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| DEBBIE ALLEN ANITA (1980) |
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| Best known for her long association with Fame in films, television and on stage, Houston-born Debbie Allen began her Broadway career in the chorus of Purlie and was featured as Beneatha in Raisin. She appeared on Broadway in Ain't Misbehavin' followed by her triumph in West Side Story, a performance that earned her a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award. She played the title role in Bob Fosse's revival of Sweet Charity which featured Bebe Neuwirth. Along with Fame her film appearances include Ragtime and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. She was featured in the acclaimed "Alice at the Palace" and has directed several major television shows, "Quantum Leap," "A Different World," "Family Ties," "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and of course "Fame," among many others. Ms Allen choreographed the dances for the short-lived Broadway version of Carrie. |
| Bebe Neuwirth is known to millions as Doctor Lilith Sternin Crane, acerbic wife/ex-wife of and foil to Frasier Crane on the successful TV series "Cheers" and "Frasier." Not as well-known is the musical comedy career that preceded (and followed) her Emmy-winning portrayal. Following her appearance in West Side Story with the Cleveland Opera, Ms Neuwirth appeared opposite Debbie Allen as Nicki in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, a part that won her a Tony. She was also Sheila in the Broadway company of the long-running A Chorus Line. After her successful turns as Lilith she returned to musical comedy as Lola in Damn Yankees. One stint at Encores! -- singing "Zip" in Pal Joey -- led to another, the now historic production of Chicago, bringing her back to Broadway for another Tony Award-winning performance as Velma Kelly. Film audiences have seen her in Green Card, Jumanji, and Celebrity, among others. In 2005 Bebe Neuwirth returned to series television, starring in the fourth part of the "Law and Order" franchise, "Trial by Jury." |
| By the time James Darren appeared in West Side Story he had accumulated an impressive list of credits on stage, in films, on television and on the club circuit. Born in Philadelphia, he studied in New York with Stella Adler before being spotted by a Columbia Pictures executive. He landed roles in several movies such as Operation Mad Ball and Gunman's Walk before taking on the role of Moondoggie in Gidget opposite Sandra Dee. After two Gidget sequels he became a headliner in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and also performed on many television variety shows of the day. Favorite film roles are Nick Romano in Let No Man Write My Epitaph and Spyros Pappadinos in The Guns of Navarone. He played Doctor Tony Newman in Irwin Allen's TV series "The Time Tunnel." |
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| By the time "Mickey" hit the charts in 1982 Toni Basil had already enjoyed a busy career as dancer and choreographer. She danced on the popular television show "Hullabaloo" before appearing in such films as Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. She has choreographed shows for Frank Sinatra, David Bowie and Bette Midler, as well as Ms Midler's The Rose. Other films with dances choreographed by Ms Basil are American Graffiti, That Thing You Do!, My Best Friend's Wedding and Legally Blonde. In 1998 she staged the dances for a Gap commercial (though not THE Gap commercial). |
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| The multi-faceted career of one of the most prolific and versatile actors of modern times began unceremoniously but with great promise as Doctor Kildare in the 1960s TV series of that name. A partial list of his stage credits includes the works of Tennessee Williams, Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, and William Shakespeare. His musical talents have been on display in The Fantasticks, My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins) and The Sound of Music (Captain von Trapp). In films and television he has appeared in The Madwoman of Chaillot, the title role in Hamlet, Tchaikovsky in The Music Lovers, King Edward VIII in The Woman I Love, Aramis in The Three Musketeers (as well as The Four Musketeers and The Return of the Musketeers), F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Last of the Belles, Alan Quartermain in King Solomon's Mines and ...The City of Gold, along with The Count of Monte Cristo, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Thorn Birds, and the renowned Shogun. His 2003 memoir "Shattered Love" was a New York Times best-seller. |
| RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN TONY (1966) |
| LESLIE UGGAMS MARIA (1976,1977) |
