Named after legendary performer Chita Rivera, the 2023 Chita Rivera Honorary Awards were presented to John Kander, BroadwayHD founders Bonnie Comley, and Stewart F. Lane, and Jeffrey L. Page. Chita Rivera is one of the most Tony Nominated performers in history, with a record of ten nominations, two wins, and a special Lifetime Achievement Tony. Chita, who turned 90 years old in January, was on stage to present the awards.
John Kander received the Lifetime Achievement Award. John Kander is an American composer who wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including Cabaret and Chicago, which were later adapted into acclaimed films. BroadwayHD received the Chita Rivera Ambassadors For The Arts Award. BroadwayHD.com is an online streaming service on a mission to promote and preserve live theater by extending the reach of Broadway and Broadway-caliber shows to anyone, anywhere. BroadwayHD was honored for its dedication to sharing the best of Broadway dance with a global audience.
L-R: Stewart F. Lane, Jerry Mitchell, Bonnie Comley. © Annie Watt Photography
Tony-winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell presented the award to BroadwayHD founders Bonnie Comley and Stewart F. Lane. BroadwayHD was recognized for its dedication to sharing the best of Broadway dance with a global audience. Jerry Mitchell stated in his presentation, “BroadwayHD gives audiences a front-row seat. It offers shows that deserve a longer run, a new lease on life, and it offers producers and creators a new way to share shows with new markets, leading to more live theater. The founders of BroadwayHD, Tony Award-winning producers Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley, are dear friends, and their passion for what we do as artists, preserving it and presenting it to people who can never make it to our city, is incredible. “
The additional competitive Chita Rivera Awards were presented to Stephen Hoggett, Robyn Hurder, Jess LeProtto, Maddie Love, Gaby Diaz, Ryan Steele, Andy Blankenbueler, 13: The Musical and Everybody Dance, and the casts of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and New York, New York.
The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation (NYCDF), founded by Joe Lanteri, presents the Chita Rivera Awards in conjunction with Patricia Watt. NYCDF is dedicated to empowering the next generation of professional dancers by advocating education and offering scholarships for secondary and college training.
For more information, see ChitaRiveraAwards.com.
And to learn more about BroadwayHD, see BroadwayHD.com.
