Piedmont Players Theatre to Offer CHICAGO Master Dance Class, 1/9

Choreographer Tod Kubo is back by popular demand to lead another intensive master class that will include the dance styles featured in Piedmont Players Theatre's upcoming spring musical CHICAGO! Whether you plan on auditioning for CHICAGO this spring or you just love to dance this is the class for you!

The class is set for Thursday, January 9, 2014 7pm-9pm at Norvell Theater, 135 E. Fisher St., Salisbury, NC

Recommended Attire: Women - all black fitted dance clothing & character shoes Men - all fitted black dance clothing and jazz shoes.

Since 1993, Tod A. Kubo has directed and choreographed his way across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. On the west coast, he was critically acclaimed for directing/choreographing productions for the Orange County Performing Arts Center, The Bob Hope Cultural Arts Center/McCallum Theatre, West Coast Opera, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Saddleback Civic Light Opera, Onstage Theatre Company, Musical Theatre West, and more. Tod has choreographed and directed such Piedmont Players Theatre hits as DREAMGIRLS, THE COLOR PURPLE, SPAMALOT and LEAP OF FAITH. He will also be choreographing CHICAGO this spring.

Directing/Choreographic highlights include: THE WIZARD OF OZ-Las Vegas, KING DAVID- New York and European Tours, DREAMER- National Tour, OKLAHOMA-West Coast Opera Theatre, PETER PAN- Bob Hope Cultural Arts Center/Palm Desert, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST-Musical Theatre West, 42nd STREET-Gallimaufry Performing Arts, FACETS FROM BROADWAY-Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK-Saddleback CLO.

Some additional choreography credits: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, GUYS AND DOLLS, HOW TO SUCCEED..., CHESS, MIKADO, HELLO DOLLY, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING..., THE SOUND OF MUSIC, ME AND MY GIRL, FOOTLOOSE, THE MUSIC MAN, and WEST SIDE STORY. In 1998 Tod was inducted into the California Department of Education Hall of Fame for his professional dance contributions. In 2013, Tod was nominated for multiple MTA Awards for his work on Piedmont Players Theatre's SPAMALOT and THE COLOR PURPLE.

Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same name by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins about actual criminals and crimes she reported on. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal." Bob Fosse choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. The Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is the third longest-running show in Broadway history having played more than 6,700 performances. The Academy Award-winning 2002 film version of the musical was directed by Rob Marshall & starred Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, & Richard Gere.

The original production received 10 Tony Award nominations. The 1996 revival won 6 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical & 6 Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical.