Stroman, Susan 1954–

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Stroman, Susan 1954–

PERSONAL

Born October 17, 1954, in Wilmington, DE; daughter of Charles (a salesperson and pianist) and Frances Stroman; married Mike Ockrent (a director, producer, and writer), 1996 (died December 2, 1999); stepchildren: Ben, Natasha. Education: University of Delaware, A.S.; studied dance.

Addresses:

Agent—Flora Roberts, Inc., 157 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019. Publicist—42West, 220 West 42nd St., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

Career:

Choreographer, director, dancer, and actress. Worked as a nightclub performer, including performing in an act with Jeff Vezey. Participated in panel discussions.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association, Directors Guild of America.

Awards, Honors:

Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award, both outstanding choreography, 1991, for And the World Goes 'Round; Antoinette Perry Award, best choreography, Drama Desk Award, outstanding choreography, and Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding choreography, all 1992, and Laurence Olivier Award, best theatre choreographer, Society of West End Theatre, 1993, all for Crazy for You; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding individual achievement in choreography, 1993, for Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall; Antoinette Perry Award, best choreography, Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding choreography, and Astaire Award, best choreographer, Theatre Development Fund, all 1995, for Show Boat; Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding choreography, 1995, for A Christmas Carol; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best choreography, 1996, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding choreography, 1997, both for Big; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best choreography, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding choreography, both 1997, for Steel Pier; Laurence Olivier Award, best theatre choreographer, 1999, for Oklahoma!; Outer Critics Circle awards, outstanding director of a musical and outstanding choreography, Astaire Award, best choreographer, Antoinette Perry Award nominations, best direction of a musical and best choreography, and Drama Desk Award nominations, outstanding director of a musical and outstanding choreography, all 2000, for The Music Man; Antoinette Perry awards, best choreography and (with others) best new musical, Drama Desk Award, outstanding choreography, Outer Critics Circle awards, outstanding director of a musical, outstanding choreography, and (with others) best Broadway musical, Lucille Lortel Award, outstanding director, Astaire Award, best choreographer, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best direction of a musical, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding director of a musical, all 2000, for Contact; American Choreography Award (with Christopher Wheeldon), outstanding achievement in feature film, 2000, for Center Stage; honored by the American Theatre Wing, 2001; Antoinette Perry awards, best direction of a musical and best choreography, Drama Desk awards, outstanding director of a musical and outstanding choreography, Outer Critics Circle awards, outstanding director of a musical and outstanding choreography, Astaire Award, best choreographer, and Drama League Award, outstanding achievement in musical theatre, all 2001, and Laurence Olivier Award nominations, best director and theatre choreographer, 2005, all for The Producers; Drama Desk Award, outstanding choreography, Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding choreography, and Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best choreography, all 2002, for Oklahoma!; Mr. Abbott Award, outstanding achievement in the theatre, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, 2002; Goodspeed Award, outstanding contribution to musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, 2003; Touring Broadway Award, best direction, 2005, for the touring production of The Producers; Elan Award, 2005.

CREDITS

Stage Choreographer:

Assistant choreographer, Musical Chairs (musical), Rialto Theatre, New York City, c. 1980.

Babylon, 1984.

Flora, the Red Menace (musical), Vineyard Theatre, New York City, 1987.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (musical), New Musicals, 1987.

Sayonara, 1987.

Shenandoah (musical), 1988.

Slasher, Perry Street Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Don Giovanni (opera), New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, State Theater, New York City, 1989.

Rhythm Ranch, 1989.

A Little Night Music (musical), New York City Opera, 1990, also choreographer of a production in Los Angeles.

The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd (musical), 1990.

Gypsy (musical), 1991.

And the World Goes 'Round (revue), Westside Arts Theatre (Downstairs), New York City, 1991-92.

Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall (also known as Liza Minnelli: Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall), Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1992.

110 in the Shade (musical), New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, State Theater, 1992.

Crazy for You (musical), Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1992-96, also produced elsewhere.

Show Boat (musical), North York Performing Arts Centre, Mainstage Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1993, Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1994-97.

Picnic, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1994.

A Christmas Carol (musical), Madison Square Garden, New York City, beginning c. 1994.

Big (musical), Shubert Theatre, 1996.

"Lotus Blossom," Duke! (ballet), New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center, State Theater, 1997.

Steel Pier (musical), Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1997.

Oklahoma! (musical), Royal National Theatre, London, 1998.

But Not for Me (ballet), Martha Graham Dance Company, Joyce Theater, New York City, 1999.

Contact (also known as Contact: A Dance Play), originally produced as a dance play at Lincoln Center, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City, beginning 1999, later produced as a musical at Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 2000-2002, also produced at Queen's Theatre, London, c. 2002-2003.

The Music Man (musical), Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 2000-2001.

Thou Shalt Not (musical), Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 2001-2002.

The Producers (musical), Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2001, St. James Theatre, New York City, 2001-2007, also produced at Drury Lane Theatre, London, beginning 2004.

Oklahoma! (musical), Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 2002-2003.

Double Feature (two-act ballet), New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center, State Theater, 2004.

The Frogs (musical), Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 2004.

