Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Tony Stevens [sound recording].

Author

Stevens, Tony.

Publication

2007.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Winkler, Kevin.
• National Endowment for the Arts, 2007-2008.
• New York State Council on the Arts, 2007-2008.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 119 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in +

Summary

• Disc 1, 11/20/07 (ca. 64 min.). Tony Stevens speaks with Kevin Winkler about his recent activities; his family's love of dancing; his early dance education, in his home town of Herculaneum, Missouri, and in St. Louis; dancing in musical comedies at the St. Louis Muny [St. Louis Municipal Opera]; reasons this was such excellent training; moving to New York City and working as a so-called chorus gypsy; his first time choreographing, a concert evening at The Lamb's Club [Lambs Theatre Club]; working with Peter Gennaro on the musical comedy Irene; what he learned from dancing in the musical comedy Jimmy; leaving Jimmy to dance in the musical comedy Georgy; the show Music, music, at City Center [City Center of Music and Drama], which was his first solo choreography credit [brief gap]; an anecdote about Clive Barnes' review of Donna McKechnie's performance in Music, music; choreographing the motion picture The Great Gatsby and its effect on his career; the musical comedy Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and don't you ever forget it [never officially opened] including the reasons it was not successful; the series of events which led to the creation of the musical A chorus line, beginning with his forming of a group of dancers to produce and perform theatrical pieces [does not remember its name]; his request to Michael Bennett to become involved with the group, including how he first came to know Bennett and their prior professional relationship; the group talk sessions of the dancers and Bennett, resulting in Stevens' 24 hours of tapes; Stevens' subsequent taped interviews of dancers at Bennett's request; an anecdote about Lee Baayork's not participating; further development of the material by Nicky [Nicholas Dante], Michon Peacock, and Stevens and eventual sale of the tapes by Stevens and the other participants to Bennett for 1.00 each [for use as a source in a workshop production for the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Public Theater produced by Joseph Papp]; Bennett's decision to have the participants audition for the parts of their own characters, including the participants' reaction to this; the excitement of watching Ed Kleban's and Marvin Hamlisch's creation of the score for the workshop production.
• Disc 2, 11/20/07 (ca. 55 min.). Tony Stevens continues to speak with Kevin Winkler about the first workshop for A chorus line at the Public Theater; his working with Chita Rivera in Chita plus two at the Grand Finale; the second workshop, including his relationship with Michael Bennett; his leaving to assist Bob Fosse with the musical comedy Chicago, including his choreographing for Chita Rivera; Fosse's working methods; Fosse's health and its effect on Chicago, including an anecdote about the song They both reached for the gun; Fosse's relationship with Gwen Verdon; differences between Verdon's and Rivera's working methods; an anecdote about Fosse and Fosse's hat; Bennett's working methods compared with Fosse's; Stevens' feelings upon first seeing A chorus line performed; his feelings upon first seeing Chicago performed; his thoughts about the current revivals [brief gap]; the homogeneity of most performers today contrasted with the qualities that make a performer a star; working with Gower Champion, including on the 1976 musical comedy Rockabye Hamlet; working with Champion on the revival of Annie get your gun at the Civic Light Opera in Los Angeles; his own work, including the influence exerted by Bennett and other directors with whom he has worked; reasons it is increasingly difficult to have a career as a director/choreographer on Broadway; staging night club acts, e.g., for Chita Rivera and Ann Reinking; working with male performers, e.g., Peter Allen.

Alternative Title

• Dance Oral History Project.
• Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Fosse, Bob, 1927-1987
• Stevens, Tony
• Kander, John > Chicago
• Champion, Gower, 1919-1980
• Audiotapes > Stevens, T
• Bennett, Michael, 1943-1987
• Rivera, Chita
• Verdon, Gwen
• Hamlisch, Marvin > Chorus line

Note

• Interview with Tony Stevens conducted by Kevin Winkler at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York, N.Y., on Nov. 20, 2007, for the Dance Division's Oral History Project.
• For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2586.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Funding (note)

• The assistance of the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts is gratefully acknowledged.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2586

OCLC

457852300

Author

Stevens, Tony. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Tony Stevens [sound recording].

Imprint

2007.

Funding

The assistance of the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts is gratefully acknowledged.

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Added Author

Winkler, Kevin. Interviewer

National Endowment for the Arts, 2007-2008.

New York State Council on the Arts, 2007-2008.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2586

*MGZMT 3-2586