You’d be hard pressed to meet anyone in the Broadway community that doesn’t love the work of Bob Fosse. You’d be even harder pressed to find a dancer today who didn’t wish he or she could’ve worked with the genius himself. It is no surprise then, that our Broadway Throwback contest winner is none other than Fosse dancer herself, Denise Pense featured in the original PIPPIN.
Denise describes, “this photo was taken during the 1973 original Broadway Pippin ‘sex ballet’ – pushing the envelope on multiple sexual partners and decadent love (pre-aids). It’s no secret the lifestyle was something Bob Fosse, the Director lived. I always found the mirror reflecting light into the audience especially interesting watching them watch us. Also pictured is Pippin, played by John Rubenstein, and Kathy Doby, who put me into the role, replacing Jennifer Nairn-Smith, a gorgeous ABT ballerina.”
Immortalized as the “girl who can’t sing,” in A Chorus Line when she sold her story to Michael Bennett for a dollar, Denise has since been dancing, acting and recreating herself constantly. Today, a mother of two and wife to Broadways Steve Boockvor, Denise has “still got it” and looking “where to put it.” She helps to run her husband’s educational theater company History Alive and contributes tirelessly to The Rehearsal Club’s diverse activities including the making of a new musical “Good Girls Only” and a book “Cinderella’s of West 53rd Street.”
The Broadway Artists Connection has been a group Denise believes in. “BAC offers an opportunity to grow outside the box as performers while bringing former, current and aspiring Broadway performers together to celebrate our many talents.” We love having a veteran like Denise in BAC and hope she’ll put down her phobia of singing once & for all and join us at open mic on September 21st. For more information on Denise visit www.denisepence.com.
You can meet artists like Denise as well as take the mic on Sunday, September 21st at the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe.
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And congratulations Denise!
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