A Joyous Evening filled with Laughter and Reminiscence
as DO40 Honors its Own – the 2012 Legacy Awards!
From Left ot Right: Larry Fuller, George Marcy, Carol Lawrence,
Lee Roy Reams and Norma Doggett-Bezwick,
CLICK HERE to View 52 Photos of the Event!
For Members: CLICK HERE to see this event on video!!
Another event, another packed house! DO40 presented its fourth annual Legacy Awards at their Holiday Dinner, this year again at the over-the-top LIPS restaurant in NYC. Honorees Norma Doggett-Bezwick, Larry Fuller, Carol Lawrence, George Marcy and Lee Roy Reams felt the warmth waft up to the dais, as speakers Ken Urmston, Leni Anders, Kim Jordan, Billy Goldenberg, Dennis Grimaldi, Richard Skipper, Donna McKechnie and Leslie Uggams sang their praises. Well, there was no singing or dancing, except for a wonderful poem recited by Norma and a Borscht Belt ditty Carol belted out from her early years in the “business…” It was love, love, love, love…. If this restaurant could float, it would be THAT boat!
DO40 President John Sefakis welcomes the audience to the Legacy Awards.
Hosts Harvey Evans and Richard Skipper kept the evening moving along, even with a few (usual) technical glitches and faux pas (that us show biz kids know how to cover – easily!) Video clips were shown of celebs unable to attend who wanted to send their love – Harold Prince, Stefanie Powers and Chita Rivera. Chita also introduced a video montage of the honorees, with clips from Top Banana, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 42nd Street, Evita, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and many, many more.
Hosts Richard Skipper and Harvey Evans entertain the crowd.
Also in the audience, former Legacy Award winners Gemze de Lappe, Marge Champion, Nicole Barth, Bella Malinka and Richard Korthaze (oh, and Harvey Evans, too!). Members roamed the tables finding old friends they hadn’t seen in decades. And our newest members, Roger Ellis, Bethany Elkin and Mary Callahan don’t even add up to George Marcy’s age! (which we won’t tell!). Our FODO 40 members (friends of Dancers Over 40) are for our young generation of dancers and those who want to join who are not dancers. All three volunteered their services, ushering (Mary Callahan), schlepping the tables and banners (Bethany Elkin) and helping with video editing for the event (Roger Ellis). It’s wonderful to see the younger generation of dancers understand the importance of the history, legacy and lives of our community. They’ll get there! Not next week, but they intend to be ready to inherit the mantle!
Lee Roy Reams looks on as Donna McKechnie speaks about him.
Video clips will be available on our member-only video page here on the website, for all of the card-carrying die-hard members to view over and over! And photos are up on our facebook page and on our website(soon)! DO40 is so fortunate to have a membership of such dedicated people! As Advisory Board member Chita Rivera said in CHICAGO (to paraphrase), We Simply Cannot Do It Alone!
Leslie Uggams’ turn to speak about Lee Roy – in the nicest of terms!
Also in the audience, the audience, producer Arthur Shafman, DO40 member Tony Sheldon (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), Jaime Rogers from the original West Side Story, Bick Goss, Karin Baker and hubby Greg Kayne, Betty Jacob, the fabulous Boockvors, Steve and Denise, Joy Serio Dunbar, Teak Lewis, Gene Foote, and cast members from every 1950s, 60s and 70s show imaginable! An impressive crowd. An impressive evening!
DO40 member and Equity VP Kim Jordan, demonstrating the
official Larry Fuller Evita pose. She assisted Larry on many of the tours.
CLICK HERE to View 52 Photos of the Event!
For Members: CLICK HERE to see this event on video!!
BALANCHINE ROCKS!
OH WHAT A NIGHT! A SUPER, EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED,
YOU-HAD-TO-BE-THERE EVENT!
Members ONLY- Click here to see the videos of this wonderful DO40 event!
Everyone: View 105 photos of this event
More ballet artists on hand than you could shake a ballet mistresses' stick at! It was a glorious evening of reminiscing, learning, laughing and reuniting, with artists from over 50 decades of Mr. B's ballets on hand. (Pictured) Moderators Robert Groskevic, Nancy Goldner, Candice Agree, along with Balanchine Trust Director Barbara Horgan and Merrill Ashley, Vida Brown, John Clifford, Gene Gavin, Allegra Kent (takng a mini-nap during the curtain call – it WAS a long evening!), Frank Ohman, Barbara Milberg Fisher, Bettijane Sills, Carol Sumner, Barbara Walzcak and Patricia Wilde (not pictured, Marge Champion). Also on stage for the finale, many audience members eager to share hugs with their peers (including Arthur Mitchell!).
