Dancing with the (Broadway) Stars

Now that season 10 of Dancing with the Stars is history, let's talk "fantasy season". 

Every season the actual show is plagued by criticism about "ringers," aka stars with more than a little dance experience (Nicole Scherzinger) or sports-related dancing (Evan Lysacek). So why not invite an entire cast of people who dance for a living - Broadway gypsies - but might not be well versed in ballroom styles.

In my fantasy Dancing with the Broadway Stars, there are more dancers.  20 to be exact, and they are divided into four teams, each mentored by legendary Broadway dancers.  The make up of each team is one older dancer who still can dance, one established, current dancer, two young, up and coming dancers - one male and one female on each team, and the great equalizer: a Broadway star who is not known for dancing, though they may have danced a little in the shows they've been in.  I also tried to spread out the Fosse dancers, the Tharp dancers, the Robbins dancers and Trujillo/Mitchell/Jones dancers.  And the professional dancers on the TV show would serve only as choreographers, they would not dance.

Here are my fantasy teams:

Team Chita

Mentor: Chita Rivera (West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Star: John Gallagher, Jr. (American Idiot, Spring Awakening)

Established: Deidre Goodwin (A Chorus Line, Chicago)

Elder: Terrence Mann (Cats, Barnum, Jerome Robbins' Broadway)

Younger Male: Kyle Coffman (West Side Story)

Younger Female: Krysta Rodriguez (A Chorus Line, In the Heights)

*****

Team Donna

Mentor: Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line, Promises, Promises)

Star: Laura Bell Bundy (Wicked, Legally Blonde)

Established: Michael Berresse (A Chorus Line, Chicago)

Elder: Bonnie Langford (Chicago, Fosse)

Younger Male: Charlie Williams (Memphis)

Younger Female: Vivian Nixon (Fela!, Hot Feet)

*****

Team Tommy

Mentor: Tommy Tune (My One and Only, Busker Alley, Seesaw)

Star: Montego Glover (Memphis)

Established: John Selya (Movin' Out, Guys and Dolls, Come Fly Away)

Elder: Mary Ann Lamb (Fosse, Chicago, Curtains, Jerome Robbins' Broadway)

Younger Male: Nick Adams (A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, La Cage aux Folles)

Younger Female: Pamela Otterson (West Side Story)

*****

Team Ben

Mentor: Ben Vereen (Pippin, Fosse)

Star: Bobby Steggert (Ragtime, Yank!, 110 in the Shade)

Established: Charlotte d'Amboise (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, A Chorus Line, Song and Dance)

Elder: Scott Wise (Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Movin' Out, Damn Yankees)

Younger Male: Cody Green (Come Fly Away, West Side Story)

Younger Female: Lindsay Dunn (West Side Story)

I think my fantasy season would have each team learn a ballroom dance and a team Broadway dance - original choreography.  The couple who does the ballroom dance will not participate in the team Broadway dance. 

The scores would be combined, along with the studio audience vote (they might as well do something), and the team with the lowest combined score would lose one member of the team, as voted by their teammates, just like on Survivor.

Eventually, the teams would combine, and individuals eliminated by a combination of scores, judges' choice and studio audience vote.

The choreography would be: ballroom, done by the TV show professionals, the Broadway dances by current choreographers, like Jerry Mitchell, Bill T. Jones, Ann Reinking, Twyla Tharp, Joey McKneely, and the mentors.

And the Macy's Stars of Dance would always be numbers from Broadway shows!

Have I thought about this too much?  I had to do something while Buzz and Kate danced again...zzzz!

Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff