Ann Reinking

Ann Reinking

Ann Reinking
Born (1949-11-10) November 10, 1949
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Occupation Actress, dancer, and choreographer
Years active 1962–present
Spouse(s) Larry Small
(m. 1970; div. 1970)
Herbert Allen, Jr.
(m. 1982; div. 1989)
James Stuart
(m. 1989; div. 1991)
Peter Talbert
(m. 1991)
Partner(s) Bob Fosse (1972–1978)
Children 1

Ann Reinking (born November 10, 1949) is an American actress, dancer, and choreographer. Her extensive work in musical theatre includes starring in Broadway productions of Coco (1969), Over Here! (1974), Goodtime Charley (1975), A Chorus Line (1976), Chicago (1977), Dancin' (1978) and Sweet Charity (1986). In the 1996 revival of Chicago, she reprised the role of Roxie Hart and was also the choreographer, winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography. For the 2000 West End production of Fosse, she won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer. She has also appeared in the films All That Jazz (1979), Annie (1982), and Micki & Maude (1984).

Biography

Early life

Reinking was born in Seattle, Washington, the third of seven children born to Frances and Walter Reinking. She grew up in the affluent Seattle suburb of Bellevue. She began ballet lessons at the age of 10, studying with Marian and Illaria Ladre in Seattle. They were a professional ballet couple who had danced for years with the Ballets Russes, which later became the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.[1]

Reinking made her professional performing debut at the age of 12 in a production of Giselle with the English Royal Ballet. She spent summers in junior high and high school dancing at the San Francisco Ballet, and moved to New York City at the age of 17 following her graduation from Bellevue High School.

Career

In New York, Reinking danced as a member of the corps de ballet at the Radio City Music Hall, performed in the ensemble of the second national tour of Fiddler on the Roof, and at the age of 19 made her Broadway debut as Kit Kat Klub girl Lulu in the musical Cabaret. She was a chorus dancer in Coco (1969), Wild and Wonderful (1971), and Pippin (1972).[2] During Pippin she came to the attention of the show's director and choreographer Bob Fosse. Reinking became Fosse's protégé and romantic partner.

In 1974, Reinking came to critical notice in the role of Maggie in Over Here!, winning a Theatre World Award. She starred as Joan of Arc in Goodtime Charley in 1975, receiving Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress in a Musical.[2]

In 1976 she replaced Donna McKechnie as Cassie in A Chorus Line; in 1977 she replaced Gwen Verdon in the starring role of Roxie Hart in Chicago, a show directed and choreographed by Fosse.[2] In 1978 she appeared in Fosse's review Dancin', and received another Tony nomination.[3]

In that year Reinking and Fosse ended their romance and separated.[4][5] They continued to have a professional, creative collaboration. Reinking has acknowledged Fosse as the major influence on her work as a choreographer.

In 1979, Reinking appeared in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical film All That Jazz, as Katie Jagger, a role loosely based on her own life and relationship with Fosse.[6][4]

Reinking remained in Hollywood for several years after All That Jazz, and appeared in several feature films, including Annie (as Grace Farrell) and Micki & Maude (as Micki).

In March 1985, Reinking appeared at the 57th Academy Awards to give a mostly lip-synced vocal performance accompanied by a dance routine of the Academy Award-nominated Phil Collins single "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". The routine was poorly received by critics from the Los Angeles Times and People,[7][8] as well as by Collins himself in a Rolling Stone interview.[9]

In 1986, she returned to Broadway, starring in a successful revival of Fosse's production of Sweet Charity.[3] In 1991, she appeared in her first theatre production following the birth of her son, the Broadway National Tour of Bye Bye Birdie, costarring Tommy Tune. In 1992 she contributed choreography to Tommy Tune Tonite!, a three-man review featuring Tune.

Reinking founded the Broadway Theater Project, a Florida training program connecting students with seasoned theater professionals, in 1994.[10] In 1995, she choreographed the ABC television movie version of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie.[11][12]

Reinking had retired from performing by this time. In 1996, she was asked to create the choreography "in the style of Bob Fosse" for an all-star four-night-only concert staging of Chicago for City Center's annual Encores! Concert Series. When the producers could not obtain a suitable actress for the role of Roxie Hart, Reinking agreed to reprise the role after almost 20 years.[6] This concert staging of Chicago was a hit, and a few months later the production (in its concert staging presentation) was produced on Broadway, with the Encores! cast: Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, Joel Grey, James Naughton, and Marcia Lewis.[4][13] In November 2014 the revival celebrated its 18th year on Broadway and became the second-longest running Broadway show of all time. The revival of Chicago won numerous Tony Awards, and Reinking won the Tony Award for Best Choreography. She recreated her choreography for the 1997 London transfer of Chicago, which starred Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall.[14]

In 1998 she co-created, co-directed and co-choreographed the revue Fosse, receiving a Tony Award co-nomination for Best Direction of a Musical.[15][16] For her work on the West End production of Fosse, Reinking (along with the late Bob Fosse himself) won the 2001 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer.

