If you didn’t recognize the acronym CTFD or know much about what that organization, Career Transition for Dancers, does, you’d still be ready to fork over a generous donation after seeing the great show they put on Monday night at City Center—their biggest fund-raiser of the year and a true gala for musical theater buffs.
What else could you call it when you’re treated to Tommy Tune, in a tux, doing a softshoe to Gershwin; the uber-attractive (not to mention talented!) couplings of Jane Krakowski and Cheyenne Jackson, and Karen Ziemba and Noah Racey; and an appearance—and even a little hoofing—by Angela Lansbury...all in the space of two hours? Plus, there were performances of iconic dance numbers from musical theater history, with the original choreography by Robbins, de Mille, Fosse, Champion and Stroman. CTFD’s 23rd Anniversary Jubilee, “On Broadway! A Glittering Salute to the American Musical,” also featured film clips, testimonials and award presentations.
Yet the scene-stealers may have been Herman Cornejo and Xiomara Reyes of American Ballet Theatre and their stunning “Pas de Deux” from Le Corsaire. Cornejo leaped across and around the stage to gasps from the audience. They were introduced by Kelly Bishop, A Chorus Line’s original (and Tony-winning) Sheila, whose actual childhood memories became lyrics of “At the Ballet.”
Lansbury, fresh off knee replacement surgery, was the first star to come on stage, escorted by choreographer Donald Saddler. She joked about being “the bionic woman” with her multiple knee and hip replacements, then presented an award for outstanding contributions to the world of dance to Brian Heidtke, a former Colgate-Palmolive exec who’s a major supporter (and board member) of ABT. In his acceptance speech, Heidtke said his appreciation of the art was probably fueled by his own ineptitude on the dance floor—and he pointed to his wife in the audience in case anyone wanted to verify his claim. Another award for outstanding contributions to the world of dance was presented by Mikhail Baryshnikov to Sono Osato (pictured, left), one of the first Americans in Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, who also danced in the original Broadway productions of On the Town and One Touch of Venus.
The gala opened with a film montage saluting stage and screen choreographers past and present. And future: The final clip was of the three boys who share the title role in the yet-to-open Billy Elliot. Footage came from movies, Tony Awards performances and other telecasts, and the audience burst into applause upon seeing Jerry Orbach, as 42nd Street’s Julian Marsh, exclaim “Musical comedy: the most glorious words in the English language!”—which certainly set the tone for the evening. Three Fosse vets, Bebe Neuwirth, David Warren Gibson and Pam Sousa, performed the “Manson Trio” from Pippin and shared reminiscences of Fosse. Sousa had done the number on Broadway in the ’70s (judging by how she and Neuwirth looked in their camisole leotards, Fosse dancing must do a body good). The Fosse tribute continued with Krakowski and Jackson reprising their “Two Lost Souls” from this summer’s Damn Yankees at City Center, and concluded with a perfect execution of “Steam Heat” by Curtis Holbrook, Mary MacLeod and Alex Sanchez.
Additional performances included Racey and Ziemba in “Shall We Dance” (no, not that one) from Crazy for You; “Cool” from West Side Story; an excerpt of the Oklahoma “Dream Ballet,” by the New York Theatre Ballet; Leiber and Stoller’s “On Broadway”; and 42nd Street’s opening audition scene, led by Randy Skinner, who had choreographed the 2001 revival but used Gower Champion's original choreography here.
And for something completely different, the Nanjing Acrobatic Duo of An Nan and Zhu Zhengzhen dazzled with a piece they do in the Big Apple Circus. In a novelty blending of ballet and Chinese acrobatics, An performed arabesques and other ballet moves en pointe while balancing on Zhu’s back, shoulders and, finally, head (pictured, right).
George de la Peña and Mark Baird talked about the assistance they’d received from CTFD when they decided to stop dancing. Gala producer Ann Marie DeAngelo gave a similar testimonial on behalf of Leda Meredith, who DeAngelo said wasn’t speaking for herself because she’d just had knee surgery and didn’t want to hobble onto the stage. Career Transition for Dancers, founded in 1985, provides resources, networking, counseling, scholarships and grants to dancers who are moving into other professions.
