Jerry Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1960-01-15)January 15, 1960 (age 66) Paw Paw, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupations | Theatre director, choreographer |
| Awards | |
Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer.[1]
Born inPaw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved toSt. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not graduate from the Fine Arts college atWebster University in St. Louis after attending for a year, he later received an honorary degree from Webster University in 2005.[2]
Mitchell's earlyBroadway credits were as a dancer inThe Will Rogers Follies and revivals ofBrigadoon andOn Your Toes.[3][4]
Mitchell's first professional credit as a choreographer was for the 1990Alley Theatre world premiere of the musicalJekyll & Hyde. Mitchell's first Broadway production as sole choreographer was the 1999 revival ofYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which he followed withThe Full Monty.
Mitchell created and for many years directed the annualBroadway Bares benefit forBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.[5] In addition to the theatre, he has choreographed for films such asCamp,In & Out andDrop Dead Gorgeous. He garnered anEmmy Award nomination for his work onThe Drew Carey Show.
In 2003 Mitchell was named one ofDance Magazine's "25 to Watch". He directed and choreographedLegally Blonde: The Musical, which opened in April 2007, and served as a mentor on Bravo's reality competitionStep It Up and Dance in 2008.[6]
Mitchell created, directed, and choreographed a stage show forLas Vegas,Peepshow, which opened atPlanet Hollywood Resort and Casino in 2009. He was involved in workshops for the stage musical adaptation of the filmCatch Me If You Can.[6][7][8]
In 2013, Mitchell directed and choreographed the Broadway musicalKinky Boots. He won theTony Award for Best Choreography and was nominated for theTony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He is the director of the new musicalOn Your Feet!, about the lives ofGloria and Emilio Estefan. The musical premiered in Chicago in June 2015 and opened on Broadway at theMarquis Theatre on November 5, 2015.[9]
He is the director and choreographer of the new musicalHalf Time, based on the filmGotta Dance, which began performances on December 13, 2015, at Chicago'sBank of America Theatre, and ran through January 17, 2016. The musical has the book byChad Beguelin andBob Martin, music byMatthew Sklar and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, with additional music byMarvin Hamlisch.[10][11][12] The musical opened at thePaper Mill Playhouse inMillburn, New Jersey on May 31, 2018.[13]
He is gay.[3][4] In October 2022, he married fellow actor Ricky A. Schroeder.[14][15][non-primary source needed]
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Outstanding Choreography | The Full MontyandThe Rocky Horror Show | Nominated |
| 2003 | Outstanding Choreography | Hairspray | Nominated |
| 2004 | Outstanding Choreography | Never Gonna Dance | Nominated |
| 2005 | Outstanding Choreography | La Cage aux Folles | Won |
| Outstanding Choreography | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Outstanding Choreography | Legally Blonde | Nominated |
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | Outstanding Choreography | Boop! The Musical | Won |
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Best Theatre Choreographer | Hairspray | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Theatre Choreographer | Legally Blonde | Nominated |
| 2015 | Best Theatre Choreographer | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Nominated |
| 2016 | Best Theatre Choreographer | Kinky Boots | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Best Choreography | The Full Monty | Nominated |
| 2003 | Best Choreography | Hairspray | Nominated |
| 2004 | Best Choreography | Never Gonna Dance | Nominated |
| 2005 | Best Choreography | La Cage aux Folles | Won |
| Best Choreography | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Best Choreography | Legally Blonde | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Direction of a Musical | Kinky Boots | Nominated |
| Best Choreography | Won | ||
| 2023 | Isabelle Stevenson Award | Won | |
| 2025 | Best Choreography | Boop! The Musical | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |