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Ann Reinking
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For The Look of Love, choreographer Ann Reinking sets the Bacharach-David songbook in motion.
by Robert Sandla
Though Reinking danced in musicals choreographed by Ron Field and Michael Bennett—she caused a singular sensation in A Chorus Line—she made her biggest splash as one of Bob Fosse’s goddessy leading ladies, with legs up to there, a throaty contralto that purred across the footlights, and the ability to shift from vamp to vulnerable in a time step.
Reinking became, along with Gwen Verdon, one of Fosse’s muses, defining his tone, his technique, his riveting physicality. Together with Verdon, she created Fosse, the ultimate theatrical compendium of the maestro’s work, and choreographed and starred in a revival of Chicago, directed by Walter Bobbie, that is going strong after more than five years on Broadway.
"I’ve always liked Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s songs," says choreographer Ann Reinking. "It’s classic stuff — music from my heyday, when I was going to school, going
to dances, falling in love," and she adds with a laugh, "finding out what the backseat of a car was all about."
She’s extended her range, too, choreographing works for Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, the Joffrey Ballet, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and elsewhere. In October, she premiered a work to the music of George Harrison at American Ballet Theatre.
Roundabout Artistic Director Todd Haimes, who helped produce Fosse, introduced her to the Look of Love creative team. "A couple of years ago, they were doing a musical presentation at which the singers just stood and sang," she recalls. "I loved it—particularly David Loud’s arrangements. They asked me to stage the numbers, so we did a workshop and got the go-ahead to do the show.... And then we had to wait almost two years for a theatre! So if they say Broadway’s dead, don’t buy it."
Though she’s versed in the dance styles of the 1960s and ‘70s, Reinking isn’t turning The Look of Love into a nostalgia trip. "This is not set in one period. My approach is more ‘all of the above,’ in that there’s some nostalgia, but I want to use styles from classical to contemporary. That’s not to deny my education, because if something works and it’s Fosse-esque, great. Obviously, I’m the product of many fine teachers and Mr. Fosse was one of the most influential. But ballet and modern dance and other disciplines are a big part of who I am, too."
Because Look of Love doesn’t have a traditional story to it, Reinking doesn’t want it to turn into a recital. "I want to provide a variety of visuals, plus switch moods and connect phrases so that it is seamless, an experience. We’ve got these great songs and a gifted cast. Working on this show, we all kind of feel like Mickey and Judy."
Robert Sandla writes frequently about the arts.
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