Title: Dancing man : a Broadway choreographer's journey /
Authors: Avian, Bob; Santopietro, Tom
Year: 2020
Subjects: Avian, Bob; Avian, Bob; Choreographers United States Biography; Musical theater United States History.; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts.; Choreographers; Musical theater; United States
Abstract: "Tony and Olivier Award-winning Bob Avian's dazzling life story, Dancing Man: A Broadway Choreographer's Journey, is a memoir in three acts. Act I reveals the origins of one of Broadway's legendary choreographers who appeared onstage with stars like Barbra Streisand and Mary Martin all before he was thirty. Act II includes teaching Katharine Hepburn how to sing and dance in Coco and working with Stephen Sondheim and Michael Bennett while helping to choreograph the original productions of Company and Follies. During this time, Avian won a Tony Award as the cochoreographer of A Chorus Line and produced the spectacular Tony Award-winning Dreamgirls. For a triumphant third act, Avian choreographed Julie Andrews's return to the New York stage, devised all of the musical staging for Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard, and directed A Chorus Line on Broadway. He worked with the biggest names on Broadway, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Carol Burnett, Jennifer Holliday, Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch, and Glenn Close. Candid, witty, sometimes shocking, and always entertaining, here at last is the ultimate up-close and personal insider's view from a front row seat at the creation of the biggest, brightest, and best Broadway musicals of the past fifty years"--
Contents: Acknowledgments -- The leading ladies -- Katharine Hepburn, Coco, and a big smash flop -- Beginnings -- Broadway gypsy -- Funny Girl, Hello, Dolly!, and I Do! I Do! -- Henry, Sweet Henry and Promises, Promises -- Company -- Follies -- Straight plays -- "If Hitler's alive I hope he's out of town with a musical" -- Straight plays: the sequel -- 5-6-7-8: A Chorus Line -- Hooray for Hollywood -- How do you follow up A Chorus Line? -- Dreamgirls -- Record-breakers, might-have-beens, and a marriage -- Out on my own -- Miss Saigon -- Putting It Together -- Sunset Boulevard: the mansion has landed -- Martin Guerre -- Hey, Mr. Producer and The Witches of Eastwick -- Back on the line -- Saigon redux -- Coming full circle -- Index.