Legacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about defensive end Michael Bennett on ESPN. Winning a third Tony Award (for choreographing Seesaw) was nice, but Bennett wanted more. He was a graduate of. ''I hate being typecast, but I realize people are happier when I'm doing backstage musicals, and the truth is, I am, too. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. He found a permanent place in musical-theater history when ''Chorus Line'' -an affectionate look at the lives of a group of chorus dancers, or ''gypsies'' - opened at the Newman in May 1975 and moved to Broadway the following July. His work was so much a part of the thrill I associate with what being in a theatre is all about. news. His death was a blow, not only because he was so damn young, but for how it effected those who loved his work so much. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Born Michael Bennett DiFiglia on April 8, 1943, he grew up in Buffalo, New York, where he studied dance as a teenager and choreographed his high school musicals. [17] He was then signed to direct the West End production of Chess but had to withdraw in January 1986 due to his failing health, leaving Trevor Nunn to complete the production using Bennett's already commissioned sets. Much has been written about A Chorus Line and how it not only changed the American musical, but changed the fortunes of the American Theatre. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Michael Bennett committed suicide in the jail last year after expressing suicidal thoughts to deputies. For other people named Michael Bennett, see, Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_High_School_(Buffalo,_New_York)), Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical, "WHY MICHAEL BENNETT HAS SAID GOODBYE, FOR NOW, TO BROADWAY (Published 1986)", "New Biography Presents the Soap-Opera Life Story of Michael Bennett", "A Long and Twisting Road Back to Broadway", "AIDS: Words From the Front--The Death of Rudolf Nureyev has Refocused Attention on AIDS in the Dance Profession", "From Friends and Associates, A Tribute to Michael Bennett", "Choreographer, Directors & Producers: Michael Bennett", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Bennett_(theater)&oldid=1152362228, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 19:46. MICHAEL BENNETT. Michael Bennett, 44, creator of the musical ''A Chorus Line,'' died Thursday of an AIDS-related cancer in his home in Tucson. Visit our, To plant trees in memory, please visit the. What he did with a cast of mostly non-dancers was ingenious, and the show moved with a fluidity that Bennett steadily improved upon with Follies, A Chorus Line and finally Dreamgirls, where his integration of lighting, scenery and actors flowed seamlessly. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael A. Bennett Jr. of Rochester, New York, who passed away on March 4, 2023, leaving to mourn family and friends. 28 Apr 2023 19:24:39 Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. All his male collaborators mentioned above took home Tonys for Company, but not Bennett, whose crafty stylings were a bit too subtle for the average theatregoer. The towers moved to create constantly changing perspectives and space, like an automated ballet. But it proved their final collaboration, as from then on it was The Michael Bennett Show. He desperately needed to live the lyrics Jerry Herman would later write and become his own special creation. Sadly, during the decade of the seventies, an over dependence on alcohol and drugs drove Bennett relentlessly (and others as well). RT @WAVY_News: UPDATE: @PortsmouthPD confirm one of two men shot on Portsmouth Blvd. Its really hit us, but not as hard as other areas, she said on Wednesday. It was heightened reality. Michael X. Bennett, 75, of Ecumenical Retirement Community, Harrisburg, died Saturday, December 12, 2020. He was born May 21, 1983, in Low Moor, the son of the Eddie Dwight . Michael Keith Bennett was born on Feb. 15, 1969, in New London, Mo., in the northeast part of the state. Michael was a 1965 graduate of Central High School and served his country in the U.S. Air Force. Bennett Michael John Bennett February 1, 1958 May 25, 2022 Mike Bennett 64, went home to be with the Lord. He became a multi-millionaire, and with that came power and paranoia (unquestionably linked to his drug use). She survives. Published on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 12:00am. Michael Bennet has represented Colorado in the United States Senate since 2009. Online condolences may be left at www.hamiltonfuneralhomes.net. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. The most recent obituary and service information is available at the Brewer Funeral Home, Inc. - Lake Luzerne website. For the past 15 years, there were only two family physicians in Greenfield, Mo., a town with 1,371 residents about 40 miles northwest of Springfield. His legacy includes the choreography for Follies (1971), that he also co-directed with Harold Prince, and two shows he directed himself A Chorus Line (1975) and Dreamgirls (1980) which featured new levels of stagecraft and storytelling devices that dazzled critics and theatregoers alike. [16] The show was sexually daring, but the conservative climate and the growing AIDS panic made it unlikely commercial material. Peanut is survived by his mother, Sheila R. Arnold, stepfather Michael S. Arnold and. Michael Bennett, the most influential theater director and choreographer of his generation and the creator of ''A Chorus Line,'' the longest-running show in Broadway history, died yesterday morning at his home in Tucson, Ariz. '' The show earned him his fifth Tony nomination. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City-and to get revenge on Michael Bennett.Judges murdered To escape the chaos, Bennett Tick Tock Published by Rochester Cremation - Greece on Mar. It was only with 1968s Promises Promises that he had his first hit, and the first time he was able to showcase Donna McKechnie. Bennett and lyricist Ed Kleban are portrayed in this partly fictionalized life story of Kleban, using some of Kleban's unpublished songs. The British Library, London. Well, it's very interesting when you fall off that pedestal.'' All those mentioned above took home Tonys for Company, but not Bennett, whose dances were a bit more brilliant in style and substance than for what he got credit. [27] In the late 1970s, Sabine Cassel, the then-wife of French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Funeral arrangement under the care ofRochester Cremation. Parenting Adult Coffee on Mental Health. A memorial service will be held at noon on July 27 at the Shubert Theater. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. The $5,000 reward has now been increased to $10,000 for information. The show proved to be a major disappointment, failing to win critical or popular acclaim (though he and Mr. Avian won Tony Awards for the choreography). He was 52 years old. He died alone in Tucson, refusing to see those he had once been close to; a sad and lonely end for a man who thrived on the company of his fellow showmen (and women), the only people with whom he felt most at home. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. No one had ever seen anything like Company before, immediately recognized for its groundbreaking production and non-linear story telling (even by those critics who didnt care for it, like Walter Kerr in the New York Times who wrote how he left the theatre feeling rather cool and queasy.). They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. That sentiment was echoed by Mr. Jacobs, who, like Mr. Papp, was a longtime friend and colleague of the director. But Bennett wasnt forgotten at Tony time, when he received his first nomination for choreography. "What Michael Bennett perceived early in Robbins' work was totality, all the sums of a given piece adding to a unified whole". The marriage, if not the friendship, dissolved within months. . The number underscored the clarity with which the audience had come to know the chorus line's individual members - an achievement that tellingly distinguished Mr. Bennett from colleagues such as Bob Fosse and Mr. Two tenants purchased the building, and it remains a rehearsal facility for American Ballet Theatre, Eliot Feld's Ballet Tech, Gibney Dance Company, and others. He died of Covid-19 on March 6, his former wife, Teresa Bennett, said. We had a lot in common. In the studios there, he produced, directed and choreographed ''Ballroom,'' which opened Dec. 14, 1978, his first new show after ''A Chorus Line.'' ''I think Michael contributed more to the American theater in his short life than other artists who had lived far longer,'' Mr. Jacobs said. I attended its opening night and found it charming, dynamic and even a bit thrilling, but the critics had their knives out and literally killed it. "The family is devastated and trying to process this senseless act," organizer Michael Peabody said on the page. This is just an online death notice. Michael was employed as an over-the-road truck driver for many years. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Bennett Obituary. ''When Broadway history is being made, you can feel it,'' Frank Rich, chief theater critic for The Times, wrote in his opening-night review. The final number, ''One,'' became Mr. Bennett's signature: a company of disparate individuals emerged a triumphant whole - the ''singular sensation'' of a glittering chorus line with top hats and canes. At eighteen, he made his Broadway debut in the chorus of Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Greens Subways Are for Sleeping (1961). Bennett made the audience aware that this group had been flung together to perform, and that they were in over their heads. Michael Bennett, Small-Town Doctor Who Pushed for Masks, Dies at 52, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/obituaries/michael-bennett-dead-covid.html. [4] In the mid-1960s he was a featured dancer on the NBC pop music series Hullabaloo, where he met fellow dancer Donna McKechnie. Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Michael in the Guest Book below. In January 1974, he held a late-night session with a group of dancers with whom he had worked, talking about the joys and the humiliations of being a Broadway gypsy. Michael Bennett, a native of Baton Rouge, passed away Tuesday, July 31 at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer. The accomplishment is brilliant.'' The show won nine Tony Awards, including best direction and choreography for Mr. Bennett and best musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize, which Mr. Bennett shared, and the New York Drama Critics Circle award. It was a shockingly abrupt end that took his creative team, composer Jimmy Webb and television writer Treva Silverman totally by surprise, in addition to its star Swoosie Kurtz. No more Lubitsch pictures., When I opened up the New York Times on the morning of July 3, 1987, Bennetts obit was on the front page. Calcutta!, as well as Baayork Lee, who would go on to have a role in A