Tony Charmoli (born June 11, 1922) is an American dancer, choreographer, and director, began dancing on Broadway in such shows as Make Mine Manhattan but soon began choreographing for television with Stop the Music in 1949. Charmoli then choreographed dance sequences for the popular Your Hit Parade, winning his first Emmy Award in 1955. He went on to direct and choreograph for some of the biggest stars including Dinah Shore, Lily Tomlin, Danny Kaye, Julie Andrews, Cyd Charisse, Shirley MacLaine, Mitzi Gaynor, and others. On Broadway, Tony choreographed Ankles Aweigh (1955) and Woman of the Year (1981) with Lauren Bacall. More recently he has focused his talents on directing for television, where he has directed such programs as the famous 1977 production of The Nutcracker starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, which was nominated for two Emmys (neither nomination was for Charmoli, however). He directed and choreographed nearly all of Mitzi Gaynor's television specials in the 1970s as well as two of Shirley MacLaine's. He also worked many times with Sid and Marty Krofft, directing all seventeen episodes of Lidsville and The Bugaloos respectively, as well as their special Fol-de-Rol. He also directed the first two years of Star Search (1984–85), and several years of Circus of the Stars, as well as John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979), winning the Directors Guild Award.He also directed several Bob Hope specials, more than twenty televised beauty pageants, and the short-lived summer replacement series The Keane Brothers Show (1977).Charmoli is the recipient of two Emmy Awards, plus eight other Emmy nominations.
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing - Comedy, Variety or Music Series
Star Sign
Gemini
#
Fact
1
He won the American Choreographer Life Achievement Award in 2001.
2
He was nominated as Best Director for two 1977 television variety specials, "Shirley MacLaine: Where Do We Go From Here?" and "Mitzi...Zings Into Spring", but neither program has been broadcast as often as his most famous TV special, the Baryshnikov production of "The Nutcracker", also telecast in 1977. Ironically, although the program itself received two Emmy nominations, Charmoli himself was not nominated, perhaps because he only directed it on television, and it was Mikhail Baryshnikov who conceived the production, choreographed it, and directed it onstage. Baryshnikov did receive a nomination for the program.
3
His birth date is variously given as January 11 and June 11.
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Destination Stardom
1999
TV Series
Blue Suede Shoes: Ballet Rocks!
1997
TV Movie
Breakfast with the Arts
1997
TV Series 1 episode
Miss Universe Pageant
1994
TV Special documentary
Miss Teen USA 1991
1991
TV Special
Miss Universe Pageant
1991
TV Special
The 40th Annual Miss USA Pageant
1991
TV Special
America's Dance Honors
1990
TV Special
Miss USA Pageant
1990
TV Movie
Circus of the Stars #14
1989
TV Special documentary
Circus of the Stars #13
1988
TV Special documentary
The 37th Annual Miss USA Pageant
1988
TV Special documentary
Miss Universe Pageant
1986
TV Special documentary
The Wildest West Show of the Stars
1986
TV Movie
Star Search
1983
TV Series 1 episode
Bob Hope's All-Star Super Bowl Party
1983
TV Special
Bob Hope's Pink Panther Thanksgiving Gala
1982
TV Movie
Bonnie & the Franklins
1982
TV Movie
Musical Comedy Tonight II
1981
TV Movie
Lily: Sold Out
1981
TV Movie musical sequences
The Big Show
1980
TV Series
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
1979
TV Movie
Mitzi... What's Hot, What's Not
1978
TV Special
The People's Command Performance
1978
TV Special
Leapin' Lizards, It's Liberace!
1978
TV Movie
The Nutcracker
1977/I
TV Movie
The John Davidson Christmas Special
1977
TV Movie
The Keane Brothers Show
1977
TV Series 4 episodes
Mitzi... Zings Into Spring
1977
TV Special
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here?
