Frank Pietri Interview

An Interview with Frank Pietri

By Merete Muenter

Frank Pietri was a fellow dancer and friend of Michael Bennett’s. Michael cast Frank in three Broadway shows; Promises, Promises, Seesaw and Ballroom. Over the years, Frank witnessed Michael’s genius as he developed from a dancer into a director/choreographer on Broadway.

Frank was kind enough to meet with me between dance classes he was teaching at New Dance Group in Manhattan. He shared his experiences about Michael Bennett for this webpage, and in reviewing the information he gave me, I was able to break it down into three different categories…Michael Bennett as a dancer, a creative visionary, and as a director/choreographer.

Thank you Frank, for sharing your time with me for this interview, and for donating your precious memories to our webpage!

MICHAEL BENNETT – THE DANCER

Before moving to New York City, Michael Bennett, born April 8, 1943 to parents Salvatore and Helen DiFigila, spent his childhood growing up in Buffalo, New York. He studied diligently with numerous dance teachers there. As a child and teenager, he performed for parties and special events, danced in a local TV show called TV Party Time, and was also employed at the Melody Fair Theater as an apprentice. His life changed when he was cast in the role of ‘Baby John’ in a summer stock production of West Side Story which, coincidentally, was booked to perform at Melody Fair. This was his first professional job as a dancer.

When he was offered a one-year European tour of West Side Story at the tender age of 17, he dropped out of high school to accept the job. Touring Europe was a thrill for him, and spending his 18th birthday in Paris was something he had never imagined. Upon returning to the States, he settled in New York to begin pursuing his history-making career. It wasn’t long before he became a working dancer on the Broadway stage.

Frank’s first contact with Michael occurred when he went to see the Broadway show Subways Are For Sleeping (1961-62), directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd. This show was Michael’s Broadway debut.

Frank: “ I went to see Subways are for Sleeping, the musical, because a dear friend of mine was in the show…I had never seen Michael before in my life and he stood out. I thought, ‘Who is that?’ He was fabulous!”

A few weeks later, Frank ran into Michael in Matt Mattox’s dance class on 56th Street. He made it a point to introduce himself, and to compliment Michael on his performance. This marked the official beginning of their friendship.

In 1962, Frank was cast in the show Nowhere To Go But Up, which was choreographed by Ronald Field. Michael was involved in this production as Field’s assistant. Now that the two of them were working together, they became very good friends during this period.

Frank: “That’s when he used to live in the Village and his apartment was in the basement!”

At the time, though, Frank didn’t realize that Michael’s heart was really into the directing and choreographing aspects of theater, as opposed to the performing. This facet of Michael’s personality emerged when he was hired to choreograph A Joyful Noise in 1966.

Frank: “I never knew he wanted to be a director and choreographer. I learned through the years that he really was very focused. He knew exactly what he wanted and he went after it.”

Frank auditioned for a part in the show, and the audition went extremely well. Michael’s assistant quietly told Frank that he got the part, which turned out to be a mistake. Frank learned later that he didn’t get it. As upsetting as this incident was, Frank was able to put it into perspective.

Frank: “I wasn’t resentful about it. It was Michael’s first Broadway show. He was the youngest choreographer on Broadway and he was very, very nervous…I did something stupid. He was beginning to climb up as a choreographer and I didn’t think I was up to the same level with him, so I wasn’t as friendly as I used to be with him. I learned through the years that I wasn’t the only one who did that, and that was very sad for him.”

The show turned out to be a flop, but Michael’s choreography received rave reviews from the critics apart from the production itself. Michael’s genius and creativity was becoming more obvious to those around him. People became intimidated by Michael’s developing talents and innovative ideas, which were only pushed further by Michael’s desire to prove himself to the Broadway theater elite.

MICHAEL BENNETT – THE CREATIVE VISIONARY

One of Frank’s fondest memories of Michael took place the night he went to see his friend, Donna McKechnie, perform in Company (1969-70) on Broadway. It was after that performance that he and Donna decided to go to Joe Allen’s restaurant, and Donna asked if it was okay that Michael joined them. Frank was delighted to have him along!

Their discussion that night was inevitably about theater, but the most intriguing part of the conversation was Michael’s brewing ideas for the upcoming production of Follies. Frank remembers this so well because he and Donna were so caught up in what Michael was saying, and they wondered how he could accomplish all these new concepts for the stage.

Michael described his ideas of the use of cinematography on the stage to keep the action moving at all times. He wanted to use lighting to convey what is usually done on film. He had visions of fade-ins and fade-outs to keep the scenes running seamlessly as they would in a movie, and “close-ups” could be focused on characters by using tight spotlights. Montages of many performers conveying ideas simultaneously could provide progression from one character to another. This montage technique could also build speed, excitement and tension to move the storyline along in a more contemporary manner.

Frank remembers listening to these ideas and being completely fascinated that Michael could envision all of them in his head. It was clear that Michael’s creative mind was out of the ordinary, and way ahead of his time. He had his doubts that Michael would be able to accomplish all of these concepts for the theater. The ideas were extraordinary, but technically, how would he be able to manipulate them for the Broadway stage? These techniques were mostly reserved for film-making. Would they translate well to a live audience?

