the suit has been dropped, Oliver is going all out.

by Stage Tube - Aug 6, 2018
Cozi Zuehlsdorff and Heidi Blickenstaff, stars of Disney Channel's music-driven, contemporary body swap comedy 'Freaky Friday,' chat about the fifth remake of the iconic movie. on ABC's 'Good Morning America' on Monday, August 6.

by Stage Tube - Jun 24, 2018
Disney's new musical adaptation of FREAKY FRIDAY will be coming to the Disney Channel this summer! The TV movie stars Broadway's Heidi Blickenstaff as one half of the mother-daughter duo at the center of the body-swapping story. She will be joined by Cozi Zuehlsdorff as the other half of the pair.

by Matt Tamanini - May 12, 2018
After a mini-tour around the United States beginning in 2016, the new musical adaptation of FREAKY FRIDAY will be coming to the Disney Channel over the summer. As it did on stage, the TV movie will star Broadway favorite Heidi Blickenstaff as one half of the mother-daughter duo at the center of the body-swapping story. She will be joined by Cozi Zuehlsdorff as the other half of the pair. Check out the first look at the film below!
by BroadwayWorld TV - Oct 28, 2010
The world premiere production of 'Venice', which opened October 17, is a new musical with book by Eric Rosen, music by Matt Sax and lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, and additional music by Curtis Moore, is presented by Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as a co-production with Kansas City Repertory Theatre. 'Venice' continues through November 14.
by BroadwayWorld TV - Oct 28, 2010
The world premiere production of 'Venice', which opened October 17, is a new musical with book by Eric Rosen, music by Matt Sax and lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, and additional music by Curtis Moore, is presented by Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as a co-production with Kansas City Repertory Theatre. 'Venice' continues through November 14.