Jeff Calhoun (born 1960) is an American

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, choreographer, producer and dancer.

Career

As a student at Richland High School, now Pine-Richland High School (Gibsonia, PA; North of Pittsburgh), Calhoun was interested in both athletics and performance, playing football and studying

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

. He danced in the ensemble at The Kenley Players in Ohio in the late 1970s where he met

Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...

. Tune later hired Calhoun to perform in the First National Tour of ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas''. Calhoun made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in the stage adaptation of ''

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Do ...

'' (1982). He also starred opposite

Twiggy Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949) is an English model, actress, and singer, widely known by the nickname Twiggy. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London. ...

in ''My One and Only'' (1983). Calhoun’s collaboration with Tommy Tune resulted in the 1991 Tony Award for Best Choreography for ''The Will Rogers Follies''. His Broadway directing debut was ''Tommy Tune Tonight!'' (1992). Calhoun began his association with

Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...

in 2000 when he directed and choreographed a world premiere adaptation of ''Oliver!'' Calhoun continued his work with Deaf West Theater with ''Big River'' the following season. ''Big River'' subsequently played

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...

’s America Airlines Theatre in 2003 on Broadway and garnered the 2004

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Excellence in Theater. Calhoun also directed the world premiere of the first original American Sign Language musical, ''Sleeping Beauty Wakes'', at the Kirk Douglas Theater in 2007. In 2009, he directed and choreographed the Deaf West Theatre & Center Theater Group production of ''

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

'' at the Mark Taper Forum, which included new and revised material from composer Stephen Schwartz. Calhoun directed both the world premiere and international productions of ''Disney’s

High School Musical ''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, ...

: On Stage'' and ''Disney’s

High School Musical 2 ''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American musical television film written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and the second inst ...

: On Stage''. He also provided choreography for '' Xena: Warrior Princess (The Bitter Suite)'', ''Downtown'', ''Happy Together'' and ''Weekend Warriors''. Calhoun's additional Broadway credits include the first Broadway revival of '' Grease'' (1994), '' Annie Get Your Gun'' (1999), '' Bells Are Ringing'' (2001), ''

Brooklyn The Musical ''Brooklyn the Musical'' is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson. It was acquired for licensing by Broadway Licensing Synopsis Using the play within a play structure, ''Brooklyn'' focuses on a group of ...

'' (2004), and ''

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...

'' (2006). Off-Broadway he appeared in ''One More Song/One More Dance'' (1983) with Ann Reinking, choreographed ''Bouncers'' (1987) and ''Comic Potential'' (2000), and directed ''Holy Cross Sucks!'' (2005). His regional theater credits include the First National Tour of ''Irving Berlin’s White Christmas'' presented by Theater of the Stars (2008), ''Shenandoah'' at the Ford’s Theater (2006) and ''Himself and Nora'', a musical based on James Joyce and Nora Barnacle, which he choreographed and co-directed (with Joseph Hardy) for the

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

in 2005. Calhoun is an Associate Artist at Ford’s Theater,

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

where he directed both the 2008 Presidential Gala presentation of Frank Wildhorn’s '' The Civil War'', and a new production of that same work as part of the Ford’s Theater 2009 reopening season. In 2011, Calhoun directed and choreographed the Broadway musical ''Bonnie & Clyde'', a collaboration with composer

Frank Wildhorn Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the #1 International hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitne ...

, lyricist Don Black and

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

Ivan Menchell. The showed opened at the

Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, formerly the Plymouth Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 236 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was ...

on December 1, 2011 and closed on December 30th. ''Bonnie & Clyde'' had its world premiere at

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under ...

in 2009 and had another out-of-town tryout at the

Asolo Repertory Theatre The Asolo Repertory Theatre or Asolo Rep (AKA: Asolo Theatre Company, Inc.) is a professional theater in Sarasota, Florida. It is the largest Actors' Equity Association, Equity theatre in Florida, and the largest Repertory, Repertory theatre in t ...

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

, in 2010. Calhoun also directed and choreographed the national tour of

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

's ''9 to 5: The Musical'', which began performances in September 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. Calhoun directed the Disney musical '' Newsies''. After a critically acclaimed run at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...

in Millburn, New Jersey in Fall 2011, Disney Theatrical Productions announced that the show would transfer to Broadway for a strictly limited engagement. ''Newsies,'' which opened at the

Nederlander Theatre The Nederlander Theatre (formerly the National Theatre, the Billy Rose Theatre, and the Trafalgar Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 208 West 41st Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1921, it was des ...

on March 29, 2012, is now an open-ended run. The new musical boasts 8

nominations, including Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical for Calhoun. Next on Calhoun's plate is the first revival of '' Jekyll & Hyde''. The much-anticipated production, starring Constantine Maroulis and

Deborah Cox Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before ...

, will play a 25-week national tour before landing on Broadway in Spring 2013. Calhoun also directed the UK tour of ''9 to 5'' in Fall 2012.

Awards and nominations

*2012 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Tony Award for Best Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical (''Bonnie & Clyde'', nominee) *2012 Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical (''Newsies'', nominee) *2012 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical (''Bonnie & Clyde'', nominee) *2011 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical (''Emma'', nominee) *2011 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Resident Musical (''Emma'', winner) *2009 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Director of a Musical (''Bonnie & Clyde'', winner) *2009 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Musical (''Bonnie & Clyde'', winner) *2007

Ovation Award The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...

for Direction (''Sleeping Beauty Wakes'', nominee) *2007 Ovation Award for World Premiere Musical (''Sleeping Beauty Wakes'', winner) *2006

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

for Outstanding Director (''Big River'', nominee) *2004

Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre (''Big River'', winner) *2004

Drama Desk The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fol ...

Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (''Big River'', nominee) *2003 Ovation & L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards for Direction and Choreography (''Big River'', winner) *2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (''Big River'', nominee) *2001

LA Weekly Theater Award LA Weekly Theater Award was an annual critics' award system established in 1979, organized by the '' LA Weekly'' for outstanding achievements in small theatre productions in Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal ...

for Best Director of a Musical (''Big River'', winner) *2001 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Director (''Big River'', winner) *2001 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Choreographer (''Big River'', winner) *2001 BackStage West Garland Award for Best Director (''Big River'', winner) *2000 Ovation Award for Best Director of a Musical (''Oliver!'', winner) *2000 Ovation Award for Best Musical (Intimate Theater) (''Oliver!'', winner) *1994 Tony Award for Best Choreography (''Grease'', nominee) *1994 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography (''Grease'', nominee)

References

External links

*
Lortel Archives listing
*
Deaf West TheatreStage Entertainment High School Musical United Kingdom Tours
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Jeff 1960 births Living people American choreographers American musical theatre directors American male dancers Artists from Pittsburgh