NAME: Merritt, Steve

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
c. 1945, San Jose, CA

DEATH DATE/LOCATION:
24 January 1993, Los Angeles, age 48

  • identification & bio
  • key contact
  • human repositories
  • video documentation
  • photographic documentation
    		•
  • movement notation
  • production materials
  • oral history
  • personal papers
  • immediate needs
    		•
  • other relevant information
  • overview of works
  • bibliography
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    IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
    Steve Merritt began making dances in the 1960s and quickly became known for his ability to create choreography that was charged with eroticism, including for the Chippendales franchise. He made dances for San Francisco's famous stage show Beach Blanket Babylon from 1979 to 1993, and in 1988 he choreographed the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, notably the controversial Snow White/Rob Lowe opening number. Merritt began his professional career as a Las Vegas dancer in Ann-Margret's nightclub act. For six years he worked with Televisa in Mexico City, creating music videos and choreographing television shows. According to Larry Billman, "In 1975 he formed a group of male dancers (Larry Cole, Jerry Evans, Jeffrey Hornaday and Tim Michaels) titled Friends, who appeared with Petula Clark in clubs and on television. While rehearsing, he said in Dance Magazine, 'I choreograph from the solar plexus' with the writer commenting '... and that's where his dancers hit the spectator too.' His work in Gimme an 'F' contains one of the few sensual male dance routines in the history of American film...." Merritt made two memorable shows for The Dunes in Las Vegas: Dream Street (1981) and Night Dreams (1991). Others influenced by Merritt include Jerry Evans, Peggy Holmes, and Jeffrey Hornaday.

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    According to the New York Times obituary, Merritt was survived by his mother, a brother, and a sister. They have not been located.

    Jo Schuman Silver
    Producer
    Beach Blanket Babylon
    470 Columbus #204
    San Francisco, CA 94133
    415-421-4284

    Kenny Mazlow
    Artistic Director
    Beach Blanket Babylon
    415-421-4284

    Linc King
    Vice President and General Manager
    Beach Blanket Babylon
    415-421-4284
    Lincking@beachblanketbabylon.com

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    Kenny Mazlow
    (see above)

    Note: Portions of Merritt's choreography are still performed in the Beach Blanket Babylon show. Mazlow recalls that a man named Michael served as Merritt's assistant on Dream Street at The Dunes. No further information available.

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    Every version of Beach Blanket Babylon is videotaped, and a categorized library of the show is maintained at the theater.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    Photo of Steve Merritt and Dream Street cast may be found in the May 1983 issue of Dance Magazine.

    See also photos with Michael Rapp in Dance Magazine September 1987, pp. 64-65.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    None found.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    Beach Blanket Babylon holds materials that are still used in the production of the show.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    None found.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    Clippings file at Academy of Dance on Film, Los Angeles. Materials related to Beach Blanket Babylon are held in that company's archives.

    IMMEDIATE NEEDS
    (archival assistance? storage? other?):
    Search for executor.

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    According to Linc King, General Manager of Beach Blanket Babylon, the company's materials may eventually be donated to the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum.

    LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):
    This information is from Larry Billman (see below):

    television credits including: The Midnight Special, Bill Cosby Special, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show, Bing Crosby Christmas Special (1975), 61st Academy Awards Show (1988)

    acts including: Petula Clark, Sammy Davis, Jr., Friends, Tom Jones, Liza Minnelli, Pia Zadora

    industrials for IBM, Campbell Soup, Cadillac

    Vive Paris Vive (1974)—Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, nightclub/concert

    Beach Blanket Babylon (1979-93)—Club Fugazi, San Francisco, stage show

    Portrait of a Stripper (1979)—CBS television film, choreography for dance sequence

    Jukebox (1982)—London, stage show

    Dream Street (1981)—The Dunes and Desert Inn Hotel, Las Vegas, stage show

    Stars on 45 (n.d.)—Los Angeles, stage show

    Gimme an "F"—film choreography with famous erotic male scene

    Welcome to My Fantasy, etc. (1986-93)—Chippendales revues

    Tall, Dark and Handsome (1987)—The Chippendales, music video

    The Chippendales (1991)—London, stage show

    Night Dreams (1991)—The Dunes, Las Vegas, stage show

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Billman, Larry. 1997. Film Choreographers and Dance Directors: An Illustrated Biographical Encyclopedia, with a History and Filmographies, 1893 through 1995. Jefferson, N. Carolina: McFarland & Company. 414.
    • Dance Magazine. 1993. "Obituaries: Steve Merritt" (May).
    • Daily Variety. 1993. "Obituaries: Steve Merritt" (3 February): 8.
    • Frontiers. 1993. "Steve Merritt" (26 February).
    • New York Times. 1993. "Steve Merritt, Choreographer, 48" (31 January).
         		 
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