The Radio City Rockettes are back this summer, beginning an eight-week run at Radio City Music Hall June 15 in the New York Spectacular. This year, the Spectacular gets a makeover from director-choreographer Mia Michaels (best known for her Emmy-winning work on So You Think You Can Dance and, to Broadway audiences, for her choreography on Finding Neverland) and writer Douglas Carter Beane.
Beane re-imagines the Spectacular as a 鈥渃omedy-laced fable鈥� about two children lost in New York, but find their way back to their parents when the city鈥檚 statues come to life and show them the way. The tone of the show will mix Michaels鈥� contemporary feel with the Rockettes鈥� classic style as well as a blend of contemporary songs from artists such as Taylor Swift and the Beatles with classic show tunes from shows like 42nd Street and Cabaret.
At a press conference for the show, Michaels talked with 半岛体育 about the style of the New York Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes and how she can鈥檛 wait to get back to choreograph (and possibly direct) more on Broadway.
You were talking about the music of the New York Spectacular, saying there will be a wide range, from Broadway to contemporary pop songs, including Taylor Swift. What can you tease?
Mia Michaels: We鈥檝e hired the team of [vocal designer] AnnMarie Milazzo and [music producer and arranger] Billy [Jay] Stein, [music supervisor] David Holcenberg and [music consultant] David Chase. We have all the masters of Broadway. What we鈥檝e done is that we鈥檝e taken these hits鈥攖hese traditional songs鈥攁nd we鈥檝e made them current with beats. We鈥檝e just reinvented them, and they鈥檙e so incredible. Honestly, everybody is going to want to buy this CD. It鈥檚 so good.
There will be a CD, too?
MM: Hopefully! I鈥檓 trying to push for that because the music is incredible.
It seems so contemporary, which is so in line with what you do, but also so classical 鈥淩ockette,鈥� keeping with the brand everyone knows and loves.
MM: I love that juxtaposition. I love the tradition and the 鈥渃lassic鈥� and [how they are] bashing heads with contemporary and relevance and now and pushing boundaries, so that it lives in this amazing own nugget of artistry. It鈥檚 its own thing. Working with the [Rockettes], it is a brand; it鈥檚 very traditional, but the way I鈥檓 moving them [is different].
What is it like to work with the Rockettes having loved them as a child?
MM: It鈥檚 kind of emotional鈥攖he fact that I am working with them on such an intimate level now, as the director and choreographer, and actually [developing] the vision of this show and how to celebrate them and the brand of the Rockettes. It鈥檚 incredible. It鈥檚 such an honor, and I have to pinch myself sometimes because I can鈥檛 believe that I鈥檝e actually been given this responsibility to do this, and I am so excited about it because everything that we鈥檙e doing, and the team that I have鈥攚e all have such passion, and everybody has gotten on board, and we all have the same vision. And, for me, that means success. When you have a strong vision, and everyone is on board with it, you can鈥檛 go wrong with that.
Do you have any other musical theatre projects up your sleeves?
MM: Not yet, and I want to.
What would you like to do?
MM: I鈥檓 hoping that this will open doors for me as a director as well as a choreographer for Broadway.
Are you loving sitting in the director鈥檚 chair?
MM: I love it. I absolutely love it. It feels so right for me. I feel like I鈥檝e been directing my whole career, but I just now got the official credit. Being in the director鈥檚 chair feels really organic. It feels right. It feels like I鈥檝e been doing it forever. It feels great because as a choreographer, I鈥檝e never just done steps. I鈥檝e always just created worlds, and I鈥檝e always had very high concepts, so it just worked so well, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing. That鈥檚 what I鈥檝e been doing, but now I鈥檓 really able to do it because I鈥檓 being supported by Radio City, and they鈥檙e going with all my dreams, and they love my dreams. My dreams are really colorful. They鈥檙e really fun. For instance, last year they did 鈥淪ingin鈥� in the Rain,鈥� and they had Derek [Hough] leading, which was awesome, and I was like, 鈥淗ow do we do 鈥楽ingin鈥� in the Rain鈥� without having a Gene Kelly lead?鈥� I woke up one night鈥t four in the morning, and I texted AnnMarie, and I said, 鈥淚f the rain could sing, what would it sound like?鈥� And I kept thinking, 鈥淚f the rain sings to the flowers, in which to make them grow, the Rockettes are the flowers. The rain sings to the flowers so that they grow.鈥� It鈥檚 really cool.
What excites you to choreograph for the musical theatre versus pieces that are solely contemporary and lyrical?
MM: Story. Story first, because, for me, I love telling a story through the human body. For me, it鈥檚 what makes me tick. This is fun, and I love doing spectacle because I come from that world, and I love it, but there鈥檚 another side of me that鈥檚 a very, very intimate artist. I love telling very raw, raw human emotion through movement and telling stories that way, so I鈥檓 excited about getting more into the Broadway world and definitely getting in there and creating and telling stories.
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