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[0:16] Robert Bannon: Welcome to the round table, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon, and I'm so excited to be with you right here on BPN on Broadway World and also on YouTube. I had the great pleasure of being buddies with Chita Rivera. She had been a guest of our show multiple times. I give much love to Lisa Mordente. I know that this show was a labor of love for Chita. She literally took this money and it goes towards providing dance schooling. And this is a fundraiser, aside from being an event that gives away awards for dance. So we're here at NYU, one of the best art schools in the entire country for this event where the money is gonna go to the next generation of dancers. Some of the best on Broadway, some of the best choreographers, some of the best people in the biz are gonna be here tonight.

Some iconic dancers are going to be here tonight. We are on the red carpet, and we are going to give you as much content and as much interviews as we possibly can right here on the round table, coming to you live from the Chita Rivera Awards.

[1:14] Joe Lanteri: Yes, my name is Joe Lanteri, and I'm the executive producer and the director of the Chita Rivera Awards. I love Chita so much.

[1:22] Robert Bannon: Me too. She was a beautiful one.

[1:24] Joe Lanteri: We all did. And this year is special because this is for her.

[1:27] Robert Bannon: Yes, this is for her.

[1:28] Joe Lanteri: Uh, and we are dedicated and committed to this will go on. Her legacy will be celebrated for years to come. And this money, the money raised tonight, goes to a really great cause. Tell us what happens with the money raised.

[1:39] Joe Lanteri: Listen, all of this is really about providing access and training, good training to up-and-coming young dancers with big dreams. And we've seen it, we've seen the benefits of it over the years, and we're hoping to do more and more. And we are launching the Chita Rivera Training Scholarship Program. So we will find the future nominees of the Chita Rivera Awards.

[2:00] Robert Bannon: I wish I had good training because then I would know more than a shuffle off to Buffalo and be able to.

[2:06] Joe Lanteri: Congratulations.

[2:06] Robert Bannon: Thank you. Thank you for having me. Enjoy the show tonight. It's going to be a great day.

[2:08] Kenny Ortega: I mean, are you talking about dancers and legends here? How do you feel being here tonight?

[2:15] Lisa Mordente: I feel wonderful about being here. I, you know, every now and then you think, oh God, am I gonna like, uh, you know, run down the aisle crying? But I feel correct about this. This is the good stuff, and this is representing mom, and she's carrying this world of dance along correctly. So I'm very happy to read that.

[2:43] Robert Bannon: I'm so happy to see you. I uh, Kenny, you have they were f they were arguing about what you love, if it was Descendants, if it's Michael Jackson, if it's uh Newsies, we had a big battle about it. What can you say about the Chita Awards and Chita herself as a dancer?

[3:00] Kenny Ortega: Just what I can say is that, uh, that Chita wanted to honor and and and and and stand behind dance and not let it be forgotten or or and and be and rewarded and rewarded, respected, and and that's what a big part of tonight is, and just also you know that, uh, that you can feel that she's here with us tonight with through everybody's excitement and and love and and the energy that is in the room.

[3:29] Robert Bannon: Well, I am honored to have spent time with her. I'm honored to spend time with you. It makes my life to be able to say that, and congratulations on tonight. The money raised goes to the next generation of dancers.

[3:40] Kenny Ortega: That's right. That's what we want, and that's what we need.

[3:44] Robert Bannon: Two people I will never dance in front of, right here. Thank you. We're near the restroom.

[3:50] Kenny Ortega: Which is a good place for interviews because everyone, when you go, you gotta go. Even Brooke Shields uses the bathroom, allegedly.

[3:57] Debbie Allen: We've watched you and adore you, and thank you for all the work you've done for us.

[4:02] Robert Bannon: Thank you so much.

[4:03] Debbie Allen: I'm just privileged to be here tonight, honestly. I miss New York. I'm trying so hard to get back here.

[4:09] Robert Bannon: We want you here. Get Debbie Allen on Broadway, y'all, or her moves on. Thank you for all you've done.

[4:15] Debbie Allen: Thank you so much. Chita is important, amazing dancer.

[4:18] Robert Bannon: Oh my gosh, she's important beyond important.

[4:20] Debbie Allen: She is life. She is breath. She is sun. She is shine. She is energy. She is love.

[4:26] Robert Bannon: And so are you.

[4:27] Anthony Crivello: My name is Anthony Crivello.

[4:29] Robert Bannon: Yes. And you're here tonight. What does it mean to be here for the Chita Rivera Awards?

[4:33] Anthony Crivello: Um, a very special occasion. Um as well. And an icon. And I see her assistant Rosie is standing right there. So it's, it's uh, it's just great to be amongst uh a lot of friends from the Broadway community. And you know, and obviously she was the pinnacle of that community, the queen.

[4:55] Robert Bannon: Well, you are also quite a performer and uh dancer and uh Broadway on stage. What do you think about when you see the community? You talk about a community coming together to support the next generation, the money goes to charity. What can you say about the theater community of New York?

[5:12] Anthony Crivello: It's really, you know, it's really important and and the foundations of it established by this and the money that's going to it. Really important as you know, as as we're dealing with inflation, as we're dealing with the costs. Um, and you know, and it just to I I don't know how young performers do it uh today in New York City. It's just so bloody expensive. And um, you know, you you figure out a way. It's I say that, but you know, even with even with when I was first coming into New York, you know, for me all the way back in 1981, you know, and I was I was fortunate because I I came in, thank you, Hal Prince. I came into br into into New York, and the very first thing I did, it was a chain of Vita on Broadway.

So I, you know, I knock on wood, didn't have to wait on tables, I didn't have to go that route. And you know, I was just I'm I'm one of the fortunate few, and I know it. And and but you know, for the younger artists, I you know the thing is it's a different, it's a different world. Um, you know, it's a media-driven world, um, God knows, and as as we do here, and it's really important for them to have it, you know, for all of them to have an a well-rounded education, I really believe, because it can be a cool business, and if you're fortunate enough to, you know, grasp a brass ring and move forward, you know, God bless you.

[6:27] Robert Bannon: That's really wonderful. I mean, that's what's so sounding too to that generation that was Chita Rivera.

[6:31] Anthony Crivello: Yes.

[6:32] Robert Bannon: I mean, as a legitimate triple threat that she was.

[6:37] Anthony Crivello: Incredible, just an incredible, and an incredible, beautiful person in soul, too.

[6:41] Robert Bannon: Well, we want to thank you for all the work, all the stage work and all the work that you've done, and thank you for being a part of our memories and growing up and on what's to come.

[6:49] Anthony Crivello: I'm elated and happy to be back in New York City, and I hopefully, you know, some more things are gonna be happening here for you.

[6:54] Robert Bannon: Oh, they they are, they are, they are.

[6:57] Norm Lewis: It's an honor to talk to you.

[6:58] Robert Bannon: Thank you so much.

[6:59] Robert Bannon: Broadway star, Norm Lewis.

[7:02] Norm Lewis: Good to see you.

[7:03] Robert Bannon: You too. And Norm, you know what I was gonna say to you?

[7:07] Norm Lewis: What?

[7:07] Robert Bannon: Yeah, people always want to talk to you about Broadway, but can I talk to you about The Five Bloods?

[7:11] Norm Lewis: Yeah, you have legs.

[7:12] Robert Bannon: Yeah, I got my legs back. Norm Lewis is such a damn good actor. Spoiler alert if you didn't see the movie, but yeah, something happens to me. So you'll understand what that meant. Watch the movies.

[7:22] Norm Lewis: Watch the movie.

[7:24] Robert Bannon: You know Chita.

[7:24] Norm Lewis: Oh yeah.

[7:25] Robert Bannon: How's it feel to be here tonight and honor her?

[7:28] Norm Lewis: Um, somebody I've admired for so long, somebody, somebody I've um, you know, I I wished I could have, you know, danced like. But uh then she became a friend when I moved here, and uh, you know, I know her family uh and uh some of you know our mutual friends. It's just great to be here. I'm honored to be here. Uh we're also celebrating the the life of of Henson Battle, who I will be honoring tonight. And uh so it's it's one of those things where you know you have people who are that super talented, but yet when you meet them, they're just down to earth people. And that's what Chita was. She was so great.

