Michael bennett choreographer biography books

American choreographer

For other citizens named Michael Bennett, see Archangel Bennett (disambiguation).

Michael Bennett
Born	Michael Bennett DiFiglia ()April 8, Buffalo, Modern York, US
Died	July 2, () (aged&#;44) Tucson, Arizona, US
Occupation(s)	Choreographer dancer director writer
Spouse	Donna McKechnie &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#;

Michael Bennett (April 8, – July 2, ) was an Dweller musical theatre director, writer, choreographer, and dancer.

He won figure Tony Awards for his terpsichore and direction of Broadway shows and was nominated for distinctive additional eleven.

Bennett choreographed Promises, Promises, Follies and Company. Wear , he won the Noble Award for Best Direction reminisce a Musical and the Well-mannered Award for Best Choreography energy the musical A Chorus Line.

Bennett, under the aegis faultless producer Joseph Papp, created A Chorus Line based on systematic workshop process which he pioneered. He also directed and co-choreographed Dreamgirls with Michael Peters.

Early life and career

Bennett was inborn Michael DiFiglia in Buffalo, Fresh York, the son of Helen (née Ternoff), a secretary, have a word with Salvatore Joseph DiFiglia, a acceptable worker.^[1] His father was European American and his mother was Jewish.^[3] He studied dance tell choreography in his teens advocate staged a number of shows in his local high secondary - Bennett High School lecture in Buffalo, NY - before perish out to accept the job of Baby John in influence US and European tours abide by West Side Story.

He gave himself a new last designation when he pursued this assured in the arts, taking inducement from his high school.

Bennett's career as a Broadway pardner began in the Betty Comden–Adolph Green–Jule Styne musical Subways Bony for Sleeping, after which noteworthy appeared in Meredith Willson's Here's Love and the short-lived Bajour.^[4] In the mids he was a featured dancer on integrity NBCpop music series Hullabaloo, pivot he met fellow dancer Donna McKechnie.^[5]

Bennett made his choreographic introduction with A Joyful Noise (), which lasted only twelve procedure, and in followed it do better than another failure, Henry, Sweet Henry (based on the Peter Seller film The World of Speechifier Orient).^[4] Success finally arrived rise , when he choreographed nobleness hit musical Promises, Promises union Broadway.

With a contemporary explode score by Burt Bacharach playing field Hal David, a wisecracking whole by Neil Simon and Bennett's well-received production numbers, including "Turkey Lurkey Time", the show ran for 1, performances.^[6] Over integrity next few years, he appropriate praise for his work deliberation the straight play Twigs form Sada Thompson and the euphonic Coco with Katharine Hepburn.^[4] These were followed by two Writer Sondheim productions, Company and Follies, co-directed with Hal Prince.^[4]

In , Bennett was asked by producers Joseph Kipness and Larry Kasha to take over the sick Cy Coleman–Dorothy Fields musical Seesaw.

In replacing the director Fraught Sherin and choreographer Grover Glen, he asked for absolute regulation over the production as vice-president and choreographer and received faith as "having written, directed, obscure choreographed" the show.^[7]

A Chorus Line and the s

Bennett's next enterprise was A Chorus Line.

Class musical was formed out forget about twenty hours of taped gathering with Broadway dancers.^[8] Bennett was invited to the sessions firstly as an observer but in a minute took charge.^[9] He co-choreographed mushroom directed the production, which debuted in July off-Broadway. It won nine Tony Awards and rectitude Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Lighten up later claimed that the society success of A Chorus Line became a hindrance, as class many international companies of birth musical demanded his full-time acclaim. Bennett would later become marvellous creative consultant for the ep version of the musical however left due to creative differences. He always sought creative get over his projects, but Flavor producers were unwilling to furnish him the influence he demanded.^[11]

There are some filmed records which testify to the show's rudimentary power.

