Current News

DO40 KICKED OFF IT’S 2021 – 2022
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL OUTREACH WITH
A VIRTUAL BOFFO BROADWAY TRIVIA CONTEST
JULY 20TH – STILL AVAILABLE TO VIEW ONLINE!

Our youngest DO40 member, Charles Kirsch, host of theater podcast Backstage Babble and Dancers Over 40 joined forces Tuesday night to present a virtual dance, theater and music TRIVIA CONTEST to kick off DO40’S 2021-2022 membership renewal season, which begins in August.

The event happened live on Tuesday, July 20th, at 7 PM EDT. Click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylz0UbfPo6E or the Dancers Over 40 Facebook page (facebook.com/dancersover40) to watch now – and FOREVER!

There were questions and stories from Broadway legend Lee Roy Reams (42nd Street, Applause), hot off helping to reopen Feinstein’s/54 Below (we could have used a 7-second time delay for some of Lee Roy’s stories!), two-time Tony nominee Brad Oscar (The Producers, Something Rotten), Forbidden Broadway’s Gerard Alessandrini and DO40 board member Lawrence Leritz (Fiddler on the Roof, Fonteyn and Nureyev on Broadway). Also joining in the game, dance song impresario Michael Lavine, holder of the largest collection of sheet music in the world!

The answerers/contestants were Rob W. Schneider, host of the hit podcast Behind the Curtain and founder of J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company, Richard Norton, author of the definitive Chronology of American Musical Theater, long-time DO40 member Tony Sheldon, star of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Amelie, and composer Billy Recce, whose album Little Black Book recently climbed to #11 on the Billboard charts. And the winner of the evening – and recipient of the best prize ever – a DO40 baseball cap – was Rob W Schneider!

Watching can’t-miss nights of fun like this is part of the benefit of belonging to DO40 —so many first-hand stories that might have been lost to history and were instead forever preserved as we donate all our videotaped events to the Jerome Robbins Collection at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. This is also part of the mission of theater podcast Backstage Babble, which has documented theater history straight from the mouths of legends Chita Rivera, Karen Morrow, Christine Andreas, Joel Grey, Ed Asner, and more (almost all of whom have also participated in events for DO40). Those interviews and many more are all available on Charles Kirsch’s podcast, https://www.cbroadwaypodcast.podbean.com/

And now it begins – our annual membership and renewal drive! Please visit www.dancersover40.org/ and click on the JOIN/RENEW/DONATE button, or send a check to Dancers over 40, Inc, P.O. Box 2103, NY, NY 10101. Membership rates have not changed since we began in 1994!!! $45.00 for NY/NJ/CT members and $35.00 for all others. Your membership gets you not only our newsletter and eblasts, but access to our member-only video pages of our website, where you can view all of our previous panels, performances and social events.

A SPECTACULAR STAR-STUDDED DO40 SPELLING EVENT!

DO40 president John Sefakis with the Spellers and Spell-ees!
(pictured L to R top to bottom: Charles Kirsch, Kevin Winkler, Candy Brown, George Dansker, Jamie DeRoy, Brad Oscar, Bari Biern, Ken Bloom, Michael Lavine, Lawrence Leritz, Barry Kleinbort)

It was the Sharks vs. the Jets! The Hatfields vs. the McCoys! The Dancers vs. the Civilians! And (drum roll…) the Civilians won – the first DO40 Broadway Spelling Bee fundraiser! Impresarios and DO40 members Ken Bloom and Charles Kirsch produced and hosted this fun, entertaining – and educational - evening, where you not only got to know HOW to spell dance and theater legends’ names, but heard stories right from the “horse’s mouth” ABOUT them and their craft (and some juicy APPLAUSE…”info!”). The event is still up on youtube for free viewing at YouTube, at this link and the Dancers over 40 Facebook page.

DO40 president John Sefakis with DO40 Advisory Board member and
Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell

Special guests who provided the names to spell included DO40 Advisory Board member and director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (HAIRSPRAY, LEGALLY BLONDE, KINKY BOOTS), Jim Brochu (ZERO HOUR, BRIGADOON), Jason Graae (STARDUST, PATENT LEATHER SHOES), PR maven extraordinaire Josh Ellis, actor/writer Charles Busch (TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE), Penny Fuller (APPLAUSE, CABARET), Mary Testa (XANADU, 42ND STREET, OKLAHOMA), Lee Wilkof (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, ASSASSINS)) Karen Morrow (A JOYFUL NOISE) , Steven Brinberg (SIMPLY BARBRA), Ted Chapin (Rogers and Hammerstein Organization president) and DO40 members Cheryl Clark (PIPPIN, CHICAGO, A CHORUS LINE), James Dybas (PACIFIC OVERTURES, DO I HEAR A WALTZ?) and Ron Young (MY ONE AND ONLY, MAME, A CHORUS LINE).