[8:02] Robert Bannon: Norm is super talented and the nicest guy. You're like the mayor of Broadway, and I'm here for it.

[8:07] Norm Lewis: Stop it.

[8:07] Robert Bannon: Tell me more.

[8:08] Norm Lewis: What concerts somewhere? Where can we?

[8:10] Norm Lewis: Yeah, so uh I'll be uh June 6th through the 13th, I'll be at uh 54 Below, and then uh Ravinia in August. You know, I'm at 54 Below on June 14th, and I miss you by a day. I was ready to be the late show, and you'd be the early show, and you know, we could have a moment.

[8:25] Robert Bannon: Could have done a duet.

[8:26] Norm Lewis: We could have done I will never leave you.

[8:28] Robert Bannon: Oh, yes, wait, where's our hands? Wait, we were moment.

[8:35] Norm Lewis: Okay, I think it's enough of that.

[8:37] Robert Bannon: He rem the sideshow reunion where we showed a video and it wasn't Norm Lewis.

[8:42] Norm Lewis: Exactly.

[8:43] Robert Bannon: Oops. It's all good. You're the best.

[8:44] Norm Lewis: You're the best, man. Good to see you.

[8:47] Robert Bannon: Thank you so much.

[8:51] Ali Louis Bourzgui: I could dance. I danced. I was a ballroom dancer in a show called My Way. And I could like step, touch, box square, fossy flosy fossy. Um, ball change, shuffle off to Buffalo. I'm a professional.

[9:10] Robert Bannon: Star of Tommy, Ali Louis Bourzgui,. Love when you see star power, come on, you just got it.

[9:17] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Thank you. Appreciate that. Are you ever scared to climb that box in Tommy and jump off?

[9:21] Ali Louis Bourzgui: And I was scared. Yeah, no, I I'm I am, but but you know, the uh the adrenaline cancels it out, right? You know what I want? I want your face, your confidence, like your s you talk about dance, he's just got it. Like he's just there.

[9:34] Robert Bannon: Thank you. The ambiance of the show plus the music, it is such a vibe. Backstage, are you all having a blast?

[9:40] Ali Louis Bourzgui: We are. I mean, you know, I I uh but there's not much time backstage, that's the thing. Like when there's moments there are, but we're pretty much on stage the entire time. You are so you get there, you get ready, you do the show, it's done, and then you get dressed and go home. So there's not a ton of backstage moments. Uh, but when we do have moments, we're usually we're all very goofy, even though the show is very dark. So we we we find moments of goofiness.

[10:00] Robert Bannon: Everyone needs to get their tickets. The show's fire. It's they're dancing their faces off. Congratulations on everything.

[10:05] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Thank you. Big giant career coming your way. We can't wait.

[10:08] Phil LaDuca: My name is Phil LaDuca.

[10:10] Robert Bannon: The shoes of it all. There's no business like you know everybody has a LaDuca pair of shoes.

[10:18] Phil LaDuca: Even people who can't dance like me.

[10:21] Robert Bannon: Well, they make you dance. Uh you know, Antonio Banderas said in for a chorus line, he was not a dancer until he had my shoes. And I believe I'm gonna go buy a pair and I'm gonna book a chorus line in Spark Hill New York Equity Theater this summer.

[10:35] Phil LaDuca: Rock on, my friend. How's it feel to be honored tonight?

[10:38] Phil LaDuca: Truly humbly. Uh it's very emotional because I was very close with Chita. I danced with her, and uh we miss her dearly already, and I am humbled and honored to be awarded uh for her in her name. And Lisa will be here tonight, and her name lives on, and what a special evening.

[10:59] Robert Bannon: Very much so. I look forward to it. Well, if you want to learn how to dance, A, you need to get a pair of LaDuca shoes, and B, you need to find where he is because you still teach.

[11:08] Phil LaDuca: I do. I was just in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne and teaching, and uh I have to admit, 70 years old, and I'm still kicking.

[11:17] Robert Bannon: Oh, right, kick in. We're ready. Congratulations, well deserved.

[11:21] Phil LaDuca: Thank you for all the work you've done.

[11:23] Lorna Luft: The one and only Lorna Luft stops by.

[11:31] Robert Bannon: We love and adore you.

[11:33] Lorna Luft: I'm glad to be living back here in New York.

[11:35] Robert Bannon: Yes, we're so excited that you're here. Uh thank you for everything you do.

[11:38] Lorna Luft: Thank you for everything your family does.

[11:40] Robert Bannon: Thank you.

[11:41] Lorna Luft: We ready for the we want more. We're ready for more Lorna Luft concerts.

[11:44] Robert Bannon: Okay, all right, all right. I mean I'm I'm here and I'm I'm moved in, so you know, let's do it.

[11:50] Lorna Luft: I adore you.

[11:51] Robert Bannon: Thank you. So good to see you always.

[11:53] Lorna Luft: Thank you.

[11:54] Lorna Luft: I got my nails done for this event. My husband says that clean nails show that you're like a put together human.

[12:05] Lorna Luft: So I get them done every six months. So I'm only put together for one week.

[12:09] Robert Bannon: One week, because that's accurate.

[12:11] Camille A. Brown: Choreographer Camille A. Brown.

[12:15] Robert Bannon: Thank you. How's it feel to be here tonight and be nominated as a part of this event?

[12:19] Camille A. Brown: I mean, it feels incredible. Just to have an award show centered around dance and celebrating what we do as choreographers and dancers is amazing, and I'm so honored to be a part of it.

[12:30] Robert Bannon: We love your show. Shows on Broadway, y'all. Come on. Are you getting ready for June? Are you getting ready? Is there gonna be something special for the Tonies, maybe?

[12:39] Camille A. Brown: I can't say right now. I can't say anything right now. But I know it's gonna be fire.

[12:44] Robert Bannon: We hope so. We hope so. Congratulations. It's so good to see you again. Thanks for being here.

[12:48] Camille A. Brown: Thank you.

[12:49] Lauren Lotero: Choreographer Lauren Lotero.

[12:58] Robert Bannon: How does it feel to be honored here tonight with all the shows you've been a part of, all the casts that you've been a part of today?

[13:03] Lauren Lotero: I feel so happy. My cast are here tonight dancing. I feel very grateful. It's gonna be really fun to the most fun you could have on Broadway at the heart of rock and roll. It's such a blast. And then Tommy, I uh your work. Do you see choreography in your sleep?

[13:17] Lauren Lotero: I do actually. It's something really special to work with these artists.

[13:22] Robert Bannon: How is it to work with these casts in particular?

[13:24] Lauren Lotero: These dancers, these artists are the best. They are incredible. They are incredible. Come see them in their shows. They're incredible. And they're kind. They're here on their night off dancing for us.

[13:36] Robert Bannon: Well, because you gave them some amazing moments to share on stage, and we're all thankful for that. So congratulations.

[13:40] Lauren Lotero: Thanks, right?

[13:42] My Tana Talio: Hi, my name is My Tana Talio. I'm the choreographer of How to Dance in Ohio and Subs.

[13:46] Robert Bannon: Yes, you are, and I love there's no part for me in SUFS, but that's fine.

[13:51] My Tana Talio: Sorry.

[13:52] Robert Bannon: It's okay, I get the point. It's fine, it's fine. I loved How to Dance with Ohio.

[13:56] My Tana Talio: Thank you. I love them so much. I have a reunion concert tonight that I'm missing, but I'm I'm there in spirit. And SUFS, what a beautiful cast. What an important message.

[14:04] My Tana Talio: Yes. I feel like it's a vital show. Both shows feel necessary. I feel like it's a but an important show on election year. It feels like a message that needs to be heard. I think that it's also entertaining, so it's like you're it's we're not preaching at you, but it's something that you leave with hope after you see the show.

