[12] Bennett had another hit in 1981 with Dreamgirls, a backstage epic about a girl group like The Supremes and the expropriation of black music by a white recording industry. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Prince on Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's ''Company,'' perhaps the signature musical of the ''Me Decade.'' 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. He also directed and co-choreographed Dreamgirls with Michael Peters. He later married Sandy Duvall on September 20, 1997, in Paloma. He married Judith Ann Schaefer. 8, 2023. ''Follies'' ran for over a year and cultivated a strong following; nonetheless, it was a commercial failure. 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. Michael Keith Bennett was born on Feb. 15, 1969, in New London, Mo., in the northeast part of the state. Its headline: "Michael Bennett, Theatre Innovator, Dies at 44." I had heard that he was dying, but nothing prepared me for seeing it in print; the finality of it. Born October 4, 1947, in Monmouth, Illinois, Michael was the son of Frank and Evelyn Parrish Bennett. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. 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. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. CNN . How A Chorus Line creator Michael Bennett breathed life back into Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. So he buckled down and launched something he would eventually have to call his own (much to his collaborators anger and confusion). It is sad to see him go and I will get to see him again someday. I will always remember all the video games we played. Survivors in addition to his wife are their children, Robert (Tina) Bennett, Aaron (Tina) Bennett, Shane (Tena) Bennett, Jennifer (Michael) Severino, and Jessica (Jim) Fenton; their grandchildren, Jonathan Baquet, Hannah Stoots, Kerstyn (Gabe) Milam, Abby Bennett, Colbie Bennett, Isabella Severino, Olivia Severino, Connor (Katie) Fenton, Aiyana (Salvador) Salas-Godinez, Ainsley Fenton, Hadley Fenton, and Daegan Fenton; four great-grandsons; his sister, Barb (Larry) Long; three sisters-in-law; and several nieces and nephews. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. Calcutta!, as well as Baayork Lee, who would go on to have a role in A Chorus Line, crafted to her specific talents (and life story), just like McKechnie. For other people named Michael Bennett, see, Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_High_School_(Buffalo,_New_York)), Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical, "WHY MICHAEL BENNETT HAS SAID GOODBYE, FOR NOW, TO BROADWAY (Published 1986)", "New Biography Presents the Soap-Opera Life Story of Michael Bennett", "A Long and Twisting Road Back to Broadway", "AIDS: Words From the Front--The Death of Rudolf Nureyev has Refocused Attention on AIDS in the Dance Profession", "From Friends and Associates, A Tribute to Michael Bennett", "Choreographer, Directors & Producers: Michael Bennett", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Bennett_(theater)&oldid=1152362228, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 19:46. [21], The song "One" from A Chorus Line functions in a different way. This is just an online death notice. A heart ailment was the story used to explain why he couldnt proceed, when it was actually his AIDS diagnosis, which he kept hidden from nearly everyone. "The family is devastated and trying to process this senseless act," organizer Michael Peabody said on the page. Michael X. Bennett, 75, of Ecumenical Retirement Community, Harrisburg, died Saturday, December 12, 2020. [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. Michael Garr, 15, was stabbed and killed Friday night in Drexel Hill. He became a multi-millionaire, and with that came power and paranoia (unquestionably linked to his drug use). Michael Bennett, Small-Town Doctor Who Pushed for Masks, Dies at 52 So now we'll find another.'' Published on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 12:00am. Peanut is survived by his mother, Sheila R. Arnold, stepfather Michael S. Arnold and. The dances in ''Company,'' ''Follies,'' ''A Chorus Line,'' ''Ballroom'' and ''Dreamgirls'' flowed seamlessly from the action of the plays and the motivations of their characters, and that seamlessness identified them as Mr. Bennett's unique creations. He had given me so many memorable days and nights in the theatre that I felt like I had lost someone close to me. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He would get a twinkle in his eyes and the adventure would begin. Reflecting on that experience recently, and on the demise of the workshop system he had created, he said his own celebrity had partly sabotaged the privileged workshop setting. How Now Dow Jones and Henry, Sweet, Henry came next, and Bennetts dances scored successfully, even if the shows didnt. According to his lawyer, John Breglio, Mr. Bennett`s death was caused by This musical was conceived, directed, choreographed, and coproduced by Bennett; it won nine Tony awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for drama and became one of the longest-running musicals in the history of Broadway theatre. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. How Now Dow Jones and Henry, Sweet, Henry came next, and Bennetts dances scored successfully, even if the shows didnt. In a career that spanned more than two decades, he continually set the standards against which other new shows were judged. At eighteen, he made his Broadway debut in the chorus of Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Greens Subways Are for Sleeping (1961) 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 minor musicals: Heres Love (1963) and Bajour (1964). It's 30 years since director and choreographer Michael Bennett, the man behind Broadway classic A Chorus Line, died aged 44. Much more. There are some filmed records which testify to the show's initial power. MICHAEL BENNETT | The News-Gazette [33] [34] Bennett's memorial service took place at the Shubert Theatre in New York City (the home at that time of A Chorus Line) on September 29, 1987. He died alone in Tucson, refusing to see those he had once been close to; a sad and lonely end for a man who thrived on the company of his fellow showmen (and women), the only people with whom he felt most at home. Michael Bennett Obituary (2020) - Baton Rouge, LA - The Advocate His legacy includes the choreography for Follies (1971), that he also co-directed with Harold Prince, and two shows he directed himself A Chorus Line (1975) and Dreamgirls (1980) which featured new levels of stagecraft and storytelling devices that dazzled critics and theatregoers alike. Consider offering these words of comfort if you're not sure what's appropriate. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Michael A. Bennett Jr. to pay them a last tribute. Bennett and lyricist Ed Kleban are portrayed in this partly fictionalized life story of Kleban, using some of Kleban's unpublished songs. Michael D. Bennett, 75, of Paloma, died at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2022, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy. Michael D Bennett Obituary 2022 - Hamilton Funeral Home-Lummis-Hamilton Meeting privately with the company in the theater's auditorium, the entire group sang the song ''One,'' a song from the show. [13], In 1978, he purchased 890 Broadway and converted it for use as a rehearsal studios complex for dance and theatre. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page . Since the start of the pandemic, Dade County, Mo., where Greenfield is situated, has recorded 723 positive. What he did with a cast of mostly non-dancers was ingenious, and the show moved with a fluidity that Bennett steadily improved upon with Follies, A Chorus Line and finally Dreamgirls, where his integration of lighting, scenery and actors flowed seamlessly. The accomplishment is brilliant.'' I am so sorry - I am sending you my most sincere thoughts and prayers . [4] These were followed by two Stephen Sondheim productions, Company and Follies, co-directed with Hal Prince. Born: in Fountain Hill, he was a son of the late Robert E. and Anna M. Laky. Praying for you all during this time. Co-directing Follies put Bennett on equal footing with Harold Prince, at the time, the most respected director in the musical theatre. Michael Bennett, 44, creator of the musical ''A Chorus Line,'' died Thursday of an AIDS-related cancer in his home in Tucson. 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. Michael Bennett has been a nomad in recent years, but the free-agent defensive end expressed a desire to return to the city where the 11-year veteran had his greatest success. Michael Bennett Stats, News and Video - DE | NFL.com The show proved to be a major disappointment, failing to win critical or popular acclaim (though he and Mr. Avian won Tony Awards for the choreography). 3rd National Fentanyl Rally & Illicit Drug Campaign - Everyone Welcome, Orchestra Concordia Free Community Concert. When the tour ended, Mr. Bennett came to New York City where, beginning in 1961, he danced in the choruses of ''Subways Are for Sleeping,'' ''Here's Love'' and ''Bajour.'' Michael was such a great friend to our son Kyle and we have such wonderful memories. Online condolences may be left at www.hamiltonfuneralhomes.net. 1970 brought Company, where Bennett was able to work with collaborators who, like him, were at the top of their game: Stephen Sondheim, George Furth, Harold Prince and Boris Aronson. His paranoia grew as his dependency did. When you consider that at eighty, Mike Nichols won his 7th Tony Award for directing . in an emotional tribute to Mr. Bennett. A head injury from a car accident when he was in high school changed Dr. Bennetts career path. 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). R.I.P. ''I think that a lot more of the show was choreographed than most people who saw it realized. 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. Bennetts mysterious behavior reared its head a year later in 1986 when he dropped out of his next directing assignment, Andersson and Ulvaeuss Chess. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. You have funeral questions, we have answers. It was devastating. Michael Bennett Obituary. Corrections? . His beginnings as a dancer were most strongly reflected in A Chorus Line, which was made for and about dancers. 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. He died of complications of Covid-19. Bennett has long been Mr. Robbins's heir apparent, as he has demonstrated in two previous 'Gypsy'-like backstage musicals, 'Follies' (which he staged with Harold Prince) and 'A Chorus Line.' The lights of Broadway theaters were dimmed briefly last night at 8 P.M. in memory of Mr. Bennett. Reward Doubled In Fatal Stabbing Of Delaware County Teen American director, playwright, and costume designer. 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 eight. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. By the time ''Coco'' opened, he was collaborating with Mr. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He got death threats from the community, some from business owners, and some from Texas, his brother, Damon, said in an interview. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. He was 52. Bennett was influenced by the work of Jerome Robbins. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27 has offered $10,000 for information in connection with the Upper Darby high schooler's death. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. In the Spirit of Giving, there's no charge. [15], In 1985, Bennett abandoned the nearly-completed musical Scandal, by writer Treva Silverman and songwriter Jimmy Webb, which had been developing for nearly five years through a series of workshop productions. Michael Bennett's passing on Friday, March 10, 2023 has been publicly announced by Brewer Funeral Home, Inc. - Lake Luzerne in Lake Luzerne, NY. 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. Memorial contributions may be made to Central Adams Fire Protection District. Well, no more Lubitsch, said Wilder. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As show doctor, he had contributed to Mr. 1118 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626. 