Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Introduction '''Marcia Milgrom Dodge''' (born April 28, 1955) is an American director, choreographer and stage writer. After working in regional theatre, Dodge directed and choreographed her first Broadway production, a revival of ''Ragtime'' in 2009.The production received four Helen Hayes Awards in 2010, including one for Best Director, and received 7 Tony Award nominations including one for Dodge for Best Director of a Musical.
Early years She graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbour in 1977.Upon graduation, Dodge moved to New York City pursuing a career as a choreographer.
Director/Choreographer Dodge is the director/choreographer of the 2009 Kennedy Centre and Broadway revival of the musical ''Ragtime''. ''The Guardian'' noted Dodge's "impassioned staging" of ''Ragtime''. Peter Marks in an article summing up the fate of the ''Ragtime'' revival, noted: "Marcia Milgrom Dodge, the director-choreographer...came up with a sleekly beautiful concept for a show with a complex, interwoven narrative about blacks, Jews and white Anglo-Saxons in New York at the turn of the 20th century." She is the "first woman to direct a major musical produced by the Kennedy Centre." The Kennedy Centre production of ''Ragtime'' was nominated for six 2010 Helen Hayes Awards and won four: Outstanding Resident Musical (Winner); Outstanding Director, Resident Musical: Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Winner); Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production: James Moore; Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical: Quentin Earl Darrington; Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical: Christiane Noll (Winner); Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production: Santo Loquats & Jim Halliday (Winners). The Broadway transfer of the production was honoured with 7 Tony nominations including one for Dodge for Best Direction.In New York, Dodge was the Associate Choreographer for the Broadway musical ''High Society'' (1998). Off Broadway she was the choreographer for ''Life is Not A Doris Day Movie'' (1982), ''Romance Language'' (1984), ''Romance in Hard Times'' (Public Theatre 1989), ''Closer Than Ever'' (1989), ''The Waves'' (1990), ''The Loman Family Picnic'' (Manhattan Theatre Club 1993), director/choreographer for ''Radio Gals'' (John Houseman Theatre, 1996), ''Seussical'' for Theatre works USA (Lucille Nortel Theatre) (2007) (receiving a Lucille Nortel Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography) and consultant for ''Cooking'' (Monette Lane Theatre, 2004).In regional theatre: In 2012, Dodge directed & choreographed ''Hello, Dolly!'' at the Malts Jupiter Theatre starring Vicki Lewis and Gary Beach. She directed Mark Brown's ''Around The World In 80 Days'' for Pittsburgh Public Theatre, then a new production of ''The Music Man'' for Glimmerglass Festival.In 2011, Dodge travelled to Frederician, Denmark to direct and choreograph ''The Three Musketeers'' at the Frederica Teaser by George Stiles, Peter Raby, Paul Leigh and Francis Matthews, ''Cabaret'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' at Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles, the Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbour, NY, productions of ''Simeon's Gift,'' ''The Who's Tommy'', ''Once On This Island'', and ''Hair'' and director of ''Fit To Print''. At the Riverside Theatre, Vero Beach, Florida she was the director/choreographer for, ''Dames at Sea'', ''Anything Goes, Evita,'' and the director of ''Blithe Spirit''. She has directed and/or choreographed many productions at the Music Circus, Sacramento, California, including The ''Unsinkable Molly Brown'', with Susan Egan, ''South Pacific'' with Kerry O'Malley (2006) and ''Guys and Dolls'' (2009) with Gary Beach.World premieres include ''Knight Life: The Girl Who would Be King'' by Robert Sternean, Prudence Fraser & Jeff Barry (Riverside Theatre); Rupert Holmes' ''Thumbs'' starring Kathie Lee Gifford and Diana Canova (Helen Hayes Theatre Company); ''Cooking''' (New Victory, Monette Lane, South Korea and International Tour); ''One Foot On The Floor'' by Jeffrey Hatcher (also conceived, Denver Centre Theatre Co.); ''Off-Key'' by Bill C. Davis and Richard Adler (George Street Playhouse); ''Elmer Gantry'' by John Bishop, Mel Marvin & Robert Satu off (Linola Playhouse) and ''Casino Paradise'' by William Bloom & Arnold Weinstein (American Music Theatre Festival).Dodge directed several productions of ''Ain't Misbehaving''', first at Virginia Stage in 1991, followed by River Arts