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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World over here on Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify, wherever you listen and get your Broadway news.

[0:19] Robert Bannon: Our next guest, we have seen her on a red carpet or two at the Cheetah Awards, at the Drama Desk Awards, but she's sitting down with us for the first time. I could be wrong. I think she's my Italian Jersey sister, like me. I'm from Fort Lee, New Jersey, and my mom is Rose D'Ameglio, so I think I get Lorin. Lorin is my people. Lorin Latarro, welcome to the show.

[0:40] Lorin Latarro: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to see you.

[0:46] Robert Bannon: Are you from, you're from Jersey? You grew up dancing and wanting to be a dancer?

[0:50] Lorin Latarro: Oh, yes. I grew up in New Jersey. I grew up, yes, I grew up in Fairfield, New Jersey, which is about 20 minutes from New York City, and basically came into the city three or four times a week as a kid to come take dance lessons. By high school, I was cutting classes, jumping on the Peter Pan Greyhound bus, and going to Broadway Dance Center by myself.

[1:12] Robert Bannon: No. Then the journey begins. When I look at your career, what I'm fascinated and I love is I know that you're a mom, you're a family person, you're a professional, but your journey is incredible because you're a Broadway dancer. At some point, that meant you decided to take the onstage to be behind the scenes. Was that transition natural? Was it on purpose? Did it come out of the blue? How did it happen?

[1:37] Lorin Latarro: Oh, gosh. I was always choreographing. Even in high school, I was choreographing high school choirs and show choir and all that. Then at Juilliard, I was doing a lot of choreographing while I was at Juilliard. Operas, I was obsessed with, and JOC, and every Shakespeare play you can imagine, Twelfth Night on Roller Skates. Even while I was performing on Broadway, I was always assisting choreographers. I always loved it.

[2:04] Lorin Latarro: After a certain point, I was very fortunate to dance in 14 Broadway shows. By the end of that tail of it, I was enjoying being in the studio creating more than performing. It just was a natural progression for me.

[2:19] Lorin Latarro: I dropped out of Juilliard. Does that count for something?

[2:21] Robert Bannon: It does. Most people drop out of Juilliard. Only the crazy people stay.

[2:25] Lorin Latarro: The successful, the people who have made a big, giant career for themselves. For you, what's it like in the milestone moments for you, I'm sure, in your career, getting accepted in Juilliard, booking that first Broadway show, getting your first choreography deal? You're also directing, and that is coming down. The Broadway directing debut is coming down the pike as well. Does the goal keep shifting? Does the dreams keep changing?

[2:54] Lorin Latarro: I mean, it's all part of one dream. All I want to do is stay on the hill. I love it. I love each project. I love how each project is different. I'm enjoying all of it. I love choreographing. I love it. I mean, I would never perform again. That journey has come to an end. But I think I love choreographing. I'll choreograph for the rest of my life, but I'm also really enjoying directing. It's a bit more focused out, a bit less about bars of music and more about storytelling, and I'm really loving it. But I'll happily do both. I love to collaborate, and I like shifting back and forth.

[3:37] Robert Bannon: I was going to ask you about collaborating, because now as a director and as an actor, you kind of live in the middle of. You work with the actors, and you get them to feel comfortable and do your vision, but to be within their skill set and their body, and then you work with the creative team and the music and the director. So how do you manage that world where you're trying to fulfill the director's vision and work with the actors? It's a weird little spot sometimes, I'm sure.

[4:01] Lorin Latarro: You mean as a director?

[4:03] Lorin Latarro: As a choreographer, like when you're working with the team.

[4:05] Lorin Latarro: Oh, yeah. That I'm really used to. I mean, I think that, again, as the choreographer, I have really two jobs. One is to make sure I am next to the director constantly, making sure that their vision is my vision, that we are aligned, that if they have notes, that I receive them, that I change my vision to align with the director's vision. And actually, from my directing work, it's even gotten easier for me, because really, the director is king or queen, and we have to follow the vision of the director in the room.

[4:41] Lorin Latarro: And I love that. It's great. It's lovely. And then also, a lot of times, I become the translator in the room for the actors and the dancers. And because I was an actor and a dancer, the language for me is quite easy. And I think there's always in my rooms a real level of respect for the actor slash dancer slash singer. And we just get along really beautifully. So I understand how to speak to them, because I am them.

[5:11] Robert Bannon: That's it. And that's why you're a great director and a great choreographer. And I'm so excited for things that we could see you that you have choreographed right now and the future to come, or things we have seen in the past. So right now, you can go, if you can get a ticket to see Chess on Broadway. I mean, it's quite the show. What is it like for you to take on this show? This cast can sing their faces off. They're amazing.

