Ron Field

Ron Field was an American director, choreographer and musical director who shaped Broadway spectacle in the late 1960s and 1970s. Born in New York City on October 18, 1933, Field entered Broadway as a child performer in *Lady in the Dark* in 1941, followed by ensemble roles in *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes*, *Kismet* and *The Boy Friend*. That long apprenticeship in commercial theatre gave him a performer's understanding of how choreography must be readable, repeatable and dramatically timed.

Field's breakthrough came as choreographer on Harold Prince's 1966 production of *Cabaret*, where he staged the dances and cabaret numbers that established the Kit Kat Klub as a dramatic counterpoint to the narrative outside it. He won the 1967 Tony Award for choreography. After receiving a Tony nomination for *Zorba*, Field directed and choreographed *Applause* in 1970, starring Lauren Bacall. The production earned him Tony Awards for both choreography and direction of a musical, along with Drama Desk recognition, demonstrating that he could shape an entire musical's pace and viewpoint.

Field's work extended beyond Broadway into television, film and large-scale spectacle. He staged television projects featuring Ben Vereen and Mikhail Baryshnikov, earning Emmy Awards for choreography in the late 1970s. He choreographed Martin Scorsese's *New York, New York* and contributed choreography to the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. His later Broadway credits included the 1987 revival of *Cabaret*, *King of Hearts* and *Rags*, which earned him a 1987 Tony nomination.

Field died in New York on February 6, 1989, at age fifty-five. The Ronald Field papers at the New York Public Library preserve scripts, scores, notes and production materials that document his creative process.