Susan Stroman is a theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include The Producers, Crazy for You, Contact, and The Scottsboro Boys. She is a five-time Tony Award winner, four for Best Choreography and one as Best Director of a Musical for The Producers. In addition, she is a recipient of two Laurence Olivier Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, eight Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, and the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater. She is a 2014 inductee in the American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City.
“Stro” started her career as a Choreographer of shows like Show Boat and Crazy for You, before following in the steps of Fosse and Bennett and becoming a Director/Choreographer. The Music Man, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and The Scottsboro Boys are just a few of the titles on her long resume.
That transition from Broadway dancer to Broadway Choreographer to Broadway Director-Choreographer is just one of the things we discussed in her podcast, along with:
- How she convinced Kander & Ebb to let her and some friends create the (fantastic) revue that started her Choreographic career.
- Her first step when she’s creating “steps.”
- Why she doesn’t have a style, but how she does have a signature (and hear my mind get blown as I realize what she’s talking about).
- Why Choreographers make great Directors.
- How to work with titans of the entertainment industry like Mel Brooks and Woody Allen.
Oh, and, in this podcast, you’ll hear the debut of my brand new James Lipton-like question, which I’m calling “The Smithsonian.”
Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway