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| Wayne Cilento |
Wayne Louis Cilento is a Tony Award winning dancer and choreographer.He is best known for originating the role of "Mike" in the Broadwayshow A Chorus Line, and later becoming one of Broadway's most prolificchoreographers. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for choreographing The Who’s Tommyon Broadway.
Wayne started dancing when he was eighteen in high school in the Bronx. Hedid two musicals around that time. His original career choice was to become apharmacist but changed his mind. Though he attendedone dance class when he was seven or eight, the teacher zeroed in on him; hepanicked and didn't return. When he was in high school, he saw the originalproduction of Cabaret and was so taken with the show, he decided "I reallycould do that." He auditioned for his high school musicals, got the danceleads, and started taking dance class twice a week. He continued to study dancein college where he met his mentor Bill Glassman of the American BalletTheatre. "Bill was short and straight--someone I could use as a rolemodel."His first summer after completing his freshman year incollege, he started auditioning and got Hello,Dolly, his first summer stock job.
The choreographer was George Bunt whohas since passed away. George did not recreate Gower Champion’s originalchoreography. At that time, Wayne knew what Hello, Dolly was but wasn’tfamiliar with Molly Picon. He had met Rick Atwell prior to this. This was aninteresting experience for Wayne but he was “green”. Years later, Jerry's Girls was choreographed by Wayneand opened on December 18, 1985 at the St. James Theatre, home of the originalHello, Dolly, where it ran for 141 performances. Wayne considers Jerry Herman a “veryinteresting man.” It is very interesting choreographing to his music. As boldas he is and as theatrical as he is, Wayne couldn’t do anything subtle. Wayneeventually went along for the ride. He tried doing subtle things in hischoreography with Chita Rivera. 
With every number, Wayne had to go back andchange it to fulfill what Herman’s music is. There were no conflicts. DorothyLouden and Leslie Uggams was stopping every show. Chita was doing a really goodjob. Wayne takes full responsibility for that. It was because he was going formore subtlety rather than BIG like “kickline” stuff, meaning pizzazz. He had topush to that level. Once Wayne fixed that, Chita was fine. It was an incredibleproduction with those ladies. Molly Picon was a sweet sweet lady. Theirrelationship wasstrictly on a professional relationship and did not remain friends after thisproduction. She was a charming old lady who had that charisma to carry offDolly Levi. Of course, Dolly has to have that magical charisma. Molly possessedthe foxiness that Dolly needs to get away with what she does. Wayne feels thatshe did a great job. 
Wayne was a featured dancer and he and Rick Atwell had aspecial bit in the title song. Rick was the assistant choreographer and Waynefeels that it was great at the time to be picked out for their bit together. Wayne considers Rick a terrific dancer. Dolly left an impression on Waynebecause it was his first professional job. Being his first job, thechoreography was challenging, but it was good. Also in that company was BethFowler and she and Wayne have gone on to do other things together.Notlong after he married high school sweetheart Cathy Colety, Cilento made hisBroadway musical debut in the chorus of Seesaw in 1973.This marked his first exposureto working with Michael Bennett as choreographer. He worked on the infamousRachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don't You Ever Forget It, where he met many of hisfuture A Chorus Line co-stars, and Gower Champion's Irene when he was invited to attendBennett's workshop sessions of A Chorus Line in 1974-5.
As a member of the original cast of A Chorus Line in the role of "Mike", the straight, short,athletic and aggressive dancer, it wasbased on Cilento's own personality. He introduced the song I Can Do That, although the specific story was actually that ofanother performer, Sammy Williams.
One of the larger roles in the show, he wasa standout and received much attention at the time. During the development ofthe show, the creators also toyed with Cilento having a second solo titled Joanne about his first crush on a girl(done in a Gene Kelly style dance), and appearing as a backup dancer for'Cassie's' nightclub act, which was later cut. Along with the rest of the cast,he is featured on the iconic marketing materials for the show, and he won theTheater World Award for ensemble in 1976.
His next project was the ill-fated The Act with Liza Minnelli, but he made a stunning return in Bob Fosse's dance revue, Dancin'. This intensive dance concert-style show earned Cilento his first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Cilento enthused. "In A Chorus Line people were standing around talking about dancing, here we were actually dancing!" He appeared in Fosse's next project Big Deal, as well as the Frank Loesser revue Perfectly Frank, and the lead in the tour of the Jack Cole musical Jack. He also had a small role in the film Annie with Anne Reinking and Pamela Blair.In this period, he was featured in more than 100 national commercials, including spots for VISA, Dr Pepper, Burger King, McDonalds, Kmart, and Dairy Queen. (Source Wikipedia)
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| From the Molly Picon program |
Wayne has really been blessed in his career to do great workwith great choreographers. The overall influence of Dolly propelled his career.
Wayne enjoyed Dolly but when it ended, he moved on. He really hasn’t thoughtmuch about Dolly until this interview. He has never even seen anotherproduction of Dolly. He did see the film which he thinks is amazing.
Wayne was twenty two when he appeared in this production of Hello, Dolly! He was green and terrifiedand glad that he did it and went back to school. He did do Dolly again withJanis Paige.
Wayne feels that Hello,Dolly has its place but should not return to Broadway. He thinks it is a beautifulshow but is tired of revivals. He would like to see new works produced onBroadway. Hello, Dolly, interestingly enough, has never been revived onBroadway beyond Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey. As of this writing, theSignature Theater is mounting a full scale production in Washington DC starringNancy Opel.
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| Edward Gero and Nacy Opel in the Signature Theater's upcoming production of Dolly |
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| Goodspeed's Dolly |
As of this interview, Wayne is living in Westchester and is choreographing a movie calledA Winter’s Tale for Marc Platt. He isgoing to Stratford, Canada to redo Tommy which is supposedly coming in to NewYork. He is working on the Bruce Lee project. He is also working on a Tupacproject. It is a very good and eclectic period in Wayne’s career these days.
Thank you Wayne Cilento for the gifts you have given to the world and will continue to give!
With grateful XOXOXs ,
Check out my site celebrating my forthcoming book on Hello, Dolly!
I want this to be a definitive account of Hello, Dolly! If any of you reading this have appeared in any production of Dolly, I'm interested in speaking with you!
If you have anything to add or share, please contact me at Richard@RichardSkipper.com.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!
My next blog will be... My interview with Mary Robin Roth on Hello, Dolly!
Thank you, to all the mentioned in this blog!
Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!Don't miss the 28th Annual Bistro Awards Honoring TWO Dollys! Lainie Kazan and Jennifer Lewis!
TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAYRichard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com
This Blog is dedicated to ALL THE DOLLYS and ANYONE who has EVER had a connection with ANY of them on ANY Level!
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