Lawrence Leritz
| Lawrence Leritz | |
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 Leritz in 2011 |
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| Born | September 26, 1962 Alton, Illinois |
Lawrence Leritz (born September 26, 1962) is an American dancer, singer, actor, producer, fitness expert and choreographer.
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[edit] Life and career
Born in Alton, Illinois, Leritz made his stage debut in the children's chorus of the world stage premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical State Fair at The Muny, starring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, directed by James Hammerstein, supervised by Richard Rodgers and choreographed by Tommy Tune.
Leritz moved to New York City on scholarships to the Harkness Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and School of American Ballet, studying with Alexandra Danilova and Stanley Williams. Leritz was invited to work with the dance choreographers George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alvin Ailey, Robert Joffrey, Ruth Page, Frederic Franklin, John Neumeier, Lee Theodore, Joe Layton and Sir Frederick Ashton. Leritz's first major dance companies included The New York City Ballet, where during a company class, he was discovered by Balanchine ballerina Violette Verdy. Violette invited Lawrence to join The Hamburg Ballet. While performing in Hamburg, his dancing impressed Dance Magazine's editor-in-chief William Como, who invited Leritz back to the U.S. to continue to his dancing career and for photo sessions with famed dance photographer Kenn Duncan for Dance Magazine. Leritz continued his career starring with Ruth Page's Chicago Ballet, Israel's Bat-Dor Dance Company and with the Paris Opéra on its U.S. tour to the Metropolitan Opera and DC's Kennedy Center. Lawrence appeared as guest artist and choreographer for Plácido Domingo's Los Angeles Music Center Opera and danced in the Joffrey Ballet version of Michel Fokine's "Petrushka" with Rudolf Nureyev at the New York City Center. Leritz created his own company, Dance Celebration, which represented the United States at the International Choreographic Competitions in Paris, performing his signature ballet, "Worth A Song," receiving special congratulations from President Jimmy Carter at The White House in 1979. Leritz appeared three times on the cover of Dance Pages Magazine, including the Spring 1989 issue, in which he wrote an article which introduced and encouraged bodybuilding for dancers. Appearing on the cover with bodybuilding champion Rich Gaspari, his article helped to change the look of professional dancers.[1] In 2006, Leritz was included in Harvard University's George Balanchine Collection of The New York City Ballet at The Harvard Theatre Collection and The Harvard College Library. Leritz appeared Off-Broadway in "Funding The Arts" at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, May 2010, acting and dancing the role of J. Edgar.[2] [3]
Leritz appeared on Broadway in Jerome Robbins directed revival of Fiddler on the Roof with Herschel Bernardi and Maria Karnilova,[4] Fonteyn & Nureyev on Broadway,[5] and American Dance Machine. Leritz returned to co-star at The Muny with Broadway's Judy Kaye, John Reardon, John Schuck, Beth Leavel and his dance partner, Lorene Yarnell in Cole Porter's Can-Can.[6]
Leritz has also acted in many feature films including Julie Taymor's Across the Universe,[7] The Adjustment Bureau opposite Matt Damon,[8] Dummy with Adrien Brody,[9] Easy Money with Rodney Dangerfield,[10] Legs with Gwen Verdon[11] and the HBO feature Stag with Ben Gazzara, Kevin Dillon and Taylor Dayne.[12] Leritz's television appearances include NBC's Saturday Night Live" with Nathan Lane,[13] CBS's Capitol, ABC's All My Children, CBS's Cosby,[14] and in HBO's Sex And The City;[15] talk shows including The Rosie O'Donnell Show with Liza Minnelli,[16] Maury,[17] CNN's Showbiz Tonight and Entertainment Tonight.
Leritz is known in the fitness world as the choreographer to many bodybuilding stars, which included the NBC Sports television special "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Bodybuilding Arnold Classic" in 1989. Lawrence hosted and created the DVD "Total Stretch! with Lawrence Leritz"[18] and appears in numerous issues of Joe Weider's "Muscle & Fitness" and "Men's Fitness magazines.