Actress Mary Testa

And in this corner, the Spellers: The Dancers were represented by DO40 board member Lawrence Leritz (NUREYEV & FONTEYN ON BROADWAY, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), DO40 members Candy Brown (LIZA WITH A Z, PIPPIN CHICAGO, GRIND), Kevin Winkler (CATS), Bari Biern (CAPITOL STEP) and Brad Oscar (THE PRODUCERS). The Civilians were musical director Michael Lavine, songwriter/director Barry Kleinbort, producer/performer Jamie DeRoy, historian George Dansker and DO40 president John Sefakis.

A heartwarming thanks to all who contributed their time and effort to this spectacular evening of spelling!

And remember, it’s never too late to join Dancers over 40 as a card-carrying, dues-paying member – or donate to our Patron Wall! Just go to www.dancersover40.org and click on theJOIN/RENEW/DONATE BUTTON! No spell check required!

DO40 member Cheryl Clark

Actress Penny Fuller

Actor Jason Graae

Actor/Playwright Charles Busch

Dancers over 40 presents …
The Entrepreneurs!!
Our April 18, 2021 Membership Meeting
shines with productive and prolific authors and entrepreneurs!

FDO40 prez John Sefakis with the DO40 Entrepreneurs!

Sunday’s April DO40 Zoom membership meeting was awash in entertainers who “got a gimmick” to sustain their creative juices! From authors, to dance teachers, Pilates instructors and organizers, podcasters and producers! We featured DO40 member Kevin Winkler and his new autobiography of Tommy Tune, coming out the end of 2021, along with DO40 member and Tommy Tune understudy Ron Young, who wrote his own biography, The Only Boy Who Danced, back in 2011. Also on hand, producer, author, raconteur and DO40 member Ken Bloom, whose new book on Eubie Blake: Rags, Riches and Race, is now out! Ken explained that out of Eubie Blake’s Shuffle Along (100 years ago!) came the concept for “chorus dancers!” We still keep learning a thing or three every time DO40 meets!!! Also, Ken is penning a David Merrick biography, so he’ll be looking for an assist from all of our DM Dancers!

DO40 member Ron Young with his autobiography, The Only Boy Who Danced

Zooming with us along with Winkler, Young and Bloom (sounds like a questionable Broadway producing team, don’t you think?) and DO40 prez John Sefakis, DO40 members included Leslie Burgin, Joyce Nolen, Martha Warschau, Steph Marie, Leni Anders, John Bate, DO40 board members Sasha Spielvogel, Eileen Casey and Lawrence Leritz, Joy Serio Dunbar, Francine Storey, Judith Wong, Tom McRoberts as well as Pilates instructor Ellen Fluhr, educator and performer Robert Sacheli, organizer Karyn Tomczak and podcast perfectionist Charles Kirsch!

There was a Question and Answer after the presentations and DO40 prez John Sefakis announced the May 17th Spelling Bee fundraiser for DO40 by Ken Bloom (with an assist by Charles Kirsch) and another Trivia Evening (a big hit last month!) in July to kick off our 2021 – 2022 (can you believe it?!?!) DO40 season!

DO40 member and Fosse AND Tommy Tune author Kevin Winkler

We ended the evening with the 4-minute clip of DO40 members inserted in the 75th Birthday event for Liza Minnelli last month! We zoomed at home and the producers edited our zooming brilliantly!

DO40 was also featured on the podcast Behind the Curtain, hosted by Kevin David Thomas and Rob Schneider – now BOTH card-carrying, dues-paying members! Thanks for the plug! DO40 is getting noticed! Everywhere! And we’re happy to announce we passed our 2019 – 2020 membership goal already, and it’s not June yet (the end of our season)!! Thanks to all who joined, renewed and donated to keep DO40 afloat during this awful pandemic and trying times. We’ve asked for suggestions on how we, as an organization, can help to fight the ongoing racism and violent attacks in NYC and across the nation. Be vigilant. Thoughtful. And always resilient!

DO40 members John Sefakis, Ron Young, Joy Serio Dunbar, Lawrence Leritz watch as author Kevin Winkler shares a Tommy Tune/SEESAW photo.

Members Only! View the Zoom Meeting Here If You Missed It.

A SURPRISE DO40 MEMBER ZOOM MEETING FOR
LIZA MINNELLI’S 75TH BIRTHDAY!