Frank: “Michael started to tell us what he was going to do with Follies. We were just so fascinated because the concept that he had was like being in the movies and putting the past and the present together. When I went to see the show and I saw it in front of me, I thought ‘Oh my God! He really did the whole thing!’ His imagination…his concept…it was like he had eyes all over his head. It was like seeing a movie and I had never seen that before on the stage. He had the past and the present at the same time and it was so beautiful. I saw that show about ten times.”

It is no secret that Michael was thorough about everything he did. He made it a point to learn everything there was to know about theater as a performer and as a technician. He attended technical rehearsals to watch the lighting and sound crews work. He stood on ladders to see what the stage looked like from above. He watched rehearsals from every side of the house to see how each angle of the audience would see his productions.

Michael learned about set design, and how lighting and sets work together to produce the entire picture onstage. He watched from the wings, from upstage and downstage, and from the lighting cages above the theater. He wanted everyone watching his productions to have a perfect view of the action on the stage, regardless of where they were sitting. In this way, he could have total control over every aspect of his productions and of his vision, as he knew how to answer every question. If there were an issue as to how one of his more contemporary ideas could be realized, he would find a way to do it, because he knew the technicalities behind it. Michael refused to settle for anything less, which was why he dedicated himself to learning everything he could about theater.

Follies opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater in April 1971. The cinematic techniques Michael employed were groundbreaking concepts for live theater at the time, and they have influenced theater directors ever since. In particular, it was Michael’s use of mirrors in the Mirror, Mirror number that drew the most attention. For Follies, he won his first Tony Awards for choreography and also co-direction with Hal Prince.

MICHAEL BENNETT – DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER

Promises, Promises opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theater on December 1, 1968. It was Michael’s first true success on Broadway, as he finally had a strong creative team behind him. Two weeks after the show opened, Frank was called in to audition for it. He was hired, but since the show was already set and running, Michael only came in to do occasional clean-up rehearsals with the cast. Therefore, his relationship with Michael didn’t grow much further during this production.

Seesaw started things up between Michael and Frank again in 1973. This show marked the first time Michael was in total control of a production. It opened on March 18, 1973, at the Uris Theater, which is now known as the Gershwin Theater.

Once again, Michael employed his cinematic techniques for the stage. Scenes progressed fluidly as set pieces “danced” on and off stage by the dancers who moved them. It won Bennett another Tony Award for his choreography in 1974, although the show itself wasn’t particularly successful as it only ran for ten months.

Seesaw had an out-of-town tryout in Detroit before moving to New York. Michael called Frank and asked him if he wanted to be cast as a replacement in the show. At this time, Frank hesitated, as he had been dealing with a back injury that hindered his dancing. He wasn’t sure how well he would be able to perform. Michael insisted they could work around his limitations. Frank accepted the job and was flown to Detroit immediately.

Upon arrival in Detroit, he went directly from the airport to rehearsal. Other names in the cast that Frank remembers fondly are Patti D’Beck, Baayork Lee, Michelle Lee, Tommy Tune and Thommie Walsh.

Seesaw gave Frank an element of excitement and purpose, as Michael utilized Frank’s knowledge of Latin dance to help him choreograph the Latin-flavored number in the show.

Frank: “We all helped with the choreography. I helped with one of the Latin numbers…But little by little I was taken out because of my back. Michael gave me lines, which was good. He also had me play the drums for a rock number, which was fine until the conductor said to me ‘Simulate it, because the microphones are catching on to them.’ So then Michael said to me, ‘Would you like to be a singer?’ So they made me a singer. But it was the most boring thing in the world…so I really got depressed and I allowed my emotions to take over.”

The dance numbers were energetic and exciting to watch, and the dancer in Frank ached to be participating in them. The frustration grew to the point that a couple of weeks before Seesaw opened, Frank gave his notice to leave the show. Looking back on this, Frank realizes how hard Michael tried to get him to remain in it.

Frank: “Michael came to me and said, ‘Please don’t leave.’ Michael tried everything to keep me in the show. He even offered me a leave of absence. I should have taken that and remained with the show. I was stupid to leave and let my emotions get in the way.”

Since this situation occurred, Frank sent Michael telegrams to wish him all the best for every Broadway show opening he had after Seesaw. He hoped these efforts would smooth over any difficulties between them. He also made it a point to write occasional letters to Michael to keep the lines of communication open, hoping that his disappointment with Frank’s departure would eventually fade. Their personal and professional future was uncertain.

Michael was becoming a theatrical force on Broadway as a director and choreographer at this time. Producers were starting to believe in his talent to make things happen, and Frank knew it was risky to let him down and possibly lose that professional connection.

Then in 1975, A Chorus Line opened at the Newman Theater on May 21st. Frank hurried to see it along with the rest of New York, as he knew nearly everyone “on the line”. In our interview, he recalled feeling a little nervous about Michael seeing him after their prior difficulties. Those feelings were soon erased as he watched the performance.