THE ENTIRE CAST AND FRIENDS ON STAGE – AND UPRIGHT –
EXCEPT FOR DO40 BOARD MEMBER MARCUS GALANTE –
TOO EXHAUSTED FROM HIS EVENING’S DUTIES AS HOST AND SVENGALI!
With four panels and a dozen ballet artists, the evening was filled with incredible stories, not just about the dancing, but also about the music and the man himself. Rare film clips of a variety of artists performing the same ballets, there, on stage, to discuss the transitions. Marge Champion, from Balanchine's 1943 Broadway musical "What's Up?" spoke of how he educated his young cast in matters not just dance. Special thanks to Barbara Horgan for her largesse, and to DO40 Board member Marcus Galante for making it all come together. We smell a Balanchine, Part Deux in the air!
PANEL #4 – Merrill Ashley, Frank Ohman, Carol Sumner, Bettijane Sills,
John Clifford, Allegra Kent and moderator Robert Groskevic
Dancers Over 40 was proud to present this special look into the Golden age of 20th Century ballet. And we welcome all the new members! The out pouring of support has been phenominal in just the last 24 hours. There are hundreds of pictures to post - on our website and facebook page and at least a dozen video clips to post on our member-only video page on our website (SOON! We’ll let you know when!). Over 80% of you have renewed for the 2012 - 2013 season. Remember, the discount code/password has been reset for the year! Please make sure your renewal is in the mail. Also, we have received a few memberships in the mail with our old P.O. Box address. Please remember to use our new one! The Post Office will stop the forwarding to our new address on November 1st! (It's been a year already!). Our new address is P.O. Box 2103, NY, NY 10101.
View 105 photos of this event
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DO40’s The Unsinkable Peter Gennaro Scores Big
At St. Luke’s Theater
CLICK HERE for MORE PHOTOS of the Peter Gennaro Panel Event!
An October 19th Love Fest for Peter Gennaro!
 Members, old friends and new faces came together to honor director/ choreographer Peter Gennaro October 19th, and the raves keep pouring in! The show featured video clips thrown up on a faux television screen, to honor Peter’s TV work, with posters of all his Broadway shows scattered around the set. A sextet of Gennaro dancers performed a portion of one of Peter’s most popular numbers, and like Pajama Game (that gave Peter his first big boost) and 42nd Street – the show had to go on with one of our prize dancers out sick. Co-host Lee Roy Reams fell ill late Monday, so DO40 Pres. John Sefakis stood in for him as co-host with Carol Lawrence and performed in the dance number!
(l. to r.: Liza Gennaro, Carol Lawrence, Chita River, & Moderator Harvey Evans
discuss Peter Gennaro’s contribution to West Side Story)
CLICK HERE for MORE PHOTOS
of the Peter Gennaro Panel Event!
Surprises in the audience abounded! Actress and dancer extraordinaire (AND of course Catwoman!) Julie Newmar attended, as did Jacques D’Amboise and documentary filmmaker Rick McKay (Broadway’s Golden Years).
Gemze de Lappe, John Sefakis & Julie Newmar
The three panels captivated the audience and panelists (especially Steve Boockvor) had them rolling in the aisles (well, not literally – THAT would not be a good thing at a DO40 event!). Juliet Seignious offered a more serious note to discuss how Peter could not get her on the Perry Como show in the 60s (no blacks allowed), but he did remember her from that audition and called her later and begin a long and fruitful collaboration on the Ed Sullivan and other variety TV shows.
Steve Boockvor, Liza Gennaro, Juliet Seignious, Jean Gennaro (Mrs. Peter Gennaro) and Fiona Evans, Liza Gennaro's daughter
Iva Withers discussed working with Peter in Guys and Dolls when she replaced star Vivian Blaine. Peter put her in the “Take Back Your Mink” number – back in 1950 – 51! Bill Guske and Larry Fuller commented on how generous Peter was in allowing his dancers to grow and take on choreographic duties. And of course, there were the 5, 6, 7, 8 jokes in Peter’s inimitable “accent;” the cute butt jokes and stories about how Peter would choreograph a number by first deciding on the color of the costumes!
A meeting of the Minds – Harvey Evans, Carol Lawrence and Lee Roy Reams, at an early discussion of the Gennaro event at DO40 President John Sefakis’ home. Also attending, his cat, Shafafa, who took an instant liking to Carol – and from the looks of it, to Lee Roy, as well!
