Peter Gennaro

{{Short description|American dancer and choreographer (1919–2000)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Peter Gennaro

| image =

| birthname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|11|23}}

| birth_place = Metairie, Louisiana, USA

| death_date = {{death date and age|2000|09|28|1919|11|23}}

| death_place = New York City, New York, USA

| occupation = Choreographer, dancer

| spouse = {{marriage|Jean Kinsella|1948|2000}}

| yearsactive = 1948-1997

| awards = {{plainlist|

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography
1977 Annie
Tony Award for Best Choreography
1977 Annie }}

}}

Peter Gennaro (November 23, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was an American dancer and choreographer.

Biography

Gennaro was born in Metairie, Louisiana. He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Make Mine Manhattan in 1948. He followed this with Kiss Me, Kate (1948) and Guys and Dolls (1950). He first drew notice from theatergoers as a member of the trio that danced the Bob Fosse number "Steam Heat" in The Pajama Game (1954), and continued to hold their attention with the "Mu Cha Cha" number with Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing (1956). A year later, he broke out of the chorus line and into choreography when he collaborated with Jerome Robbins on West Side Story, notably choreographing (without credit) a majority of the "America" and "Mambo" dance sequences.{{cite news| title=Peter Gennaro, Choreographer of Molly Brown, Annie and More, is Dead at 80| url=https://www.playbill.com/article/peter-gennaro-choreographer-of-molly-brown-annie-and-more-is-dead-at-80-com-92197| first=Kenneth| last=Jones| date=September 30, 2000| magazine=Playbill| access-date=January 24, 2023}}

In addition to his theater chores, Gennaro worked steadily in television, appearing in and/or choreographing such shows as Your Hit Parade, The Andy Williams Show, Judy Garland's CBS variety program, and the Kraft Music Hall. With his dance troupe, he was a guest on Ed Sullivan's CBS Sunday night variety show dozens of times, and was a member of the regular repertory company on the short-lived CBS variety show The Entertainers (1964–1965), which starred, among others, Ruth Buzzi, Carol Burnett, John Davidson and Bob Newhart.{{cite book| title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 - Present| last1=Brooks| first1=Tim| last2=Marsh |first2=Earle| date=June 24, 2009| publisher=Ballantine Books| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&q=The+complete+directory+to+prime+time+network+TV+shows,+1946-present| page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&q=entertainers 424]| edition=4th| isbn=978-0-3074-8320-1| access-date=January 24, 2023}} He also served for many years as choreographer for Radio City Music Hall, staging routines for The Rockettes.{{cite news| title=Peter Gennaro| url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Peter-Gennaro-2702995.php| date=October 5, 2000| newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle| access-date=January 24, 2023}}

He was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2002.{{cite news| url=http://www.broadwaybeat.com/ridge/TheaterHallOfFame.htm| website=Broadway Beat| title=The Theatre Hall of Fame Awards| first=Richard| last=Ridge| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117224845/http://www.broadwaybeat.com/ridge/TheaterHallOfFame.htm| archive-date=2006-11-17}}

=Personal life=

Gennaro met his wife, Jean Kinsella, while working in Chicago and the two married in 1948. His daughter, Liza, is also a dancer and choreographer and Dean of Musical Theatre at Manhattan School of Music.{{cite news| url=http://www.playbill.com/article/manhattan-school-of-music-names-broadway-veteran-liza-gennaro-director-of-musical-theatre| title=Manhattan School of Music Names Broadway Veteran Liza Gennaro Director of Musical Theatre| last=Culwell-Block| first=Logan| date=March 12, 2018| magazine=Playbill| language=en| access-date=2020-04-28}} His son Michael is the Executive Director for Trinity Repertory Company and previously served as executive director of both the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Paper Mill Playhouse.[http://www.trinityrep.com/the_company/administrative/michael_gennaro_2.php "About Us"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927184909/http://www.trinityrep.com/the_company/administrative/michael_gennaro_2.php |date=2011-09-27 }}. Trinity Rep. The family lived for a time in Paramus, New Jersey up to 1972.Shanley, John P. (October 15, 1961). [https://www.nytimes.com/1961/10/15/archives/gennaro-comos-dancing-master.html?searchResultPosition=1 "Gennaro--Como's Dancing Master"]. The New York Times. {{subscription required}}

Gennaro died in New York City on September 28, 2000, age 80. He is survived by wife, Jean, daughter, Liza, and son, Michael.

Stage productions

1997 Annie (revival) (Choreography)
1989 Threepenny Opera (Musical Staging)
1983 Singin' in the Rain (London) (Choreography)
1982 Little Me (revival) (Choreography)
1980 West Side Story (revival) (Co-Choreography); One Night Stand (Choreography)
1979 Carmelina (Choreography)
1978 Bar Mitzvah Boy (London) (Choreography)
1977 Annie (Choreography)
1973 Irene (Choreography)
1969 Jimmy! (Choreography)
1964 Bajour (Choreography)
1964 West Side Story (revival) (Co-Choreographer)
1962 Mr. President (Choreography)
1960 The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Choreography)
1959 Fiorello! (Choreography)
1957 West Side Story (Co-Choreography)
1956 Bells Are Ringing (Performer)
1954 The Pajama Game (Performer)
1950 Guys and Dolls (Performer)
1950 Arms and the Girl (Performer)
1948 Kiss Me Kate (Performer)
1948 Make Mine Manhattan (Performer)