Photos: Shoshana Medney
Video Interviews: Shoshana Medney & Sandi Durell
The Chita Rivera Awards nominees reception took place Monday, April 29 at Bond 45 (221 W. 46th Street).
Nominators consider outstanding choreography, featured dancers and ensembles in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, as well as outstanding choreography in film during the theatrical season. The Off-Broadway and Film committees make nominations and name winners in those categories. Broadway nominees are designated by the Broadway nominating committee and winners selected by the Broadway awarding committee.
At this year’s Chita Rivera Awards, dancer, choreographer and theater director Graciela Daniele will receive the third annual Lifetime Achievement Award, and Flody Suarez, Jeffrey Seller, and Cher (producers of The Cher Show on Broadway) will be honored with the Ambassador for the Arts Award honoring their contribution to the convergence of theater, film, and television. George C. Wolfe will be presented with the SDC Director Award for exemplary collaboration with choreographers on Broadway.
Joe Lanteri (NYCDAF – Executive Director) introduced Award announcers Sandy Duncan & Michael Riedel
The Chita Rivera Awards will be presented May 19 at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. www.ChitaRiveraAwards.com 

2019 CHITA RIVERA AWARD NOMINATIONS
BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show:
Warren Carlyle, Kiss Me Kate
Denis Jones, Tootsie
David Neumann, Hadestown
Casey Nicholaw, The Prom
Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
 
Outstanding Male Dancer in a Broadway Show:
Corbin Bleu, Kiss Me Kate
Rick Faugno, Kiss Me Kate
James T. Lane, Kiss Me Kate
Jeremy Pope, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Ephraim Sykes, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations    
 
Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show:
Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, The Cher Show
Gabrielle Hamilton, Oklahoma!
Amber Gray, Hadestown
Leslie Kritzer, Beetlejuice
Angie Schworer, The Prom
Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show:
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Hadestown
King Kong
Kiss Me Kate
The Cher Show
The Prom
 
OFF-BROADWAY NOMINATIONS:
Outstanding Choreography
Joshua Bergasse, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Raja Feather Kelly, If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, Alice By Heart
Lorin Latarro, Merrily We Roll Along
Shea Sullivan, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
 
Outstanding Male Dancer
Brennan Caldwell, Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head
Zachary Downer, Alice By Heart
Brendan Henderson, Cleopatra
Jelani Remy, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Wesley Taylor, Alice By Heart
 
Outstanding Female Dancer
Emma Degerstedt, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Mia Dilena, Alice By Heart
Irina Dvorovenko, The Beast in the Jungle
Dionne D. Figgins, Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Naomi Kakuk, The Beast in the Jungle
 
Outstanding Ensemble
Alice By Heart, MCC Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka, Playwrights Horizons
Smokey Joe’s Café, Steven Baruch, Mark Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel
Twelfth Night, The Public Theater
 
 
FILM NOMINATIONS:
Theatrical Release
Isn’t It Romantic – (Release date, February 13, 2019, Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth)Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli; Assistant Choreographer, Jon Rua
Mary Poppins Returns – (Release date, December 19, 2018, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Choreographers: Rob Marshall & John DeLuca; Co-Choreographer, Joey Pizzi; Associate Choreographer, Tara Nichole Hughes, Assistant Choreographer: Marlon Pelayo
Shine – (Release date, October 6, 2018, Alysia Reiner, David Zayas)
Director of Choreography: Anderson Cruz, Choreographers, Charlie Garcia, Osmar Perrones, Grisselle Ponce
Swimming with Men – (Release date, December 7, 2018, Rob Brydon, Rupert Graves)Choreographer: Caroline Pope
 
The Nutcracker and The Far Realms – (Release date, November 2, 2018, Misty Copeland)
Choreographer: Liam Scarlett
Documentaries          
Ballet Now – (Release date, July 20, 2018; Tiler Peck)
Director: Steven Cantor
Bathtubs Over Broadway – (Release date, November 30, 2018; Tribeca Film Festival Award Winner prior and other festivals, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, etc.)
Director: Dava Whisenent
Hot to Trot – (Release date, NY, August 24, 2018, nationwide rollout to follow)
Director: Gail Freedman
If The Dancer Dances – (Release date, July 24, 2018, Dance on Camera Festival)
Director, Maia Weschler
Moving Stories, Lives Transformed By Dance – (Release Date, August 11, 2018, Battery Dance Festival, MoMa)
Director: Rob Fruchtman, Wilderness Films, Producer
Productions nomination count:
Broadway:
Kiss Me Kate – 5
Ain’t Too Proud- The Life and Times of The Temptations – 4
Hadestown – 3
The Prom – 3
The Cher Show – 2
Beetlejuice – 1
King Kong – 1
Oklahoma! – 1
Tootsie– 1
 
 
Off-Broadway:
Alice By Heart – 5
Smokey Joe’s Café – 5
If Pretty Hurts, Ugly Must Be a Muhfucka – 2
Neurosis, A Musical That Gets in Your Head – 2
The Beast in the Jungle – 2
Cleopatra – 1
Fiddler on the Roof – 1
Merrily We Roll Along – 1
Twelfth Night – 1