Patricia Birch Biography (1934?-)

Born c. 1934, in Scarsdale, NY; daughter of Abraham S. and Mary (maiden name,Levinsohn) Birch; married William J. Becker III (president of Janus Films);children: Jonathan Heath, Peter Heath, Alison Becker Hurt. Addresses:Agent: William Morris Agency, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Choreographer, director, actress
Birth Details: 1934?; Scarsdale, New York

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Choreographer
Up Eden, Jan Hus Playhouse, 1968
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami,FL, 1968
The Me Nobody Knows, Orpheum Theatre and Helen Hayes Theatre, bothNew York City, both 1970
F. Jasmine Adams, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1971
Grease, Broadhurst Theatre, then Royale Theatre, both New York City, both 1972 later Eden Theatre, New York City, 1972-1979
The Real Inspector Hound [and] After Magritte (double bill), Theatre Four, New York City, 1972-1973
A Little Night Music, Sam S. Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1973then Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1973-1974
Grease, New London Theatre, London, 1973
Over Here!, 1974
Candide, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1974
Diamond Studs (also known as The Life of Jesse James), Westside Theatre, New York City, 1975 then Fords Theatre Society, Washington, DC,1975
(And director) Truckload, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1975
Music Is, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1976
Pacific Overtures, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1976
(And director; both with Robert Kalfin), Happy End, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, then Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY, both 1977
Hot Grog, The Phoenix Theatre, Marymount Manhattan Theatre, Manhattan, NY, 1977
Street Scene, New York City Opera, 1979
Gilda Radner Live from New York, Winter Garden Theatre, 1979
They're Playing Our Song, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1979
Zoot Suit, Winter Garden Theatre, 1979
(And director) Really Rosie, Chelsea Theatre Center/Upstairs, NewYork City, 1979-1980 then American Place Theatre, New York City, 1980-1981
(And director) El Bravo!, Entermedia Theatre, 1981
(And director) American Passion, Joyce Theater, New York Theatre,1983
Pacific Overtures, Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1984
(And director) Raggedy Ann, Nederlander Theatre, New York City, 1986
(And director) A Walk on the Wild Side, Musical Theatre Works, City Stage Company Theatre, New York City, 1988
Elvis: A Rockin' Remembrance, Beacon Theatre, New York City, 1989
Love's Labours Lost, The Acting Company, Marymount Manhattan Theatre, 1989
Street Scene, New York State Theatre, New York City, 1990
Candide, Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1997
Parade, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1998-1999
(And director) Exactly Like You, York Theatre Company, New York City, 1999
Stage Work
Other
Assistant director, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Little Fox Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 1968
Tango sequence stager, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Broadway production, 1968
Director of special sequences, Fireworks, Village South Theatre, New York City, 1969
The Creation of the World and Other Business, New York, 1972
Production supervisor, V.I.P. Night on Broadway, Sam S. Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1979

Musical staging, Roza, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, LosAngeles, 1986-1987 and Royale Theatre, New York City, 1987
Musical staging, Welcome to the Club, Music Box Theatre, New YorkCity, 1989
Musical staging, Anna Karenina, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1992
Director (with Susan Feldman), Band in Berlin, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1999
Director, The Snow Queen, Royal National Theatre, London, then Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia, PA, 1999
Also staged Falstaff (opera), at Kennedy Center, Washington, DC; worked on King Island Christmas; I Sent a Letter to My Love.
Stage Appearances; as Dancer
Brigadoon, New York City Light Opera Company, City Center Theatre,New York City, 1957
Carousel, New York City Light Opera Company, City Center Theatre,1957
Oklahoma!, New York City Light Opera Company, City Center Theatre,1958
Goldilocks, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 1958
Stage Appearances; as Actress
(Dramatic debut) Anybody's, West Side Story, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1960
Constance, Fortuna, Maidman Playhouse, 1962
Film Choreographer
Savages, 1972
The Wild Party, American International Pictures, 1975
A Little Night Music (also known as Das Laecheln einer Sommernacht), New World Pictures, 1977
Roseland, Cinema Shares International, 1977
Grease, Paramount, 1978
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Universal, 1978
Gilda Live, 1980
Zoot Suit, Universal, 1981
(And director) Grease 2, Paramount, 1982
Big, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988
(Las Vegas sequences) Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, New World Pictures, 1988
(As Pat Birch) Stella, Samuel Goldwyn/Buena Vista, 1991
(As Pat Birch) Sleeping with the Enemy, 1991
(As Pat Birch) Billy Bathgate, 1991
(As Pat Birch) This Is My Life, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
(As Pat Birch) Used People, 1992
(As Pat Birch) North, Columbia, 1994
The Cowboy Way, 1994
(As Pat Birch) The First Wives Club, Paramount, 1996
Also choreographed Awakenings.
Film Director
Angel, 1980
Television Choreographer
Series
The Electric Company, PBS, 1971-1974
Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1979
The Robert Klein Show, NBC, 1981
Also choreographed The Gary Shandling Show; The Muppets.
Specials
The Goldie Hawn Special, CBS, 1978
The New Show, NBC, 1984
"Candide," Live from Lincoln Center, PBS, 1986
(With Humphrey Burton) Celebrating Gershwin (also known as TheJazz Age and `S Wonderful), PBS, 1987
Also choreographed Good Sports; The Orchestra; Robert Klein Special; The Academy Awards; The American Music Awards; The Grammy Awards; Square One; This Is the Moment TV DonnyOsmond.
Television Director
Specials
Three By Three (also known as Dance in America), PBS, 1985
Also directed Christmas with Flicka; Unforgettable 20th Anniversary; Dancing; Natalie Cole's Untraditional Xmas.
Television Appearances
Specials
(As Pat Birch) VH-1 Behind the Music: Grease, VH1, 2000
RECORDINGS
Music Videos
Choreographed "The Very Thought of You"; "Better Not Tell Her"; "True Colors"; "Money Changes Everything"; "Frankie"; "It's My Party"; "Beat Street Slut"; "Harlem Shuffle"; "She Bop"; "Jump."
Other Videos
Choreographed NBC Olympic Video.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Dance Magazine, August, 1999, p. 42
New York Times, October 29, 1972

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