I wrote Jason Wise using the contact form on his website and told him to check out this thread. I just got this e-mail back from him:
Hi Downstage Center,
I can't believe people are discussing me. That is thrilling and somewhat nerve wracking at the same time.
A lot of those posters have valid concerns with my choreography. Let me explain a little bit what the videos are about.
I toured with Cats for 2 years on a tumbling track, so when I returned to New York I had to take it easy (physically) and wanted to stay busy. I have a huge passion for choreography so I decided to set out on a quest to build that aspect of my career. I have been increasingly discouraged with the lack of choreography on Broadway, even in shows where there is great opportunity. Don't get me wrong, I love attractive boys taking their shirts off, but at $126.50 I want to see some dancing too!
I thought the most beneficial thing for me to do would be to talk to the choreographers who have made the transition from chorus boy to choreographer which historically has been a career path for some of the greats.
I got some response, and was invited to sit down and talk. The first thing I was told was that I needed to put my work on film so when I walk around saying that I choreograph I have examples to slam down on the table.
What happened next was a slew of studio rentals & asking my friends to dance for me (for free too), which has been a learning experience. Because of the expense of space in Manhattan (sometimes $50-$75 an hour), I had to stage short, quick examples of what I visualize as staging a full number would take hours and hours of rehearsal which was seemingly unaffordable (Hey, I was a Jellicle Cat not a Real Estate Mogul).
Yes, in reality the numbers are slightly over choreographed but that is to give a feel of a 5 minute production number in under 2 minutes. I also did not expect professionals to sit through lengthy examples of my work so the shorter the better.
That being said, you can't stage 32 counts of "easy" choreography to be done while singing and expect someone to recognize you can handle a meaty Broadway show.
I put them up online and have been taken aback by the amount of views on the videos and instances like this (a thread on BroadwayWorld, please. The theater geek in me is throwing a party).
The Tony Award Winning choreographers who have been helping me have been giving me constructive criticism which I have applied in each new number that I do. This whole thing has been about receiving feedback, so I couldn't be happier with the criticism.
Because I'm young (22), I am not going to be hired to choreograph a Broadway show without any credentials, so I choose to re-stage numbers from shows that would be done regionally as those are the jobs that will be easier to get right off the bat. Re-staging works that have been done for years is wonderful but at the same time yes, lacks originality because you have to stay within the realms of the work.
Either way, I am thrilled at the exposure and I suppose any talk is good talk.
Please send this to the BroadwayWorld thread, and if there's one thing I can ask - what would they like to see me do next? I don't live under a rock. BroadwayWorld readers know their sh*t!
Happy Thursday, Jason Wise
Updated On: 4/12/12 at 07:57 PM
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