Chorus Line, crafted to her specific talents (and life story), just like McKechnie. Then in 1985, he unexpectedly pulled the plug on an original musical titled Scandal that he had been workshopping for four years. Well, no more Lubitsch, said Wilder. The lights of Broadway theaters were dimmed briefly last night at 8 P.M. in memory of Mr. Bennett. From the moment he started as a young choreographer at age twenty-three, he made people stand up and pay notice. The show opened March 18, 1973, and won for Mr. Bennett his second choreography Tony and made a tap-dance star of Tommy Tune, who won a Tony as well. IL 62320. In a 911 call just before 6 a.m., her mother Patsy Ramsey was inconsolable as she told the dispatcher that her daughter was missing and that she'd found a ransom note at the bottom of her stairs. He was a vigorous proponent of wearing masks and of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, offered free Covid-19 testing to his patients with funding help from the federal C.A.R.E.S. She preceded him in death. Mr. Bennett is survived by his mother, Helen, of Buffalo and a brother, Frank, a theatrical stage manager who lives in Manhattan. Also, please follow me here on Medium and feel free to email me with comments or questions at Ron@ronfassler.org. There are some filmed records which testify to the show's initial power. In 1976, he won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Choreography for the musical A Chorus Line. His beginnings as a dancer were most strongly reflected in A Chorus Line, which was made for and about dancers. Mr. Bennett thought of the studios -open, airy, sunlit, with comfortable greenrooms and showers for actors -as his gift to the community that had brought him artistic success and great fame. No one had ever seen anything like Company before, and it was immediately recognized for its groundbreaking production and non-linear story telling (even by those critics who didnt care for it, like Walter Kerr in the New York Times who wrote, I left feeling rather cool and queasy.). The song also featured Baayork Lee, who would go on to have a role in A Chorus Line, crafted to her specific talents (and life story), just like McKechnie. The company stumbled through the steps of a hat and cane routine ("Side By Side") and thus revealed to the audience the physical limitations of the characters' singing and dancing. Mike- I was so shocked when I was told about your son. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Mr. Bennett had become involved with the show through the Shubert Organization and its president, Mr. Jacobs, to whom he had been close since the early 1970's. After earning a bachelors degree in biology from the University of Missouri in Columbia, he received his medical degree from its medical school. I am so sorry - I am sending you my most sincere thoughts and prayers . Get Unstuck, Re-centered, Focused and Back on Track. She preceded him in death. When we were all in high school growing up in Succasunna, NJ, we had so much fun if Mike was part of the group. But Mr. Bennett's next show, ''Dreamgirls,'' proved to be as electrifying to an increasingly moribund Broadway as ''A Chorus Line'' had been six years earlier. His death was a blow not only because of it coming at such a young age, but for how it effected those who unequivocally loved his work. At an emotional reunion outside the Shubert Theater before last night's performance, members of the team that brought ''A Chorus Line'' to the stage gathered in a clutch of tearful embraces. Instead, Bennett's choreography was motivated by the form of the musical involved, or the distinct characters interpreted. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Harry Belafonte, the dashing singer, actor and activist who became an indispensable supporter of the civil rights movement, has died, his publicist Ken Sunshine told CNN. He will be remembered as a prominent businessman,. The 2008 feature-length documentary Every Little Step chronicles the casting process of the musical's 2006 revival, with re-created choreography by Bennett's long-time associate Baayork Lee, and, in the course of the film, the saga of the original production is re-told as well, through the use of old film clips and revealing interviews from the original collaborators, including Lee, Bob Avian (who was the show's original co-choreographer with Bennett and the director of the revival), composer Marvin Hamlisch and the original's leading lady, Donna McKechnie. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. After a year and four workshops, Mr. Bennett shocked the company and the theater community when he canceled the show, later insisting that the workshops had demonstrated to him that the show would not work. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Bennett studied many styles of dance and began his career as a dancer in productions of West Side Story and Subways Are for Sleeping. Still, he took over the troubled Seesaw, an ailing musical in its 1973 try out, and managed the rare feat of successfully overhauling it (firing so many people in the process, that those left standing felt like wounded war vets). To plant trees in memory, please visit the. The show opened April 26, 1970. He married Judith Ann Schaefer. Rochester Cremation Updates? Michael Bennett, beloved brother, father, uncle and cousin, passed away peacefully Friday, February 18, 2022 at the Carpenter's House in Baton Rouge. In late 1985, he began casting the British production of the Tim Rice-Benny Andersson-Bjorn Ulvaeus musical ''Chess.'' [32] He left a portion of his estate to fund research to fight the pandemic. https://FamilySearch.org : 18 July 2022. Undeterred, Bennett came roaring back four years later with Dreamgirls, a monumental achievement by anybodys standards. Its headline: Michael Bennett, Theatre Innovator, Dies at 44. I had heard through the grapevine that he was dying, but nothing prepared me for seeing the finality of it in print. [4] Success finally arrived in 1968, when he choreographed the hit musical Promises, Promises on Broadway. I believe that one of the best things I've ever done was the opening number, the 'Company' number. MICHAEL BENNETT, THEATER INNOVATOR, DIES AT 44, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/03/obituaries/michael-bennett-theater-innovator-dies-at-44.html. As show doctor, he had contributed to Mr. It also changed Bennett immeasurably, and not for the better. this is not Sappington on the right, but her understudy Julane Stites). His father, Bob, was a farmer; his mother, Meredith (Arnold) Bennett, most recently helped manage her sons clinic. Mr. Bennett established Plum Productions to run his business interests, and in 1971 directed a nonmusical play, George Furth's ''Twigs,'' with Sada Thompson. His work was so much a part of the thrill I associate with what being in a theatre is all about. Bennett studied many styles of dance and began his career as a dancer in productions of West Side Story and Subways Are for Sleeping. Many Broadway houses were dark when it literally lit up West 44th Street (and the rest of the theatre district, too), becoming the Shuberts then-unheard of sole tenant for fifteen years. In October 1986, Mr. Bennett sold the building to several of the dance companies housed there. It was. [28] left her family in Paris to live with Bennett in Manhattan, but the relationship soured. Theater Hall of Fame. Family and friends are mourning the sad loss of Michael Bennett, 58, of Malibu, tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver on Sunday, October 4th, on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. ''Mr. Meeting privately with the company in the theater's auditorium, the entire group sang the song ''One,'' a song from the show. [29] During his adult life, Bennett "took elaborate pains to ensure that the public never suspected he was gay. Born October 4, 1947, in Monmouth, Illinois, Michael was the son of Frank and Evelyn Parrish Bennett. Mike. According to Lincoln County deputies, Michael Charles Bennett was in an altercation with his stepfather, Justin Charles Chafin, when Bennett grabbed an AR-15 and shot Chafin several times.. Prince, of Mr. Sondheim and James Goldman's ''Follies,'' which opened on April 4, 1971. Praying for you all during this time. [30], Bennett's addictions to alcohol and drugs, notably cocaine and quaaludes, severely affected his ability to work and affected many of his professional and personal relationships. [8] Bennett was invited to the sessions originally as an observer but soon took charge. It also changed Bennett immeasurably, and not for the better. Mr. Bennett hired Marvin Hamlisch to compose the music, Ed Kleban to write the lyrics and James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante to write the book. Had he lived, today would mark Michael Bennett's 80th birthday. He later claimed that the worldwide success of A Chorus Line became a hindrance, as the many international companies of the musical demanded his full-time attention. R.I.P. Having worked nearly nonstop for more than a decade, Mr. Bennett realized that his days as a dancer seemed to have ended before he'd known it. In his younger days, Bennett had a relationship with Larry Fuller, a dancer, choreographer and director. Winning a third Tony Award for choreography was nice, but Bennett wanted more much more. But Bennett had made the mechanical set his dancers. '', ''He understood the stage like no one else,'' Mr. Papp said. in an emotional tribute to Mr. Bennett. The show opened with what was, at the time, the largest advance sale in Broadway history, ran more than 300 performances and earned Mr. Bennett another Tony nomination. Michael William Bennett, 55, of Mattydale, died Tuesday, February 2, 2016 of heart failure at the Northeast Center for Brain Injury Rehab in Kingston, NY. Such a kind soul. Michael Bennett, the most influential theater director and choreographer of his generation and the creator of ''A Chorus Line,'' the longest-running show in Broadway history, died yesterday. He would get a twinkle in his eyes and the adventure would begin. Michael Bennett (1943-1987). A Class ActA Musical About Musicals (2001). [20], In act 2 of Company, Bennett defied the usual choreographic expectations by deliberately taking the polish off the standard Broadway production number. [31], Bennett's last lover was Gene Pruit. JonBent is found dead in her parents' basement JonBent's parents initially thought she had been kidnapped during the night. Worse than that, Wyler replied. But it proved their final collaboration, as from then on it was The Michael Bennett Show. He desperately needed to live the lyrics Jerry Herman came up with and become his own special creation. Sadly, enhanced by the use of alcohol and drugs, Bennett drove himself relentlessly (and others as well). ''No one is. The various phases of construction/rehearsal of the number are shown, and because the show is about professional dancers, the last performance of the song-and-dance routine has all the gloss and polish expected of Broadway production values. 