[14:19] Robert Bannon: Well, seeing both of your shows, you get people to dance, and the blocking and staging is beautiful. And these casts are two shows on Broadway, so you know.

[14:28] My Tana Talio: She brings it ready to dance, y'all.

[14:30] Robert Bannon: Thank you so much. I'm gonna just show up at your house and be like, please help me with this A count.

[14:34] My Tana Talio: I will, I will. Come up. Pull up. I'm sure you can get she said pull up, it's on camera now.

[14:40] Shana Carroll: You all better watch out. Congrats. Much love. Enjoy the season, and we're ready for all the dancing to come.

[14:45] Shana Carroll: Me and Adrian in the alley of NYU. She's laughing because she knows it's the truth. We're in the section of the International Lacrosse Press here representing tonight's show. Uruguay Lacrosse magazine monthly. And that's the round table.

[15:08] Shana Carroll: And Jesse Robb, we're co-choreographers for Water for Elephants. And they have them swinging and dancing and flying and on barrels and on trains, and what a beautiful cast you all have.

[15:18] Jesse Robb: Oh, we have an amazing cast. Our cast, we are we're in love with every single one of them.

[15:22] Shana Carroll: We are indeed. We were just talking today about how their spirits are so high, even though they're doing nine shows this week on Blessing.

[15:28] Jesse Robb: Exactly. Um it's a beautiful story. And you work with people that it's their Broadway debut that come from all over the country that are doing amazing circus tricks and arab addicts and aerials and all those things. What was it like to get the show on its feet?

[15:39] Shana Carroll: Um it was like an elephant. It was treacherous, it was wild. It moves slowly. There was trial and error. We threw a lot of spaghetti in the wall. Spaghetti on walls, see what sticks. No, it was it was also exhilarating. I mean, there's nothing more fun creatively than really feeling like you're going to new territory, that there's no map, that you're fusing forms, and everything is discovery, and it was like that every day, really.

[16:07] Jesse Robb: Amazing. Congratulations, everybody.

[16:09] Shana Carroll: Thank you so much. Nominated for Hell's Kitchen was the most fun on Broadway this season.

[16:14] Jesse Robb: I love you said it. I didn't have to say it because you said it. I'm having fun on stage.

[16:17] Shana Carroll: You could tell. Y'all are amazing. What's it like to sing these Alicia Keys songs and do this movement and dance Camille's moves?

[16:24] Tilly Evans Kruege: Uh I think that's the duality. It's like I'm dancing choreography from my favorite choreographer, and then I'm also being able to sing songs and embody the music and the movement at the same time from a legend who's my hero, Alicia Keys. So I think I'm just living a dream.

[16:39] Shana Carroll: You all sing down too.

[16:41] Tilly Evans Kruege: Thank you. Thank you. Congrats. What was it like to be nominated for this?

[16:44] Tilly Evans Kruege: Uh I I'm grateful. I I'm looking around and I just see Debbie Allen walking into the theater and knowing that we're here to continue the legacy of Chita Rivera. It's just like it's an honor to celebrate dance, celebrate dance on Broadway, but more so just to celebrate artistry. And to see that style, the style of dance is so unique from all of us that are nominated tonight, all the shows and all the individuals, but how we continue to celebrate diversity in that. So I just felt honored. I'm here for that.

[17:11] Shana Carroll: Congratulations. Go see Hell's Kitchen. It is a good ass time, honestly.

[17:16] Tilly Evans Kruege: Thank you. We saw you on press day, and now you're here and you're nominated, and you're up there eating string beans every single day at The Outsiders. How's it feel?

[17:26] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Canned green beans, actually. Canned green beans. Um but who's counting? I just asked Jason about it in an interview. What is it like? And he said sometimes they're different flavored.

[17:35] Tilly Evans Kruege: Different flavor?

[17:36] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Yeah. I mean, maybe sometimes they have more butter on them.

[17:39] Tilly Evans Kruege: So but after the way you dance. It's not like grape flavored.

