Susan P. Stroman (born October 17, 1954) is an American

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

, choreographer, film director and

performer The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfor ...

. Her notable theater productions include '' The Producers'', '' Crazy for You'', ''

Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * ...

'', and '' The Scottsboro Boys''. She is a five-time

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

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 The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

in New York City.

Early years

Stroman was born in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, the daughter of Frances (née Nolan) and Charles Harry Stroman. She was exposed to show tunes by her piano-playing salesman father. She began studying dance, concentrating on jazz, tap, and ballet at the age of five. She studied under James Jamieson at the Academy of the Dance in Wilmington. She majored in English at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

. She performed, choreographed and directed at community theaters in the Delaware and Philadelphia area. After graduating in 1976, she moved to New York City. Her first professional appearance was in '' Hit the Deck'' at the

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

in 1977. Later that year she was cast in the role of Hunyak in the National tour of ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

'', which marked her first time working with composer

John Kander John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Cab ...

and lyricist

Fred Ebb Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Riv ...

. Her first Broadway credit was as an ensemble member in the 1979 musical ''

Whoopee! ''Whoopee!'' is a 1928 musical comedy with a book based on Owen Davis's play, ''The Nervous Wreck.'' The musical libretto was written by William Anthony McGuire, with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The musical premiered on Bro ...

''. In 1980 she was assistant director, assistant choreographer, and dance captain for the Broadway show ''Musical Chairs''. Wanting to direct and choreograph instead of perform, Stroman concentrated on creating for the theater. She worked in small venues as a director and choreographer in various industrial shows, club acts and commercials.

Career

Theatre

Early career: ''Flora the Red Menace'' (1987) to ''Center Stage'' (2000)

Stroman's big break as a choreographer came in 1987 with the Off-Broadway revival of ''

Flora the Red Menace ''Flora the Red Menace'' is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Robert Russell, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The original 1965 production starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won ...

'' (music by

and

) at the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981. It is best known for its productions of the Tony award-winning ...

. Her work there was seen by

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, who hired her to create the dance sequences for his

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

production of '' Don Giovanni.'' Her relationship with Kander and Ebb led to co-creating, along with

Scott Ellis Scott Ellis (born April 19, 1957) is an American stage director, actor, and television director. Biography Ellis graduated from Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) in Chicago.

and David Thompson, the 1991 hit Off-Broadway musical '' And the World Goes 'Round''. In 1992 she went on to choreograph ''Liza Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall'' starring Liza Minnelli, receiving an Emmy nomination for her work. Later that year she earned her third Broadway credit for her collaboration with director, and then-future husband,

Mike Ockrent Michael Robert Ockrent (18 June 1946 – 2 December 1999) was a British stage director, well-known both for his Broadway musicals and smaller niche plays. He was educated at Highgate School. Through directing ''Educating Rita'', '' The Nerd'' an ...

on '' Crazy for You''. The show won the

Tony Award for Best Musical The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the ...

and she won her first Tony Award for Best Choreography. In 1994, Stroman won her second Tony Award when she collaborated with Prince on a revival of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'', where she used some of her most innovative ideas. She added several dance montages to the show, complete with a revolving door, to help guide the audience through the generations that are covered in the show. Stroman heavily researched the period in which the show takes place and learned that

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

s are credited for inventing the Charleston. She used that information in designing the montages, as the popular dance is introduced by and eventually appropriated from the black characters. In 1994, Stroman collaborated again with her husband Mike Ockrent on the holiday spectacular ''A Christmas Carol'' at Madison Square Garden, which ran for 10 years, and the Broadway musical ''

Big, The Musical ''Big The Musical'' is a 1996 musical adaptation of the 1988 film starring Tom Hanks. It was directed by Mike Ockrent and featured music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., with choreography by Susan Stroman. It involves Josh Bask ...

