Donald Saddler Biography (1918-)

Full name, Donald Edward Saddler; born January 24, 1918, in Van Nuys, CA; sonof Elmer Edward (a landscape designer) and Mary Elizabeth (Roberts) Saddler.Career: Choreographer, director, dancer, and producer. Dancer in nightclubs, New York City, 1939; Ballet Theatre, New York City, member, 1940-43,and 1946-47; State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, TX, director, 1957 and 1959; Carousel Theatre, Framingham, MA, director, 1958; Harkness Ballet, New York City,assistant director, then artistic director, 1964-70; Rebekah Harkness Foundation, New York City, executive vice president, 1967-69; Stratford ShakespeareFestival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, director, 1979 and (with others) 1989-90; International Ballet Corporation, executive board member, 1979; directorand choreographer for the opening of the Roger L. Stevens Center for the Performing Arts, Dallas, TX, 1983; New York Dance Festival, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, producer, for five years. Also worked as a choreographer of industrial shows. Military service: U.S. Army, 1943-45; became sergeant. Member: Actors' Equity Association, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Awards, Honors: Antoinette Perry Award, best choreographer, 1953, for Wonderful Town; Maschera d'Argento, 1954, for Tobia laCandida Spia; Antoinette Perry Award and Drama Desk Award, both best choreographer, 1971, for No, No, Nanette; Antoinette Perry Award nominations, best choreographer, 1973, for Much Ado about Nothing, and 1983, for On Your Toes; Dance magazine award, 1984. Addresses: Agent: Coleman-Rosenberg Agency, 210 East 58th St., New York, NY 10022.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Choreographer, director, dancer, producer
Birth Details: January 24, 1918; Van Nuys, California, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
Dancer, Grand Canyon Suite, Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA, 1937
Uncle Willie, High Button Shoes, Century Theatre, New York City, 1947
Dancer, Dance Me a Song, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1950
Dancer, Bless You All, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1950
Dancer, The Song of Norway, State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, TX, 1951
Fiftieth Anniversary Programme of the Ballet Theatre, New York City, 1955
Reverend Curtis Brown, Winesburg, Ohio, Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA, 1958
Macbeth, The Golden Round, Valerie Bettis Company, Jacob's Pillow,1960
Early Voyagers, Valerie Bettis Company, Jacob's Pillow, 1960
Dancer, The Castle Period, Boston Arts Festival, Boston, MA, 1961
Happy Birthday, Mr. Abbott!, Palace Theatre, New York City, 1987
Give My Regards to Broadway, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1991
Also appeared as Harry Beaton, Brigadoon, State Fair Music Hall; and as the title role, Bluebeard; Alias, Billy the Kid; Benno, Swan Lake; the Rose Cavalier, Aurora's Wedding; the White Cavalier, Les Patineurs; the Hussar, Lilac Garden; the Italian ballerina's partner, Gala Performance; Paris, Romeo and Juliet; and the head hunter, Peter and the Wolf, all with the Ballet Theatre, New York City.
Stage Work
Choreographer, Unless Otherwise Noted
Blue Mountain Ballads, Markova-Dolin Dance Company, 1948
Wish You Were Here, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1952
Wonderful Town, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1953
John Murray Anderson's Almanac, Imperial Theatre, 1953
Tobia la Candida Spia, Teatro Sistina, Rome, Italy, 1954
Wonderful Town, Prince's Theatre, London, England, 1955
(And director) Wonderful Town, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1955
La Patrona di Raddio di Luna, Teatro Sistina, 1955
Shangri-La, Winter Garden Theatre, 1956
Buona Notte Bettina, Teatro Lirico, Milan, Italy, 1956
L'Adorabile Giulio, Teatro Sistina, 1957
Winesburg, Ohio, Jacob's Pillow, 1958
This Property Is Condemned, Jacob's Pillow, 1958
Un Trapezio per Lisistrata, Teatro Sistina, 1958
Un Manderino per Teo, Italy, 1959
When in Rome, Adelphi Theatre, London, England, 1959
Dreams of Glory, Joffrey Ballet Company, New York City, 1961
Milk and Honey, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1961
Sophie, Winter Garden Theatre, 1963
Morning Sun, Phoenix Theatre, New York City, 1963
To Broadway, with Love, Texas Pavilion, World's Fair, Flushing, NY, 1964
No, No, Nanette, 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1971
Much Ado about Nothing, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, then Winter Garden Theatre, both 1972
Director, Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill, Theatre De Lys, NewYork City, 1972
Producer, The Dance Collection Gala, New York City, 1972
Tricks, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1973
No, No, Nanette, Drury Lane Theatre, London, England, 1973
Fanfare Gala, City Center Theatre, New York City, 1973
Good News, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1973
Producer, The Sol Hurok Birthday Gala, Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, 1973
The Merry Wives of Windsor, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, 1974
Miss Moffat, Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1974

