Jerry Mitchell

Early life and education

Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not graduate from the Fine Arts college at Webster University in St. Louis after attending for a year, he later received an honorary degree from Webster University in 2005.[1] Today, Mitchell resides in Manhattan and St. Louis.

Career

Mitchell's early Broadway credits were as a dancer in The Will Rogers Follies and revivals of Brigadoon and On Your Toes. He is openly gay.[2][3]

Mitchell's first professional credit as a choreographer was for the 1990 Alley Theatre world premiere of the musical Jekyll & Hyde. Mitchell's first Broadway production as sole choreographer was the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which he followed with The Full Monty.

Mitchell created and for many years directed the annual Broadway Bares benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.[4] In addition to the theatre, he has choreographed for films such as Camp, In & Out and Drop Dead Gorgeous. He garnered an Emmy Award nomination for his work on The Drew Carey Show.

In 2003 Mitchell was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch". He directed and choreographed Legally Blonde: The Musical, which opened in April 2007, and served as a mentor on Bravo's reality competition Step It Up and Dance in 2008.[5]

Mitchell created, directed, and choreographed a stage show for Las Vegas, Peepshow, which opened at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in 2009. He was involved in workshops for the stage musical adaptation of the film Catch Me If You Can.[5][6][7]

In 2013, Mitchell directed and choreographed the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. He won the Tony Award for Best Choreography and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He is the director of the new musical On Your Feet!, about the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. The musical premiered in Chicago in June 2015 and opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on November 5, 2015.[8]

He is the director and choreographer of the new musical Half Time, based on the film Gotta Dance, which began performances on December 13, 2015 at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre, and ran through January 17, 2016. The musical has the book by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, with additional music by Marvin Hamlisch.[9][10][11] The musical opened at the Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) on May 31, 2018.[12]

Stage work

Awards and nominations
Drama Desk Awards
Year Category Work Result
2001 Outstanding Choreography The Full Monty and The Rocky Horror Show Nominated
2003 Outstanding Choreography Hairspray Nominated
2004 Outstanding Choreography Never Gonna Dance Nominated
2005 Outstanding Choreography La Cage aux Folles Won
Outstanding Choreography Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Nominated
2007 Outstanding Choreography Legally Blonde Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
Laurence Olivier Awards
Year Category Work Result
2008 Best Theatre Choreographer Hairspray Nominated
2011 Best Theatre Choreographer Legally Blonde Nominated
2015 Best Theatre Choreographer Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Nominated
2016 Best Theatre Choreographer Kinky Boots Nominated
Tony Awards
Year Category Work Result
2001 Best Choreography The Full Monty Nominated
2003 Best Choreography Hairspray Nominated
2004 Best Choreography Never Gonna Dance Nominated
2005 Best Choreography La Cage aux Folles Won
Best Choreography Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Nominated
2007 Best Choreography Legally Blonde Nominated
2013 Best Direction of a Musical Kinky Boots Nominated
Best Choreography Won

References
  1. "Honorary Degrees at Webster University".
  2. Jerry Mitchell (April 2, 2008). "An Interview with "Step It Up & Dance"'s Jerry Mitchell". AfterElton (Interview: transcript). Interviewed by John Polly. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  3. Jerry Mitchell (June 2007). "Broadway One On One: Jerry Mitchell". Pride Entertainment (transcript). Interviewed by Michael Rupert. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  4. Adam Hetrick (June 26, 2008). "Mitchell to Sign Broadway Bares Backstage Pass at Barnes and Noble June 27". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 30, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  5. Robert Simonson (April 16, 2008). "Playbill.com's Brief Encounter With Jerry Mitchell". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  6. BWW News Desk (November 18, 2008). "Mel B and Kelly Monaco Join Jerry Mitchell's Upcoming Vegas Based 'PEEP SHOW'!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  7. Gans, Andrew; Hernandez, Ernio (December 3, 2007). "Catch Me If You Can Reading Set for 2008". Playbill. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  8. Gans, Andrew and Gioia, Michael. "'On Your Feet!', Gloria Estefan Bio Musical, Opens on Broadway Tonight" playbill.com, November 5, 2015
  9. Cox, Gordon. "Stefanie Powers, Georgia Engel Join Cast of Broadway-Bound ‘Gotta Dance’" Variety, June 29, 2015
  10. Viagas, Robert. "Broadway-Bound Gotta Dance, Starring Lillias White, André De Shields and Georgia Engel, Bows in Chicago" playbill.com, December 13, 2015
  11. Gans, Andrew (December 14, 2015). "Gotta Dance, Helmed by Jerry Mitchell, Extends Chicago Run; Broadway Debut Set for Fall". Playbill.
  12. Hetrick, Adam. "New Musical 'Half Time', Starring André De Shields, Georgia Engel, Donna McKechnie, and Lillias White, Begins Paper Mill Run" Playbill, May 31, 2018
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