Susan Stroman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Stroman
|
|
|---|---|
Stroman in 2007
|
|
| Born | October 17, 1954 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Choreographer, performer, theatre director |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Spouse(s) | Mike Ockrent (1996–1999, his death) |
Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is a famous American theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. She is known for creating the dances and directing some of the biggest shows on Broadway. Some of her most famous productions include The Producers, Crazy for You, and Contact.
Stroman has won five Tony Awards, which are like the Oscars for Broadway shows. Four of her Tonys were for Best Choreography, and one was for Best Director. She has also won many other honors, including two Laurence Olivier Awards in London and five Drama Desk Awards in New York. In 2014, she was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame for her amazing contributions to theater.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps
Susan Stroman was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Her father played the piano and introduced her to the exciting music of theater shows. She fell in love with dance and started taking lessons in jazz, tap, and ballet when she was only five years old.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 1976, she moved to New York City to follow her dreams. Her first job as a professional performer was in a musical called Hit the Deck. Soon after, she got a part in a tour of the musical Chicago. This was her first time working with the famous songwriting team John Kander and Fred Ebb, who she would work with many more times in her career.
Stroman realized she enjoyed creating dances and directing more than performing. She decided to focus on becoming a choreographer and director, starting with smaller shows and commercials.
Career in the Theater
Stroman's work helps tell a story through dance. As a choreographer, she designs all the dance steps and movements for the actors. As a director, she is in charge of the entire show, guiding the actors and the creative team to bring the story to life on stage.
Breakthrough on Broadway
Stroman's big break came in 1987 when she choreographed an Off-Broadway show called Flora the Red Menace. Her work was so good that it caught the attention of the legendary director Hal Prince, who hired her for an opera.
In 1992, she choreographed the musical Crazy for You. The show was a huge hit, and Stroman won her first Tony Award for Best Choreography.
Two years later, she choreographed a new version of the classic musical Show Boat. She used creative dance sequences to show the story moving through different time periods. She researched the history of dances like the Charleston and showed how it was created by African-American communities. This work earned her a second Tony Award.
Directing and Major Successes
In 2000, Stroman directed and choreographed a revival of The Music Man. At the same time, she created a unique show called Contact, which was a "dance play" told in three parts without any singing. It was a huge success and won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Stroman won another Tony for her choreography.
Her biggest hit came in 2001 when she directed and choreographed The Producers, a musical comedy by Mel Brooks. The show was a sensation and won 12 Tony Awards, the most ever for a single production. Stroman won two Tonys that night: one for Best Direction and one for Best Choreography. She was the first woman to ever win both awards in the same year.
Recent Work and New Shows
Stroman has continued to create exciting new shows. She worked with Mel Brooks again on Young Frankenstein. She also directed and choreographed The Scottsboro Boys, a powerful musical about a true story from American history.
Some of her other notable projects include:
- Big Fish (2013), a musical based on the popular book and movie.
- Bullets Over Broadway (2014), a musical based on a film by Woody Allen.
- POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great ... Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (2022), a hit comedy play on Broadway.
- New York, New York (2023), a musical celebrating the famous city.
Stroman is also known for her work in ballet. In 2004, she became the first woman to choreograph a full-length ballet for the prestigious New York City Ballet.
Famous Stage Productions
Here are some of the most well-known shows Susan Stroman has directed or choreographed:
- Crazy for You (1992)
- Show Boat (1994)
- A Christmas Carol (1994)
- Oklahoma! (1998 London production)
- Contact (1999)
- The Music Man (2000)
- The Producers (2001)
- The Frogs (2004)
- Young Frankenstein (2007)
- The Scottsboro Boys (2010)
- Big Fish (2013)
- Bullets Over Broadway (2014)
- New York, New York (2023)
Awards and Recognition
Susan Stroman is one of the most celebrated directors and choreographers in theater history.
- Tony Awards: She has won 5 Tonys and has been nominated many more times. She won Best Choreography for Crazy For You, Show Boat, and Contact. She won both Best Direction and Best Choreography for The Producers.
- Laurence Olivier Awards: She has won 2 Olivier Awards, the highest honor in British theatre, for Crazy For You and Oklahoma!.
- Other Awards: She has received numerous other awards for her outstanding work, including Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
- Lifetime Achievement: In 2018, she received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre.
See also
In Spanish: Susan Stroman para niños