1977
TV Special
The Captain and Tennille
1976
TV Series 1 episode
Mitzi... Roarin' in the 20's
1976
TV Special
Gypsy in My Soul
1976
TV Movie
The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour
1975
TV Movie
Mitzi and a Hundred Guys
1975
TV Special
Doris Day Today
1975
TV Movie
Mitzi... A Tribute to the American Housewife
1974
TV Special
The Perry Como Winter Show
1973
TV Movie
Girl in My Life
1973
TV Series 1973-1974
Fol-de-Rol
1972
TV Movie
The Anthony Newley Show
1971
TV Movie
The Bugaloos
1970-1971
TV Series 17 episodes
Lidsville
1971
TV Series 17 episodes
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
TV Series choreographer - 20 episodes, 1957 - 1960 musical numbers staged by - 3 episodes, 1959 - 1962 stager - 1 episode, 1958
Arthur Freed's Hollywood Melody
1962
TV Movie choreographer
Bobby Darin and Friends
1961
TV Special musical numbers staged by
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1960
TV Series musical numbers staged by - 1 episode
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960
TV Movie choreographer
The George Gobel Show
1958
TV Series choreographer - 1 episode
The Taming of the Shrew
1956
TV Movie choreographer
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series choreographer - 2 episodes
Alice in Wonderland
1955
TV Movie choreographer
Your Hit Parade
TV Series staged by - 4 episodes, 1952 - 1954 stager - 1 episode, 1953
The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
1954
TV Series choreographer - 1 episode
Musical Comedy Tonight II
1981
TV Movie choreographer
Lily: Sold Out
1981
TV Movie choreographer
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
1979
TV Movie choreographer
Mitzi... What's Hot, What's Not
1978
TV Special choreographer
Mitzi... Zings Into Spring
1977
TV Special choreographer
Mitzi... Roarin' in the 20's
1976
TV Special choreographer
Gypsy in My Soul
1976
TV Movie choreographer
Mitzi and a Hundred Guys
1975
TV Special choreographer
Doris Day Today
1975
TV Movie choreographer
Mitzi... A Tribute to the American Housewife
1974
TV Special choreographer
Steambath
1973
TV Movie choreographer
The Julie Andrews Hour
1973
TV Series choreographer - 1 episode
What's the Matter with Helen?
1971
choreographer
The Danny Kaye Show
1963-1967
TV Series choreographer - 9 episodes
Alice Through the Looking Glass
1966
TV Movie choreographer
The Julie Andrews Show
1965
TV Special choreographer
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
America's Dance Honors
1990
TV Special co-producer
Feathertop
1961
TV Movie producer
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1960
TV Series producer - 3 episodes
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Cher
1975
TV Series
Dance Captain (1975)
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Biography
1995
TV Series documentary acknowledgment - 1 episode
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years
2008
Video documentary
Himself
Biography
2001
TV Series documentary
Himself - Interviewee
The Bell Telephone Hour
1961
TV Series
Himself
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1960
TV Series
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2001
Career Achievement Award
American Choreography Awards, USA
1980
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
1977
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety
Gypsy in My Soul (1976)
1976
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Gypsy in My Soul (1976)
1974
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Mitzi... A Tribute to the American Housewife (1974)
1956
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Best Choreographer
Your Hit Parade (1950)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1998
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program
Blue Suede Shoes: Ballet Rocks! (1997)
1982
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety
Lily: Sold Out (1981)
1981
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Lily: Sold Out (1981)
1981
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program
Musical Comedy Tonight II (1981)
1980
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
1978
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Mitzi... Zings Into Spring (1977)
1978
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special
Mitzi... Zings Into Spring (1977)
1978
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety
Mitzi... Zings Into Spring (1977)
1977
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy - Variety or Music Special
The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? (1977)
1976
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special
Mitzi... Roarin' in the 20's (1976)
1974
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Best Directing in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music
Mitzi... A Tribute to the American Housewife (1974)