| Leslie Uggams came to national prominence by way of the popular 1960s television show "Sing Along with Mitch," on which she was a regular performer while still a teenager. She won a Tony Award for her Broadway debut performance in the Styne-Comden-Green musical Hallelujah, Baby. She has hosted her own musical variety show, "The Leslie Uggams Show," and appeared as Kizzy in the acclaimed miniseries Roots. Other theater appearances include Cleopatra in Her First Roman, Jerry's Girls (opposite Chita Rivera), Call Me Madam, King Hedley II, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and On Golden Pond (2005) opposite James Earl Jones. |
| MICHAEL BENNETT (ACTION, BABY JOHN) |
| He will always be known as the man who made A Chorus Line a reality, but Michael Bennett's Broadway career began over a decade earlier in the chorus of Subways Are for Sleeping (starring Carol Lawrence), followed by Here's Love and Bajour (with Chita Rivera). In addition to choreographing West Side Story in stock and touring productions, he created the dances for such Broadway musicals as A Joyful Noise, Henry Sweet Henry, Promises Promises, Coco, and Stephen Sondheim's ground-breaking Company, directed by Harold Prince. His other Broadway triumphs include Follies, Seesaw, Ballroom and Dreamgirls. His work outside the musical world includes George Furth's Twigs and God's Favorite by Neil Simon. Michael Bennett and his collaborators received the Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line. |
| TONI BASIL ANITA (1965) |
| JAMES DARREN TONY (1973) |
| BEBE NEUWIRTH ANITA |
| CHRISTOPHER WALKEN RIFF (1964) |
| Although his song and dance routine in Pennies from Heaven took filmgoers by surprise, the focus of Christopher Walken's early career was dancing in musical comedy. He attended the Professional Children's School in New York City and appeared in many TV shows during the so-called Golden Age of live broadcasting. During his first year of college he found his way to musical comedy by way of an off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward, which also featured a young up-and-comer named Liza Minnelli. His Broadway career includes such notable entries as The Lion in Winter, J.B., High Spirits, Baker Street (choreographed by Lee Becker Theodore), revivals of The Rose Tattoo starring Maureen Stapleton and Sweet Bird of Youth opposite Irene Worth, and most recently James Joyce's The Dead. His illustrious film career includes appearances in Annie Hall, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, The Milagro Beanfield War, Biloxi Blues, Batman Returns, Pulp Fiction, Catch Me if You Can, The Stepford Wives (2004), The Wedding Crashers, Click, Man of the Year, Hairspray (2007), and his Oscar-winning turn in The Deer Hunter, to name but a handful. He and his wife Georgianne Thon met while they were playing Riff and Graziella in stock. |
| Pat Boone's entry into the music world was greeted with resounding relief by parents concerned with the evil effects of rock 'n' roll on the next generation. The squeaky-clean image was the re-assuring antidote to the suggestive gyrations of his presumed rival Elvis Presley. Pat Boone's long and successful recording career, a unique mix of rock, ballads and gospel, led to an opportunity to host his own weekly variety television series. Inevitably he answered the call of Hollywood and appeared in such bubble-gum fare as Bernardine, April Love, Mardi Gras, the adventure film Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the re-make of Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair. He is the author of two books of advice for teenagers. Pat Boone is a direct descendant of frontiersman Daniel Boone, and the proud father of singer Debby Boone. |
| PAT BOONE TONY (1965) |
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| As a regular entry in stock and touring productions throughout the world, West Side Story has been a theater experience for both unknown dancers on the way up, and established performers who guest-star with established companies. In either event, a number of celebrities who are better-known for other accomplishments also happen to have West Side Story in their performing histories, some of whom are listed below. |
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| In addition to his so-called breakthrough role in Dirty Dancing, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, Texas-born Patrick Swayze sang and danced in several Broadway shows including Goodtime Charley, Grease (as Danny Zuko), and Chicago (Billy Flynn). He was also seen as Nathan Detroit in the 2006 London production of Guys and Dolls. On television he was Orry Main in the miniseries “North and South” Books One and Two. His film work includes Ghost, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination, The Outsiders, Youngblood, Steel Dawn, Point Break, To Wong Foo…. (in yet another Golden Globe-nominated performance), and Donnie Darko among many others. In 1991 Patrick Swayze was voted People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. |
| PATRICK SWAYZE RIFF (1977) |
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