[5:37] Lorin Latarro: And it's never been choreographed or staged parts of it before. So what was it like for you to work with this? It was like creating a new musical, I mean, which is really what I love, right? So there was no blueprint. So we just had an idea. And again, Michael Mayer is an extraordinary director. So the two of us work very closely. We work well together closely. And it was great. It was like we got to create a show. And Leah and Aaron and Nick and Hannah and Bryce, I mean, they're extraordinary. So at the center of the stage, you have this extraordinary thing. And then the ensemble, they are thoroughbreds. I mean, they are the best in the business. They are extraordinary. So they're incredible dancers. They're incredible singers.

[6:21] Lorin Latarro: Margot, will you shut my door? What? I'm sorry. Go ahead.

[6:26] Lorin Latarro: Oh, no, no, no. They're just incredible singers and dancers. So it was a dream. And the music is incredible. I mean, it's Benny and Bjorn and Tim Rice. I mean, it was a dream. It is a pinnacle of... It is a once in a lifetime experience, I think.

[6:44] Lorin Latarro: I got to see it in previews. And I've gotten to listen to the soundtrack to Chess for, oh my god, as a little theater nerd growing up. And to see it staged and to see the dancing and to see the work that's done in the blocking. It's a beautiful, beautiful show with the most beautiful score. I'm glad you like it.

[7:02] Robert Bannon: It's worth every penny, people. Get your tickets.

[7:05] Lorin Latarro: Oh, yeah, no. It's a once in a lifetime thing. I mean, seeing them on stage singing these songs, it really is a once in a lifetime experience. It really is.

[7:15] Lorin Latarro: As you can see, I'm teaching my own babies today as they're walking in while I'm trying to talk to you. Please leave us. I'm talking. This is Broadway choreographer, director, superstar over here. Give me five minutes, kid.

[7:26] Lorin Latarro: They don't care. I have a seven-year-old. They don't care. They don't care about any of it. You have no idea. She's been on so many Zooms. If I say leave me alone, that's the cue to not leave me alone.

[7:38] Robert Bannon: Well, I've loved your work. I loved what you've done from Almost Famous to Merrily We Roll Along to Way Trip. I mean, people. To Ms. Doubtfire, Into the Woods. Tommy was such a... That's a show that was choreographed. You had people dancing and singing, climbing stairs, jumping off boxes. Every show has a different style. Do you have a style? Do you call yourself... Or it goes with the show. You adapt to the show.

[8:01] Lorin Latarro: I adapt to the show.

[8:02] Robert Bannon: Welcome to The Roundtable! I'm your host, Robert Bannon, and today we have a very special guest, the Tony-nominated choreographer Lorin Latarro, here to talk about reinventing the musical classic Chess for today’s stage.

[8:32] Lorin Latarro: Thank you for having me, Robert! I'm really excited to dive into this project and share what we've been working on.

[9:02] Robert Bannon: Absolutely! Chess is such an iconic musical with a legendary score. What drew you to this particular project?

[9:30] Lorin Latarro: Well, I've always loved the music of Chess, and the story is so rich with emotional and political tension. I felt there was a lot of room to explore and reimagine it for a contemporary audience while still honoring its legacy.

[9:58] Robert Bannon: That’s a delicate balance to strike. How do you approach choreography in a piece like this, where the stakes are so high?

[10:24] Lorin Latarro: For me, choreography is all about storytelling. I want the movement to reflect the characters' emotions and the intensity of the situations they find themselves in. It’s about finding ways to elevate the narrative through dance.

[10:52] Robert Bannon: That makes so much sense. Can you share a bit about your process when collaborating with directors and performers?

[11:20] Lorin Latarro: Collaboration is key! I love working closely with the director to ensure that the choreography aligns with their vision. I also spend a lot of time with the performers, getting to know their strengths and how they can best express the story through movement.

[11:48] Robert Bannon: It sounds like a very immersive process. How do you ensure that the choreography feels fresh while still respecting the original material?

[12:16] Lorin Latarro: I think it’s important to honor the essence of the original while also infusing it with new ideas. I often look at the themes and messages of the show and think about how movement can enhance those elements in a way that resonates with today’s audience.

[12:44] Robert Bannon: That’s a great approach. What do you think has changed in the evolution of dance on Broadway over the years?

[13:12] Lorin Latarro: Dance has become much more integrated into storytelling. It’s not just about showcasing talent anymore; it’s about using movement to deepen the audience's connection to the characters and the plot.

[13:40] Robert Bannon: I love that perspective. It really shows how far the art form has come. What are you most excited about with this production of Chess?

[14:08] Lorin Latarro: I’m excited to see how audiences react to the new interpretations of these beloved characters. I think they’ll find a lot of relevance in the story, especially in today’s world.

[14:36] Robert Bannon: I can’t wait to see it! Thank you so much for sharing your insights today, Lorin.

[15:04] Lorin Latarro: Thank you for having me, Robert! It’s been a pleasure.

[15:32] Robert Bannon: And thank you to our listeners for tuning in to The Roundtable. Be sure to check out Lorin’s work in Chess when it opens!

[15:48] Lorin Latarro: Looking forward to it!