[17:42] Ali Louis Bourzgui: No, no, they're just plain, boring straight. Well, we you dan what are you dancing in the show? What is your shoe?

[17:47] Tilly Evans Kruege: What is my shoe? Yes.

[17:49] Ali Louis Bourzgui: I wear a cat.

[17:51] Tilly Evans Kruege: Is it hard? Like, you're not in a ballet slipper or uh jazz.

[17:55] Ali Louis Bourzgui: It feels like a ballet slipper. I wanted my Reeboks. They wouldn't give them to me. Platform.

[18:01] Tilly Evans Kruege: I I'm obsessed. I wish I could dance like you. You're so your eyes can't be off of you. You're you're the way you move the art form that you exhibit is off the chart.

[18:11] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Thank you. I really appreciate you seeing that. Truly. I I love dance so much. And this the show and the score and the dance. Get a good ticket, sit in the splash zone and do it.

[18:23] Tilly Evans Kruege: Oh my god. Yes. It will light you on fire. How are you taking care of yourself? It's a very physical show.

[18:29] Ali Louis Bourzgui: Um, honestly, my body feels good. I think that this show, even though it is very athletic, it's very grounded, so it doesn't. I'm not kicking my face like Moulin Rouge, which was awesome.

[18:40] Tilly Evans Kruege: Yes.

[18:41] Ali Louis Bourzgui: But so I just have to rest a lot. That's really it. Just getting really good sleep.

[18:46] Shana Carroll: Well, you're a superstar. We love you here on this show. Congratulations on being nominated tonight. Let's go.

[18:51] Tilly Evans Kruege: Maddie Love.

[18:54] Shana Carroll: Hi, Maddie Love. How are you?

[18:55] Maddie Love: Well, I'm great. How does it feel to be here tonight?

[18:57] Maddie Love: It feels awesome. Yeah. I'm happy to be here.

[19:00] Shana Carroll: So tell us a little bit about your dance history.

[19:03] Maddie Love: My dance history. Why I'm here. Yes. So last year I was in a show called Dancing, Bob Fosse's Dancing. I know it. I was nominated and then I won. Um for Best Dancer, which is really cool. It's cool to be back.

[19:15] Shana Carroll: What does the award look like?

[19:18] Maddie Love: It's really beautiful, and it's on my little media console. It's this like gorgeous white, kind of like crystal. That's Best Dancer Award, and it has my name on it. That's really cool. That's and Chita's name. You have your own Golden Globe.

[19:32] Shana Carroll: What did Chita what does Chita mean to you and her legacy?

[19:35] Maddie Love: Her legacy. Um woman first, dancer first, triple threat. Um, proving that a woman can be it all. She can do it all. A dancer can be at the forefront of a story, the dancer can be the star. Um stories are written for her. I mean, I might get emotional, sorry, but I I really do think that she is the ultimate um kind of dream and spirit for all of us to continue on, and I feel really honored that we're here tonight to celebrate something that she's immortalized herself. Forever. And that is really cool, and that her life lives on because of the work and the love and the light that she had.

[20:24] Maddie Love: She's badass. That's what I badass.

[20:27] Shana Carroll: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Enjoy. Congratulations.

[20:30] Maddie Love: Thank you.

[20:30] Shana Carroll: So you think I was kidding about our spot. This the round table comes to you live from the New York University toilet bowl. I loved being here. I'm joking and kidding, but this is such a great location, and we had so much fun. And the stars, there was a lot of famous people here. I think that the bathroom is the spot.

[20:51] Jesse Robb: I think from now on, the round table comes to you from the commode.

[20:56] Shana Carroll: The commode table. Just the microphone under the I'm done. I'm gonna get myself in trouble. Under the stone.

[21:06] Celeste Simone: Bye. Go ahead. You know that Celeste Simone is a national treasure of a voice coach. I'm very blessed.

[21:15] Celeste Simone: And you were very good friends with Chita. Chita was uh was my student. She was really my teacher. But I just happen to maybe help a little with some things vocally.

[21:26] Shana Carroll: And you help me vocally, you help everyone vocally, and people need to know that Celeste Simone is where you need to be.

