Kidd, Michael

orig. Milton Gruenwald

(born Aug. 12, 1919, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. dancer, choreographer, and director. He studied at the School of American Ballet, dancing with that company in 1937 and later with American Ballet Theatre, for which he choreographed On Stage I (1945). He choreographed many Broadway musicals, including four that won successive Tony Awards: Guys and Dolls (1951), Can-Can (1953), Li'l Abner (1956), and Destry Rides Again (1959). His film credits include The Bandwagon (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Hello, Dolly! (1969).

Kidd, Michael (b. Milton Greenwald) (1919– ) choreographer, dancer, producer-director; born in New York City. While in high school, he attended a performance by a modern dance group that inspired him to take dance lessons. Although he went on to City College of New York and studied chemical engineering, by the end of his third year he dropped out to dedicate himself entirely to dance. He attended the School of American Ballet and made his stage debut in the chorus of Max Reinhardt's production of The Eternal Road (1937). He toured for three years with Ballet Caravan (1937–40) and began to dance leading parts with the Dance Players (1941–42) and the Ballet Theatre (1942–47). His first original ballet, On Stage!, premiered in 1945, and this led to his becoming choreographer of the Broadway musical, Finian's Rainbow (1947). From then on he enjoyed a series of successes as choreographer for such stage musicals as Love Life (1948), Guys and Dolls (1950), and Can-Can (1953), eventually earning five Tony Awards for his dynamic and inventive dances. He also choreographed such movies as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). He broadened his scope to acting and dancing in the movie It's Always Fair Weather (1955), directing the Danny Kaye comedy film, Merry Andrew (1958), and producing and staging as well as choreographing the musical L'il Abner (1956); in later years he composed the choreography for such movies as Star (1968) and Hello, Dolly! (1969).