A black tie event! for Liza Minnelli’s 75th Birthday Soiree, aired online starting March 12th!

DO40 was honored to have our members featured in Liza Minnelli’s 75th birthday event Friday night (to be repeated Saturday and Sunday March 13 and 14th on www.stellar.com), in the performer section, alongside greats like DO40 Advisory Board member Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Shirley MacLaine, Joel Grey, Michele Lee, Joan Collins (!!!!), Barbara Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lily Tomlin, Kristen Chenowith, Whoopi Goldberg, the Verdon/Fosse Legacy and many, many more performers and friends of Liza. This was about family, Liza’s theatrical family, and included artists from all areas of our community.

Featured in our segment, Ed Gaynes (Best Foot Forward), Phyllis Wallach (Flora the Red Menace), Carol Estey (The Act) Candy Brown (Liza with a Z and Chicago) Michon Peacock and Cheryl Clark (Chicago), Kathryn Doby (Cabaret, Pippin, Chicago), Francis J. Roach and Nancy Dalton (Luigi’s Dance Studio), Eileen Casey (Happy Birthday, Hollywood), Lawrence Leritz (Rosie O’Donnell Show), Karyn Tomczak (Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall) and our youngest member, Charles Kirsch, whose GRANDPARENTS saw Liza with a Z and The Act! A few members could not make it: Mercedes Ellington, Mary Zahn, Richard Korthaze, Judith Jones, Penny Worth…and again, many, many more! And we had additional members Richard Skipper, Martha Warshau, Miriam Bernabei, Judy Wong, Jan Augustine, Patrick McCarthy, Ken Bloom, Francine Storey, Stephanie Stabile, Skip Shultz and Barbara Bernardo – not all pictured – zooming is hard to photograph! (We tried to video our segment – only got half! Producer Matt Berman promised us a pristine high quality clip once the weekend is over!)

Thanks to producer Daniel Nardicio for contacting us about this through DO40 president John Sefakis, as well as producers Sam Benedict and Matt Berman, who edited our Zoom birthday greeting to Liza we streamed last week. Liza was friend and confidant to all of us – from chorus to union backstage and the “stars” she worked with. Also happy to see fans who only knew Liza peripherally, but whom she regularly encouraged to continue their artistic careers. Could go on for paragraphs of other attendees, like Jason Alexander, Mario Cantone, Coco Peru, Kathy Najimy, Harry Connick, Jr., Lea DeLaria, Michael Feinstein, Billy Stritch, Julie Halston, Melissa Manchester, Andrea Martin, Parker Posey, Jim Caruso, John Stamos, Ute Lemper and again, many, many more! Our History, Our Legacy, Our Lives!

Click to see the Photos of the Celebration!

VALENTINES DAY DO40 MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
A HEARTFELT REUNION OF DANCERS FROM ALL DISCIPLINES

Page One of our Zoom Meeting: Leni Anders, DO40 president John Sefakis, Teak Lewis (out of frame!), Carolyn Kirsch, Charles Kirsch, Karyn Tomczak, Joanna Rush, Sasha Spielvogel, Robert Reader, Ken Bloom, Lawrence Leritz,
Tom McRoberts, Steph Marie, Robert Sacheli, Sharon Wendrow, Michon Peacock, Gail Benedict, Felicia
Velasco D’Amico, Penny Worth and Patrick McCarthy

What we thought would be a lively, and short Valentines Day membership meeting evolved into a 2 ½ hour lovefest and reunion, six degrees – and sometimes only one degree of separation members never knew existed! The Star of the Evening? Everyone! We went “around the room” and asked the simple question, “Why?” Some stories were familiar, some not, some funny, some deep and heartfelt. Didn’t matter what discipline – or age! We not only had a 20-something member, we had teen-something member in Backstage Babble’s Charles Kirsch! Over 30 dancers participated, some Zooming for the first time. And as always, still a few kinks to get out of the system (and nose close-ups!). We interspersed the afternoon with clips from our beloved Advisory board member Bob Avian’s Legacy Awards acceptance speech, as well as numbers by Ann Reinking, Chita Rivera and of course, Gwen Verdon.