'' (1996). She returned to her collaboration with Kander and Ebb, Ellis and Thompson on the Broadway musical ''Steel Pier'' (1997). In 1999, her choreography of ''Oklahoma!'', directed by

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas ...

at the Royal National Theater, won Stroman her second

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

for her outstanding choreography. Stroman's husband Mike Ockrent died from

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

on December 2, 1999. She immersed herself in her work and directed and choreographed her first Broadway show as director, the 2000 revival of ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

''. At the same time, Stroman was approached by

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

Theater's artistic director

André Bishop André Bishop (born November 9, 1948) is an American theatrical producer, and Artistic Director and Producing Artistic Director, of Lincoln Center Theater. He has produced over 80 Broadway plays and musicals and has won numerous Tony Awards. E ...

, who offered assistance with developing the project of her choice. She and

John Weidman John Weidman (born September 25, 1946) is an American librettist and television writer for ''Sesame Street''. He has worked on stage musicals with Stephen Sondheim and Susan Stroman. Career Weidman was born in New York City and grew up in Westport ...

, who had written the book for ''Big'', began working on what would become the three-part "dance play" ''

'', which she choreographed as well as directed. The show opened at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater in the fall of 1999, and later transferred to the larger

Vivian Beaumont Theater The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is the only Bro ...

, where it was reclassified as a musical. It won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. Stroman won her third Tony Award for best choreography. ''Contact'' won a 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program when a live broadcast of the show appeared as an episode of PBS's Live from Lincoln Center. For Lincoln Center Theater, Stroman went on to direct and choreograph '' Thou Shalt Not'' (2001) with music by Harry Connick Jr. and ''

The Frogs ''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in ...

'' (2004) with book by

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

Career after 2001: ''The Producers'' (2001) to present

In 2001, Stroman directed and choreographed the

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

musical '' The Producers''. Stroman's late husband, Ockrent, had initially been named to direct. It was a commercial success and won a record twelve

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

. Stroman won her fourth and fifth Tony Awards for direction and choreography, becoming the first woman to win both awards in the same night. She was also the second woman ever to win Best Direction of a Musical after

Julie Taymor Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director and writer of theater, opera and film. Her stage adaptation of ''The Lion King'' debuted in 1997, and received eleven Tony Award nominations, with Taymor receiving Tony Awards for Best ...

in 1998. In 2005, she made her feature film directorial debut with a film adaptation of the show. The movie was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, she again collaborated with Brooks, as director and choreographer of the musical ''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor ...

''. In the fall of 2017, she and Brooks opened a newly revised version of the show at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...

in London's West End after a successful tryout at the Theatre Royal in

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

. She directed and choreographed the musical ''Happiness'', which has a book by

, music by

Scott Frankel Scott David Frankel (born May 6, 1963) is an American composer. Career Early life Frankel began his music education taking piano lessons with Betty Belkin in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Interlochen Arts Camp, Hawken School (‘81) and graduated ...

and lyrics by

Michael Korie Michael Korie (born April 1, 1955) is an American librettist and lyricist whose writing for musical theater and opera includes the musicals ''Grey Gardens'' and '' Far From Heaven'', and the operas ''Harvey Milk'' and ''The Grapes of Wrath''. His ...

. The musical opened in February 2009 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at

. The musical '' The Scottsboro Boys'' opened at the

in February 2010. The music is by

Kander and Ebb Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ''C ...

and the book is by David Thompson; Stroman both directed and choreographed. The show later transferred to Broadway where it ran for 49 performances at the Lyceum Theatre and received 12 Tony Award Nominations. Regional theaters such as the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, San Diego's

Old Globe The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

, American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and the

Ahmanson Theater The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings and ...

in Los Angeles have all mounted successful productions of the show. In 2013, Stroman directed the UK premiere of the show at the Young Vic in London. After its successful run there, the show transferred to the West End where it was honored with the 2014 Evening Standard's Ned Sherrin Award. She co-directed with Hal Prince the new musical '' Paradise Found'', which premiered at the

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Boro ...

