Tony Charmoli
Choreographer/ Dancer
About This Interview
In his five-and-a-half hour interview, Tony Charmoli speaks about choreographing television shows including Your Hit Parade, Alice in Wonderland, NBC Comedy Hour, The Dinah Shore Show, and T he Danny Kaye Show, among others. He describes the process of creating a dance routine and rehearsal schedules, and speaks of the challenges of choreographing for live television. He also shares fond memories of some of the notable talents he's directed and choreographed for throughout his career, including Julie Andrews, Mitzi Gaynor, Dinah Shore, Danny Kaye, Cyd Charisse and Carol Channing. Sunny Parich conducted the interview in Los Angeles, California on December 12, 1997.
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Highlights
Tony Charmoli on teaching Shirley MacLaine "The hustle" among other dances
Clip begins at: 00:02, Duration: 04m 06s
Tony Charmoli on dance numbers he choreographed for The Danny Kaye Show
Clip begins at: 02:13, Duration: 02m 03s
Tony Charmoli on memories of working with Bob Fosse
Clip begins at: 11:33, Duration: 05m 53s- Tony Charmoli on winning the DGA award for his work on a John Denver special with The Muppets
Clip begins at: 24:06, Duration: 04m 19s 
Tony Charmoli on Liberace's appearance on the Lily Tomlin special, Lily-Sold Out
Clip begins at: 03:16, Duration: 03m 51s
Interview
- Part 1
- On his childhood and early influences
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On joining the Air Force during WWII; on performing as a dancer for the troops during the war; on attending the Ted Shawn school of Dance
Clip begins at: 20:44 - Part 2
- On his move to New York in 1946; on studying at the American Theater Wing; on joining the Choreographers Workshop; on his first job on Broadway: Make Mine Manhattan
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On his introduction to television and his first job in the new medium; on choreographing for the TV show Stop the Music; on choreographing for Your Hit Parade
Clip begins at: 16:38 - Part 3
- On choreographing for Your Hit Parade and challenges working in live TV; on choreographing for theater versus television; on creating new dance routines for the same hit song week after week
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On the directors and producers he worked with on Your Hit Parade; on different dances he incorporated into the show; on working with the dancers and crew on the show
Clip begins at: 10:45 - On interference from the sponsors and the network; on how rock music affected Your Hit Parade
Clip begins at: 25:24 - Part 4
- On the effect of Rock and Roll on the TV show Your Hit Parade; on why he left the show in 1955; on receiving an Emmy and a Dance Magazine Award in 1955; on participating in color experimentation for TV
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On the process of choreographing a show; on the relationship between director and choreographer; on how he casts and works with dancers; on the relationship between music and dance
Clip begins at: 11:51 - On the collaboration between the choreographer and the writer of a show; on his awareness of the Blacklist in the 1950s; on why he moved from New York to Los Angeles
Clip begins at: 22:39 - Part 5
- On his move to L.A. and choreography for Dinah Shore Show; on choreography for an hour long show versus a half hour show; on working with an assistant
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On the guests he choreographed on The Dinah Shore Show; on working with guests who were untrained dancers; on dancing on the Dinah Shore Show
Clip begins at: 20:29 - Part 6
- On appearing on The Dinah Shore Show; on movie stars who appeared on the show; on the end of The Dinah Shore Show; on working on TV specials with many celebrities
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On choreography for The Danny Kaye Show; on The Danny Kaye Show dancers
Clip begins at: 16:45 - Part 7
- On individuals he worked with on The Danny Kaye Show; on the end of The Danny Kaye Show; on choreographing for The Julie Andrews Show
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On his transition into directing; on directing thirteen TV specials for the Ford Motor Company; on his directing style
Clip begins at: 11:27 - On going back to choreographing for The Julie Andrews Hour
Clip begins at: 24:33 - Part 8
- On working with Julie Andrews; on meeting Mitzi Gaynor and choreographing and directing specials for her
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On directing and choreographing the special Gypsy In My Soul for Shirley MacLaine
Clip begins at: 23:17 - Part 9
- On choreographing for Shirley MacLaine; on directing the Shirley MacLaine special "Where Do We Go From Here?"
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On directing and choreographing for The People's Choice Awards; on working on Circus of the Stars; on directing Diahann Carroll on The Anthony Newly Show; on his demeanor as a director
Clip begins at: 13:27 - On winning the DGA award for his work on a John Denver special with The Muppets
Clip begins at: 24:06 - Part 10
- On winning a DGA award for directing a John Denver special with the Muppets; on what makes a successful variety special; on choreographing for the Lily Tomlin special Lily-Sold Out
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On choreographing Raquel Welch; on then-current projects; on directing the TV version of The Nutcracker; on the importance of working; on highlights of his career
Clip begins at: 07:07 - On regrets he has in his career; on his influence for dance and choreography in TV; on what represents TV at its best; on how he envisions TV in the next century
Clip begins at: 23:07 - Part 11
- On how he would like to be remembered; on recollections of people he's worked with throughout his career
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On commentary on B-roll footage - photos from his career
Clip begins at: 12:45
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