Leritz produces for stage and television, including the annual television event "Day of Compassion", for which Time magazine honored Leritz as their 1996 Local Hero.[19] During the 2003–2004 season, Leritz is the producer and choreographer of the long running Off-Broadway revue, Boobs! The Musical.[20][21] "Boobs! The Musical" won New Orleans' 2005 Big Easy and Ambie Awards, Wichita's 2006 Teall Award and was nominated for the 2004 Mac Awards for Best Musical Revue. Leritz produced The 50th Anniversary Gala of The American Guild of Musical Artists, starring Beverly Sills and Peter Martins at The New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center in 1986. Lawrence also choreographed the Motown feature film, "The Last Dragon",[22] the mime duo Shields & Yarnell for Atlantic City and for MTV.
Leritz is the Spectrum Records recording artist of the dance hit single "Crank It Up" produced by Cory Wade, performing on tour with The Weather Girls, Laura Branigan, Sylvester, Natalie Cole and starred at the Las Vegas Stardust Hotel during its final months.
[edit] Awards, nominations and citations
- 2004 Mac Awards Best Musical Revue (Producer nominee)
- 2005 Big Easy Awards Best Musical (Producer nominee)
- 2006 Teall Awards Best Musical (Producer nominee)
- 2006 Teall Awards Best Choreography (nominee, based on original choreography by Lawrence Leritz)
- 1996 Time Magazine's Local Hero
- 1987 Lawrence Leritz Day Proclamation, Alton, Illinois
- 1983 Lawrence Leritz Day Proclamation, Wood River, Illinois
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.broadwayspace.com/photo/dance-pages-cover-spring-1989-lawrence-leritz?context=user
- ^ Diamond, Robert http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Baryshnikov_Arts_Center_Presents_FUNDING_FOR_THE_ARTS_May_1216_20100414
- ^ The New York Times. http://theater.nytimes.com/show/24773/Felice-Lesser-Dance-Theater-Funding-the-Arts/overview.
- ^ IBDB.com http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=79442
- ^ IBDB.com http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=13100
- ^ St. Louis Today http://www.stltoday.com/
- ^ Baseline.com http://www.inbaseline.com/searchResult.aspx?typeId=0&keyword=lawrence%20leritz
- ^ New York Times http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/457729/The-Adjustment-Bureau/cast
- ^ Filmweb.com http://www.filmweb.pl/f5238/Brzuchom%C3%B3wca,2002
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085470/fullcredits
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085831
- ^ Kelly, Brendan http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117341381.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=leritz Variety Review, June 15, 1997
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0694746/
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0547136/
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0698645/
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115338/
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0786818/
- ^ IMDB.com http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247776/
- ^ ADAMS, KATHLEEN; JEFFREY H. BIRNBAUM, CHARLOTTE FALTERMAYER, JANICE M. HOROWITZ, LINA LOFARO, TYLER MARONEY, BRIAN REID AND ALAIN L. SANDERS (June 24, 1996). "NOTEBOOK". Time (magazine). http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984756-2,00.html. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
- ^ "Lortel Archives-The Internet Off-Broadway Database". Lortel.org. http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=3071. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ Gates, Anita (May 29, 2003). "THEATER REVIEW; She Doesn't Need Her Vocal Chords to Sing". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/29/arts/theater-review-she-doesn-t-need-her-vocal-chords-to-sing.html?scp=5&sq=boobs%20the%20musical&st=cse.
- ^ Hollywood.com http://www.hollywood.com/movie/The_Last_Dragon/230630
- Boobs! The Musical Bustin' Out All Over; Cast Album, Regional Runs Expected By Kenneth Jones at Playbill com on Jul 30, 2003
- Lawrence Leritz Films/New York Times
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Lawrence Leritz at the Internet Movie Database
- Lawrence Leritz:Internet Broadway Database
- Broadway Space