(London) on May 19, 2010. The cast included

Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals ''The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', and ...

and

Shuler Hensley Shuler Paul Hensley (born March 6, 1967) is an American singer and actor. Early life Hensley was born in Atlanta, Georgia. The youngest of three children, Hensley grew up in Marietta, Georgia. His father, Sam P. Hensley Jr., is a former Georgia T ...

. Stroman directed and choreographed the new musical, ''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Tim Burton, and based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Car ...

'' with songs by

Andrew Lippa Andrew Lippa (born December 22, 1964) is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. Early life Lippa was born in Leeds, England, to English parent ...

and book by John August. The show, based on the

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physi ...

and film of the same name, opened at the Oriental Theater in Chicago in April and May 2013 and then ran on Broadway in September 2013 to December 2013. In 2014 she directed and choreographed a production of ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

'' for the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

, starring Renee Fleming in the title role. Stroman worked with

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

on a musical adaptation of his film ''

Bullets Over Broadway ''Bullets Over Broadway'' is a 1994 American black comedy crime film directed by Woody Allen, written by Allen and Douglas McGrath and starring an ensemble cast including John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly. The fil ...

'', titled '' Bullets Over Broadway the Musical'', which opened on Broadway in April 2014. She directed and choreographed the new musical '' Little Dancer'', which ran at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

, Eisenhower Theater from October 25, 2014 to November 30. The book and lyrics are by

Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle ...

and music by Stephen Flaherty. In the spring of 2019 she directed and choreographed ''Marie, Dancing Still'' for Seattle's

5th Avenue Theatre The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theatre located in Seattle's Skinner Building, in the U.S. state of Washington. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land are owned b ...

. A newly reworked and retitled production of ''Little Dancer'', the show starred

Tiler Peck Tiler Kalyn Peck (born January 12, 1989) is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As well as ballet, she has performed in musical theatre shows and has made cameo appearances in films including ''Donn ...

reprising her title role alongside

Terrence Mann Terrence Vaughan Mann (born July 1, 1951) is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the Broadway stage, which include Chester Lyman in '' Barnum'', Rum Tum Tugger in ''Cats'', Javert in '' Les ...

and

Louise Pitre Louise Pitre (born January 1, 1957) is a Canadian actress in musical theatre. She performs on Broadway and in Canada. She is best known for her role as Donna Sheridan in the ABBA-themed musical '' Mamma Mia!'', which earned her a 2002 Tony Award ...

. Stroman collaborated with Prince once again as co-director of a new musical entitled ''

Prince of Broadway ''Prince of Broadway'' is a musical revue showcasing the producing career of Harold Prince. Prince himself directed the production, his final Broadway credit. The show features a book by two-time Tony Award nominee David Thompson and is co-dir ...

'', a retrospective of the career and life of Hal Prince. The show has orchestrations and new material written by

Jason Robert Brown Jason Robert Brown (born June 20, 1970) is an American musical theatre composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards for his work on ''Parad ...

. The revue premiered in Tokyo at the Tokyu Theatre Orb in October 2015 and then ran in Osaka in November through December 2015, and featured

Tony Yazbeck Tony Yazbeck (March 14, 1979) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his work on the Broadway stage, including the revival of '' On the Town'', for which he received 2015 Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for ...

Ramin Karimloo Ramin Karimloo ( fa, رامین کریملو; ; born September 19, 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and Broadway theatre. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End's ...

and

Nancy Opel Nancy Carol Opel (born December 13, 1956) is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical Urinetown. Early life and ...

. It premiered on Broadway on August 24, 2017 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre as a co-production of the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has g ...

and Gorgeous Entertainment. The book is by David Thompson. In 2016 she returned to the

to direct the play ''Dot'', written by

Colman Domingo Colman Jason Domingo (born November 28, 1969) is an American actor, writer, and director widely known for his performance as Mr. Bones in the Broadway musical '' The Scottsboro Boys'' (2011), and for his role as recovering drug addict Ali on HBO ...

