Chita Rivera Awards, Cher, and Film Choreography.

Friday, April 26, 2019 at 4:06PM
NATHANIEL R in Aint Too Proud, Broadway and Stage, Cher, Corbin Bleu, Hot to Trot, Isnt It Romantic?, Jeremy Pope, Kiss Me Kate, Mary Poppins Returns, The Cher Show, Wesley Taylor, dance

by Nathaniel R

Isnt It Romantic?

Did you know that Oscar once had a category for dance? Well, "Dance Direction" to be particular. Which is not quite choreography but close. The category was held for three years and discontinued after the 1937 Academy Awards. Despite the first three to four decades of Oscar ceremonies arriving in a time when movie musicals were plentiful, the Academy Awards never instituted a choreography category. They did give two special achievement Oscars for choreography in the 1960s at the peak of Oscar's musical obsession. The first was for Jerome Robbins for West Side Story (1961), a redundant trophy in a way since he also shared the Best Director Oscar win due to his choreography and dance direction on that immortal classic (currently being remade). The second was for Onna White for her work on Oliver! (1968).

At any rate, the Chita Rivera Awards, which sprung back to life three years ago (they were once called the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards)  DO give awards to movies for their dance sequences in two separate categories, in addition to their primary focus which is honoring Broadway and Off Broadway achievements...

 

The "Tom Dick and Harry" dance number is often a highlight of productions of Kiss Me Kate

 

The nominations are selected by three separate committees (Broadway, Off Broadway, and Film) and honor principal dancers, ensembles, choreographers, and directors. Their nominations this year, which include the Disney sequel Mary Poppins Returns, the romantic comedy Isn't it Romantic?, and are led by the Broadway revival of Kiss Me Kate, follow...

CHITA RIVERA AWARD NOMINATIONS
(2018/2019 theater season)
The ceremony is on May 19th and if you can spare $100-$500 for a ticket, you can attend

UPDATED WITH WINNERS

Special 2019 Honorees
(Non Competitive) 

• Graciela Daniele - Lifetime Achievement Award
• Cher, Flody Squarez, Jeffery Seller (producers of "The Cher Show") -Ambassador for the Arts Award
• George C Scott - SDC Director Award

 

FILM AWARDS  
Nomination Committee: Jonathan Herzog, Rex Reed, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, Joanna Ney, Mary Beth O'Connor, and Andy Sandberg (Last year's film prizes went to The Greatest Showman and the documentary Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer)

Theatrical Release

Mary Poppins Returns

Film Award, Documentaries   
(Theatrical Release not required, some of these were festivals only)

Bathtubs Over Broadway

 

BROADWAY AWARDS
Nominating Committee: Wendy Federman, Melinda Atwood, Caitlin Carter, Don Correia, Gary Chryst, Sandy Duncan, Mercedes Ellington, Sylviane Gold, Jonathan Herzog, Anna Kisselgoff, Robert La Fosse, Joe Lanteri, Donna McKechnie, Michael Milton, Mary Beth O'Connor, Laura Penn, Wendy Perron, Lee Roy Reams, Andy Sandberg, and Randy Skinner.

 

 

OFF BROADWAY AWARDS
Nominating Committee: Jonathan Herzog, Deidre Goodwin, Scott Jovovich, Robert La Fosse, and Michael Milton

 

 

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).