I’ll never forget it.

During the middle of Act II of the original production of Bat Boy Off Broadway, a song began, and the stage exploded with a Lion King parody that made the audience explode with laughter.

Including me.

When I finally stopped laughing (about three tunes later), I grabbed my Playbill and flipped to the title page, desperate to find out, “Who choreographed this?”

The answer?  An up-and-coming Choreographer named Christopher Gattelli.

“This guy is going to be something special,” I remember thinking.

That’s why when director Stafford Arima suggested him to choreograph my first show, Altar Boyz, I said “Yes please!”

Chris killed it in Altar Boyz (and won a Lortel to prove it) and went on to be the Tony Award-winning A-List Choreographer that he is today (Newsies, South Pacific, Godspell, Sunday in the Park and so many more).

Chris, who is one of the most flexible Choreographers in the biz (pun intended) sat down with me and chatted about his choreographic career and . . .

• How he transitioned from Dancer to Choreographer so dang fast.
• Why rehearsing a show directed by Bart Sher was one of the scariest things he has ever done.
• Why you may be surprised to hear what his “style” is.
• Why Choreographers make great Directors.
• How the modern musical is changing and what that means for choreography.

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