. The following year she directed and choreographed her fourth collaboration with the Vineyard Theatre, ''The Beast in the Jungle'', winning the 2018 Joe Callaway Award for excellence in choreography. The music was composed by

and the book written by David Thompson. In April 2022, Stroman directed the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

play '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'', at the Shubert Theatre. This year, Stroman directed and choreographed the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

revival of ''Crazy For You'', which is also set to transfer to the West End's

Gillian Lynne Theatre The Gillian Lynne Theatre (formerly New London Theatre) is a West End theatre located on the corner of Drury Lane and Parker Street in Covent Garden, in the London Borough of Camden. The Winter Garden Theatre formerly occupied the site until 1965 ...

in 2023.

Dance

In 2004, Stroman was the first woman to choreograph a full-length ballet for

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

. '' Double Feature'', with music by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

and

Walter Donaldson Walter Donaldson (February 15, 1893 – July 15, 1947) was an American prolific popular songwriter and publishing company founder, composing many hit songs of the 1910s to 1940s, that have become standards and form part of the Great American Song ...

, is now in the New York City Ballet repertory. Stroman had previously worked with New York City Ballet in 1999, when she created ''Blossom Got Kissed'', featuring the music of Duke Ellington, to celebrate the company's 50th Anniversary season. She later revisited the piece, choreographing three additional short dances to be performed alongside the original. This new expanded ballet entitled ''For the Love of Duke'' premiered in May 2011. In 1997 she created ''But Not for Me'' for the Martha Graham Company, using the music of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

. The world premiere of ''Take Five…More Or Less'' with The Pacific Northwest Ballet opened in 2008. Stroman combined jazz music by Dave Brubeck and classical pointe work. The ballet is now in their repertoire.

Television

She appeared as herself in Season Four of the HBO series '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'', directing

Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...

and

David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom ''Friends'', for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primeti ...

in a production of the Broadway hit musical, ''The Producers''. In 2017 she returned to the show, choreographing

's musical Fatwa!, starring

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and We ...

. She has also made multiple appearances as herself on the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...

's ''

Barefoot Contessa ''Barefoot Contessa'' is an American cooking show that premiered November 30, 2002, on Food Network, and is currently the oldest show on the network's daytime schedule. Hosted by celebrity chef Ina Garten, each episode features Garten assembli ...

'' program, as she is a close friend of its host,

Ina Garten Ina Rosenberg Garten ( ; born February 2, 1948) is an American author, host of the Food Network program '' Barefoot Contessa'', and a former staff member of the Office of Management and Budget. Among her dishes are ''cœur à la crème'', celery ...

Film

Stroman received the American Choreography Award for her work in Columbia Pictures Feature film '' Center Stage'' (2000). In 2004, she directed the film version of '' The Producers''.

Awards and nominations

Stroman received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre for 2018, presented by the

York Theatre Company York Theatre is an off-Broadway theatre company based in East Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In its 50th year, York Theatre is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each se ...

. Other notable awards include '' Glamour'' Magazine's Woman of the Year Award (2001), The George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater (2002), and the Sackler Center First Award (2012) honoring extraordinary women who are first in their field. She is a 2002 New York Public Library "Library Lion" inductee for Outstanding Achievement in Art, Culture, Letters and Scholarship and a 2014 inductee into New York City's Theater Hall of Fame. In 2005 Stroman received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the

Stage productions

;Theater * 1980 ''Musical Chairs'' (1980 Musical) (Assistant Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) * 1987 ''

'' (Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) * 1989 '' Don Giovanni'' (Choreographer) (New York City Opera) * 1990 ''

A Little Night Music ''A Little Night Music'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...

'' (Choreographer) (New York City Opera) * 1991 '' And The World Goes 'Round'' (Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) * 1992 '' Liza Minnelli – Stepping Out At Radio City'' (Choreographer) * 1992 ''

110 in the Shade ''110 in the Shade'' is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on Nash's 1954 play '' The Rainmaker'', it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, ...

