Christopher Gattelli

Christopher Gattelli
Gattelli in 2018
Born (1972-11-01) November 1, 1972 (age 53)
Occupations
  • Choreographer
  • director
  • dancer

Christopher Gattelli (born November 1, 1972) is an American choreographer, performer and theatre director.

Early life and career

Gattelli grew up in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He started dancing at the age of 8 and is a "Star Search" grand champion. In high school, after classes, e took dance classes at Alvin Ailey Dance half the day, As a performer, he appeared in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (revival), Fosse, and Pouncival in Cats.

Choreographer/Director

Broadway Credits
Year Title Director Choreographer
2003 Chess (Benefit Concert) No Yes
2004 Hair (Benefit Concert) Yes Yes
2006 Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me No Yes
High Fidelity No Yes
2007 The Ritz No Yes
2008 Sunday in the Park With George No Musical Staging
South Pacific No Musical Staging
13 No Yes
2009 Chance & Chemistry (Benefit) Yes Yes
2010 Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown No Yes
2011 Godspell No Yes
2012 Newsies No Yes
2014 Casa Valentina No Dance Consultant
2015 The King and I No Yes
Amazing Grace No Yes
2017 War Paint No Yes
2017 SpongeBob Squarepants No Yes
2018 My Fair Lady No Yes
The Cher Show No Yes
2024 Mother Play No Yes
Death Becomes Her Yes Yes
2026 Schmigadoon! Yes Yes
The Fantasticks Yes Yes
2027 The Sound of Music No Yes

Christopher Gattelli is best known for his work on the 2012 Broadway musical Newsies.

Gattelli has choreographed several special benefit concerts, including Chess (2003), Hair (also co-director, Actor's Fund, 2004), and Chance and Chemistry: A Centennial Celebration of Frank Loesser (also directed, Actors Fund, October 2009).

His Off-Broadway choreographic work includes Adrift in Macao (2007, also Philadelphia, PA 2005), How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes (also director, 2006), I Love You Because (2006), Altar Boyz (2005), tick, tick...BOOM!, Dogfight, and Bat Boy: The Musical (2001). In regional theatre he is the choreographer for The Baker's Wife (Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey, 2005), Tom Jones (2004), tick, tick...BOOM! (2004, also London Fringe, 2005), Me and My Girl, and O. Henry's Lovers (Goodspeed Opera House, 2003). He directed Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas at The Goodspeed Opera House, Connecticut in 2008, and choreographed Julie Andrews' The Great American Mousical there in 2012. His production of The Jungle Book played the Goodman Theatre and Huntington Theatre Company in 2013. He was the director of the musical spoof SILENCE! The Musical, which ran in 2005 at NYCFringe. Other West End and London credits include South Pacific and Sunday in the Park with George. He is in charge of musical staging for Little Miss Sunshine.

He collaborated with Stephen Flaherty on the world premiere of In Your Arms, which he directed and choreographed for the New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater at Vassar in 2014. He directed and choreographed In Your Arms for a production at the Old Globe Theatre in September 2015.

Gattelli directed and choreographed the Spring 2014 lab of RKO's Top Hat in New York. This was a new version of the 2011 stage version that ran in London and the UK, and was being worked on by Gatelli and Chad Beguelin. The production "is still several seasons off", according to Gatelli in January 2017.

His choreography can also be seen in the Coen brothers feature Hail, Caesar!

He was the resident choreographer for The Rosie O'Donnell Show.

Gattelli choreographed the American musical comedy television series Schmigadoon! for Apple TV+ in 2020 and 2023.

Personal life

He is openly gay.