Penny Worth discussed how Peter always looked after his dancers and tried to find them work. Gary Gendell got his dance job after a stint in the army! And Nancy Dalton spoke lovingly of Peter’s kindness and professionalism that permeated each and every rehearsal. Never had any of the panelists had such “painless” rehearsals with a choreographer! Act II began with a restaging (by Liza Gennaro) of a portion of Gennaro’s “The Sophisticates,” with Steve Boockvor, Juliet Seignious, Gary Gendell, Nicole Barth, Penny Worth and DO40 Pres. John Sefakis stepping in for Lee Roy Reams. And Act III, well, what fascinating conversation: Chita Rivera, Carol Lawrence, Harvey Evans (all West Side Story alumni) with Liza Gennaro discussing Peter’s participation and choreographic achievements in that landmark musical.
It was an evening of reminiscences and joy, celebrating the History, the Legacy and the Lives of the dancers of Peter Gennaro and honoring Peter’s contribution to the world of dance. And as is DO40’s custom, the program was filmed and the tape donated to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.
Co-host Carol Lawrence performed an interlude from “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story to open Act III, and explained how Peter had the idea to use a scarf and how the limitations of the stage forced some choreographic decisions to be made – mostly by Carol! The WSS panel even discussed Peter’s contract and how he received his co-choreographer credit. Peter’s contribution to West Side Story was fairly well known in the theater community, but the general public has never really known how much of the choreography was actually his.
CLICK HERE for MORE PHOTOS of the Peter Gennaro Panel Event!
Julie Newmar, Chita Rivera,
Steve Boockvor & Carol Lawrence
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Louise Quick and George Marcy both in impressive shows
At Don’t Tell Mama!
Gene Foote, Louise Quick
Dick Korthaze, Ken Urmston
Long time members and accomplished actor/singer/ dancers Louise Quick and George Marcy have labored long and hard to present cabaret acts that reflect their History, their Legacy and their Lives. Both performers performed admirably at multiple shows at Don’t Tell Mama in November. They are triple-threat artists who have worked with the biggest and the best in the industry. Both have worked closely with Bob Fosse and almost each and every other important director/choreographer from the latter half of the 20th Century! And that is a helluva lot of History!
Louise Quick and Lovable Larry Merritt
Louise Quick presented a song and mini-dance revue entitled, “Still Just Breezin’ Along,” and George Marcy presented “The Ballad of Georgie Porgie,” a one-man musical comedy/drama. As Angela Lansbury said in Something for Everyone: “Anyone who is Anyone was there!” Celebs like Carol Lawrence, Chita Rivera, Eileen Fulton, Julie Wilson and DO40 members Gene Foote, Dick Korthaze, Ken Urmston (pictured below), as well as Margery Beddow, Gene Gavin, Larry Merritt, DO40 prexy John Sefakis, Gene Bayliss, and Ron Stratton were all there for support – and had a fabulous time at each event.
Chita, Georgie Porgie and Carol Lawrence
Dancers Over 40 is extremely proud of these mature artists, still working and growing, and in their own way, giving back to the new generation of artists out there. It’s very important that we as a group support these talented individuals, and that we get the word out to our younger members – and non-members -- about these very special people. We are extremely proud to be associated with such a wonderful family of artists. DO40 members: PLEASE LET US KNOW WHENEVER or WHEREVER YOU ARE PERFORMING! We’re here to promote you and your work!
Julie Wilson and George Marcy
FRIENDS of DO40!
Dancers Over 40 invites you to become a
FRIEND OF DANCERS OVER 40....or FODO 40!
Due to the overwhelming response to our panels, we’ve received many requests from non-dancers for our newsletters, to get e-blasts about upcoming programs, discounts for admission to our events – almost everything that a DO40 member gets when joining. So, we said, why not? You are supporting us by coming to our events, let’s bring you into our family! You’ll receive all of the above benefits, plus access to the Actors’ Federal Credit Union – and again, that ever-popular entry fee discount for our socials, panels and performances.
So, if you’d like to join us on our creative journeys, please print out the pdf form here fill it out and mail it to Dancers Over 40, P.O. Box 237098, New York, NY 10023. You can also join by using your credit card or Paypal account.. Our website has all the information and forms you need to join by mail or online..
WHAT? You’re a dancer…you’re over 40…and you haven’t joined yet? Get those fingers tappin’ on that computer keyboard and JOIN!
Please check off the correct box, DO40 or FODO 40, and support all these wonderful dancers you’ve seen perform, educate and entertain you at our panels. Remember, other organizations can provide dancers with social, health and employment services, but DO40 first and foremost nurtures their souls. It’s a very difficult thing to quantify – and there is no appropriate check-off box when applying for a grant! So please take time to fill out our membership form and support these wonderful people who have given their lives to entertain you. It’s our History, our Legacy, our Lives. |
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