Michael Kidd - Work on Broadway

Choreographer, dancer, and producer-director, born in New York City, New York, USA. While in high school, he attended a performance by a modern dance group that inspired him to take dance lessons. Although he went on to City College of New York and studied chemical engineering, by the end of his third year he dropped out to dedicate himself entirely to dance. He attended the School of American Ballet and made his stage debut in the chorus of Max Reinhardt's production of The Eternal Road (1937). He toured for three years with Ballet Caravan (1937–40) and began to dance leading parts with the Dance Players (1941–2) and the Ballet Theatre (1942–7). His first original ballet, On Stage!, premiered in 1945, and this led to his becoming choreographer of the Broadway musical, Finian's Rainbow (1947). From then on he enjoyed a series of successes as choreographer for such stage musicals as Love Life (1948), Guys and Dolls (1950), and Can-Can (1953), eventually earning five Tony Awards for his dynamic and inventive dances. He also choreographed such films as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). He broadened his scope to acting and dancing in the film It's Always Fair Weather (1955), directing the Danny Kaye comedy film, Merry Andrew (1958), and producing and staging as well as choreographing the musical L'il Abner (1956). In later years he composed the choreography for the films Star (1968) and Hello, Dolly! (1969).

Work on Broadway

Filling Station (1939) - ballet - dancer for the role of "The Gangster" Billy the Kid (1939) - ballet to the music of Aaron Copland - dancer Pocahontas (1939) - ballet to the music of Elliott Carter - dancer cast as an "Indian Man" Billy the Kid (1942 revival) - director and dancer Interplay (1945) - ballet to the music of Morton Gould and choreography of Jerome Robbins - dancer Fancy Free (1946) - ballet the music of Leonard Bernstein and choreography of Jerome Robbins - dancer cast as a "Sailor" Finian's Rainbow (1947) - musical - choreographer - Tony Award for Best Choreography Hold It! (1948) - musical - choreographer Love Life (1948) - musical - choreographer Arms and the Girl (1950) - musical - choreographer Guys and Dolls (1950) - musical - choreographer - Tony Award for Best Choreography Can-Can (1953) - musical - choreographer - Tony Award for Best Choreography Li'l Abner {1956) - musical - director, choreographer, and co-producer - Tony Award for Best Choreography Destry Rides Again (1959) - musical - director and choreographer - Tony Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical and Tony Award for Best Choreography Wildcat (1960) - musical - director, choreographer, and co-producer Subways Are For Sleeping (1961) - musical - director and choreographer - Tony Nomination for Best Choreography Here's Love (1963) - musical - choreographer Ben Franklin in Paris (1964) - musical - director and choreographer Skyscraper (1965) - musical - choreographer - Tony Nomination for Best Choreography Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966 - never officially opened) - musical - choreographer The Rothschilds (1970) - musical - director and choreographer - Tony Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical and Tony Nomination for Best Choreography Cyrano (1973) - musical - director and choreographer The Music Man (1980 revival) - musical - director and choreographer The Goodbye Girl (1993) - musical - Tony Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical