Tonight I got to cover the red carpet for The Actors Fund Career Transition For Dancers Jubilee Gala. Carrie Ann Inaba, Catherine Zeta Jones and Robert Fairchild were the guests of honors.
I am writing up a piece for a magazine about dance captains on Broadway, so I was chatting with some of Broadway’s biggest stars and choreographers.
This is a snippet of what they had to say about some of their other projects.
Robert Fairchild -
On returning to the theatrical stage in Brigadoon at City Center:
It’s like heaven being in the studio with him. I love [Christopher Wheeldon] so much. We start rehearsals the beginning of next week. It’s quick – 10 days of rehearsals. But you know Chris, he doesn’t do anything small so I’ve been preparing and making sure my Scottish accent is up to par. I am excited.
Carrie Ann Inaba -
On being honored by The Actors Fund:
I am humbled to be someone considered to be contributing to the dance world is ideal to me. For me, it’s what dance has contributed to my life so it feels nice to be here with people I’ve really looked up to: Bebe Neuwirth, Catherine Zeta Jones – it’s a big night. Kelly Ripa, my friend, is presenting the honor. I am so deeply touched.
On next week’s episode of Dancing With The Stars:
I am so in shock about the double elimination last week so I have to recover from that before we move on to that next week. I think it’s going to get really intense from here as we’re heading towards the final stretch. This is when it matters. There have been people continually at the top of the leader board, but I’ve seen a pattern in past history of Dancing With The Stars when sometimes the dark forces come out of nowhere and they get this momentum at this stage. It’s anybody’s game and I am so excited.
Rob Marshall -
On the new Mary Poppins film:
It’s a sequel so it takes place 25 years after. What happens, how the story continues to Michael and Jane, the kids, when they’re grown up and how Mary Poppins comes back into their lives. I think people will be excited to see great musical performances from Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Meryl Streep. It’s new. We’re not trying to remake Mary Poppins. This is a continuation.