[21:33] Celeste Simone: Goodbye, God bless you. Pavarotti still up in the cheeks, smile in the eyes. I remember everything. In through the nose and the mouth, tongue down, chin relaxed, internal smile internal smile, internal lift. Just listen in Esundorma. Um Pavarotti, Toronto. Not my version, it's down three steps. My version Sergio, ain't you proud to beg? Let's go.

[21:59] Norm Lewis: Yes, I am here. How's it feel to be here tonight?

[22:02] Norm Lewis: Oh, I think I think out of all out of all of the years that we've had this ceremony, tonight is the most the most meaningful, meaningful tonight. You know, because after after we lost Chita this year, you know, I mean I'm so important for us to come together and celebrate her and the legacy.

[22:17] Shana Carroll: You have choreo for days. You all don't know. Uh what thank you for sharing your art with us all these years. We love it. I'm I'm excited to be here. Thank you.

[22:27] David Peterson: So nice to be able to do that. Sure, my name is David Peterson. Uh we've been nominated for Lift, which is a documentary about homeless children and their beautiful potential in ballet and what they do for nine, ten years in the film.

[22:43] Shana Carroll: I'm obsessed with the congratulations.

[22:45] David Peterson: Thank you. Thank you. I'm Diana Beyer, and I'm I created Lyft. I founded the program in 1989.

[22:52] Shana Carroll: It's so beautiful and important to give an outlet, especially for these children. I'm sure you've learned more from them than they can learn. What's it like to work with them?

[23:00] Diana Beyer: Well, it's fabulous. They're like any other child. Every child comes with a problem here or there. Their problems are very different. But some of the children are having big careers now and traveling the world and with ballet companies.

[23:12] David Peterson: Yeah, Victor. Uh uh Victor is one of the kids that we followed the longest. And now he's basically getting all principal roles at New York City Ballet. So it's a quite an e f an accomplishment.

[23:27] Shana Carroll: How can we support it? How can people give I know you need donations, you run on money.

[23:33] Diana Beyer: Um well, David, why don't you say how they can find Lyft?

[23:37] David Peterson: Yeah, so if you can find it through me, too. They can find it through uh a New York Theater Ballet where there's a website and there's uh everything about the program. But if you want to know about the film and the connections to all of that, go to Lyft Documentary.com. Um and that and and Paramount picked it up, distributing it, and it's available, you know, everywhere.

[23:59] Shana Carroll: Let's go. Congratulations. Thank you. Break legs tonight, and thank you for all the work you do.

[24:04] Diana Beyer: Thank you so much. I should be nominated for my choreography for Robert Bannon's Pride Playlist at fifty four below. I do a lot of this.

[24:15] David Peterson: Yes. Uh-uh. Whoop, whoop, whoop. I'm and that's all uh improv. I'm an improv dancer, you know, very much like um like um I don't know any improv dance people.

[24:29] Shana Carroll: Um that I'm done. That's all I got. Who's a dancer? But Paul Abdul?

[24:36] David Peterson: She's a cold-hearted snake. Look into my eyes. W what else? Who's else is it? Is it Janet Jackson?

[24:48] Shana Carroll: That, yes? I'm more of a Mariah. Whitney.

[24:52] David Peterson: Oh, she tried to dance. She'd give a little like that's my I'm your baby tonight, in case you don't know.

[25:00] Shana Carroll: How are you doing? Congratulations.

[25:01] David Peterson: Thank you so much. Carmen, Carmen people. Did you see Carmen? You have people working in dance. How was it to be a part of the project?

[25:07] David Peterson: Oh, absolutely fantastic. On it, uh, very grateful. And to be nominated here tonight, congrats.

[25:13] David Peterson: Yeah, I've I'm so grateful. I flew in from Australia on Friday. It's taking me two days to get over the Chet Lag, but I've loved it. And I'm every minute uh of being here, I'm gonna Yes, take it in. Take it on. I'm gonna fly to Australia so you can make me a dancer.

[25:30] Shana Carroll: Yeah, come on. I need help though.

