Biography
Born Conrado Morales in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, his early career was spent dancing in the chorus of Broadway musicals such as Applause and Ambassador. In 1974, he was approached by his friend Michael Bennett who invited him to the sessions which led to the basis of material for the book of a musical about Broadway "gypsies", the dancers who serve as a backdrop for the leading performers. Eventually, collaborating with James Kirkwood Jr., the result was ''A Chorus Line'', which earned him the 1976 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In particular, the story of Paul, the gay Puerto Rican dancer whose early career consisted of working in a drag show, was based primarily on Dante. The actor who originated the role with the famous monologue, Sammy Williams, won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical award in 1976 for the role. Dante played the role himself later on. He authored a screenplay, ''Fake Lady'', and a stage musical based on the life of entertainer Al Jolson entitled ''Jolson Tonight'', but never again achieved the success he did with ''A Chorus Line''.Death
Dante died on May 21, 1991, aged 49, from AIDS-related complications in New York City.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dante, Nicholas 1941 births 1991 deaths Tony Award winners Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners American gay writers Drama Desk Award winners American people of Puerto Rican descent AIDS-related deaths in New York (state) LGBT dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people 20th-century LGBT people