1118 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626. Michael has built a reputation of taking on Washington dysfunction and working with Republicans and . Worried by his celebrity and his father's Italian background, he began to suspect he might fall victim to a Mafia hit. Police officers shot Detective Michael Bennett arrests an infamous Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that leaves Bennett's lifelong friend Hughie McDonough dead. Michael Bennett has been a nomad in recent years, but the free-agent defensive end expressed a desire to return to the city where the 11-year veteran had his greatest success. It was also the occasion for his first work with Donna McKechnie, a dancer he would later call ''my favorite instrument,'' and to whom he would be briefly married. Omissions? Consider offering these words of comfort if you're not sure what's appropriate. Also, I dare you to try watching this clip and NOT watch Donna McKechnie (p.s. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page . If you enjoy these columns, check out Up in the Cheap Seats: a Historical Memoir of Broadway at Amazon.com, available in hardcover, softcover and e-book. The show opened Dec. 1, 1968, and ran through June 26, 1971; it was Mr. Bennett's first hit and third Tony nomination. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Michael A. Bennett Jr.a.k.a Peanut, passed away at the age of 25, unexpectedly on Saturday March 04, 2023. October 4, 1947 October 29, 2022 Michael D. Bennett, 75, of Paloma, died at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2022, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy. Corrections? He was the son of the late Angus and Betty (Smithers) Bennett. He was 52. A rewritten version of the show is to open this month in London, under the direction of Bob Avian, Mr. Bennett's longtime assistant. In addition to his medical practice, which has been shuttered, Dr. Bennett had a 500-acre farm with beef cattle, and he enjoyed fishing and hunting. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. I will miss all the fun times at our birthday parties as kids, all the video games we had in common, and more recently, our trips to Lasertron. So he buckled down and launched something he would eventually call his own (much to his collaborators anger and confusion). Reflecting on that experience recently, and on the demise of the workshop system he had created, he said his own celebrity had partly sabotaged the privileged workshop setting. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. He admitted that any project that followed A Chorus Line was bound to be an anti-climax. Bennett died from AIDS-related lymphoma at the age of 44. It was an emotional tribute to an artist who, through such shows as ''Company,'' ''Follies,'' ''Dreamgirls'' and ''A Chorus Line,'' left an indelible imprint on the comtemporary Broadway musical. These three shows alone put him in the top ranks of those who contributed invaluably to the 20th century American musical. He was soon hospitalized in St. Louis and spent 50 days connected to a ventilator and an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a machine that acts as an artificial lung. Memorial contributions may be made to Central Adams Fire Protection District. In 1986, he was forced to sell it for $15 million due to stress-induced angina and the financial losses of the property. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Widely recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, he is driven by a deep-seated obligation to create more opportunity for the next generation. The incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Bridge Street in Drexel Hill. He faced bullying wherever he went. He added, He knew he faced serious risk from treating patients who refused to wear masks.. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. I like it,'' Mr. Bennett told The New York Times in 1983. 8, 2023. Denham Springs, LA MICHAEL BENNETT OBITUARY Michael "Mikey B" Wade Bennett, 43 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away December 24, 2019, surrounded by loved ones. Mr. Bennett rarely stepped back to reflect. You can publish a complete obituary in over 2,700 newspapers. Police are asking anyone in the Oakview section of Drexel Hill near or off Bridge Street, or along the Baltimore Pike corridor in Clifton Heights, to contact them. Michael Bennett's passing on Friday, March 10, 2023 has been publicly announced. Turkey Lurkey Time was a high-voltage number that audiences remembered long after they left the theatre. Along with his parents and his brother, Dr. Bennett is survived by his son, Austin; his daughter, Shelby Bennett; his sister, Veronica Bennett;and his girlfriend, Haley Hendrixson. [12] Bennett had another hit in 1981 with Dreamgirls, a backstage epic about a girl group like The Supremes and the expropriation of black music by a white recording industry. As stated in the obit: From the 1966 A Joyful Noise through the December 1981 opening of Dreamgirls, he received Tony Award nominations for every musical with which he was associated, and won seven.. It closed after twelve forgettable performances. ''Every 10 years we find a new way to do shows. However, a few months later, voters remember Bennetts work and he received his first Tony nomination at age twenty-four. 8 Apr, 2023. Also, I dare you to try watching the clip again and NOT watch Donna McKechnie. [33][34] Bennett's memorial service took place at the Shubert Theatre in New York City (the home at that time of A Chorus Line) on September 29, 1987.[35].