Michael was such a great friend to our son Kyle and we have such wonderful memories. Bennett and lyricist Ed Kleban are portrayed in this partly fictionalized life story of Kleban, using some of Kleban's unpublished songs. His commercial luck changed with Neil Simon's ''Promises, Promises,'' a musical based on Billy Wilder's film ''The Apartment.'' Jones (5-11, 205) was drafted by the Bucs out of USC and was on the Chiefs' Super Bowl roster last year. Consider offering these words of comfort if you're not sure what's appropriate. Undeterred, Bennett came roaring back four years later with Dreamgirls, a monumental achievement by anybodys standards. A rewritten version of the show is to open this month in London, under the direction of Bob Avian, Mr. Bennett's longtime assistant. Its headline: Michael Bennett, Theatre Innovator, Dies at 44. I had heard through the grapevine that he was dying, but nothing prepared me for seeing the finality of it in print. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. MICHAEL BENNETT, THEATER INNOVATOR, DIES AT 44, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/03/obituaries/michael-bennett-theater-innovator-dies-at-44.html. Worried by his celebrity and his father's Italian background, he began to suspect he might fall victim to a Mafia hit. Born October 4, 1947, in Monmouth, Illinois, Michael was the son of Frank and Evelyn Parrish Bennett. Dance Lessons at 3. A memorial service will be held at noon on July 27 at the Shubert Theater. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MICHAEL BENNETT | by Ron Fassler | Medium ''When Broadway history is being made, you can feel it,'' Frank Rich, chief theater critic for The Times, wrote in his opening-night review. In 1966, the first Broadway musical to feature the credit Choreography by Michael Bennett was A Joyful Noise, a folksy musical that starred John Raitt. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. "What Michael Bennett perceived early in Robbins' work was totality, all the sums of a given piece adding to a unified whole". Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ''Mr. Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. After two five-week workshops at Mr. Papp's Public Theater, the show, ''A Chorus Line,'' inaugurated the 299-seat Newman Theater on May 21, 1975, and moved to the Shubert Theater on Broadway on July 25, 1975. Michael Bennett (April 8, 1943 July 2, 1987) was an American musical theatre director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. ''A Chorus Line'' was a perfect synthesis of the heart-on-its-sleeve backstage shows of the 1930's and the cerebral concept musicals of the 70's. 8, 2023. They married on December 4, 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced in 1979. These three shows alone put him in the top ranks of those who contributed invaluably to the 20th century American musical. [1] His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish. The show opened March 18, 1973, and won for Mr. Bennett his second choreography Tony and made a tap-dance star of Tommy Tune, who won a Tony as well. Just before he was to have been graduated from Buffalo's Hutchison Central High School for Boys, he joined a company of ''West Side Story'' directed by Jerome Robbins (who had staged the Broadway production) and spent a year in Europe with the show. As stated in the obit: From the 1966 A Joyful Noise through the December 1981 opening of Dreamgirls, he received Tony Award nominations for every musical with which he was associated, and won seven.. Author, playwright, director, actor, theatre critic and historian, his book, Up in the Cheap Seats, is available at Amazon.com. [26] He had a long professional and personal relationship with the virtuoso dancer Donna McKechnie, who danced his work in both Promises, Promises and Company and won the 1976 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in the role he had created for her in A Chorus Line. late last night has died. Many Broadway houses were dark when it literally lit up West 44th Street (and the rest of the theatre district, too), becoming the Shuberts then-unheard of sole tenant for fifteen years. Dr. Bennett worked closely with Ms. Cramer, the county official, and suggested to her last year that the town adopt a mask-wearing mandate after several Covid-related nursing home deaths. MICHAEL BENNETT OBITUARY Bennett, Michael Middleton Bennett of Grand Rapids passed away unexpectedly Dec. 4, 2017, at the age of 74. When we were all in high school growing up in Succasunna, NJ, we had so much fun if Mike was part of the group. UPPER DARBY, PA Police in Upper Darby have found a person of interest in connection with the recent stabbing death of a teenager. ''I think I am now the king of backstage musicals, and you know what? Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27 has offered $10,000 for information in connection with the Upper Darby high schooler's death. No one had ever seen anything like Company before, and it was immediately recognized for its groundbreaking production and non-linear story telling (even by those critics who didnt care for it, like Walter Kerr in the New York Times who wrote, I left feeling rather cool and queasy.). He even managed to squeeze in time in Los Angeles, where he appeared on the TV dance series Hullabaloo, which is where he met the dancer who would become his muse, Donna McKechnie. Standard text messaging rates apply. [30], Bennett's addictions to alcohol and drugs, notably cocaine and quaaludes, severely affected his ability to work and affected many of his professional and personal relationships. '' The show earned him his fifth Tony nomination. Had Bennett lived, says Avian, now 82, he would have been content to. You have funeral questions, we have answers. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. The accomplishment is brilliant.'' With a contemporary pop score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, a wisecracking book by Neil Simon and Bennett's well-received production numbers, including "Turkey Lurkey Time", the show ran for 1,281 performances. It was an emotional tribute to an artist who, through such shows as ''Company,'' ''Follies,'' ''Dreamgirls'' and ''A Chorus Line,'' left an indelible imprint on the comtemporary Broadway musical. Turkey Lurkey Time was a high-voltage number that audiences remembered long after they left the theatre. Bennetts mysterious behavior reared its head a year later in 1986 when he dropped out of his next directing assignment, Andersson and Ulvaeuss Chess. IL 62320. Family and friends are mourning the sad loss of Michael Bennett, 58, of Malibu, tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver on Sunday, October 4th, on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Bennett's 1987 death was a tragedy, but it opened the door for Avian's career as one of Broadway's top choreographers. Michael Bennett sadly killed in Malibu hit-and-run accident He faced bullying wherever he went. He added, He knew he faced serious risk from treating patients who refused to wear masks.. [17] He was then signed to direct the West End production of Chess but had to withdraw in January 1986 due to his failing health, leaving Trevor Nunn to complete the production using Bennett's already commissioned sets. Service map data OpenStreetMap contributors. Consider offering these words of comfort if you're not sure what's appropriate. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City-and to get revenge on Michael Bennett.Judges murdered To escape the chaos, Bennett Tick Tock JonBent is found dead in her parents' basement JonBent's parents initially thought she had been kidnapped during the night. But Mr. Bennett's next show, ''Dreamgirls,'' proved to be as electrifying to an increasingly moribund Broadway as ''A Chorus Line'' had been six years earlier. As stated in the obit: From the 1966 A Joyful Noise through the December 1981 opening of Dreamgirls, he received Tony Award nominations for every musical with which he was associated, and won seven, an extraordinary statistic. No more Lubitsch pictures., When I opened up the New York Times on the morning of July 3, 1987, Bennetts obit was on the front page. Earlier in the day at the Public Theater, where ''A Chorus Line'' opened over 12 years ago, Mr. Papp said that when Mr. Bennett worked in the theater, ''he was a supreme being. A year later, he assisted choreographer Ron Field on the one-week run of Nowhere to Go But Up, followed by dancing in the choruses of two middling Broadway musicals: Heres Love (1963) and Bajour (1964). Michael Bennett Obituary (2017) - Grand Rapids Press Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. It was a shockingly abrupt end that took his creative team, composer Jimmy Webb and television writer Treva Silverman totally by surprise, in addition to its star Swoosie Kurtz. Dr. Michael Bennett hunted, fished and owned a farm, which helped him connect with his rural patients. In replacing the director Ed Sherin and choreographer Grover Dale, he asked for absolute control over the production as director and choreographer and received credit as "having written, directed, and choreographed" the show. The incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Bridge Street in Drexel Hill. Michael William Bennett, 55, of Mattydale, died Tuesday, February 2, 2016 of heart failure at the Northeast Center for Brain Injury Rehab in Kingston, NY. Much has been written about A Chorus Line and how it not only changed the American musical, but changed the fortunes of the American Theatre. He had provided me with so many memorable days and nights in the theatre that I felt like I had lost someone close to me. He was always there for me. In December 1969, Mr. Bennett choreographed Andre Previn and Alan Jay Lerner's musical ''Coco,'' in which Katharine Hepburn starred as the fashion designer Coco Chanel. April 8, 2023: Theatre Yesterday and Today, by Ron Fassler. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. It puts to mind what was said between Billy Wilder and William Wyler upon leaving the funeral of their friend, the esteemed writer-director Ernst Lubitsch. "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries." Database with images. [4] These were followed by two Stephen Sondheim productions, Company and Follies, co-directed with Hal Prince. Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Michael in the Guest Book below. You have funeral questions, we have answers. It changed the fortunes of Joe Papps Public Theatre as well, since by providing the workshops that made the show possible, it allowed the Public to share in A Chorus Lines profits, keeping it solvent for years to come. A Class ActA Musical About Musicals (2001). Discerning in that conversation the seed of a show about Broadway's least-heralded and most overworked journeymen, he persuaded Mr. Papp to finance a workshop to develop the material. Lawsuit filed against St. Francois County after man dies by - STLtoday Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Michael A. Bennett Jr. to pay them a last tribute. In 1986 both Pruit and friend Bob Herr lived with Bennett for the last eight months of his life in Tucson, Arizona, where he received care at the University of Arizona Medical Center. If you enjoy these columns, check out Up in the Cheap Seats: a Historical Memoir of Broadway at Amazon.com, available in hardcover, softcover and e-book. [31], Bennett's last lover was Gene Pruit. If you enjoy these columns, check out Up in the Cheap Seats: A Historical Memoir of Broadway, available at Amazon.com in hardcover, softcover and e-book. [7], Bennett's next project was A Chorus Line. Bennett made the audience aware that this group had been flung together to perform, and that they were in over their heads. