Michael Kidd
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| Michael Kidd | |||||||||||
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| Born | Milton Greenwald August 12, 1915 New York, New York |
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| Died | December 23, 2007 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California |
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| Spouse(s) | Marie Heater (m.1945) Shelah Hackett (1969-2007) |
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Michael Kidd (August 12, 1915 – December 23, 2007)[1] was an American film and stage choreographer.
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[edit] Early life and career
Born Milton Greenwald in New York City on the Lower East Side, the son of Abraham Greenwald, an immigrant barber, and his wife Lillian, Michael Kidd moved to Brooklyn with his family and attended New Utrecht High School there.[1] Becoming interested in dance after attending a modern dance performance, he went on to study under Blanche Evan, a dancer and choreographer who was a pioneer in the development of dance therapy. [1] Nonetheless, he pursued chemical engineering at the City College of New York, which he attended from 1936 to mid-1937 before being granted a scholarship to the School of American Ballet.
[edit] Later life and career
His work for the 1954 film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was noted for a series of energetic dances depicting ordinary frontier activities, including a barn raising. He also choreographed Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in the celebrated Girl Hunt Ballet from the 1953 musical film The Band Wagon.
He was both director and choreographer for the musical comedy film Merry Andrew, starring Danny Kaye.
[edit] Awards
Kidd won five Tony Awards for choreography, and an honorary Academy Award in 1996 "in recognition of his services to the art of dance in the art of the screen".
[edit] Broadway credits
- 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 Award 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 Award Nomination for Best Choreography
- Here's Love (1963) - musical - choreographer
- Ben Franklin in Paris (1964) - musical - director and choreographer
- Skyscraper (1965) - musical - choreographer - Tony Award Nomination for Best Choreography
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966 - never officially opened) - musical - choreographer
- The Rothschilds (1970) - musical - director and choreographer - Tony Award Nominations for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography
- Cyrano (1973) - musical - director and choreographer
- The Music Man (1980 revival) - musical - director and choreographer
- The Goodbye Girl (1993) - musical - Tony Award Nomination for Best Direction of a Musical
[edit] Death
He died of cancer[1] at the age 92 at his home in Los Angeles, California. His age was confirmed by The New York Times, citing Kidd's nephew, Robert Greenwald, in the newspaper's obituary for Kidd, noting that biographical sources had generally given his age as four years younger.[1]
