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The choreographer on the buzz around Ryan Gosling’s bignumber at the Oscars, plus a look at picking a strong theatre season

In this episode of the OnStage Colorado Podcast, hosts AlexMiller and Toni Tresca talk about some of the season announcements from Colorado theatres. What does it take to put together a good mix of shows that put butts in seats while also satisfying the quest to do socially relevant ornew plays?

Later in the episode, Alex catches up with Mandy Moore (not that one, the other one!) Mandy, who grew up in Breckenridge, has gone on to be one of the top choreographers in the world, with credits including La LaLand, So You Think You Can Dance, Zoe’s Incredible Playlist, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and, just this month, two pieces at the 2024 Oscars ceremony.

Working with Ryan Gosling and 62 other dancers — plus Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen — Mandy put together a Barbie tribute that pretty much eclipsed any other big Oscar numbers in recent memory. She also choreographed the In Memoriam segment, using dance to add a touching newlayer to the annual tribute. In the interview, Mandy talks about how it all came together as well as her own path as a choreographer and how dance still resonates with people.

And by the way, Mandy is now the third member of the Moore Family to be feature on the podcast. Her dad Bob and sister Missy have also been on!

>Theatre companies and organizations mentioned in this episode:

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
• Arvada Center
• Aurora Fox
• Boulder Ballet
• Breckenridge Backstage Theatre
• Codpiece Players
• Colorado Ballet
• Curious Theatre
• Denver Center
• Durango Arts Center
• Firehouse Theater Company
• OpenStage Theatre & Company
• Performance Now
• Phamaly
• Stories On Stage
• Su Teatro
• Theatre Artibus
• Town Hall Arts Center
• Vintage Theatre
• Viva Theater