Illinoise Leads Chita Rivera Nominations

Illinoise leads the Chita Rivera Award noms.
Credit: Liz Lauren

Illinoise, the dance-theater work inspired by Sufjan Stevens' album, received the most nominations for the Chita Rivera Awards for excellence in dance and choreography in theater and film, with seven. Barbie, The Color Purple and Mean Girls were among the film nominees. Bebe Neuwirth, currently starring in the revival of Cabaret, read the nominations on ABC News' GMA3: What You Need to Know, on April 29, less than two hours after Kathleen Turner made a similar announcement about the Drama Desks on WNBC. The Chita Rivera Awards will be presented on May 20 at the NYU Skirball Center. Bernadette Peters will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award to presented by Joel Grey.

Here's a list of the nominees:

Broadway

Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show
Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen
Julia Cheng, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders
Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll / The Who’s Tommy
Justin Peck, Illinoise
Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants

Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show
Antoine Boissereau, Water for Elephants
Ben Cook, Illinoise
Chloe Davis, Hell’s Kitchen
Gaby Diaz, Illinoise
Tilly Evans-Krueger, The Outsiders
Rachel Lockhart, Illinoise
Phillip Johnson Richardson, The Wiz
Byron Tittle, Illinoise
Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise
Avery Wilson, The Wiz

Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise
The Heart of Rock and Roll
The Outsiders
Water for Elephants

Film

Outstanding Choreography in a Theatrical Release
Jennifer White, Barbie
Benjamin Millepied and Marina Tamayo, Carmen
Fatima Robinson, The Color Purple
Kyle Hanagami and Casey Nicholaw, Mean Girls
Christopher Gattelli, Wonka

Outstanding Direction of a Dance Documentary
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, Daughters
Benjamin Cantu and Matt Lambert, Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate
David Petersen, Lift
Marc Saltarelli, Studio One Forever
Chelsea McMullan, Swan Song

This year's awarding committee, chaired by Sylviane Gold, comprises Gary Chryst, Robert LaFosse, Donna McKechnie, Wendy Perron, Lee Roy Reams, and Desmond Richardson. The Broadway nominating committee includes Wendy Federman (chair), Melinda Atwood, Caitlin Carter, Gary Chryst, Don Correia, Jamie deRoy, Sandy Duncan, Peter Filichia, Dr. Louis Galli, Sylviane Gold, Jonathan Herzog, Jim Kierstead, Robert La Fosse, Joe Lanteri, Donna McKechnie, Michael Milton, Mary Beth O'Connor, Wendy Perron, Lee Roy Reams, Desmond Richardson, Andy Sandberg, and Randy Skinner. The film nominating committee comprises Jonathan C. Herzog (chair), Steven Caras, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, Mary Beth O’Connor, and Andy Sandberg.