Nicholas Dante

Nicholas Dante
Born Conrado Morales
(1941-11-22)November 22, 1941
New York, New York, U.S.
Died May 21, 1991(1991-05-21) (aged 49)
New York, New York, U.S.
Nationality Puerto Rican-American
Information
Magnum opus A Chorus Line
Awards Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1976)
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (1976)
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (1976)

Nicholas Dante (November 22, 1941[1] – May 21, 1991[2]) was an American dancer and writer, best known for having co-written the book of the musical A Chorus Line.

Biography

Born Conrado Morales in New York City to Puerto Rican parents,[3] his early career was spent dancing in the chorus of Broadway musicals such as Applause and Ambassador.

In 1974, he was approached by friend Michael Bennett who invited him to the sessions which led to the basis of material for the book of a musical about Broadway "gypsies", the dancers who serve as a backdrop for the leading performers. Eventually, collaborating with James Kirkwood, Jr., the result was A Chorus Line, which earned him the 1976 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In particular, the story of Paul, the homosexual Puerto Rican dancer whose early career consisted of working in a drag show, was based primarily on Dante. The actor who originated the role with the famous monologue, Sammy Williams, won a Best Featured Actor in a Musical award in 1976 for the role. Dante played the role himself later on.

He authored a screenplay, Fake Lady, and a stage musical based on the life of entertainer Al Jolson entitled Jolson Tonight, but never again achieved the success he did with A Chorus Line.[4]

Death

Dante died on May 21, 1991, aged 49, from AIDS-related complications in New York City.[2]

References

  1. Social Security Death Index Search
  2. 1 2 Nicholas Dante, 49; Dancer and a Writer Of 'A Chorus Line from New York Times, 22 May 1991
  3. Crohn Schmitt, Natalie (1990). "Complicates". Northwestern University Press. p. 85. ISBN 0-8101-0836-4.
  4. ovrtur: Jolson Tonight from www.ovrtur.com
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 10, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.