Bebe Neuwirth announced the nominations for the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards on the afternoon of April 29 on ABC News’ “GMA3: What You Need to Know.” Honoring achievement in dance and choreography on stage and in film, the previously announced awards ceremony will be held on May 20 at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.
Of the 39 new productions that opened on Broadway in the 2023-2024 season, 8 were acknowledged. The transfer of “Illinoise” led the Broadway categories, scoring seven nominations, including five performers highlighted in the Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show category. The Sufjan Stevens musical was additionally nominated in Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Ensemble Categories.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Outsiders” and “Water for Elephants” garnered three nominations apiece, one in each of the three Broadway categories.
Lorin Latarro received a unique joint nomination for Outstanding Choreography for her work on both “The Heart of Rock and Roll” and “The Who’s Tommy.” “Heart of Rock and Roll” was also named in the Outstanding Ensemble category.
The film adaptations of the Broadway musicals “Mean Girls” and “The Color Purple” were named in the Outstanding Choreography in a Theatrical Release category, while Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli was nominated in the same category for his work on the film “Wonka.”
As previously announced, Bernadette Peters will receive the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Different categories have different sets of nominators. The awarding committee includes chair Sylviane Gold, as well as Gary Chryst, Robert LaFosse, Wendy Perron and Lee Roy Reams. The Broadway nominating committee is chaired by Wendy Federman, and includes Caitlin Carter, Chryst, Don Correia, Jamie deRoy, Sandy Duncan, Peter Filichia, Louis Galli, Sylviane Gold, Jonathan Herzog, La Fosse, Joe Lanteri, Michael Milton, Mary Beth O'Connor, Perron, Reams, Andy Sandberg and Randy Skinner. Jonathan C. Herzog serves as chair of the film nominating committee, which includes Steven Caras, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, O’Connor and Sandberg.
The Chita Rivera Awards is being produced by Lanteri in conjunction with Patricia Watt.
A complete list of nominees can be found below:
Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show
Camille A. Brown, “Hell’s Kitchen”
Julia Cheng, “Cabaret”
Rick and Jeff Kuperman, “The Outsiders”
Lorin Latarro, “The Heart of Rock and Roll”/”The Who’s Tommy” (joint nomination)
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”
“Hell’s Kitchen”
“Illinoise”
“The Heart of Rock and Roll”
“The Outsiders”
“Water for Elephants”
Outstanding Choreography in a Theatrical Release
“Barbie,” Choreographer: Jennifer White
“Carmen,” Choreographer: Benjamin Millepied / Marina Tamayo
“Mean Girls,” Choreographer: Kyle Hanagami/Casey Nicholaw
“The Color Purple,” Choreographer: Fatima Robinson
“Wonka,” Choreographer: Christopher Gattelli
Outstanding Direction of a Dance Documentary
“Daughters,” Directors: Angela Patton/Natalie Rae
“Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate,” Directors: Benjamin Cantu/Matt Lambert
“Lift,” Director: David Petersen
“Studio One Forever,” Director: Marc Saltarelli
“Swan Song,” Director: Chelsea McMullan
Nominations per production:
“Illinoise” — 7
“Hell’s Kitchen” — 3
“The Outsiders” — 3
“Water for Elephants” — 3
“Cabaret” — 2
“The Heart of Rock and Roll” — 2
“The Wiz” — 2
“The Who’s Tommy” — 1
