Photo by Doug Hamilton
London-based Steven Hoggett is the proud choreographer of two musicals opening this week: American Idiot at LA’s Ahmanson and Once at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. The acclaim is enough to make any artist gloat. But Hoggett keeps his feet on the ground, choosing instead to follow the sage advice of American Idiot and Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer, who told him at the beginning of their production journey, “Nothing is guaranteed.”
This time around, however, continued success for American Idiot is likely. Green Day’s rock opera-turned-musical scored 2010 Tony Awards for sets and lighting and a nomination for Best Musical, and the Los Angeles stop is only one of a string of U.S. dates. This is thrilling for a choreographer who had never worked on a show in America.
“I felt incredibly honored,” says Hoggett, regarding Mayer’s decision to tap the choreographer’s skills for American Idiot. “I did get elevated from Michael’s decision to pluck me from London and throw me into a room full of rowdy, testosterone-driven kids.”
At first, Hoggett felt just personally privileged. After traveling to Manhattan, however, and seeing firsthand how many people Mayer knew and had worked with, and hearing about the scores of people who had asked about his job, he was “absolutely delighted.”
“There were lots of people who were, a) very qualified, b) very exciting choreographers, and c) American — and maybe massive Green Day fans,” says Hoggett. “I was aware of having stepped to the front of what was a very prestigious queue.”
Relatively unknown in America, Hoggett…
Full article on LA Stage Times
Jessica Koslow 