Almost everyone spoke, with the exception of a few that we missed due to the size of the meeting, and they represented not just Broadway, but ballet, ballroom, tap, modern and jazz. In attendance: Board members Patrick McCarthy, Lawrence Leritz, Sasha Spielvogel and Sharon Wendrow as well as DO40 president John Sefakis, Michon Peacock, Gail Benedict, Leslie Burgin, Penny Worth, Robert Sacheli, Carolyn Kirsch,. Charles Kirsch (no relation!), Ken Bloom, Josh Ellis, Candy Brown, Joanna Ruth, Martha Warschau, Robert Reader, Steph Marie, Felicia Velasco D’Amico, Karyn Tomczak, Teak Lewis, Francine Storey, Leni Anders, Tom McRoberts, Sandy Nance, Cynthia Elane and Ellen Fluhr, as well as co-host Jason Alan Harris. We did have a number of members who sent their regrets, as they were having a hot Valentines date with their partners!!!

DO40 member and PR maven Josh Ellis ended the evening with a heartfelt thank you all the dancers for doing what they do. And his Zoom wallpaper was the BEST: Joe Allen’s restaurant!! He mentioned it made him “crazy with joy to go through a stage door,” not just at the beginning of his career, “but every time afterwards.” To Josh it was a “magical world… God bless you all.” Can’t top that….

Michon Peacock

Apologies to Sandy Nance, Tom McRoberts, Cynthia Elane, Mila Ilieff, Carol Roth Sullivan and Ellen Fluhr for not getting to you to speak. You’ll be first up next time – which will be… April, 2021, right before our chock-full May events! Stay tuned! Tried get photos of everyone, but the computer is not our iPhone12's friend all the time; apologies to some of the speakers who didn't get their Zoom "headshot!" It is so wonderful to have member representation from not just New York, but Kentucky, Colorado, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey – something our “live” yearly membership meetings in NYC could never accomplish! Looks like we’ll even Zoom our “live” events once they get up and running in the hopefully-near-fully-vaccinated future! The entire membership meeting will be on our website soon for members to view on the member-only video pages, along with photos – captured on the computer, of course, of our members who didn’t come up blurry or unflattering!

Josh Ellis

All the best to everyone on the vaccination front. Our DO40 Newsletter had NYC vaccine info and we’ll try to keep on top of that as rules change and phone numbers for appointments become more available (for our non-internet friendly members!) Right now, call 311 in NYC for an appointment or the Dept. of Health, 877-829-4692 - 24 hours a day to speak to a real person!

What they did for Love, continues….

DO40 prez John Sefakis and the DO40 Zoom gang!

Click to View the Photos from the Zoom Event

Click to View the Zoom Videos of this Meeting

THOUSANDS WATCH THE 12TH ANNUAL
DO40 LEGACY AWARDS!
Presented by Richard Skipper Celebrates and DO40
Monday, December 14th, 8pm

Computer photo of our 2020 DO40 Legacy Honorees, Dennis Birchall, Jeri Kansas
and Francis J. Roach. Photographed by DO40 president John Sefakis.

Well, looks like there's a silver lining to all the Zoom- and Streamyard-ing things happening these days. Over 2,800! people (that’s thousands, right?) watched our 12th annual DO40 Legacy Awards online/virtual/streaming (whatever the kids are saying nowadays!), usually held at LIPS restaurant, with performances and uplifting speeches from our honorees and their friends. From adversity comes innovation - and there is something to be said for the wonderful clips we used (and have in our repertoire!) and the close ups as our honorees spoke from the heart. We have received a number of new members from the evening, and orders for our new DO40 COVID masks!

Heartbreaking, however, was the news that one of Broadway's most beloved stars died on Saturday - Fosse muse Ann Reinking. We were fortunate to work with Ann on the 40th Anniversary of Bob Fosse's DANCIN' in 2018. We published a short clip of Ann singing "Roxie" at the Therapy Bar After-party on our Facebook page. To paraphrase an old Angela Lansbury movie, " there are no dancers anymore; facsimiles, that's all, just facsimiles..." - compared to Ann – and Gwen – and Chita!

DO40 Advisory Board Member Director/Choreographer Larry Fuller,
speaking on behalf of Legacy Honoree Dennis Birchall

This year we honored DO40 members Dennis Birchall, Jeri Kansas and Francis J. Roach, dancers all, with careers that span Broadway, Radio City Music Hall and the legacy of jazz great (and DO40 member) Luigi. Speaking on behalf of our honorees were director/choreographer Larry Fuller, former Rockette Susan Arreola, and Gower Champion assistant and former DO40 board member Karin Baker (unfortunately, Christine Colby Jacques was unable to log in to our event to speak for Francis J. Roach).

Inside DO40 “Command Central,” at DO40 prez John Sefakis’ home.