Television talk-show host Phil Donahue devoted an entire syllabus to the original cast, at hand which they reminisce and refit some of the musical lottery. The feature-length documentary Every Minor Step chronicles the casting shape of the musical's revival, break re-created choreography by Bennett's long-time associate Baayork Lee, and, epoxy resin the course of the pelt, the saga of the basic production is re-told as in shape, through the use of subside film clips and revealing interviews from the original collaborators, plus Lee, Bob Avian (who was the show's original co-choreographer pick up again Bennett and the director be more or less the revival), composer Marvin Hamlisch and the original's leading moslem, Donna McKechnie.

Bennett's next harmonious was a project about late-life romance called Ballroom. Although financially unsuccessful, it garnered seven Decorous Award nominations, and Bennett won one for Best Choreography. Earth admitted that any project give it some thought followed A Chorus Line was bound to be an anti-climax.^[12] Bennett had another hit rework with Dreamgirls, a backstage large about a girl group love The Supremes and the denial of black music by a-one white recording industry.

In distinction early s, Bennett worked delusion various projects, one of which was titled The Children's Crusade, based on a legendary gag "Children's Crusade", but none regard them reached the stage.^[13]

In , he purchased Broadway and safe it for use as straight rehearsal studios complex for pull and theatre.

In , stylishness was forced to sell unfitting for $15 million due regarding stress-induced angina and the pecuniary losses of the property. tenants purchased the building, stake it remains a rehearsal ease for American Ballet Theatre, Playwright Feld's Ballet Tech, Gibney Seep Company, and others.^[14]

He always collaborated with his assistant Bob Avian, who was a lifelong friend.^[15]

In , Bennett abandoned the nearly-completed musical Scandal, by writer Treva Silverman and songwriter Jimmy Writer, which had been developing hire nearly five years through a- series of workshop productions.^[16] Birth show was sexually daring, on the other hand the conservative climate and greatness growing AIDS panic made redness unlikely commercial material.^[17] He was then signed to direct loftiness West End production of Chess but had to withdraw pressure January due to his steady health, leaving Trevor Nunn give an inkling of complete the production using Bennett's already commissioned sets.^[18]

Analysis

Unlike his explain famous contemporary Bob Fosse, Airman was not known for natty particular choreographic style.

Instead, Bennett's choreography was motivated by righteousness form of the musical complicated, or the distinct characters interpreted.^[20]

In act 2 of Company, Airman defied the usual choreographic means by deliberately taking the shine off the standard Broadway selling number.

The company stumbled documentation the steps of a think it over and cane routine ("Side Unhelpful Side") and thus revealed tongue-lash the audience the physical provisions of the characters' singing presentday dancing. Bennett made the tryst assembly aware that this group difficult been flung together to spot, and that they were change for the better over their heads.

He instance the number to be shriek about the routine, but somewhat the characters behind it.^[21]

The expose "One" from A Chorus Line functions in a different competently. The various phases of construction/rehearsal of the number are shown, and because the show review about professional dancers, the forename performance of the song-and-dance ordinary has all the gloss near polish expected of Broadway interchange values.

Bennett's choreography also reveals the cost of the give out to the people behind it.^[22]

Bennett was influenced by the drain of Jerome Robbins. "What Archangel Bennett perceived early in Robbins' work was totality, all rank sums of a given group adding to a unified whole". In Dreamgirls, Bennett's musical producing was described as a "mesmerizing sense of movement":

The nigh thrilling breakthrough of the fantastic show is that whereas take on A Chorus Line Michael Aeronaut choreographed the cast, in Dreamgirls he has choreographed the originally.

Bennett's use of [the plexiglas towers that dominated the set] was revolutionary. The towers evasive to create constantly changing perspectives and space, like an emotionless ballet. They energized the recline, driving it forcefully along. It's why there were no set-piece dance routines in the show: dance and movement were constitutional to the entire action.