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 1975
A Doll's House, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1975
A Gala Tribute to Joshua Logan, Imperial Theatre, 1975
Producer, The 30th Anniversary of City Center Theatre, City CenterTheatre, 1975
Rodgers and Hart, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1975
Producer, The 35th Anniversary of the American Ballet Theatre, NewYork City, 1975
The Robber Bridegroom, Acting Company, Harkness Theatre, New YorkCity, 1975, then Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1976
Director, George Abbott.a Celebration, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1976
Koshare (ballet), Harkness Ballet, New York City, 1976
Vaudeville (ballet), Harkness Ballet, 1976
Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts (ballet), Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati, OH, 1976
(With others) Icedancing, Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 1978
The Grand Tour, Palace Theatre, 1979
A Long Way to Boston, 1979
Happy New Year, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1980
Hey, Look Me Over!, Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, 1981
Producer (with Martin Feinstein), The Pre-Inaugural Ballet-Opera Gala, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1981
Director, Life with Father, Westside YMCA, New York City, 1982
Pardon, Monsieur Moliere, Rome, Italy, 1982
On Your Toes, Virginia Theatre, New York City, 1983
Director, I Hear Music.of Frank Loesser and Friends, Ballroom Theatre, New York City, 1984
(And director) 100 Years of Performing Arts at the Metropolitan, Metropolitan Opera House, 1984
(And director) A Celebration for Sir Anton Dolin, Royal Opera House, London, England, 1984
The Loves of Anatol, Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City,1985
The Golden Land, Second Avenue Theatre, New York City, 1985
Broadway, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland, OH, then RoyaleTheatre, New York City, both 1987
The Student Prince, New York City Opera, State Theatre, New York City, 1987
Teddy and Alice, Minskoff Theatre, 1987
(And director) Kiss Me Kate, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1989
Director (with George Abbott), Frankie, York Theatre, New York City, 1989
Choreographer of The Boys from Syracuse, Great Lakes Theatre Festival; My Fair Lady, Stratford Shakespeare Festival; and Tropicana, off-Broadway production. Director and choreographer of Washington OperaFollies, Washington Opera, Washington, DC; American Ballet Theatre'sFortieth Anniversary, Metropolitan Opera House; Tribute to Lucille Lortel, Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City; Tribute to Richard Rodgers, Imperial Theatre; Merman-Martin Gala, Broadway Theatre, New YorkCity; Tribute to Cy Coleman, Avery Fisher Hall; An Evening with Kurt Weill, Philharmonic Hall, New York City; Jo Sullivan in Concert, Ballroom Theatre, White Barn Theatre, Westport, CT, and Carnegie Hall, NewYork City; Tribute to George Abbott, Broadway Theatre; Tribute to Lerner and Loewe, Broadway Theatre; Stratford Shakespeare Festival Gala; American Guild of Musical Artists 100th Anniversary Gala; also director and choreographer of the Theatre Hall of Fame ceremonies for seven years as well as for the first International Ballet Competition, Jackson, MS; producer of The Cynthia Gregory Gala, Metropolitan Opera House; also producer of the Lincoln Center Perform-a-Thon, New York City.
Choreographer and director of the operas Abduction from the Seraglio, and Weiner Blut, both Washington Opera, Washington, DC, and Bitter Sweet, Orlando Opera, Orlando, FL; choreographer of the operas Aida, Dallas Civic Opera, Dallas, TX; La Perichole, Metropolitan Opera House; and The Merry Widow, New York City Opera, State Theatre, NewYork City.
Major Tours; Choreographer, Unless Otherwise Noted
We Take the Town, U.S. cities, 1962
Knickerbocker Holiday, U.S. cities, 1971
No, No, Nanette, U.S. cities, 1971-73
Good News, U.S. cities, 1973-74
Hellzapoppin', U.S. cities, 1976-77
(And director) Oh, Kay!, U.S. and Canadian cities, 1978
On Your Toes, U.S. cities, 1984
My Fair Lady, U.S. cities, 1993-94
Film Work
Choreographer
April in Paris, Warner Bros., 1952
By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Warner Bros., 1953
Young at Heart, Warner Bros., 1954
The Main Attraction, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Seven Arts, 1963
The Happy Hooker, Cannon, 1975
Radio Days, Orion, 1987
Television Appearances
Series
Regular, Holiday Hotel, ABC, 1950
Television Work
Choreographer; Series
Holiday Hotel, ABC, 1950
Canozionissima, [Italy], 1959-60
Bell Telephone Hour, NBC, 1961-64
Choreographer; Specials
Much Ado about Nothing, CBS, 1973
Verna: U.S.O. Girl, PBS, 1978
Choreographer of Alice in Wonderland, PBS.
Choreographer; Awards Presentations
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1973
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1975
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1976
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1977
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1978
Antoinette Perry Awards, 1983
Choreographer; Episodic
The Perry Como Show (also known as The Chesterfield Supper Club and The Kraft Music Hall), CBS, 1950
Other Television Work
Choreographer
Choreographer of In Fashion, PBS.*

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