Patricia birch choreographer

Patricia Ann Birch (born October 16, 1934) is an American dancer, choreographer, film director, and theatre director.
Has been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Choreographer five times: in 1972 for "Grease," in 1974 for "Over Here!," in 1976 for "Pacific Overtures,".
At Thursday night's 40th-anniversary screening in New York City, Birch looked back on a record-breaking box-office success.

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Storytelling, Birch explained, has always been front of mind in her creative process: “I don’t live in pretty, presentational stuff . . . I get lost.” While she says she never storyboarded before shooting, she thought carefully about how to capture what was needed as effectively, and with as few cuts, as possible. Asked by an audience member post-screening which numbers she’s most proud of, Birch was quick to name the last-day-of-school carnival finale, featuring “You’re the One That I Want” and “We Go Together,” as her favorites. “I think ‘Summer Nights’ is pretty damn well done, too,” she added with a grin.

The film’s star duo exuded natural charisma—but she also lucked out in working with actors who could genuinely dance. Of Travolta and Newton-John, with whom Birch says she’s stayed in touch over the years, she recalled that Newton-John took direction very well, while John was quite simply a “natural mover.” “Oh my God,” she continued. “You don’t have to do much there.”

There is one aspect of Grease she was not crazy about: the film’s decison to transplant the grittier, ur

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Patricia Birch

PATRICIA BIRCH (Director) has earned two Emmy Awards and five Tony nominations in a career that crosses all media. Other honors include Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Barrymore, Billboard and MTV awards, as well as a Directors Guild nomination and the Fred Astaire Award for her choreography and direction of music-driven projects ranging from Sondheim to the Rolling Stones.

Birch has created the musical staging for original Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including Grease; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Me Nobody Knows; A Little Night Music; Candide; Over Here; Diamond Studs; The Happy End; Pacific Overtures; They’re Playing Our Song; Gilda Radner, Live from New York; Zoot Suit; Rosa; Parade; Like Jazz; and last season, LoveMusik, with Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris, directed by Harold Prince.

Birch’s direction and choreography credits include Celebrating Gershwin at BAM and the televised concert production of On the Town with the London Symphony Orchestra, both with Michael Tilson Thomas. She worked with Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony

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Pat Birch

Visiting Artist

In a career crossing all media, Director/choreographer Patricia Birch has earned two Emmy Awards and five Tony nominations. Other honors include Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Fred Astaire Award, and Theater Hall of Fame for her choreography and direction of music-driven projects ranging from Sondheim to the Rolling Stones.

Patricia Birch created the musical staging for the original Broadway and off-Broadway shows including Grease, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Me Nobody Knows, A Little Night Music, Candide, Over Here, Diamond Studs, The Happy End, Pacific Overtures, They’re Playing Our Song, Gilda Radner, Live from New York, Parade, Like Jazz, and LoveMusik, with Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris; directed by Harold Prince.

Direction credits include: Celebrating Gershwin at BAM, On the Town with the London Symphony, the Melissa Manchester musical I Sent a Letter to My Love; Maurice Sendak and Carole King’s Really Rosie, Band in Berlin, a docu-musical re the Comedian Harmonists; the Cy Coleman musicals Exactly Like Yo