Tony Stevens (choreographer)
Tony Stevens, born Anthony Pusateri, was an American choreographer, dancer, and director who worked with, danced with, and directed many of Broadway and Hollywood's theatre-centric actors and actresses, including Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Robert Redford, and Gene Kelly.
Early life and performance career
Stevens was born in Herculaneum, Missouri to a factory worker father and a mother who owned and operated a small town general store. He debuted on Broadway in 1969, dancing in The Fig Leaves Are Falling. This was followed by roles in the 1970s productions of Billy, Jimmy, The Boy Friend, On the Town, Seesaw, and Irene, in addition to the 1973 benefit concert Sondheim: A Musical Tribute. Stevens also went on to perform with Chita Rivera and Christopher Chadman in Rivera's acclaimed nightclub act Chita Plus Two, which he also choreographed.Choreography and ''A Chorus Line''
As his career as a Broadway gypsy took off, Stevens transitioned into a choreographer, assisting Peter Gennaro on Irene and co-choreographing the short-lived rock musical Rockabye Hamlet with Gower Champion. In 1975, Stevens had the honor of assisting Bob Fosse on the musical Chicago, which starred Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, who would become a lifelong friend and frequent collaborator with Stevens. Additional choreography credits include the short-lived Broadway musical Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It) and the Frank Loesser revue Perfectly Frank on Broadway in 1980.Perhaps Stevens' greatest contribution to musical theatre history, however, was his decision to organize a series of tape sessions among Broadway dancers with Michon Peacock, which would eventually become the internationally acclaimed musical A Chorus Line. Originally conceived as a way to create a resident company of dancers who would create their own productions, Stevens and Peacock initially arranged the first tape session, inviting a group of seasoned Broadway dancers and Broadway director/choreographer Michael Bennett to "talk about life and what it means to be a dancer." As these initial talks developed into A Chorus Line, many of Stevens' stories and anecdotes made their way into the show's script. Stevens participated in the first workshop of the show at the Public Theater, where he played the role of Larry, before ultimately leaving the show to work on Chicago.