Anthony Van Laast
Anthony Van Laast is a choreographer, mainly for the stage, concerts, television and film. His works have appeared in the West End and on Broadway.
Career
Van Laast was born 31 May 1951[1]Sussex, UK.[2] He received dance training at the London School of Contemporary Dance, and both performed and choreographed with the Company.[3]
Among his prominent stage works as a choreographer are the musicals Sister Act (2011 on Broadway and 2009 West End),[4] Bombay Dreams (2004),[5] Mamma Mia! (2001),[6] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1993), Annie Get Your Gun (1986, West End),[7] and Song & Dance (1982, West End).[8]
He received a nomination for the Tony Award, Best Choreography, jointly with Farah Khan for Bombay Dreams.[9] For his work on the musical Hair (Old Vic) and for The Beggar's Opera (the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican), he was nominated for the Olivier Award, Best Theatre Choreographer in 1994.[10]
His television and film work includes the concert Sarah Brightman: Symphony in Vienna (2008),[11] Beauty and the Beast (2017 film),[12] and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.[13]
He co-directed and choreographed EFX, the Las Vegas stage show at the MGM Grand starring Michael Crawford in 1995.[14] He has choreographed for Holiday on Ice, including "Extravaganza" in 1997, "Hollywood" (2002), and he is the artistic director for "Mystery" (2009).[2]
Van Laast was awarded the MBE for Services to Dance and Choreography in 1999.[3]
In 1979 he worked with Kate Bush in preparation for her: The Tour of Life
Van Laast is a patron of the Urdang Academy.
References
- ^ http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100046922
- ^ a b "Anthony Van Laast – Holiday on Ice Mystery artistic director" Worthing Herald, 14 November 2008
- ^ a b Biography www.mamma-mia.com, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ "'Sister Act' Creatives" Sisteractbroadway.com, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ Brantley."Coloring By the Numbers" The New York Times, April 30, 2004
- ^ Brantley, Ben."Mom Had a Trio (And a Band, Too)" The New York Times, October 19, 2001
- ^ "First Night Records Online Store, Annie Get Your Gun - 1986 London Cast". first-night-records.co.uk. London, United Kingdom: First Night Records. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ^ "'Song & Dance' history" Reallyuseful.com, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ List of nominees for 2004 Tony Awards USAToday.com (The Associated Press), May 10, 2004
- ^ "Olivier Winners, 1994" Archived December 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine OlivierAwards.com, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ Sarah Brightman: Symphony in Vienna listing InternetMovieDataBase.com, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ "'Beauty and the Beast' (2017)" wikipedia.com accessed September 2, 2017
- ^ "'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' (2010)" tcmuk.tv, accessed March 14, 2011
- ^ Gerard, Jeremy."Review: EFX" Variety (subscription required), May 3, 1995