'' (Choreographer) (New York City Opera) * 1992 '' Crazy for You'' (Choreographer) (Broadway) * 1993 '' Crazy for You'' (Choreographer) (West End) * 1994 ''

'' (Choreographer) (Toronto/Broadway) * 1994 '' Picnic'' (Choreographer of Musical Interludes) (Broadway) * 1994 '' A Christmas Carol'' (Choreographer) (Madison Square Garden) * 1996 ''

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

'' (Choreographer) (Broadway) * 1997 '' Steel Pier'' (Choreographer) (Broadway) * 1998 ''

'' (Choreographer) (West End) * 1998 '' Oklahoma!'' (Choreographer) (West End) * 1999 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center Theater) * 2000 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) * 2000 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) (

at Lincoln Center Theater) * 2001 '' The Producers'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) * 2001 '' Thou Shalt Not'' (Director/Choreographer/creator) (Broadway) (Lincoln Center Theater) * 2002 '' Oklahoma!'' (Choreographer) (Broadway) * 2002 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (West End) * 2004 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) (

at Lincoln Center Theater) * 2004 '' The Producers'' (Director/Choreographer) (West End) * 2005 ''Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams'' (Choreographer of Musical Interludes) (Off-Broadway) * 2007 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) * 2008 ''Happiness'' (Director/Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center Theater) * 2010 '' The Scottsboro Boys'' (Director/Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) (

) * 2010 '' Paradise Found'' (Co-director/Choreographer) (

) * 2010 '' The Scottsboro Boys'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) ( Lyceum Theatre) * 2013 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) (

Neil Simon Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for ...

) * 2014 ''

Bullets over Broadway ''Bullets Over Broadway'' is a 1994 American black comedy crime film directed by Woody Allen, written by Allen and Douglas McGrath and starring an ensemble cast including John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri and Jennifer Tilly. The fil ...

'' (Director/Choreographer) (Broadway) (St. James Theatre) * 2014 '' Little Dancer'' (Director/Choreographer) Kennedy Center * 2015
The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville
' (Director/Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) * 2015 ''

'' (Co-director/Choreographer) Tokyo * 2016
Dot
' (Director) (Off-Broadway) (

) * 2017 ''

'' (Co-director/Choreographer) (Broadway) (Manhattan Theater Club) * 2017 ''

'' (Director/Choreographer) (West End) * 2018
Beast in the Jungle
' (Director/Choreographer) (Off-Broadway) ( Vineyard Theater) * 2019
Marie, Dancing Still
' (Director/Choreographer) (Seattle's

) ;Dance * 1997 ''But Not for Me'' ( Martha Graham Company) * 1999 ''Blossom Got Kissed'' (

) * 2004 '' Double Feature'': ''The Blue Necklace'' and ''Makin' Whoopee'' (

) * 2008 ''Take Five...More or Less'' (

Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...

) * 2011 ''For the Love of Duke'' (

) ;Opera * 2014 ''The Merry Widow'' (Director/Choreographer) (

The Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

) * 2015 ''The Merry Widow'' (Director/Choreographer) ( The Lyric Opera of Chicago)

References

External links

SusanStroman.com
* *
Susan Stroman
– ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org
Susan Stroman
TIME ''Broadway's Favorite Babe'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Stroman, Susan 1954 births American choreographers American musical theatre directors Ballet choreographers Drama Desk Award winners Helpmann Award winners Living people Artists from Wilmington, Delaware American people of German descent Tony Award winners University of Delaware alumni Women theatre directors

Early years

Career

Theatre

Early career: ''Flora the Red Menace'' (1987) to ''Center Stage'' (2000)

Career after 2001: ''The Producers'' (2001) to present

Dance

Television

Film

Awards and nominations

Stage productions

References

Further reading

External links