Wayne Cilento (‘Dancin’ director) honors the true ‘eclectic’ scope of Bob Fosse [Exclusive Video Interview]

Sam Eckmann
·4 min read
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“I tried to reference all of the stimulus in his head that led him to create amazing pieces of theater,” details director Wayne Cilento on honoring the legendary choreography of Bob Fosse. Cilento has crafted the first ever Broadway revival of “Dancin’,” but the show now comes appropriately billed as “Bob Fosse’s Dancin’” since the director was keen to go beyond what was presented in the original incarnation. ”I wanted to show his scope,” explains Cilento, ”I wanted to do more than what he presented in 1978.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Cilento starred in the original Broadway production of “Dancin’” and earned a Tony nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance. Cilento was not a Fosse dancer when he booked the show (he jokes that he had previously auditioned for “Chicago” but was “cut immediately”). But fellow dancer and choreographer Graciela Daniele put in a good word and got Cilento an audition for “Dancin’” while he was performing in “The Act” on Broadway with Liza Minnelli. When he ran into Fosse at the opening night party for that musical, Fosse simply said: “I want you.”

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Though Cilento hadn’t performed Fosse’s signature moves before, he wasn’t worried. “I had a really blessed dancing career and I danced for a lot of choreographers,” he notes. “The one thing I was able to do was to really pick up their style.” So, he would spend rehearsals watching Fosse intently, soaking up his movements like a sponge. Since the dancers were then encouraged to bring their own interpretation to the choreography, Cilento could present Fosse’s motions through his own lens. “I didn’t lose myself in his style,” he remembers,’ I kind of stayed true to myself as a dancer and I think he respected that.”

A similar quest for individualism and authenticity is found in the current “Dancin’” revival. The casting process was about “finding the best, most unique dancers that I could find. To get a really interesting company,’ admits Cilento. In this diverse ensemble, every performer pops on stage. And they get much-deserved individual credits during the curtain call, splashed across the giant LED screen upstage. “It’s such a special moment for the 16 of them to get that,” says Cilento. “Because they are all stars and they should have their name in lights.”

In order to showcase the totality of Fosse’s work, Cilento deviates from the original production by including a suite from the musical “Big Deal” towards the end of the show. He was in the original Broadway cast of “Big Deal” and remembers experiencing Fosse (who served as director and choreographer) as a changed man. Gone were the hyper isolated motions made famous with shows like “Chicago” and “Sweet Charity.” ”It was all very fluid, and integrated with scenes and underscoring with dance,” remembers Cilento, “he was flying.” This extended sequence became a perfect place for this revival to show the world the true scope of Fosse’s talent, which he describes as more “eclectic” and “stylistic” than most people realize. “I wanted to show him off for who he was,” states Cilento, “he would have never done it for himself.”

Cilento won a Tony Award for his choreography for “The Who’s Tommy.” He also received Choreography nominations for “Baby,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “Dream,” “Wicked,” and “Sweet Charity.” He was nominated for Featured Actor in a Musical for “Dancin’.”

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