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. He could be a helper behind Tony Pollard with Ezekiel Elliott having been cut. British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries FamilySearch All his male collaborators mentioned above took home Tonys for Company, but not Bennett, whose crafty stylings were a bit too subtle for the average theatregoer. Grandparents Timothy & Anna Weeks & Robin DeJesus, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins & friends. But Bennett had made the mechanical set his dancers. Mike- I was so shocked when I was told about your son. Parenting Adult Coffee on Mental Health. I remember the day I met Michael in gym class in elementary school. Mr. Bennett is survived by his mother, Helen, of Buffalo and a brother, Frank, a theatrical stage manager who lives in Manhattan. 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. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Late in 1977, using the profits from ''A Chorus Line,'' Mr. Bennett bought an eight-story building at 890 Broadway, between 19th and 20th Streets. [14], He always collaborated with his assistant Bob Avian, who was a lifelong friend. Dance Lessons at 3. He was 96 . He faced bullying wherever he went. He added, He knew he faced serious risk from treating patients who refused to wear masks.. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Lawsuit filed against St. Francois County . Ballroom, Bennetts next musical was in the unenviable position of having to follow A Chorus Line, so it almost had to fail (and it didnt help that it was subtle and understated). We had a lot in common. Lawsuit filed against St. Francois County after man dies by - STLtoday Bennett choreographed Promises, Promises, Follies and Company. Michael has built a reputation of taking on Washington dysfunction and working with Republicans and . It was devastating. 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 morning at his home in Tucson, Ariz. Bennett's career as a Broadway dancer began in the 1961 Betty ComdenAdolph GreenJule Styne musical Subways Are for Sleeping, after which he appeared in Meredith Willson's Here's Love and the short-lived Bajour. Television talk-show host Phil Donahue devoted an entire program to the original cast, during which they reminisce and recreate some of the musical numbers. So very sorry. Prince, of Mr. Sondheim and James Goldman's ''Follies,'' which opened on April 4, 1971. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. He started dance lessons at the age of 3 and by 12, he was versed in tap, ballet, modern and folk dancing. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Michael Bennett (Grand Rapids, Michigan), who passed away on December 4, 2017 at the age of 74. Instead, Bennett's choreography was motivated by the form of the musical involved, or the distinct characters interpreted. MICHAEL BENNETT. When we were all in high school growing up in Succasunna, NJ, we had so much fun if Mike was part of the group. ''I always thought I was prepared for success,'' Mr. Bennett said in an interview in The Times in October 1981. She preceded him in death. [8] Bennett was invited to the sessions originally as an observer but soon took charge. The show won nine Tony Awards, including best direction and choreography for Mr. Bennett and best musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize, which Mr. Bennett shared, and the New York Drama Critics Circle award. Michael Bennett Obituary (2011) - Bethlehem, PA - The Express Times 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). Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. 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 would later write and become his own special creation. Sadly, during the decade of the seventies, an over dependence on alcohol and drugs drove Bennett relentlessly (and others as well). Bennett received eight Tony awards and several New York Drama Critic awards during his career. Bennett died from AIDS-related lymphoma at the age of 44. The song also featured Margo Sappington, who would later choreograph the nude revue Oh! That was followed by Mr. Bennett's second nonmusical, ''God's Favorite,'' Neil Simon's play based on the biblical Book of Job, which opened in December 1974 and ran three months. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. Michael Bennett Obituary (2003) - Elyria, OH - The Plain Dealer It won nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. They married on December 4, 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced in 1979. ''I think I am now the king of backstage musicals, and you know what? ''Follies'' - a modernist's homage to the Ziegfeld era - was the first of the backstage musicals with which Mr. Bennett would inextricably be identified and which would find its apotheosis in ''A Chorus Line.'' Donna McKechnie, a star of . [23] In Dreamgirls, Bennett's musical staging was described as a "mesmerizing sense of movement": The most thrilling breakthrough of the extraordinary show is that whereas in A Chorus Line Michael Bennett choreographed the cast, in Dreamgirls he has choreographed the set. A Chorus Line's number "One" is included in this musical. He died of Covid-19 on March 6, his former wife, Teresa Bennett, said. It was. I attended its opening night and found it charming, dynamic and even a bit thrilling, but the critics had their knives out and literally killed it. In a 911 call just before 6 a.m., her mother Patsy Ramsey was inconsolable as she told the dispatcher that her daughter was missing and that she'd found a ransom note at the bottom of her stairs. In January 1974, he held a late-night session with a group of dancers with whom he had worked, talking about the joys and the humiliations of being a Broadway gypsy. Memorial services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 3, 2022, at the Lummis Hamilton Funeral Home in Camp Point by Nathan Seaman. Michael Bennett's passing on Friday, March 10, 2023 has been publicly announced. [2][3] He studied dance and choreography in his teens and staged a number of shows in his local high school - Bennett High School in Buffalo, NY (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_High_School_(Buffalo,_New_York)) - before dropping out to accept the role of Baby John in the US and European tours of West Side Story. It is sad to see him go, but I look forward to seeing him again one day. Michael Bennett, a native of Baton Rouge, passed away Tuesday, July 31 at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. His death was a blow not only because of it coming at such a young age, but for how it effected those who unequivocally loved his work. He was forty-four years old. 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