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. It was also the occasion for his first work with Donna McKechnie, a dancer he would later call ''my favorite instrument,'' and to whom he would be briefly married. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Act but faced resistance sometimes fierce to his calls from some townspeople. Such a kind soul. Michael Bennett, the most influential theater director and choreographer of his generation and the creator of ''A Chorus Line,'' the longest-running show in Broadway history, died yesterday. Born Michael Bennett DiFiglia, he grew up in Buffalo, New York, where he studied dance as a teenager and choreographed his high school musicals. ''. Two tenants purchased the building, and it remains a rehearsal facility for American Ballet Theatre, Eliot Feld's Ballet Tech, Gibney Dance Company, and others. Winning a third Tony Award for choreography was nice, but Bennett wanted more much more. And after finishing his residency at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, he worked at St Johns Hospital in nearby Willard, Mo. I like it,'' Mr. Bennett told The New York Times in 1983. Michael Bennett, Theater Innovator, Dies at 44 Michael Bennett Obituary (1943 - 2017) | Grand Rapids, Michigan - Echovita But that success was relatively short-lived, when an original musical titled Scandal, one that Bennett had workshopped for over a year beginning in 1984, had its plug pulled by Bennett, prior to an announced Broadway opening, with little to no explanation. Bennett was born Michael DiFiglia in Buffalo, New York, the son of Helen (ne Ternoff), a secretary, and Salvatore Joseph DiFiglia, a factory worker. A Chorus Line's number "One" is included in this musical. But it proved their final collaboration, as from then on it was The Michael Bennett Show. He desperately needed to live the lyrics Jerry Herman came up with and become his own special creation. Sadly, enhanced by the use of alcohol and drugs, Bennett drove himself relentlessly (and others as well). He would get a twinkle in his eyes and the adventure would begin. In January 1986, Mr. Bennett withdrew from ''Chess,'' giving the first public indication that he was ill. During the next year and a half, he withheld the nature of his illness from all but his closest associates, telling others that he had a heart ailment. Michael was employed as an over-the-road truck driver for many years. His beginnings as a dancer were most strongly reflected in A Chorus Line, which was made for and about dancers. After earning a bachelors degree in biology from the University of Missouri in Columbia, he received his medical degree from its medical school. When you consider that at eighty, Mike Nichols won his 7th Tony Award for directing . The marriage, if not the friendship, dissolved within months. In October 1986, Mr. Bennett sold the building to several of the dance companies housed there. ''I think that a lot more of the show was choreographed than most people who saw it realized. It was only with 1968s Promises Promises that he had his first hit, and the first time he was able to showcase Donna McKechnie. He had given. Michael was a 1965 graduate of Central High School and served his country in the U.S. Air Force. A year later, Mr. Bennett won his first two Tony Awards, as choreographer and co-director, with Mr. About | U.S. Senator Michael Bennet Also, I dare you to try watching this clip and NOT watch Donna McKechnie (p.s. ''Restless orchestration, expletives over music whenever a misstep occurs, linked bodies cross-kicking forward as rhythms climb to crescendo, all give the sense of a word, a sung note a sprung dance, an entire show being born on the spot, taking shape as we watch,'' Walter Kerr wrote in The Times. [4] In the mid-1960s he was a featured dancer on the NBC pop music series Hullabaloo, where he met fellow dancer Donna McKechnie. Mike was preceded by his grandparents Andrew and Sarah Bennett, James and Josephine Keogh, Roy and Lola Polk. He quit school at sixteen when he was cast as Baby John in a tour of West Side Story across the U.S. and Europe. It closed after twelve forgettable performances. Robert Bennett on Twitter: "RT @WAVY_News: UPDATE: @PortsmouthPD Many Broadway houses were dark when it literally lit up West 44th Street (and the rest of the theatre district, too), becoming the Shuberts then-unheard of sole tenant for fifteen years. It was only with 1968s Promises Promises that he had his first hit, and the first time he was able to showcase Donna McKechnie. Bennett has actually developed 'A Chorus Line' out of six months' improvisation, teasing its myriad pieces into an ultimately miraculous pattern. This is just an online death notice. It's why there were no set-piece dance routines in the show: dance and movement were organic to the entire action. He was 44 years old and had been suffering from lymphoma, a form of cancer, as a result of AIDS, his attorney, John Breglio, said yesterday. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. The show opened with what was, at the time, the largest advance sale in Broadway history, ran more than 300 performances and earned Mr. Bennett another Tony nomination. Michael Bennett Obituary (2020) - Harrisburg, PA - Patriot-News We connected instantly! Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He had given me so many memorable days and nights in the theatre that I felt like I had lost someone close to me. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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