The event was hosted by theater and nightclub entrepreneur and impresario Richard Skipper, and was our first FREE streamed live event on our DO40 facebook page, www.facebook.com/dancersover40 and Richard Skipper’ pages on facebook and youtube, www.facebook.comRichardSkipperCelebrates/ and www.youtube.com/c/RichardSkipperCelebrates. There was also a tribute to Marge Champion and a fantastic hosting job by the indomitable Richard Skipper. You can still WATCH the show (75 minutes) on the links above!

Host Richard Skipper (at his OWN Command Central!) and DO40 president John Sefakis.

We hope this will encourage new members, young members and new Friends of.. (not dancers) to join DO40 as card-carrying, dues-paying members. AND, an added benefit! New members will receive our DO40 COVID-19 mask for free! Regular prices are: $15.00 for non-members, $10.00 for current members (plus $3.00 shipping). Email us at dancersover40@aol.com to confirm you would like to order and then pay through our website using Paypal. Sorry there was no official DO40 photographer at this event! We miss the staff at LIPS, our videographer Manny Santiago, photographer Jeff Eason and even our long-time coat check volunteer, Cha-Cha Lopez! Next year, LIPS here we come!

More photos to be posted on our website shortly. They are posted on our DO40 Facebook page now!

Don’t forget! GREAT holiday gift!!! Get them while they last!
Email us at dancersover40.org to reserve your mask(s)!

VIEW THE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT!

VIEW THE ZOOM VIDEO OF THIS EVENT

DO40 HALLOWEEN MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
WHEN “BOO!” IS A GOOD THING!
(SINCE IT’S NOT COMING FROM THE AUDIENCE!)

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSSION
OF OUR HISTORY, OUR LEGACY AND OUR LIVES.

Featured (in no particular order!): JoAnn Mariano, Patti Mariano, Leni Anders, Tom McRoberts, Jane Barbara, Ken Bloom, Charles Kirsch, Joshua Ellis, Francine Storey, Kathryn Doby, Jeri Kansas, Robert Sacheli, Candy Brown, Martha Warschaw, Christine Colby Jacques, Joy Serio Dunbar, John Gilvey, DO40 Prez John Sefakis along with DO40 board members Eileen Casey, Nancy Dalton Flowers, Sasha Spielvogel, Lawrence Leritz and Patrick McCarthy – and with Susan Sigrist (we think) on the phone!

Although not everyone was in complete costume (some more than others!), DO40’s first Halloween membership meeting was a hoot! Honors for best costume went to 2019 Legacy Honoree Candy Brown, with a “chip” on her shoulder, that being the one chorus dancer in every new show who had one! Very clever! Candy earned a free 2021 – 2020 membership! Costumes represented were ACL, Fiddler on the Roof, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Susan Stroman, 70’s disco, Luigi Jazz and a Cell Block Tango lady thrown in at the very last minute!

After honoring our dear friend and DO40 Advisory Board member Marge Champion (passing at the age of 101) with a short video from our 2008 Gower Champion event, we moved on to our main topic, Jack Cole and the huge David Merrick Flop, MATA HARI. Cast members Francine Storey and board member Eileen Casey discussed Jack, the show, David Merrick – and even rats in the alley! DO40 member Bill Reilly in Florida, also in the show, is not ZOOM-savvy, so he gave us a bunch of memories he had of the show, from colliding scenery to gun powder going off in the audience! A Jack Cole video summary also featured many of Jack’s ensemble, including Gwen Verdon, George Martin, Julie Newmar, Mitzi Gaynor and an tribute by Alvin Ailey.

DO40 president John Sefakis, co-hosting with our ZOOM consultant Jason Alan Harris.

Then it was on to our youngest member of Dancers over 40…and FRIENDS, 13 year-old Charles Kirsch, who has his own podcast on Apple, Spotify and more called Backstage Babble. He is interviewing DO40 members and has already spoken with Mary Jane Houdina, Eileen Casey, Anita Gillette, as well as old time members Lee Roy Reams and Sondra Lee. Check out his podcast for other interviews with Charles Busch, Rita Gardener, Josh Bergasse and Joel Grey! Thanks to our Cast Us! Hire Us! page on our DO40 website, Charles got to see the depth of our “talent!” We still need more DO40 members to be engaged and enshrined on that page, so contact DO40 and send in a photo and brief bio summary ASAP!

DO40 President John Sefakis hosted, along with ZOOM co-host Jason Alan Harris, with a surprise guest and spur of the moment performance by Stella D’oro, the Queen Mum of Vaccine for Project Achieve/The New York Blood Center and Columbia University’s HIV Vaccine Trials Network – who opened for DO40’s CHICAGO reunion at our Alvin Ailey dance concert in 2012 reuniting the 1975 Cell Block Tango Ladies: DO40 Advisory Board member Chita Rivera, DO40 Legacy Honorees Candy Brown, Cheryl Clark and Michon Peacock, as well as Candace Tovar and Joan Albright (substituting for DO40 Advisory board member Graciela Daniele and Pam Sousa).