Rep, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Cleveland Play House, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Huntington Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and the Philadelphia Drama Guild, receiving 2 Barrymore Award Nominations for Outstanding Choreography & Best Musical.For The Cape Playhouse she directed ''Death-trap'' starring Robert Pickoff and Alison Fraser, Crimes ''Of The Heart'' starring Sandy Duncan, ''Accomplice'' with Stephanie Zimbalist & Richard Kind, ''Angel Street'' starring David McCallum, Jean Leclerc and Mia Dillon, "Death-trap" and the upcoming production of "Murder on the Orient Express. "As resident director of the Phoenix Theatre Company at SUNY Purchase Dodge directed and choreographed Ken Ludwig's ''Sullivan & Gilbert'' starring George Gizzard and "High Spirits" and she directed "The Crucifer Of Blood" and "There's One In Every Marriage. "At the Arena Stage, Washington, D.C., she choreographed ''On the Town'' (1989), ''Closer Than Ever'', ''Merrily We Roll Along'' (1990), and ''Of Thee I Sing'' (1992) (Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Outstanding Choreography).Dodge choreographed ''Sullivan and Gilbert'' at the Kennedy Centre in 1983 and directed ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' (2002) with Alice Ripley at the Kennedy Centre.For television, she choreographed ''Sesame Street'' (Emmy Award-winning episode "The Tango Festival") and ''Remember Winn'' for AMC. Video: ''Elmo's World - Wild Wild West'' featuring Bill Irwin, Michael Jeter & Kristin Chenoweth (Sony Wonder).Dodge's production of ''Disney’s Beauty and the Beast'' at Olney Theatre Centre was met with a positive reception from critics, with People Magazine stating the work as “a tale as old as time that feels refreshingly new.” Olney Theatre brought back the production in November 2022 with leads Jade Jones as Belle and Evan Ruggiero as The Beast.
Writer Dodge was the dramaturge for a new musical ''Quanah'' by Larry Gatlin and Anthony Dodge, which received a staged reading at Pace University in January 2010.The musical ''Hats: The Musical'', for which she wrote the book with Anthony Dodge, was presented by the Willows Theatre Company, Martinez, California, from November 23, 2009, through January 10, 2010. ''Hats'' also ran in 2007 in several venues, including Las Vegas, Denver, New Orleans and Chicago starring Melissa Manchester. Anthony Dodge wrote ''Free Burt Lancaster'' and ''Venus Flytrap'' and Marcia also directed readings of both plays at the Bay Street Theatre and she directed a reading of ''Venus Flytrap'' at the LGBT Centre in NYC for Orange Hanky Productions in June 2008.The Active Theatre Company will produce the play in November 2010 in NYC. Marcia and husband Anthony Dodge wrote their first play, the Edgar Award-nominated ''Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror'', produced at the Bay Street Theatre in 2002, and later produced by the Azolo Theatre, Sarasota, Florida and the Pioneer Theatre Company, Utah, (2005). Marcia directed all three productions. The play was published in 2006 by New York play publisher Playscripts, Inc.
Educator Devoted to the training of young performers, Dodge is a frequent guest director at universities: For Marymount Manhattan College she directed & choreographed ''Droid.'' At CAP21/NYU--''Divorce Me Darling'', David Krane's ''Times Square'', ''Droid'' and ''Merrily We Roll Along''; also, at SUNY-Buffalo. At Fordham College-''Of Thee I Sing'' and ''Guys & Dolls''; and ''Pacific Overtures'' at NYU's Titch School of the Arts. She has been on the faculty of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy since 1996, and was on the faculty of Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21) at NYU Titch School of the Arts from 1996 to 2002.
Personal life Marcia Milgrom married Anthony Dodge in 1980, and they have one daughter, Natasha, born in Russia in 1997.Dodge resides in New York City.
''Ragtime'' awards ; 2010 Tony Award nominations * Best Revival of a Musical* Best Direction of a Musical: Marcia Milgrom Dodge; 2010 Drama Desk Award nominations * Outstanding Revival of a Musical* Outstanding Director of a Musical: Marcia Milgrom Dodge* Outstanding Choreography: Marcia Milgrom Dodge; 2010 Helen Hayes Awards* Outstanding Resident Musical: Ragtime, The Kennedy Centre (Win)* Outstanding Director, Resident Musical: Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Win); 2010 Astaire Award nomination* Choreographer: Marcia Milgrom Dodge; 2010 Drama League nomination* Distinguished Revival of a Musical
References
External links ** Official site