Sergio Trujillo is a Colombian-American theater director, choreographer, dancer, and actor. Born in Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, he is an American citizen and resides in New York City. Trujillo was nominated for the 2016

Tony Award for Best Choreography The Tony Award for Best Choreography is awarded to acknowledge the contributions of choreographers in both musicals and plays. The award has been given since 1947, but nominees were not announced until 1956. Winners and nominees 1940s 1950s ...

for On Your Feet!, and won the award in 2019 for ''Ain't Too Proud'', becoming the first Hispanic recipient of the award. In 2015, he won the

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

for Best Theatre Choreographer for ''Memphis''. He received his first Emmy Award nomination in 2021 for NBC’s ''Christmas in Rockefeller Center''.

Biography

Born in

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,280,522 residents estimate by National Administrative Department of Statistics, DANE in 2023. The city span ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, Trujillo moved with his family to the Canadian suburb of North York, Toronto, with his family at age 12. Trujillo named his production company, Two Kings Productions in memory of his father and brother. He studied science at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

and later attended chiropractic school. However, he left school to pursue a dance career in New York City. Regarding his desire to become a choreographer, he said, "I knew that Fosse''' would be my last show as a dancer when I began feeling limited by somebody else's work. I didn’t get to express myself, and I needed to do something about it." In 2011, Trujillo had four shows simultaneously running on Broadway: ''Memphis'', ''

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group The Four Seasons. The mus ...

'', ''The Addams Family'', and ''

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her fam ...

'', the recipient of the 2010

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

Broadway and off-Broadway

Trujillo made his Broadway debut as a performer in ''

Jerome Robbins' Broadway ''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'' is an anthology comprising musical numbers from shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The shows represented include, for example, ''The King and I'', '' On the Town'' and ''West Side Story ...

'' in 1989. He also appeared in ''Guys and Dolls'' (1992), ''Victor/Victoria'' (1998), and ''Fosse'' (1999). He made his choreographic debut in 2005 with ''All Shook Up'', followed up by ''

'' the same year. Trujillo was the choreographer of the Broadway production of '' Summer: The Donna Summer Musical'', for which he won a 2018 Chita Rivera Award for Dance and Choreography. Other Broadway credits include: '' On Your Feet!'' (Tony Award Nomination, Astaire Award), ''Hands on a Hardbody'' (Drama Desk nomination), ''Leap of Faith'' (Drama Desk Nomination), and ''Guys and Dolls'' (Astaire Awards nomination). In September 2023, it was announced that Trujillo would transfer his and Karla Puno's choreography from the Off-Broadway production of '' Days of Wine and Roses'' to Broadway in January 2024. Off-Broadway, he choreographed Paul Simon's ''The Capeman'' at the Public Theater, ''Invisible Thread'' (2015 Lucille Lortel Award Nomination), '' Bare: A Pop Opera'' (2004), ''A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' for

City Center A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...

Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...

, ''

The Great American Trailer Park Musical ''The Great American Trailer Park Musical'' is a two-act musical, written by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso. It explores the relationships between the tenants at the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Starke, Florida, particularly between Pippi, "the s ...

'' (2005),

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

—''Shakespeare in the Park'' (New York City's production of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''), ''Kismet'' for Encores!, ''Saved'' (2008) for

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit American Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. ...

( Lucille Lortel Award nomination), and ''Days of Wine and Roses'' (2023) for

Atlantic Theater Company The Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater company based in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1985 by playwright David Mamet, actor William H. Macy, and a group of acting students, the compan ...

(with Karla Puno). He directed ''Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine'' on Broadway at the

Minskoff Theatre The Minskoff Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the One Astor Plaza office building in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1973, it is operated by the Nederlander Organizatio ...

and was the director and choreographer of the digital concert ''¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices''.