Stella D’oro, last seen at our 2012 DO40 Alvin Ailey dance concert/CHICAGO reunion event!

Our next event will be held in December – our annual DO40 Legacy Awards. However, due to the pandemic, we are unsure if we can secure a venue, if even only for a small dinner to honor our three recipients, Dennis Birchall, Jeri Kansas and Francis J. Roach. We would ZOOM that event to members and friends. TBD and TBA for now!

Members who participated included JoAnn Mariano, Patti Mariano, Leni Anders, Tom McRoberts, Jane Barbara, Ken Bloom, Charles Kirsch, Joshua Ellis, Francine Storey, Kathryn Doby, Jeri Kansas, Robert Sacheli, Candy Brown, Martha Warschaw, Christine Colby Jacques, Joy Serio Dunbar, John Gilvey, DO40 Prez John Sefakis along with DO40 board members Eileen Casey, Nancy Dalton Flowers, Sasha Spielvogel and Patrick McCarthy – and with Susan Sigrist (we think) on the phone!

Remembering DO40 Advisory Board Member Marge Champion

The DO40 Halloween Meeting will be posted on the member-only page of our website shortly for ALL of our members to view (our August 25th meeting is up and running as well)! Of course, since we ARE over 40, it took about 20 minutes for some members to get their video to work and NOT focus on their noses or apartment ceilings! Technology called, and we didn’t pick up our landline!

A video clip from our 2008 Jack Cole event at Symphony Space

The Holidays are upon us! And what better a gift to your loved ones than a membership to Dancers over 40…and Friends! Remember, you don’t need to be a dancer, or over 40 to join (just ask 13 year-old new member Charles Kirsch)! Just visit www.dancersover40.org and click on the JOIN/RENEW/DONATE button (you can donate any time, of course!) – and let us know if you’d like to give a gift of community to someone you love!

Armchair version of Cell Block Tango by Stella D’oro! Zooming can’t do everything! LOLOL

Members Only! If you missed the meeting check it out here.

WHO’S ZOOMIN’ WHO
AT DO40’S FIRST NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING!
Tuesday, August 25th, 7pm

DO40 President John Sefakis, along with ZOOM host Jason Harris,
take the helm of this huge membership meeting! Took a few pages of our desktop to see everyone!

DO40’s first ZOOM national membership meeting Tuesday night, August 25th was phenomenal! There were over 50 members from all over the US of A – CA, CO, WI, KY, KS, MD, NC, DC, MA, RI and NY (and one from the UK at our “rehearsal” meeting August 22nd!), a few technical screw ups, but hey, we're dancers over you-know-what, and this technology is new to us! We did not know what to expect! This from Patch Schwadron, of The Actors Fund who gave us a power point presentation: “The warmth of those gathered was so evident. I hope (everyone) will continue to develop appreciation of how they can stay connected virtually from wherever they may be.”

Besides The Actors Fund’s Schwadron, Actors Equity, Equity League and SAG/AFTRA spoke about benefits, pensions and COVID-19 issues (Jennifer Swiderski, Vincent Cinelli and DO40 member and SAG/AFTRA LA delegate Anthony Marciona). DO40 members and authors Kevin Winkler, John Gilvey and Ken Bloom, talked about their prospective and respective works on Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon and Tommy Tune. Also, a trip down memory lane with Sue Samuels and JoJo's Dance Factory, (which may become a DO40 Zoom event on it’s own!) and a mini-reunion of cast members from 42nd Street featuring super cast members Lee Roy Reams, 2020 DO40 Legacy Award honoree Jeri Kansas and Cathy Jones Wolf, celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Broadway opening. We are also in talks to produce the 20th anniversary ZOOM of CONTACT and a reunion of the Broadway and movie casts of THE WIZ! All that while still figuring out how to produce our 2020 DO40 Legacy Awards (contingent on NYC COVID-19 rules and regulations).

A clip from DO40 2014 Legacy Award honoree Carolyn Kirsch’s talk at our 2007 (!!!!)
Women of Fosse event (also pictured, Jeannie Jones Snow, Dana Moore, Harvey Evans and Marge Beddow)

Besides the “live” event, we showed clips our previous panels and performances, featuring the opening Wilkkomen number from Cabaret by our members, DO40 member Carolyn Kirsch speaking on the importance of theater and dance education from our Women of Fosse event, our 42nd Street “reunion”/closing number from our David Merrick event and the Dancin’ Man number recreated by 2019 DO40 Legacy Award honoree Kathryn Doby from our 40th Anniversary of Bob Fosse’s DANCIN’ event!

