Dancin'
Encyclopedia
Dancin' is a musical revue
first produced in 1978, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse
, who won a Tony Award
for the choreography. The show is a tribute to the art of dance, and the music is a collection of mostly American songs, many with a dance theme from a wide variety of styles, from operetta
to jazz
to classical
to marches
to pop.
at the Broadhurst Theatre
on March 27, 1978. It then transferred to the Ambassador Theatre
and ran for a total of 1,774 performances (including previews). Additional choreography was by Christopher Chadman.
After the extraordinary success of the dance-intensive A Chorus Line
, Fosse proposed a show with little dialogue and singing. Fosse's concept for the show was to use classical and show music, popular music
, rock and roll
, Mozart, Bach
, George M. Cohan
, and contemporary music by Neil Diamond
and Melissa Manchester
, anything except a new score written by a collaborator. He stated publicly that the project would free him from the burden of an artistic partnership: "When you have collaborators, you have all those midnight meetings. I'm tired of those...So I just decided to meet myself at midnight." Fosse invited choreographer Graciela Daniele
to contribute a few numbers, but she declined, saying "When you are out of ideas, call me. I have the feeling that once you get into it, you're going to want to do it all." Despite the lack of creative partners, Fosse still had to negotiate with his co-producer Bernard Jacobs, the president of The Shubert Organization
, who objected to Fosse's risqué number depicting a tourist coping with New York City
's then-notoriously seamy Times Square
. The show's remaining numbers impressed audiences, and because Fosse co-produced the show, it became his biggest financial success in the theatre.
The show's choreography was so demanding, however, that small theatre companies were unable to effectively recreate it, and so the show has not been revived. However, several numbers from Dancin were recreated for the 1999 dance review Fosse
, including: "Crunchy Granola Suite", "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man", "Big Noise from Winnetka", "Mr. Bojangles", and "Sing Sing Sing".
A revival was scheduled to be produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company
at Studio 54
for 2009, but this had been postponed until the 2009-10 season, and was again postponed. This revival has now been scheduled by the Roundabout for the Fall 2011, with direction by Graciela Daniele and Nicole Fosse (Bob Fosse's daughter) as creative consultant.
Act 2
Act 3
and his band using "Sing, Sing, Sing". He also mentions several other dances, such as "Dancin' Man", with the entire cast dressed in "ice-cream" suits and lavender shirts; and "Fourteen Feet", where the shoes are nailed to the floor, and the dancers proceed to move within those confines. He sums up by writing "precision and style mark the evening at its best", but they serve very little.
Clive Barnes, newly moved to the New York Post, told Fosse that he thought the show was "tremendous" and "fantastic".
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
first produced in 1978, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
, who won a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for the choreography. The show is a tribute to the art of dance, and the music is a collection of mostly American songs, many with a dance theme from a wide variety of styles, from operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
to classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
to marches
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
to pop.
Production
Dancin opened on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
on March 27, 1978. It then transferred to the Ambassador Theatre
Ambassador Theatre
Ambassador Theatre can refer to:* Ambassador Theatre * Ambassador Theatre * Ambassador Theatre * Ambassadors Theatre...
and ran for a total of 1,774 performances (including previews). Additional choreography was by Christopher Chadman.
After the extraordinary success of the dance-intensive A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, Fosse proposed a show with little dialogue and singing. Fosse's concept for the show was to use classical and show music, popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, Mozart, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
, and contemporary music by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
and Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
, anything except a new score written by a collaborator. He stated publicly that the project would free him from the burden of an artistic partnership: "When you have collaborators, you have all those midnight meetings. I'm tired of those...So I just decided to meet myself at midnight." Fosse invited choreographer Graciela Daniele
Graciela Daniele
Graciela Daniele is an Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director.-Biography:Born at Buenos Aires, Daniele began her dance training at the age of seven at Teatro Colón, Argentina's equivalent of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre...
to contribute a few numbers, but she declined, saying "When you are out of ideas, call me. I have the feeling that once you get into it, you're going to want to do it all." Despite the lack of creative partners, Fosse still had to negotiate with his co-producer Bernard Jacobs, the president of The Shubert Organization
The Shubert Organization
The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of legitimate theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the Shubert brothers, Sam S. Shubert, Lee Shubert, and Jacob J. Shubert of Syracuse, New York in the late 19th century in upstate New York,...
, who objected to Fosse's risqué number depicting a tourist coping with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's then-notoriously seamy Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. The show's remaining numbers impressed audiences, and because Fosse co-produced the show, it became his biggest financial success in the theatre.
The show's choreography was so demanding, however, that small theatre companies were unable to effectively recreate it, and so the show has not been revived. However, several numbers from Dancin were recreated for the 1999 dance review Fosse
Fosse
Fosse is a three-act musical revue showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse. After 21 previews, the original Broadway production, conceived and directed by Richard Maltby, Jr...
, including: "Crunchy Granola Suite", "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man", "Big Noise from Winnetka", "Mr. Bojangles", and "Sing Sing Sing".
A revival was scheduled to be produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
at Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
for 2009, but this had been postponed until the 2009-10 season, and was again postponed. This revival has now been scheduled by the Roundabout for the Fall 2011, with direction by Graciela Daniele and Nicole Fosse (Bob Fosse's daughter) as creative consultant.