Regional and international theater

He was the director and choreographer for ''Arrabal'' at the

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

in Boston, which earned him an

Elliot Norton Award The Elliot Norton Awards are presented annually to honor the best achievements in Boston-area theater. The genesis of the awards was the Norton Medal, which was first awarded in 1983 and was named after long-time theater critic Elliot Norton (190 ...

for direction,

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; ) is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Jun ...

's ''Paramour'', as well as '' Flashdance the Musical'', which had a North America tour from 2013 to 2015. His regional theatre credits include ''Mambo Kings'' (San Francisco), ''Zhivago'' and ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

'' at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater 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 the ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, a US tour of '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (performer, mid-1990s), and ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'' in 1999 and 2009 at the

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...

, Canada. He also choreographed at the

Village Theatre Village Theatre is a small community theatre located in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. The theatre was founded in Issaquah, Washington, in 1979 and built a second l ...

for their musical staging of '' The Wedding Banquet'' (2003). In the West End, he choreographed ''

Peggy Sue Got Married ''Peggy Sue Got Married'' is a 1986 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high s ...

''. In 2007, he also choreographed the Disney musical ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

'' in

Scheveningen Scheveningen () is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict () of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular ...

. Additional theatre credits include ''Carmen; An Afro-Cuban Musical'' ( Helen Hayes Award nomination), ''Kiss of the Spider Woman'' ( North Shore Music Theatre), ''Kiss Me Kate'' (

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

), ''Needfire'' ( Royal Alexandra Theatre), a musical adaptation of ''Twelfth Night'' (

), and segments of Chita Rivera's ''Chita and All That Jazz''. Trujillo is director and choreographer of '' Real Women Have Curves'', a musical based on the play of the same name. The musical premiered in 2023.

Opera

Trujillo choreographed ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

'' for the

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera, originally called the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler P ...

and ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' for the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...

Personal life

In 2011, Trujillo married his long-time partner, actor Jack Noseworthy. They had been together for 21 years. They have a son.

Awards and nominations

* 2025

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for Outstanding Direction of a Musical - '' Real Women Have Curves'' (nominee) * 2025

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for Outstanding Direction of a Musical - '' Real Women Have Curves'' (nominee) * 2021

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for Outstanding Choreography – ''Christmas in Rockefeller Center'' (nominee) *2019

– ''

Ain't Too Proud ''Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations'' is a 2017 jukebox musical with music and lyrics by The Temptations and a book by Dominique Morisseau. Based on the story of The Temptations, the musical had a series of regional product ...

'' (winner) * 2016

– '' On Your Feet!'' (nominee) * 2015

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

Best Theatre Choreographer – '' Memphis'' (winner) * 2013

Outstanding Choreography – '' Hands on a Hardbody'' (nominee) * 2012

Outstanding Choreography – ''

Leap of Faith In philosophy, a leap of faith is the act of belief, believing in or accepting something not on the basis of reason. The phrase is commonly associated with Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Idiomatic usage As an idiom, ''leap of faith'' ca ...

'' (nominee) * 2010

Outstanding Choreography – '' Memphis'' - (nominee) * 2009 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Choreographer – '' Saved'' (nominee) * 2006

Outstanding Choreography – ''

'' (nominee) * 2010

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

for Outstanding Choreography – '' Memphis'' - (winner tie) * 2016

for Outstanding Choreography – '' On Your Feet!'' * 2018 Elliot Norton Awards for Outstanding Director, Large Theater – ''Arrabal'' (winner)"36th Annual Elliot Norton Awards Recipients"
wixstatic.com, retrieved June 11, 2019 * 2003

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

for Outstanding Choreography – ''Empire: A New Musical''

References

External links

*
Internet Off-Broadway Database listingSergio Trujillo
on the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

's documentary series "Working in the Theatre" on

choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

in 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Trujillo, Sergio 1963 births American choreographers American male dancers Colombian choreographers Colombian emigrants to the United States Colombian expatriates in Canada Colombian male dancers Gay dancers Laurence Olivier Award winners LGBTQ choreographers Colombian gay men Living people Musical theatre choreographers Tony Award winners University of Toronto alumni