We went a teensy bit long - 2 1/2 hours – as our ZOOM host, Jason Harris, allowed each of our members to take “center stage,” say hello and mention their community affiliation. It was SO long, 2019 DO40 Legacy Award honoree Candy Brown had to take her dog out for a walk, and stayed on line – looking like a bee keeper in her COVID protective gear! We thought we were getting ZOOM-bombed (yes, that’s a thing now!).

DO40 will continue its mission to promote a community of support for mature artists and pay it forward to the next generation in any way, shape or form we need it to be to get through these troubling times. Your support through membership dues and donations is crucial to our survival, however. The video of the meeting will be available on our website (for DO40 members only!) soon!

She’s STILL eager to give “notes” on this 2017 performance of
the 40th Anniversary of Bob Fosse’s DANCIN’!
(Fosse assistant and DO40 2019 Legacy Award honoree Kathryn Doby)

Attendees: Leni Anders, Gail Benedict, Barbara Bernardo, Ken Bloom, Candy Brown, Leslie Burgin, Eileen Casey, Lori Tan Chinn, Vincent Cinelli, Christine Colby, Kathryn Doby, James Dybas, Josh Ellis, Ellen Fluhr, Darlene Wendy Frank, John Gilvey, Jason Harris, Lynda Harris, Cathy Jones Wolf, David James, Jeri Kansas, Teddy Kern, Carolyn Kirsch, Lawrence Leritz, Anthony Marciona, Patrick McCarthy, Susan McCollum, Thomas McRoberts, Sandy Nance, Kristine Nevins, Diane Nicole, Michon Peacock, Lee Roy Reams, Francis J. Roach, Larry Ross, Joanna Rush, Robert Sacheli, Sue Samuels, Patch Schwadron, John Sefakis, Kathy Seng Gurland, Sasha Spielvogel, Stephanie Stabile, Mary Jane Stevens, Francine Storey, Jennifer Swiderski, Reed Waller, Martha Warschau, Sharon Wendrow, Kevin Winkler and Judy Wong.

Watching our DO40 members perform the Wilkkomen number from Cabaret in front of a the
TONY Awards performance they did back in 1968!

Page Two of our ZOOM meeting members (some hidden, some twice, for some reason!)

The 42nd Street “Gang” from our 2019 David Merrick event!

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS FIRST TIME ZOOM MEETING!

VIEW THE ZOOM MEETING - FOR MEMBERS ONLY!

Dear Friends, Fans and Members of Dancers over 40,

We hope you are doing well and taking the precautions needed during this pandemic. Like all organizations, DO40 has been hit with tremendous losses in revenue and grant money due to COVID-19.

In order to continue to provide our members – and supporters - the benefits we do, we must use all areas of fundraising expertise that we can. We’ve identified a simple way to help DO40 at no cost to you.

Many members are already using Amazon as a main provider of an assortment of goods. Please consider clicking on www.smile.amazon.com before making your purchases on Amazon and chose Dancers over 40 as your non-profit charity. Then, just shop as you regularly do and Amazon donates a portion of the sales to DO40!

How to support DO40 on Amazon Smile, is as simple as 5, 6, 7, 8!

5. Go to www.smile.amazon.com

6. Continue to your regular Amazon account

7. Select the option for a Charity

8. Select Dancers Over 40!!

Amazon will send DO40 a percentage of your purchased items. THERE IS NO EXTRA COST.

This is a particularly difficult time for everyone, especially for our members and friends who are personally affected by COVID-19. As an organization whose mission is to create a community of support for mature dancers, choreographers and related artists, it is difficult not to operate on a social level – hard to meet and greet our peers and reminisce in person at this moment in time. As you all know, we had to cancel our Spring 2020 events, and now must revamp our Fall season and plan a Spring 2021 season while acknowledging that this pandemic knows no boundaries, no timeframe, and no compassion. While complying with NY State protocols, DO40 hopes to continue its mission and will strive for the best possible solution to meeting our organization’s goals.

We canceled our Spring 45th Reunion of the cast of the WIZ and also our upcoming Fall event, The Dancers of Jerry Herman. We will be working very hard to see if it is possible to produce our DO40 Legacy Awards this December. We have done yeoman’s work, providing so much material for the next generation and donating all that we do to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.

We are all in this together, as a community, and proud of all of our accomplishments throughout the years. We hope to continue as an organization as long as we can, with your help and cooperation.

