2025 Tony Nominees for Best Choreography Discuss Inspirations

Choreographic Inspirations for "Gypsy"

• 💡 Camille A. Brown, nominated for "Gypsy," focused on her personal perspective and contributing to the show's legacy, rather than external expectations.
• 🎭 She found inspiration in the story of Gypsy Rose Lee's journey to find her truth, power, and voice.
• ✊ Brown intentionally cast Black actors to highlight themes of reclamation and power, especially for two Black women during a time of segregation.

Theatrical Magic in "Death Becomes Her"

• 🪄 Christopher Gatelli, nominated for "Death Becomes Her," emphasized using unique theatrical magic over film techniques to achieve illusions like a person descending a staircase.
• 🤝 He is proud of the collaborative effort and the team's dedication to moving towards a shared vision.
• 🤸 Gatelli discovered Olympic gymnast Warren Yang on Instagram and conceived a challenging routine involving a pummel horse vault down a staircase in heels, performed without wires.

Bridging Worlds in "Betty Boop"

• 🎶 Jerry Mitchell, choreographer for "Betty Boop," aimed to merge the iconic image of Betty Boop with her 1930s black-and-white short film origins.
• 👯‍♀️ The opening number featured a 1930s Busby Berkeley-style tap routine, entirely in black and white, to establish Betty Boop as the star.
• 🌈 A key challenge was creating the "Where is Betty" number, visually transitioning between black and white and color to represent the merging of Betty Boop's different worlds.

Adapting "Smash" for Broadway

• 📺 Josh Burggos discussed the challenge of adapting the choreography from the television series "Smash" for the stage, balancing fan expectations with new elements.
• 🎭 He highlighted the difficulty of translating the camera's storytelling power in television to the stage, where audience focus must be guided through stagecraft.
• 🌟 Burggos felt confident about the Broadway adaptation after reading the new script and seeing the potential for the show.

Capturing the Spirit of "Cuba" in Choreography

• 🇨🇺 The choreography for "Cuba" draws inspiration from the omnipresent dance culture in Cuba, seen in streets, clubs, and stages.
• 🏝️ The staging aimed to evoke the feeling of being on a hot, humid island, emphasizing the proximity and interaction between dancers.
• ✨ Choreographers worked to make the movement feel social and improvisational, while maintaining underlying form and structure to tell the story and invite the audience into the experience.
• 🗣️ A significant achievement for the show is that all music is sung in Spanish, allowing the choreography to visually and kinetically enhance the narrative.