MJ, PARADISE SQUARE, TICK, TICK...BOOM! and More Win 2022 Chita Rivera Awards

Winners for the 2022 Chita Rivera Awards were announced this evening. In keeping with the mission of the Chita Rivera Awards, nominators considered outstanding choreography, featured dancers, and ensemble in shows on Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as outstanding choreography in film that opened pre-Covid as well as in the 2021-2022 season.

Presented at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place off Washington Square Park), the Chita Rivera Awards are produced by Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation Inc., in conjunction with Patricia Watt. The Awards were hosted by Charlotte d'Amboise and Bianca Marroquín.

The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to celebrate dance and choreographic excellence, preserve notable dance history, recognize past, present and future talents, while promoting high standards in dance education, and investing in the next generation.

At this year's Chita Rivera Awards, Tony, Academy and Golden Globe Award winner Joel Grey received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Jack O'Brien received the SDC Director Award for exemplary collaboration with choreographers.

2022 Chita Rivera Award Winners

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Broadway

Outstanding Choreography In A Broadway Show

Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf

Warren Carlyle, The Music Man

**WINNER** Bill T. Jones, Garrett Coleman, Jason Oremus, Paradise Square

Annie-B Parson, American Utopia

Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge

Christopher Wheeldon, MJ, The Musical

Outstanding Male Dancer In A Broadway Show (tie)

Sidney Dupont, Paradise Square

**WINNER** Myles Frost, MJ the Musical

**WINNER** Jared Grimes, Funny Girl

Hugh Jackman, The Music Man

AJ Shively, Paradise Square

Tony Yazbeck, Flying Over Sunset

Outstanding Female Dancer In A Broadway Show

Sutton Foster, The Music Man

Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge

**WINNER** Tendayi Kuumba, for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf

Heather Lang, Jagged Little Pill

Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Outstanding Ensemble In A Broadway Show

American Utopia

**WINNER** for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf

MJ, The Musical

Moulin Rouge

Paradise Square

The Music Man

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Off Broadway Special Recognitions

The 2022 Chita Rivera Awards celebrated excellence in Off-Broadway musical theater by presenting two special awards.

Outstanding Choreography In An Off Broadway Show

**WINNER** Josh Prince, Trevor

Outstanding Ensemble In An Off Broadway Show

**WINNER** The Wrong Man

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Choreography In Film

Outstanding Choreography For A Theatrical Release

Cinderella

Choreographer: Ashley Wallen; (Assistant Choreographer: Jenny Griffin)

Everyone's Talking About Jamie

Choreographer: Kate Prince; (Assistant Choreographer: Tommy Franzen)

In The Heights

Choreographer: Christopher Scott; (3 Associate and 3 Assistant Choreographers)

**WINNER** tick... tick... Boom!

Choreographer: Ryan Heffington; (Associate Choreographer: Ryan Spencer)

West Side Story

Choreographed: Justin Peck; (Associate Choreographer: Craig Salstein)

(Original choreography by: Jerome Robbins; Original Broadway Production Co-Choreographed by: Peter Gennaro)

Outstanding Direction Of A Documentary Release (tie)

Ballerina Boys - The Trocaderos

Directors: Chana Gazit and Martie Barylick

Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters

Directors: Tom Hurwitz and Rosalynde LeBlanc

Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker

Director: Oliver Bokelberg

**WINNER** First Try

Director: Josh Prince

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

Director: John Carluccio

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Douglas & Ethel Watt Critics' Choice Award

**WINNER** Annie-B Parson

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One of Broadway's greatest triple-threat talents, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. A versatile actress/singer/dancer, her most recent starring roles include The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway; the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood; the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age nine) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from the legendary choreographer George Balanchine.

Chita's first appearance (age 19) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002.

In 2019, Chita performed her solo concert at London's Cadogan Hall; in 2018 she was honored as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy; in 2016 she headlined at Carnegie Hall and in 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective of her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS.Her current solo CD is entitled, And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.