Stage Director:

Assistant director, Musical Chairs (musical), Rialto Theatre, New York City, c. 1980.

The Music Man (musical), Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, 2000-2001.

Thou Shalt Not (musical), Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 2001-2002.

The Producers (musical), Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2001, St. James Theatre, New York City, 2001-2007, also produced at Drury Lane Theatre, London, beginning 2004.

The Frogs (musical), Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, 2004.

Stage Work; Other:

Dance captain, Musical Chairs (musical), Rialto Theatre, New York City, c. 1980.

Stage Work; Major Tours:

Choreographer, And the World Goes 'Round (revue), U.S. cities, c. 1992.

Director and choreographer, Contact (musical), U.S. cities, beginning c. 2001.

Director and choreographer, The Producers (musical), U.S., Canadian, and international cities, beginning c. 2003.

Stage Appearances:

Hit the Deck! (musical), Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, 1977.

Leslie Daw and understudy for Harriet Underwood, Whoopee! (musical), American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) Playhouse, New York City, 1979.

Richard III, 1980.

Peter Pan, 1983.

Appeared in other theatrical productions, including an appearance as Zaneeta Shin (the mayor's daughter), The Music Man (musical), Candlelight Music Dinner Theatre, Ardentown, DE. Participated in benefits and galas.

Major Tours:

Murder suspect, Chicago (musical), U.S. cities, 1977-78.

Toured in Sugar Babies (revue).

Film Choreographer:

You've Got Mail (also known as You Have Got Mail, You've Got M@il, A Szerelem halojab@an, C'e posta per te, Du har m@il, e-m@il fuer Dich, Masz wiadomosc, Mens@gem Pra Voce, Mesaj pentru tine, Sinulle on posti@, Tienes un e-mail, Tiens un e-mail, Voce tem uma mensagem, Vous avez un message, and Vous avec un mess@age), Warner Bros., 1998.

Center Stage (also known as Centre Stage, City Ballet, The Dance Movie, Camino a la fama, Danse ta vie, El ritmo del exito, Il ritmo del successo, Rivaldafenyben, and Sob a luz da fama), Columbia, 2000.

The Producers (musical; also known as The Producers: The Movie Musical, Les producteurs, Los productores, Los productore—La pelicula musical, Os produtores, and The producers—kevaet koittaa Hitlerille), Universal, 2005.

Film Director:

The Producers (musical; also known as The Producers: The Movie Musical, Les producteurs, Los productores, Los productores—La pelicula musical, Os produtores, and The producers—kevaet koittaa Hitlerille), Universal, 2005.

Television Choreographer; Specials:

"A Little Night Music" (musical), Live at Lincoln Center, PBS, 1990.

Liza Minnelli Live! From Radio City Music Hall (also known as Liza Minnelli: Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall), PBS, 1992.

"Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall," Great Performances, PBS, 1993.

"The Gershwins' ‘Crazy for You’" (musical; also known as "Crazy for You"), Great Performances, PBS, 1999.

"Oklahoma!" (musical), Great Performances, PBS, 1999.

"Recording ‘The Producers!’: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks," Great Performances, PBS, 2001.

Television Director; Specials:

"Contact," Live from Lincoln Center, PBS, 2002.

Television Work; Other; Specials:

Supervising producer, "The Gershwins' ‘Crazy for You’" (musical; also known as "Crazy for You"), Great Performances, PBS, 1999.

Television Choreographer; Episodic:

"A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein," An Evening with the Boston Pops (also known as An Evening with the Boston Pops: A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein), PBS, 1989.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Herself, Broadway: The American Musical (documentary), PBS, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Herself, Broadway '97: Launching the Tonys, PBS, 1997.

Herself, "Recording ‘The Producers!’: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks," Great Performances, PBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 55th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2001.

The First Ten Awards: Tony 2001, PBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Herself, "Opening Night," Curb Your Enthusiasm (also known as Curb), HBO, 2004.

Herself, "The Stars and Director of the Producers," Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, 2005.

WRITINGS

Writings for the Stage:

Cocreator, Trading Places, Equity Library Theatre Informals, 1983.

Cocreator, And the World Goes 'Round (revue), Westside Arts Theatre (Downstairs), New York City, 1991-92, also produced in U.S. cities, c. 1992.

Developer of musical interludes, Picnic, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1994.

Cocreator, Steel Pier (musical), Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1997.

Cocreator, But Not for Me (ballet), Martha Graham Dance Company, Joyce Theater, New York City, 1999.

(With John Weidman) Author of book, Contact (also known as Contact: A Dance Play), originally produced as a dance play at Lincoln Center, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City, beginning 1999, later produced as a musical at Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 2000-2002, produced at Queen's Theatre, London, c. 2002-2003, also produced in a tour of U.S. cities, beginning c. 2001.

(With Glen Kelly) Author of libretto, Double Feature (two-act ballet), New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center, State Theater, New York City, 2004.

Teleplays; Creator:

(With others) "A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein," An Evening with the Boston Pops (also known as AnEvening with the Boston Pops: A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein), PBS, 1989.

"Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall," Great Performances, PBS, 1993.

(With others) "Contact," Live from Lincoln Center, PBS, 2002.