Dancers Over 40 members have worked with many choreographers, but almost none as often as the award-winning Director/Choreographer Gower Champion. On Monday, March 31st at 7:30 pm, some of the dancers and the creative talents associated with Mr. Champion, from 1951's "Make a Wish" to his last Broadway show the smash hit musical "42nd Street" in 1980, will be represented on the stage of the St. Luke's Theater at 308 West 46th Street.
Two panels will be presented, the first with dancers:
Lee Roy Reams ("Hello, Dolly!", "42nd Street"), Bob Fitch ("Sugar"), Iva Withers ("Make a Wish" and "The Happy Time"), Ed Kressley ("Bye, Bye, Birdie"), Lars Rosager ("42nd Street"), and Johnny Nola ("Carnival"). The second, the creative panel, will include: dancer and Gower dance partner
Marge Champion, Karin Baker ("42nd Street"), Gene Bayliss ("Make a Wish", "Carnival", "Bye, Bye, Birdie"),
Nicole Barth ("Carnival", "
Hello, Dolly!", "The Happy Time", "Sugar"),
Bert Michaels ("Mack and Mabel", "Prettybelle") and
Tony Stevens ("Irene" and "Rockabye, Hamlet"). These exciting panels will be moderated by David Hartman, host of Thirteen/WNET's popular Walking Tours series, who was featured in the original "
Hello, Dolly!" as Rudolph the waiter. There will be performances from "Bye, Bye, Birdie"; "Carnival" and "42nd Street", and time to mix and mingle with the dancers as well as an opportunity to support DO40 with a raffle and door prizes.
In 1948, Gower Champion began to direct and continued to choreograph, and he won the first of eight Tony Awards for his staging of "Lend an Ear", the show that introduced
Carol Channing to New York theater audiences. From then on he was involved in an eclectic mixture of numerous smash hits as well as others.
The evening will be filmed and donated to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center. Tickets are only $5.00 for DO40 members, $15.00 for non-members. RSVP on the DO40 hotline, 212-330-7016 or online at http://www.dancersover40.org/events/view-events.php
DO40's Spring Party in May will celebrate the life of legendary dancer and choreographer Jack Cole, and feature documentary filmmaker and DO40 member Annette Macdonald and DO40 member and Cole biographer Svetlana Grody.
Dancers Over 40, Inc. was created as a not-for-profit organization to provide a community of support in response to the fiscal -- as well as physical - needs of mature dancers, choreographers and related artists. The goals are to seek educational opportunities, present seminars, socials and panel discussions on topics important to mature dancers concerned about their ability to continue to live and work in a creative environment and continue the legacy to those dancers about to begin their journey. Founded in 1994 by a group of Broadway dancers, the growing organization also publishes a newsletter. Memberships are available. For more information as well as photos and features on DO40 events please go to the website:
www.dancersover40.org
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