Choreographer David Neumann will receive the Douglas and Ethel Watt Critics Choice Award at the 2025 Chita Rivera Awards.
The Douglas and Ethel Watt Critics’ Choice Award is bestowed by the journalists of the Chita Rivera Awards Broadway judging committee, to recognize outstanding work that falls outside the framework of the original categories. It is named for the longtime Daily News theatre critic Douglas Watt and his wife Ethel. Neumann's award honors his work on this season's Broadway musical Swept Away.
In a statement, the committee commented, “Adroitly deploying an ensemble in the cramped space of a realistic shipboard set, Mr. Neumann sent his crew flying on ropes and pounding into the deck, filling the stage with the sweaty physicality of 19th-century working sailors. In the show's climactic shipwreck scene, he created a remarkable tableau that filled the Longacre proscenium from top to bottom with breathtaking imagery. We are honored to give David this well deserved recognition.”
The 2025 Chita Rivera Awards will be presented on May 19 at NYU Skirball. Tickets to the Chita Rivera Awards are available to the general public at ChitaRiveraAwards.com.