Thank you for your support over the years. We know this situation seems insurmountable at times, but many of us have survived wars, plagues, epidemics – and even flop shows! Everybody RISE!

Current News

DO40 KICKED OFF IT’S 2021 – 2022 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL OUTREACH WITH A VIRTUAL BOFFO BROADWAY TRIVIA CONTEST JULY 20TH – STILL AVAILABLE TO VIEW ONLINE!

A SPECTACULAR STAR-STUDDED DO40 SPELLING EVENT!

Dancers over 40 presents … The Entrepreneurs!! Our April 18, 2021 Membership Meeting shines with productive and prolific authors and entrepreneurs!

TRIVIA NIGHT WITH DO40 AND BACKSTAGE BABBLE MARCH 20TH

A SURPRISE DO40 MEMBER ZOOM MEETING FOR LIZA MINNELLI’S 75TH BIRTHDAY!

VALENTINES DAY DO40 MEMBERSHIP MEETING: A HEARTFELT REUNION OF DANCERS FROM ALL DISCIPLINES

A THEATER PODCAST WITH TONS OF OUR DO40 “CAST US, HIRE US” MEMBERS AT THE READY TO SHARE THEIR HISTORY, THEIR LEGACIES AND THEIR LIVES!

THOUSANDS WATCH THE 12TH ANNUAL DO40 LEGACY AWARDS! Presented by Richard Skipper Celebrates and DO40 Monday, December 14th, 8pm

DO40 HALLOWEEN MEMBERSHIP MEETING: WHEN “BOO!” IS A GOOD THING! (SINCE IT’S NOT COMING FROM THE AUDIENCE!)

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSSION OF OUR HISTORY, OUR LEGACY AND OUR LIVES.

Members Only! If you missed the meeting check it out here.

OUR 2020 – 2021 MEMBERSHIP AND RENEWAL DRIVE BEGINS FOR OUR SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 – AUGUST 31, 2021 SEASON!

WHO’S ZOOMIN’ WHO AT DO40’S FIRST NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING! Tuesday, August 25th, 7pm

CAST US! HIRE US! PHOTO SHOOT FOR OUR MEMBERS AT SHETLER STUDIOS, NYC FEBRUARY 25, 2020

JOIN OUR NEW: Cast Us! Hire Us! page!

Cast Us! Hire Us ! Book Us! Book Us to Read!

This NEW “Cast Us! Hire Us!” page is a combination of our previous ArtsWorkplace and our Legacy Project!

DO40 KICKED OFF IT’S 2021 – 2022
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL OUTREACH WITH
A VIRTUAL BOFFO BROADWAY TRIVIA CONTEST
JULY 20TH – STILL AVAILABLE TO VIEW ONLINE!

Dancers over 40 presents …
The Entrepreneurs!!
Our April 18, 2021 Membership Meeting
shines with productive and prolific authors and entrepreneurs!

TRIVIA NIGHT WITH DO40 AND BACKSTAGE
BABBLE MARCH 20TH

A SURPRISE DO40 MEMBER ZOOM MEETING FOR
LIZA MINNELLI’S 75TH BIRTHDAY!

VALENTINES DAY DO40 MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
A HEARTFELT REUNION OF DANCERS FROM ALL DISCIPLINES

A THEATER PODCAST WITH TONS OF OUR DO40
“CAST US, HIRE US” MEMBERS AT THE READY TO SHARE THEIR HISTORY,
THEIR LEGACIES AND THEIR LIVES!

THOUSANDS WATCH THE 12TH ANNUAL
DO40 LEGACY AWARDS!
Presented by Richard Skipper Celebrates and DO40
Monday, December 14th, 8pm

DO40 HALLOWEEN MEMBERSHIP MEETING:
WHEN “BOO!” IS A GOOD THING!
(SINCE IT’S NOT COMING FROM THE AUDIENCE!)

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSSION
OF OUR HISTORY, OUR LEGACY AND OUR LIVES.

OUR 2020 – 2021 MEMBERSHIP AND RENEWAL
DRIVE BEGINS FOR OUR
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 – AUGUST 31, 2021 SEASON!

WHO’S ZOOMIN’ WHO
AT DO40’S FIRST NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING!
Tuesday, August 25th, 7pm

CAST US! HIRE US!
PHOTO SHOOT FOR OUR MEMBERS
AT SHETLER STUDIOS, NYC
FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Cast Us! Hire Us !
Book Us! Book Us to Read!

This NEW “Cast Us! Hire Us!” page is a combination of our previous
ArtsWorkplace and our Legacy Project!