Michael had continued to perfect his use of cinematography on the stage, as well as his use of mirrors to create special effects. A Chorus Line was different, however. Michael’s concept was really simple this time. This “less is more” approach utilized a basic black stage, a white line, and background mirrors that served to feature the dancers as performers, as well as vulnerable human beings. No hint of glitter or sequence appeared until the finale. The attention given to the contrasting personal and professional lives of Broadway gypsies resulted in a new respect for dancers from the theater-going audiences, as well as from the dancers themselves. Nobody, including Frank, had ever experienced anything so personal in the theater.

Frank: “A Chorus Line made me feel so proud to be a dancer!”

The material in the show could relate to people of all walks of life, regardless of age, background or occupation. No show before this had ever been able to relate to such a wide audience. After experiencing A Chorus Line, Frank yearned to be onstage again.

His next opportunity came two years later in 1977, with Ballroom. To this day, Frank considers this show one of the most incredible theatrical experiences he has ever had. Because it was Michael’s next show after the success of A Chorus Line, the public was wondering if it would be another version of it, but done with an older cast.

In the process of creating Ballroom, Bennett arranged to have three Equity-approved workshops of the show in order to develop the characters and intricate staging. He began with the same interview process of each cast member that he had employed during the creative process of A Chorus Line. During the rehearsals, Frank remembers how organized Michael was with each creative and technical element. No time was wasted.

Frank: “He was incredible with us! My God! I’ve never seen such an organized company! He was so respectful to all of us. He treated us like royalty.”

Rehearsals were held at 890 Broadway, which was Michael’s newly founded space where he could rehearse and workshop his productions. The space was under construction at the time Ballroom was being created there from April through August of 1977-78.

In this show, Michael employed lighting as a haunting transition between scenes, and the dancers were always incorporated into these transitions. Michael and Robin Wagner designed the sets so they would go beyond the backstage area and continue well into the wings. Frank also recalls Michael standing above the cast at the top of a ladder on the stage, so he could get a view of their choreographic patterns below him. He wanted the dances to be works of art from every angle. The older cast members worked so hard and loved every minute of it.

As a director, Michael was known to work around people’s limitations if he felt that a person was perfect for the part. In many cases, he cast people with little or no dance experience. He would work extensively with them to make them realize potential they didn’t even know they possessed. This was one of Michael’s many talents. If he had faith in someone’s ability, he knew he could get the performance out of him/her that he wanted, even if the journey wasn’t going to be an easy one. In the case of Ballroom, this quality resulted in a love and loyalty to Michael on behalf of the cast that Frank had never experienced in all his years as a performer.

Frank loved the rehearsal process of this show, the respect shown between Michael and the cast, as well as the beauty of Ballroom itself. They were thrilled to have the opportunity to perform on Broadway again, thanks to Michael’s willingness to work with their older bodies and minds. Michael, in turn, relished working with a cast who had lived a little, and had experienced the ups and downs of life.

Frank: “Sometimes the dancers used to gather in my room in the hotel, and Michael would come in…he enjoyed us. He was really nice…really nice.”

The show workshopped in New York, and then was taken to Stratford, Connecticut for an out-of-town tryout at the American Shakespeare Theater. Frank felt the version of Ballroom they presented in Stratford was incredible. For some reason, though, Michael didn’t seem to trust himself. He was asking his colleagues to come see the show to learn their opinions. It was as if suddenly his own judgment held no weight, and Frank never understood why Michael was experiencing these doubts.

As a result of this, Michael made dramatic alterations to the show. Sections of the production were either re-worked or eliminated altogether. Perhaps Michael felt the show was too dark and serious for the general theater-going audience, and thus too much of a financial risk. It’s possible he was worried about competing with himself after the success of A Chorus Line. Whatever the reason, Ballroom received lukewarm reviews from the critics when it opened on Broadway on December 14, 1978. However, the audiences loved it.

Frank: “I don’t know why. I don’t think Michael trusted himself at that time. I don’t know what happened. I thought the show in Stratford was brilliant and I think Michael knew exactly what he was doing the whole time. He had taste, he had talent, and it was beautiful the way it was there. Then he changed it before it came to New York City.You see, the whole thing was the story about a woman losing her husband and being with her children before she went into the ‘Ballroom’. You got involved with her and where she came from…in New York the storyline all came in too fast and too soon, but the audiences loved it.”

Frank fondly recalls the crowds cheering when the older cast members broke into the Hustle number. The show was reviewed a second time by the critic, Walter Kerr, who gave it a rave. This didn’t change Michael’s insecurities about it, though, and the Shuberts and Michael decided not to take any more risks with it. With no advance ticket sales to keep it afloat, Ballroom closed on March 24, 1979. It received 8 Tony nominations, and Michael, along with his friend and co-worker Bob Avian, shared the Tony for Best Choreography.

To this day, Frank still believes if Michael hadn’t made all of those changes to Ballroom in Stratford, it would have had a better chance to survive on Broadway.

When the show didn’t succeed, Michael basically vanished. Frank didn’t see or hear from him for a long time, until he heard Michael was working on a show in Europe, and that he had taken ill. That was the last bit of news he had heard about Michael until he passed away in 1987.