A lack of great new choreographers and director-choreographers?- Page 2

[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.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 12/22/23 at 7:29pm

I confess I haven't been following this thread, and I've only scanned it now, so apologies if this has been covered. The issue with "great new choreographers" is the same as the issue with great new composers. The last thing that's needed is new old school choreographers. We need people to move in a way that resonates for those we need to coax into theatres, not those who, we are told, have not and will not return. The examples are there, but the volume of them is not. And a lot of them have wandered away because, when they might have been interested, found that the welcome mat had been taken up. In order to fix a problem, you have to accept the problem in the first place.

[Joviedamian]

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

I don't think there is a lack of them, I just believe there is a lack of publicity for them. We always seem to hear that there is always this Director/Choreographer doing a job, and therefore it seems like they're the only ones to exist. Wrong. They maybe do 1/4 of the Broadway shows. I think if we get exposure to a lot of directors and choreographers we may see a lot more good work.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 8:18pm

Director/choreographers are rarely successful.  It's two jobs and most director/choregraphers need a director.   It's ego.  I do not think Josh Rhodes work is exciting, - and just revivals - and disliked for lack of collaboration with team members and producers.  It's pieces of previous productions that have been Youtube'd and put into one show.  Cabaret/Evita/Spamalot etc.  Pass.  Get a director and separate choreographer. 

Updated On: 12/27/23 at 08:18 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 12/27/23 at 10:30pm

I have a basic resistance to hyphenates in the theatre. I believe in collaboration and it is a rare case where subtracting a set of eyes, ears, etc. benefits a production. that includes dir-choreo, dir-playwright, producer and any of the above. (Yes there are rare exceptions; please don't read this as an invitation to list them.) In my experience, the choreo who directs is especially problematic because their brains are wired differently. As I have mentioned elsewhere, there is a lot of old school bias on this board, and it affects objective analysis. Case in point: someone talks about "modern" choreographers not telling stories. That's nonsense. Steven Hoggett's work in, e.g., American Idiot, is among the most trenchant storytelling I know of. But we have those here who said he is not a choreographer. Because they want something old fashioned. Sorry but no.

[Ke3]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 2:35am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "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."

Do we know if Tommy has been turning things down for the past 20 years or is he not being offered things?

[leefowler]

Posted: 12/28/23 at 3:46am

Tommy Tune is 84 years old. We’re not getting another Nine from him.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/30/24 at 4:09pm

Ke3 said: "Do we know if Tommy has been turning things down for the past 20 years or is he not being offered things?"

Tune has flirted with ideas for shows to direct/choreograph over the years, but now is basically retired. I was pleasantly surprised to see him performing at Encores about a decade ago, even if that was just a pair of specialty numbers.

I can't blame anyone from retiring from directing/choreographing. It's a massive undertaking, and all the more impressive when someone does it competently into their 80s, such as Jack O'Brien.

Now that I've resurrected this thread...who's choreo is everyone loving this season?

Updated On: 3/30/24 at 04:09 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/30/24 at 5:05pm

Rebecca Frecknall is an amazing directory choreographer.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 3/30/24 at 5:58pm

blaxx said: "Rebecca Frecknall is an amazing directory choreographer."

Smart she has brought Julia Cheng on to choreograph Cabaret so she can direct the show.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/31/24 at 12:06am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Now that I've resurrected this thread...who's choreo is everyone loving this season?"

Justin Peck, hands down.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 3/31/24 at 12:29am

HogansHero said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Now that I've resurrected this thread...who's choreo is everyone loving this season?"

Justin Peck, hands down."

Yes.  Justin Peck.