Photo by Laura Marie Duncan
Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth (Chicago, Frasier) will host the inaugural Chita Rivera Awards (formerly known as the Astaire Awards). The awards, which honor choreographers and dancers in theater and film, will take place at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre on September 11 at 7:30 PM. The evening will include The New York City Ballet performing “America” from West Side Story to honor Rivera, as well as Tony nominee Robert Fairchild and American Dance Machine performing “We’ll Take a Glass Together” from Grand Hotel. Several other musical numbers from Broadway shows will also be performed. The full list of nominees is below:
2016-2017 Chita Rivera Award Dance In Theater Nominations
Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Josh Bergasse, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Warren Carlyle, Hello, Dolly!
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Kelly Devine, Come from Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn
Sergio Trujillo, A Bronx Tale
Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show
A Bronx Tale
Bandstand
Cats
Come from Away
Hello, Dolly!
Holiday Inn
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show
Corbin Bleu, Holiday Inn
John Bolton, Anastasia
Max Clayton, Bandstand
Tyler Hanes, Cats
Ryan Kasprzak, Bandstand
Ricky Ubeda, Cats
Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show
Andrea Dotto, Bandstand
Lora Lee Gayer, Holiday Inn
Eloise Kropp, Cats
Georgina Pazcoguin, Cats
Emma Pfaeffle, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Megan Sikora, Holiday Inn
Christine Cornish Smith, Cats
Jaime Verazin, Bandstand
Outstanding Choreography in an Off-Broadway Show
Joshua Bergasse, Sweet Charity
David Dorfman, Indecent
Merete Muenter, The Golden Bride
David Neumann, The Total Bent
Misha Shields, Baghdaddy
Outstanding Female Dancer in an Off-Broadway Show
Yesenia Ayala, Sweet Charity
Asmeret Ghebremichael, Sweet Charity
Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Sweet Charity
Emily Padgett, Sweet Charity
Lyrica Woodruff, Finian’s Rainbow
Outstanding Male Dancing in an Off-Broadway Show
Ato Blankson-Wood, The Total Bent
Brandon Espinoza, Baghdaddy
Curtis Wiley, The Total Bent
Cody Williams, Sweet Charity
Blake Zolfo, Kid Victory
2016-2017 Chita Rivera Award Choreography in Film Nominations
Theatrical Release Nominees
Anthony Van Laast, Beauty and the Beast
Mandy Moore, La La Land
Javier De Frutos, London Road
Danielle Flora and Tian Wang, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Documentary Nominees
Director: Susan Glatzer, Alive and Kicking (Magnolia Pictures, Distributor)
Director: Steven Cantor, Dancer (WestEnd Films)
Director: Tomer Heymann, Mr. Gaga (Abramorama Films)
Directors: Linda Saffire, Adam Schlesinger, Restless Creature (Abramorama Films)