Awards

Year Award Category Title Result
2001 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Choreographer Bat Boy: The Musical Won
2005 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography Altar Boyz Nominated
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Choreographer Won
2008 Tony Awards Best Choreography South Pacific Nominated
2012 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Choreography Newsies Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography Won

Tony Awards Best Choreography Won
2015 The King and I Nominated
2018 My Fair Lady Nominated
SpongeBob SquarePants Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography Nominated
2025 Drama League Awards Outstanding Direction of a Musical Death Becomes Her Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Direction of a Musical Nominated
Outstanding Choreography Nominated
Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Nominated
Best Choreography Nominated
2026 Tony Award Best Direction of a Musical Schmigadoon! Nominated
Best Choreography Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Choreography Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography Won
Chita Rivera Award Outstanding Choreography in a Broadway Show Won

References

  1. ↑ "Christopher Gattelli". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  2. ↑ Gattelli biography feldentertainment.com, retrieved December 29, 2009
  3. ↑ "Christopher Gattelli – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
  4. ↑ Gans, Andrew."Hair Concert Stars to Make "Splash"y Appearance; Cast Continues to Grow"[link removed] playbill.com, September 10, 2004
  5. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Larsen, Bolton, Kuhn to Join Actors Fund Concert of Loesser Music at Minskoff" Archived 2009-10-21 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, October 19, 2009
  6. ↑ "Gattelli listing at Internet Off-Broadway Database" Archived 2012-10-07 at the Wayback Machine lortel.org, retrieved December 29, 2009
  7. ↑ "Gatelli credits" broadwayworld.com, retrieved December 29, 2009
  8. ↑ "Biography" Archived 2009-05-16 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, retrieved December 29, 2009
  9. ↑ "Listing" offwestend.com, retrieved December 29, 2009
  10. 1 2 3 "'In Your Arms'" broadwayworld.com, 2015
  11. ↑ "'Little Miss Sunshine'" sandiego.com
  12. ↑ Top Hat Playbill
  13. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Broadway-Aimed Irving Berlin Musical 'Top Hat' Moving Forward" Playbill, January 18, 2017
  14. ↑ Profile[link removed] spfnyc.com, retrieved December 29, 2009
  15. ↑ "'Schmigadoon!' Choreographer Christopher Gattelli On Keeping True To The Golden Age & How Less Edits "Really Honors The Form" – Production Value". Deadline Hollywood. 2022-08-15. Archived from the original on 2023-04-24.
  16. ↑ Bienskie, Stephen (July 21, 2011). "Follow Spot: Buffalo Bill, Won't You Come Out Tonight?". Broadway Stars (Interview). Interviewed by Michael Portantiere. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
  17. ↑ "2001 Nominees". Lucille Lortel Awards. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  18. ↑ David Lefkowitz (April 24, 2001). "2001 Lortel Awards Ceremony, Hosted by Cumming, to Take Place May 7". Playbill. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  19. ↑ "2005 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  20. ↑ "2005 Drama Desk Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. May 23, 2005. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  21. ↑ "2005 Lucille Lortel Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "Just the Facts: List of 2008 Tony Award Winners and Nominees". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  23. ↑ Gans, Andrew (May 14, 2012). "Outer Critics Circle Winners Announced; Once and One Man, Two Guvnors Are Top Winners". Playbill. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  24. ↑ "2011–2012 Awards". Outer Critics Circle. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  25. ↑ "2012 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times. June 4, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  27. ↑ New York Theatre Guide Staff (June 3, 2012). "The 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  28. ↑ "The 2012 Tony Awards". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  29. ↑ "2015 Tony Awards Coverage: 69th Tony Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  30. ↑ "Tony Award Winners 2018: Complete List". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  31. ↑ "2018 Awards – Nominees and Recipients". Drama Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  32. ↑ Playbill Staff (June 3, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants Leads 2018 Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  33. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (April 22, 2025). "2025 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  34. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (April 25, 2025). "Death Becomes Her Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Tony Awards 2025: Live Updating". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-05-21.
  36. ↑ "Tony Nominations 2026, Read the Complete List; The Lost Boys and Schmigadoon! Lead". Playbill. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Outer Critics Circle Award 2026 Nominations". New York Theater. April 21, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  38. ↑ Russo, Gillian (2026-05-11). "2026 Outer Critics Circle Award winners announced". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  39. ↑ "2026 Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced: Full List". Broadway.com. April 29, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Winners". Chita Rivera Awards. Retrieved July 20, 2026.