Updates? Mr. Bennett envisioned 890 Broadway as a place in which all the elements he needed to create musicals could be assembled. He was into auto mechanics before that.. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Survivors in addition to his wife are their children, Robert (Tina) Bennett, Aaron (Tina) Bennett, Shane (Tena) Bennett, Jennifer (Michael) Severino, and Jessica (Jim) Fenton; their grandchildren, Jonathan Baquet, Hannah Stoots, Kerstyn (Gabe) Milam, Abby Bennett, Colbie Bennett, Isabella Severino, Olivia Severino, Connor (Katie) Fenton, Aiyana (Salvador) Salas-Godinez, Ainsley Fenton, Hadley Fenton, and Daegan Fenton; four great-grandsons; his sister, Barb (Larry) Long; three sisters-in-law; and several nieces and nephews. Peanut is survived by his mother, Sheila R. Arnold, stepfather Michael S. Arnold and. Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Michael in the Guest Book below. Along with his parents and his brother, Dr. Bennett is survived by his son, Austin; his daughter, Shelby Bennett; his sister, Veronica Bennett;and his girlfriend, Haley Hendrixson. A heart ailment was the story used to explain why he couldnt proceed, when it was actually his AIDS diagnosis, which he kept hidden from nearly everyone. ''Restless orchestration, expletives over music whenever a misstep occurs, linked bodies cross-kicking forward as rhythms climb to crescendo, all give the sense of a word, a sung note a sprung dance, an entire show being born on the spot, taking shape as we watch,'' Walter Kerr wrote in The Times. Earlier in the day at the Public Theater, where ''A Chorus Line'' opened over 12 years ago, Mr. Papp said that when Mr. Bennett worked in the theater, ''he was a supreme being. He became a multi-millionaire, and with that came power and paranoia (unquestionably linked to his drug use). Michael Bennett Obituary (1972 - 2023) | Ottawa, Ontario - Echovita That show was one of many that revealed Mr. Bennett's love of show business and the people associated with it. It was only with 1968s Promises Promises that he had his first hit, and the first time he was able to showcase Donna McKechnie. Also, I dare you to try watching the clip again and NOT watch Donna McKechnie. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application. Bennett's next musical was a project about late-life romance called Ballroom. APRIL 29 MAX TO LA The Dallas Cowboys long ago identified TCU QB Max Duggan as the right guy to take a late-round flier on, with owner Jerry Jones saying he was the best quarterback at the Senior . I will always remember all the birthday parties as kids, driving the go-karts and playing games at the arcade. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Bennett, Masterworks Broadway - Biography of Michael Bennett, Michael Bennett - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). He quit school at sixteen when he was cast as Baby John in a tour of West Side Story across the U.S. and Europe. Such a kind soul. So he buckled down and launched something he would eventually call his own (much to his collaborators anger and confusion). As show doctor, he had contributed to Mr. Undeterred, Bennett came roaring back four years later with Dreamgirls, a monumental achievement by anybodys standards. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Also, I dare you to try watching this clip and NOT watch Donna McKechnie (p.s. Visitation will be held Thursday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. until the time of services at the Lummis Hamilton Funeral Home in Camp Point. 110 East School St, He quit school at sixteen when he was cast as Baby John in a tour of West Side Story across the U.S. and Europe. Michael was a 1965 graduate of Central High School and served his country in the U.S. Air Force. Michael Bennett, 44, creator of the musical ''A Chorus Line,'' died Thursday of an AIDS-related cancer in his home in Tucson. Michael Bennett, Small-Town Doctor Who Pushed for Masks, Dies at 52, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/obituaries/michael-bennett-dead-covid.html. Privacy Policy and Born: in Fountain Hill, he was a son of the late Robert E. and Anna M. Laky. But it proved their final collaboration, as from then on it was The Michael Bennett Show. He desperately needed to live the lyrics Jerry Herman came up with and become his own special creation. Sadly, enhanced by the use of alcohol and drugs, Bennett drove himself relentlessly (and others as well). [12] Bennett had another hit in 1981 with Dreamgirls, a backstage epic about a girl group like The Supremes and the expropriation of black music by a white recording industry. Michael Bennett Obituary (2020) - Harrisburg, PA - Patriot-News Burial with military honors will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Camp Point. This is just an online death notice. But the idea did not advance. Mr. Bennett is survived by his mother, Helen, of Buffalo and a brother, Frank, a theatrical stage manager who lives in Manhattan. Published on Wed, 08/25/2021 - 12:00am. It also changed Bennett immeasurably, and not for the better. [26] He had a long professional and personal relationship with the virtuoso dancer Donna McKechnie, who danced his work in both Promises, Promises and Company and won the 1976 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in the role he had created for her in A Chorus Line. He was a native of Zachary, LA and a. Worse than that, Wyler replied. He got death threats from the community, some from business owners, and some from Texas, his brother, Damon, said in an interview. Also, please follow me here on Medium and feel free to email me with comments or questions at Ron@ronfassler.org. [1] His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish. 8, 2023. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. But Bennett wasnt forgotten at Tony time, when he received his first nomination for choreography. MICHAEL BENNETT. Praying for you all during this time. The number is all the evidence necessary that Michael Bennett was not your average everyday choreographer. The lights of Broadway theaters were dimmed briefly last night at 8 P.M. in memory of Mr. Bennett. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. If you enjoy these columns, check out Up in the Cheap Seats: A Historical Memoir of Broadway, available at Amazon.com in hardcover, softcover and e-book. See the article in its original context from. Email me with comments or questions at Ron@ronfassler.org. When Prince offered Bennett a co-directing credit on Follies, the results elevated him to an equal footing with a master. His commercial luck changed with Neil Simon's ''Promises, Promises,'' a musical based on Billy Wilder's film ''The Apartment.'' I am so sorry - I am sending you my most sincere thoughts and prayers . The Lummis Hamilton Funeral Home in Camp Point is handling the arrangements. By Vincent Dowd. Had he lived, today would mark Michael Bennett's 80th birthday. Michael Bennett Stats, News and Video - DE | NFL.com 1118 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14626. The show opened Dec. 1, 1968, and ran through June 26, 1971; it was Mr. Bennett's first hit and third Tony nomination. He was 52. [20], In act 2 of Company, Bennett defied the usual choreographic expectations by deliberately taking the polish off the standard Broadway production number. Michael Bennett | American dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett (April 8, 1943 July 2, 1987) was an American musical theatre director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. These three shows alone put him in the top ranks of those who contributed invaluably to the 20th century American musical. Lawsuit filed against St. Francois County . Bennetts mysterious behavior reared its head a year later in 1986 when he dropped out of his next directing assignment, Andersson and Ulvaeuss Chess. When I picked up the New York Times on the morning of July 3, 1987, Bennetts obit was on the front page. in an emotional tribute to Mr. Bennett. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. That number is all the evidence necessary that Michael Bennett was not your average everyday choreographer. What he did with a cast of mostly non-dancers was ingenious, and the show moved with a fluidity that Bennett steadily improved upon with Follies, A Chorus Line and finally Dreamgirls, where his integration of lighting, scenery and actors flowed seamlessly. A head injury from a car accident when he was in high school changed Dr. Bennetts career path. He admitted that any project that followed A Chorus Line was bound to be an anti-climax. The incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Bridge Street in Drexel Hill. Man kills stepfather then himself in Lincoln County murder-suicide They married on December 4, 1976, but after only a few months they separated and eventually divorced in 1979. In December 1969, Mr. Bennett choreographed Andre Previn and Alan Jay Lerner's musical ''Coco,'' in which Katharine Hepburn starred as the fashion designer Coco Chanel. Despite the precautions that Dr. Bennett took in treating infected patients, he nevertheless tested positive for the coronavirus in late December. He faced bullying wherever he went. He added, He knew he faced serious risk from treating patients who refused to wear masks.. As stated in the obit: From the 1966 A Joyful Noise through the December 1981 opening of Dreamgirls, he received Tony Award nominations for every musical with which he was associated, and won seven.. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Michael Bennett Obituary (2022) - Baton Rouge, LA - The Advocate Michael X. Bennett, 75, of Ecumenical Retirement Community, Harrisburg, died Saturday, December 12, 2020. ''Every 10 years we find a new way to do shows. His paranoia grew as his dependency did. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27 has offered $10,000 for information in connection with the Upper Darby high schooler's death. Mr. Bennett had become involved with the show through the Shubert Organization and its president, Mr. Jacobs, to whom he had been close since the early 1970's. He even managed to squeeze in time in Los Angeles, appearing on the TV dance series Hullabaloo, which is where he met the dancer who would become his muse (and for a brief moment his wife), the peerless Donna McKechnie. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He began to alienate people left and right, some of them his closest associates. [30], Bennett's addictions to alcohol and drugs, notably cocaine and quaaludes, severely affected his ability to work and affected many of his professional and personal relationships. Much has been written about A Chorus Line and how it not only changed the American musical, but changed the fortunes of the American Theatre. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. 'Company' Breakthrough. Inside a storied Broadway legend's life and his friend's tragic death