[25:32] David Peterson: Yeah, no, no, you just it's gotta be in just be yourself.

[25:37] Shana Carroll: Well, be myself. Thank you so much. Congratulations. Thank you for sharing your art with us.

[25:42] Bruce Robert Harris: Thank you. Uh my name is Bruce Robert Harris. I'm a producer on Tommy.

[25:45] Shana Carroll: How fun is Tommy?

[25:46] Bruce Robert Harris: Yes, Tommy is great. Yeah, we love Tommy. We're here to support Lauren Lotero in the choreography category. The choreography of Tommy is off the charts.

[25:54] Shana Carroll: Yeah, yeah, yeah. On boxes, jumping on. All the dancers are like in the pinball machine. It's really cool.

[25:59] Bruce Robert Harris: Well, congratulations, enjoy today.

[26:01] Shana Carroll: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

[26:04] Ricky: Ricky, you're producer.

[26:06] Bruce Robert Harris: Yes, I am. What are we producing now?

[26:09] Ricky: Well, I'm involved in several plays as an investor. I've been a co-producer on Broadway and on the town. And Gigi, and I'm on the on the board of the York Theatre Company and Bay Street Theater out in the Hamptons at Sarek Harbor. So uh, but my show that I'm producing now is well is called Cagney. It's about Jimmy Cagney, and it's you saw it probably years ago when it ran. Well, now it's built up a lot, and we're opening at the Laura Pell's on 46 and 6 in April 2025. So we're very excited about it. It's a great, great dance show. And Bobby Creighton, who's still you know him? Well, he's he's gonna be our star again, and he won the Red Carpet of "The Chita Rivera Awards when he was at in Cagney originally, so he's very excited. And um you know the show. Yes, so you're gonna come to Alpha.

[27:05] Shana Carroll: I'm gonna come to well Bobby Creighton from Frozen and many Broadway shows now in back in Cagney, legendary for his performance in Cagney.

[27:14] Ricky: Yes, yes. Oh, we are gonna are you kidding? No, I'm gonna be there.

[27:18] Shana Carroll: Okay. I'm name again. I'm Robert Bannon. We're on the Broadway Podcast Network in Broadway World right now, and I think you're the cutest thing in the world.

[27:27] Ricky: Oh, well, thank you. I try. I work hard. I used to have to not, I used to didn't have to try. Now it takes me twice as long to look okay.

[27:36] Shana Carroll: No, you look good. You have feathers and glitter and you look gorgeous and stunning. Guess what? You won't believe this, but these are sketches. They're super. I just I just they'll there's I just had two knee replacements, so I can't wear high heels, so I wear my sketches, and I'm ready to dance, ready to rock and roll.

[27:53] Shana Carroll: I want to be you. I want to be your best friend. I will come to anything you've got. You're the best. I'm I'm gonna email you.

[28:00] Ricky: Well, you know, we did it right here in the ladies' room, living it up. See? Our friends here? They're with the nocturnal. Yes, hello. They directed people to the bathroom all night long. And you know, the Cheetah Awards, we love we loved Lisa and Kenny, and we love everybody for having us here. Thank you so much for the Cheetah Awards and the money goes to dance. So come on, Dan let the children dance, nocturnals. Where do we get to see your stuff?

[28:28] Ricky: Uh you can see it at the nocturnal on Instagram and uh the nocturnal website. I love it. Who's your favorite interview of all time?

[28:35] Shana Carroll: Uh, Kenny Ortega tonight. That's a very politically correct answer. Next week we'll have another answer. Whatever event they're at, they'll say that answer. I know that game. I'm on to you. What's your favorite interview I've ever done?

[28:45] Ricky: You talk to Barry Manilow.

[28:47] Shana Carroll: You're too young. No, I really like Bar her parents love him, she said. It's like Harry Styles from the 1970s.

[28:54] Ricky: Oh my god. See? Imagine Harry Styles. Alright, anyway, this is the round table. Thank the message has to come. We'll see you next time. Follow the Nocturnals. Yes, oh my god, thank you.