DeShae Thornton Jazz/Tap Sheri Stockdale

Wayne Cilentos Works

Wayne Cilento got his first big break by scoring a part in A Chorus Line. He was member of the original cast and originated the role of "Mike", the straight, short, athletic and aggressive dancer. The character was based on Cilento's own personality. He introduced the song I Can Do That, although the specific story was actually that of another performer, Sammy Williams. One of the larger roles in the show, he was a standout and received much attention at the time. During the development of the show, the creators also toyed with Cilento having a second solo called "Joanne" about his first crush on a girl (done in a Gene Kelly style dance), and appearing as a backup dancer for 'Cassie's' nightclub act, which was later cut. Along with the rest of the cast, he is featured on the iconic marketing materials for the show, and he won the Theater World Award for ensemble in 1976. His next project was the ill-fated The Act with Liza Minnelli, but he made a stunning return in Bob Fosse's dance revue, Dancin'. This intensive dance concert-style show earned Cilento his first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Cilento enthused. "In A Chorus Line people were standing around talking about dancing, here we were actually dancing!" He appeared in Fosse's next project Big Deal, as well as the Frank Loesser revue Perfectly Frank, and the lead in the tour of the Jack Cole musical Jack. He also had a small role (a photographer) in the film Annie with Anne Reinking and Pamela Blair. In this period, he was

DeShae Thornton Jazz/Tap Sheri Stockdale featured in more than 100 national commercials, including spots for VISA, Dr Pepper, Burger King, McDonalds, Kmart, and Dairy Queen. In the early 80s, Cilento started building a career as a choreographer. Concert stage and television choreography include Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Donna Summer, and Pete Townshend. Music videos for Billy Joel's "Keeping the Faith" and Barry Manilow's "Read 'em and Weep" followed. With dozens of commercials, he has won two Clio Awards. He turned to full scale musicals with the Jerry Herman revue, Jerry's Girls (with Chita Rivera) and Baby, for which he earned his second Tony nomination. His choreography profile increased again when he won both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for the musical The Who's Tommy in 1993. He repeated the success in London in 1996 with an Laurence Olivier Award nomination. He recreated Fosse's style in the How to Succeed in Business With Out Really Trying revival in 1995 and staged two new musicals, Aida and Wicked, which became two of the biggest hits of the 2000s. Most recently, he staged the revival of another Fosse work, Sweet Charity, starring Christina Applegate.

Comprehensive list of shows Choreographed and Stared in Sweet Charity (2005 revival)(BW and tour) Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (2004)(Regional) Wicked (2003)(Both tours, LA, Chicago, West End, Broadway and SF) Golden Boy (2002)(Off BW) Aida (2000) Copacabana (2000)(US Tour)

DeShae Thornton Jazz/Tap Sheri Stockdale

Dream (1997) How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995 revival) The Who's Tommy (1993)(West End and BW) Angry Housewives (1986)(Off BW) Just Once (1986)(Off-Off BW) Big Deal (1986) (Performer) Jerry's Girls (1985)(Tour and BW) Baby (1983) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1982) Perfectly Frank (1980)(Performer) Potholes (1979) (Off BW) V.I.P. Night on Broadway (1979) Dancin' (1978)(Performer) The Act (1977)(Performer) A Chorus Line (1975) (Performer) Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It) (1973) (Performer) Seesaw (1973) (Performer)