May 3-20, 2012
"Cole was splendid; certainly a pioneer! He was the first important choreographer in the commercial sphere.... He set The Broadway Jazz style. That was his!"
- Agnes de Mille, legendary choreographer of Oklahoma!
He was one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century. He taught Alvin Ailey, Gwen Verdon, Marge & Gower Champion and Mitzi Gaynor and influenced Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and countless choreographers that followed. He concocted the pink fantasia of “Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend” that made Marilyn Monroe a superstar and coaxed a smoldering sexuality out of Rita Hayworth that made “Put the Blame On Mame” the scandal of its day.
His name was Jack Cole and he invented Jazz and Musical Theatre dance as we know it.
This May, for the first time in decades, see the work of Jack Cole live onstage at Queens Theatre with the world premiere of The Jack Cole Project, a musical tribute to the unsung genius. Conceived and directed by Chet Walker, creator of the Tony© Award-winning Best Musical Fosse, The Jack Cole Project will recreate more than two dozen of Cole’s numbers from Kismet, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Les Girls, Gilda, Thrill of Brazil and other classics of stage and screen. The show will also feature the debut of several original dance pieces created in Cole’s inimitable style.
The Jack Cole Project is the first in a series of collaborations between Queens Theatre and its new resident dance company WALKERDANCE, a company devoted to the preservation of the uniquely American art form known as Musical Theatre dance. Together, WALKERDANCE and Queens Theatre will keep the rich traditions of American musical theatre dance alive by continuing to develop original works of dance theatre that you will only see at Queens Theatre.
Tickets: $42 weekdays, $49 weekends
Performance Schedule: Wednesday-Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday & Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 3pm
Photos of The Jack Cole Project by Carol Rosegg.