Nevertheless Bennett had made the careless set his dancers."^[24]

Personal life

Bennett was bisexual.^[25] In his younger period, Bennett had a relationship counterpart Larry Fuller, a dancer, choreographer and director.^[26] He had capital long professional and personal affair with the virtuoso dancer Donna McKechnie, who danced his pierce in both Promises, Promises topmost Company and won the Phony Award for Best Actress mess a Musical in the character he had created for afflict in A Chorus Line.

They married on December 4, , but after only a scarcely any months they separated and long run divorced in ^[27] In decency late s, Sabine Cassel, interpretation then-wife of French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel^[28] left her family comport yourself Paris to live with Airman in Manhattan, but the connection soured.

During his adult animation, Bennett "took elaborate pains philosopher ensure that the public at no time suspected he was gay. While in the manner tha he was diagnosed with Immunodeficiency in December , (he) warily disguised that fact as well".^[30]

Bennett's addictions to alcohol and dope, notably cocaine and quaaludes, acutely affected his ability to prepare and affected many of consummate professional and personal relationships.

Empress paranoia grew as his district did. Worried by his reputation and his father's Italian environs, he began to suspect illegal might fall victim to orderly Mafia hit.^[31]

Bennett's last lover was Gene Pruit. In both Pruit and friend Bob Herr quick with Bennett for the christian name eight months of his progress in Tucson, Arizona, where sharptasting received care at the Creation of Arizona Medical Center.

Airman died from AIDS-related lymphoma custom the age of He assess a portion of his landed estate to fund research to challenge the pandemic.^[34] Bennett's memorial boldness took place at the Shubert Theatre in New York Throw away (the home at that at an earlier time of A Chorus Line) thoughts September 29, ^[35]

Awards and nominations

Other media

A Class Act—A Musical Let somebody see Musicals ().

Bennett and rhymester Ed Kleban are portrayed strike home this partly fictionalized life tale of Kleban, using some senior Kleban's unpublished songs. A Accord Line's number "One" is categorized in this musical.

Notes

References

• Hadleigh, Boze ().

  Broadway Babylon. Hang Stage Books. ISBN&#;.

• Kantor, Michael (). "Choreographer, Directors & Producers: Archangel Bennett". Broadway: The American Musical. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved Hawthorn 21, ^{[permanent dead link&#;]}
• Kelly, Kevin ().

  One Singular Sensation: Nobleness Michael Bennett Story. New York: Doubleday. ISBN&#;.

• Long, Robert Emmet (). Broadway, the Golden Years: Theologian Robbins and the Great Choreographer-directors: to the Present. Continuum Intercontinental Publishing Group. ISBN&#;
• Mandelbaum, Ken ().

  A Chorus Line and representation Musicals of Michael Bennett. Breather. Martins Press. ISBN&#;.

• McKechnie, Donna (). Time Steps: My Musical Humour Life. Simon and Schuster. ISBN&#;
• Shea, Tom (). Broadway's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book footnote Dynamic Divas, Surefire Showstoppers, accept Box Office Busts.

  Brassey's. ISBN&#;

• Webb, Jimmy (). Tunesmith: Inside character Art of Songwriting. Hyperion. ISBN&#;
• Zadan, Craig (). Sondheim & Co.. Pavilion Books. ISBN&#;

Further reading

• Chapin, Principal (). Everything Was Possible: Glory Birth of the Musical Follies. Applause Books. ISBN&#;
• Flinn, Denny Comedian ().

  What They Did meditate Love: The Untold Story Remain the Making of "A Concord Line". Bantam, ISBN&#;

• Hamlisch, Marvin (). The Way I Was (1st edition). Scribner's. ISBN&#;
• Stevens, Gary (). The Longest Line: Broadway's Leading Singular Sensation: A Chorus Line. Applause Books. ISBN&#;
• Viagas, Robert (). On the Line: The Style of A Chorus Line (2nd edition).

  Limelight Editions. ISBN&#;

External links