Upcoming Broadway shows in the New Year

Meryl Cates | Sep 26, 2008 | 2

The original Broadway cast recording, 1957

Dance and Broadway have always been a partnership; they have been the moon and the stars, the Gatsby and Daisy, the cookies and milk.  Surely they have been a symbiosis of sorts.  Shows catering to a dance centric theme are no strangers to the Broadway theatres, with recent premiers like Billy Elliot.  But, it is next year's productions that will be in with the old, as some treasured dance classics make their return.

In 2009, those who remember the original and those who only remember it on DVD will be able to experience West Side Story and Bob Fosse's Dancin'.  Although the casts have not been announced and some specifics are still in the works, these revivals will provide a way to revisit some history-making dance.

Beginning with the moment the orchestra strikes its first few notes and the recognizable tunes float through the audience, the timelessness of the music and choreography of West Side Story will be undisputable.  Opening March 19th, with first previews on February 23rd, the musical rendition of Romeo and Juliet will retain the famous choreography of Jerome Robbins under the choreographic leadership of Joey McKneely.  Directed by Arthur Laurents, the theatre itself has not been named, but West Side Story will, I'm sure, lend itself wonderfully back to the stage.

Also next year, Dancin' will resurface after its run in 1978, and will be performed at Studio 54.  One of Fosse's plotless dance works, the Tony nominated show will be previewed on April 17th, with a cast and final opening date yet to be announced.  His distinctive choreography, in all of its arm rippling and leggy glory, will be presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company and directed by Graciela Daniele.  With artistic consultation from the notable Fosse dancers, Ann Reinking and Kathryn Doby, and with guidance from Nicole Fosse, his daughter, all will be performed up to the standards of his own infamous precision.  Fosse's work, having been so influential to dance stylization, provides a wonderful throwback to shows exclusively devoted to the dancing.

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Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Ballroom, Teacher, Enthusiast, Parent, Studio, Performance, Bob Fosse, Dancin', Jerome Robbins, West Side Story (all tags)