Song list
Act 1- Hot August Night - Music and Lyrics by Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
- Crunchy Granola Suite - Music and Lyrics by Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
- Mr. Bojangles - Music and Lyrics by Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
- Chaconne - Music by Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
- Ionisation - Music by Edgard VarèseEdgard VarèseEdgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, , whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse , was an innovative French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States....
Act 2
- I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man (from the film The Belle of New YorkThe Belle of New YorkThe Belle of New York is a 1952 Hollywood musical comedy film set in New York circa 1900 and stars Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Alice Pearce, Marjorie Main and Keenan Wynn, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer...
- Music by Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Music by Harry WarrenHarry WarrenHarry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,... - If It Feels Good, Let It RIde - Music and Lyrics by Carole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
and Melissa ManchesterMelissa ManchesterMelissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage.... - Easy - Music and Lyrics by Carole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer SagerCarole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
and Melissa ManchesterMelissa ManchesterMelissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage.... - I've Got Them Feelin' Too Good Today Blues - Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
- Was Dog a Doughnut - Music by Cat StevensCat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and an uncredited Bruce LynchBruce LynchBruce Lynch, born 1948, New Zealand, is an electric and acoustic bassist, producer and arranger.Arriving in the UK in the mid-70s, he became a highly sought-after studio and session musician touring extensively with Cat Stevens, including the 1976 Earth Tour, as well as appearing on six albums...
and Jean Rouselle
Act 3
- Sing Sing Sing - Music by Louis PrimaLouis PrimaLouis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
- Here You Come Again - Music and Lyrics by Barry MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
and Cynthia WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann.... - Gary Owen
- Stout Hearted Men (from The New MoonThe New MoonThe New Moon is the name of an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third and last in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg written in the style of Viennese operetta...
) - Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Music by Sigmund RombergSigmund RombergSigmund Romberg was a Hungarian-born American composer, best known for his operettas.-Biography:Romberg was born as Siegmund Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Gross-Kanizsa during the Austro-Hungarian kaiserlich und königlich monarchy period... - Under the Double Eagle
- Dixie
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home
- Rally Round the Flag
- Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag - Lyrics by George Asaf, Music by Felix PowellFelix PowellFelix Lloyd Powell was a British Staff Sergeant most famous for writing the music for marching song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile", in 1915...
- The Stars and Stripes Foerever - Music by John Philip SousaJohn Philip SousaJohn Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
- Yankee Doodle Disco
- Dancin - Music by Ralph BurnsRalph BurnsRalph Burns was an American songwriter, bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and bebop pianist.-Early life:...
Opening night cast
- Gail Benedict
- Sandahl Bergman
- Karen G. Burke
- René Ceballos
- Christopher ChadmanChristopher ChadmanChristopher Chadman was an American dancer and choreographer who was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards and was the winner of the Fred Astaire Award for his choreography for the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls.Born in the Bronx, Chadman studied at the High School of...
- Wayne CilentoWayne CilentoWayne Louis Cilento is an American dancer and choreographer. He is best known for originating the role of "Mike" in the Broadway show A Chorus Line, and later becoming one of Broadway's most prolific choreographers.-Early life:...
- Christine Colby
- Jill Cook
- Gregory B. Drotar
- Vicki FrederickVicki FrederickVicki Frederick is an American Television and film actress who has starred in a number of popular TV shows such as Murder She Wrote in 1990, and Mork and Mindy and Happy Days in 1979....
- Linda Haberman
- Richard Korthaze
- Edward Love
- John Mineo
- Ann ReinkingAnn ReinkingAnn Reinking is an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. She has worked extensively in musical theatre, both as a dancer and choreographer, as well as appearing in film.-Biography:...
- Blane Savage
- Charles Ward (dancer)
- William Whitener
Review
In his New York Times review, Richard Eder writes the show is designed to be a musical show — there is no story line. He states that Ann Reinking is clearly the star and she is at her best in the high point of the evening, "Benny's Number", which recreates Benny GoodmanBenny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
and his band using "Sing, Sing, Sing". He also mentions several other dances, such as "Dancin' Man", with the entire cast dressed in "ice-cream" suits and lavender shirts; and "Fourteen Feet", where the shoes are nailed to the floor, and the dancers proceed to move within those confines. He sums up by writing "precision and style mark the evening at its best", but they serve very little.
Clive Barnes, newly moved to the New York Post, told Fosse that he thought the show was "tremendous" and "fantastic".
Awards and nominations
- Tony Awards
- Best Musical (nominee)
- Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Wayne Cilento (nominee)
- Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Ann Reinking (nominee)
- Best Costume Design - Willa KimWilla KimWilla Kim is an American costume designer for stage, dance, and film.Kim was born in Los Angeles, California and is a 1935 graduate of Belmont High School where she excelled in art and was an art editor for the 1935 Campanile...
(nominee) - Best Lighting Design - Jules FisherJules FisherJules Fisher is a lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 200 productions over the course of his 45 year career in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensive work in film, ballet, opera, television, and rock and roll concert tours...
(winner) - Best Choreography - Bob Fosse (winner)
- Best Direction of a Musical - Bob Fosse (nominee)
- Drama Desk Awards
- Outstanding Musical (nominee)
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Charles Ward (nominee)
- Outstanding Choreography - Bob Fosse (winner)
- Outstanding Lighting Design - Jules Fisher (winner)
External links
- Dancin at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
- PBS article