In 2001, she received an honorary doctorate from Florida State University for her contribution to the arts.[17]

Reinking continues to choreograph for theatre, television, and film. Reinking served as a judge of annual New York City public school dance competition for inner-city youth, and appeared in Mad Hot Ballroom, the 2005 documentary film about the competition.[18] In 2012, she contributed choreography for the Broadway production of An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. She currently serves as a member of the advising committee for the American Theatre Wing.

Personal life

Reinking was briefly married three times between 1970 and 1991; each of these marriages ended in divorce. Firstly, she was married in 1970 to Larry Small; they divorced later that year. Secondly, she married in 1982 Herbert Allen, Jr., from whom she was divorced in 1989. Thirdly, she married in 1989 James Stuart, with whom she had one child, son Christopher, before their divorce in 1991. Reinking has been married since 1991 to Peter Talbert.

Reinking lives primarily in Phoenix, Arizona, but frequently returns to New York City.[1][19]

Reinking's son, Chris, suffers from Marfan syndrome, and she works closely with the Marfan Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease. She produced the 2009 documentary, In My Hands: A Story of Marfan Syndrome.[20]

Credits

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1976 Ellery Queen Lorelie Farnsworth
1977 The Andros Targets Laura Harper
1978 Movie Movie Troubles Moran
1979 All That Jazz Kate Jagger
1982 Annie Grace Farrell
1984 Micki + Maude Micki Salinger
1987 The Cosby Show Jill Kelly
Broadway Theater
Year Title Role Notes
1969 Cabaret Lulu
1969 Coco Ensemble, Jeanine
1971 Wild and Wonderful Ensemble
1972 Pippin Ensemble, Catherine understudy
1974 Over Here! Maggie
1975 Goodtime Charley Joan of Arc
1976 A Chorus Line Cassie Ferguson
1977 Chicago Roxie Hart
1978 Dancin' Ensemble
1986 Sweet Charity Charity Hope Valentine
1996 Chicago Roxie Hart
2001 Fosse Ensemble
Other Theater
Year Title Role Notes
1965 Bye Bye Birdie Ensemble Seattle Opera House
1968 Fiddler on the Roof Ensemble Broadway National Tour
1975 Girl Crazy Molly Gray The Muny
1976 A Chorus Line Cassie Ferguson Broadway National Tour
1982 The Unsinkable Molly Brown Molly Brown The Muny
1988 Pal Joey Melba Snyder Goodman Theatre
1991 Bye Bye Birdie Rose Alvarez Broadway National Tour

Awards

List of awards and nominations
Year Award Category Result Title
1974 Theatre World Award Theatre World Award Won Over Here!
Clarence Derwent Award Most Promising Female Performer Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Won
1975 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Nominated Goodtime Charley
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
1978 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated Dancin'
1997 Best Choreography Won Chicago
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Choreography Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography Won
Astaire Award Best Female Dancer Won
Best Choreographer Won
1998 Laurence Olivier Award Best Choreography Nominated
1999 Tony Award Best Director Nominated Fosse
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Choreography Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
2001 Laurence Olivier Award Best Choreography Won
Helpmann Award Best Choreography Won Chicago

References

  1. 1 2 Berson, Misha."Dancer Ann Reinking returns to her hometown for kids-theater benefit"Seattle Times, 29 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Ann Reinking at IBDB
  3. 1 2 "Stars Over Broadway-Ann Reinking" pbs.org, retrieved August 28, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Kenrick, John."Who's Who: Reinking, Ann" musicals101.com; retrieved August 29, 2010.
  5. ↑ McMurran, Kristin."When Ann Reinking Is Dancin' She Gives 'em Fever—but What a Lovely Way to Burn", people.com, July 24, 1978.
  6. 1 2 "Reinking biography" tcm.com, retrieved August 28, 2010
  7. ↑ "Down The Academy". Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles). March 31, 1985. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Wolmuth, Roger (July 8, 1985). "Short, Pudgy and Bald, All Phil Collins Produces Is Hits". People. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ Hoerburger, Rob (May 23, 1985). "Phil Collins Beats The Odds". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ Biography Broadway Theater Dance Project, retrieved August 28, 2010.
  11. ↑ "'Bye Bye Birdie' listing at IMDb.com; retrieved August 28, 2010.
  12. ↑ O'Connor, John J."Review: 50's Revisited in New 'Bye Bye Birdie'"The New York Times, December 1, 1995
  13. ↑ Brantley, Ben. "Lively Legacy, A Come-Hither Air"The New York Times, November 15, 1996
  14. ↑ "Lemper and Henshall London Chicago". Playbill.com. 17 November 1997. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "'Fosse' listing ibdb.com, retrieved August 28, 2010.
  16. ↑ Brantley, Ben."Theater Review: An Album of Fosse", The New York Times, January 15, 1999.
  17. ↑ "Ann Reinking". americantheatrewing.org. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "'Mad Hot Ballroom' listing", imdb.com, retrieved August 28, 2010.
  19. ↑ Biography filmreference.com; retrieved August 28, 2010.
  20. ↑ "'In My Hands' Documentary" marfan.org; accessed August 28, 2010.

External links

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