West Side Story Wins Equity Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus
The ensemble of Broadway's Tony Award-nominated revival of West Side Story will receive Actors' Equity Association's third annual award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, which honors the talents and contributions made by the chorus of a Broadway musical, will be presented in a special ceremony at the Advisory Committee on Chorus Affair (ACCA) meeting at Equity headquarters on September 22.
The winners of the ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus includes all West Side Story ensemble members employed by the show on opening night, March 19, 2009. The recipients are: Isaac H. Calpito, Hayley Carlucci, Peter John Chursin, Madeline Cintron, Kristine M. Covillo, Lindsay Dunn, Yurel Echezarreta, John Arthur Greene, Manuel J. Herrera, Marina Lazzaretto, Chase Madigan, Yanira Marin, Mileyka Mateo, Kaitlin Rae Mesh, Angelina Mullins, Kat Nejat, Christian Elan Ortiz, Pamela Otterson, Danielle Polanco, Sam Rogers, Michael Rosen, Amy Ryerson, Jennifer Sanchez, Manuel Santos, Michaeljon Slinger and Tanairi Sade Vazquez.
“The chorus of West Side Story truly exemplifies the talent, dedication and hard work that this Award represents,” said Rebecca Kim Jordan, Equity’s Second Vice President and ACCA Chair, in a statement. “They are an incredible example of what it means to be the heart and soul of a musical.”
Members of the ACCA, all of whom are Equity members who have worked under Chorus contracts, saw the 11 musicals that opened during the 2008-2009 Broadway season. Of those shows, five were nominated for the award: Billy Elliot, Shrek, Hair, White Christmas and West Side Story. Legally Blonde won the first ACCA honor in 2007, followed by In the Heights in 2008.
West Side Story currently stars Matt Cavenaugh as Tony, Josefina Scaglione as Maria, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo as Anita, John Arthur Greene as Riff and George Akram as Bernardo. The production also features Steve Bassett as Lt. Schrank, Mike Cannon as Snowboy, Kyle Coffman as A-Rab, Joey Haro as Chino, Eric Hatch as Big Deal, Curtis Holbrook as Action, Michael Mastro as Glad Hand, Lee Sellars as Krupke, Tro Shaw as Anybodys, Ryan Steele as Baby John and Greg Vinkler as Doc.
The production features a book by Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Sondheim, and includes such classic songs as “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.” The musical transports the tale of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the streets of the Upper West Side in 1950s New York City. Star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria find themselves caught between the rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the Jets and the Sharks. West Side Story brings to life their struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice.
