Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. His early Broadway credits were as a dancer in The Will Rogers Follies, Brigadoon, and On Your Toes. His first professional credit as a choreographer was for the 1990 world premiere of the musical Jekyll & Hyde. Mitchell's first Broadway production as sole choreographer was the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He directed and choreographed Legally Blonde: The Musical, which opened in April 2007. In 2013, Mitchell directed and choreographed the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. He won the Tony Award for Best Choreography and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He is the director of the new musical On Your Feet!. The musical premiered in Chicago in June 2015 and opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on November 5, 2015.

Jerry’s work, like his personality, is filled with such a positive, infectious energy. It’s hard not to have a big grin on your face when you’re watching his work . . . or when you’re interviewing him for a podcast.

Listen to me smile through my questions and hear Jerry talk about how he maintains that positivity in this tricky industry and . . .

How he transitioned from an almost naked-dancing Indian to a choreographer and how his mentors (You know, people like Bennet and Robbins) responded.

Why the first thing he does when he decides to work on a musical is NOT listen to the musical.

What he believes the mission of a Broadway musical is . . . and how that affects the shows he chooses to work on.

Why he actually enjoys previews!

How his style of dealing with actors has changed since his early days.

Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway

www.theproducersperspective.com

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