Debra McWaters

Despite an enviable career directing and choreographing on stages around the world – and, most significantly, on Broadway – Debra McWaters’ life mission has always involved helping young people. Her passion is the artistic development of aspiring actors, singers, dancers, and performers of all types, but with a particular fondness for dance.

Dance is the discipline from which Debra has drawn inspiration, from the likes of Bob Fosse, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Eleanor Powell, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. In particular from Mr. Fosse, his work has been so inspiring to Deb that after being mentored for 15 years by Ann Reinking, then by Gwen Verdon as they worked (and traveled in the US and in London) on BTP and on a Fosse project she was told by Gwen that she was ready to teach the style, and she became one of the foremost teachers of his unique choreography, and wrote one of the definitive books on the subject: The Fosse Style (2008, University Press of Florida, with a foreword by Ben Vereen).

 

For more than 15 years, Debra was first the Assistant Choreographer and then Associate Choreographer for director, choreographer and legendary Fosse protégé, Ann Reinking.

With Ann Reinking, she participated in what anyone would consider ‘dream projects’ that began with the mounting of both the New York City Center Encores! production and the (still-running) Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning, smash hit Chicago The Musical, which originally starred Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth. Debra’s involvement in this now-iconic show continued on with the London, Australian and Viennese companies as well as the two simultaneous first U.S. National Tours, one of which became housed at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort for more than a year and originally co-starred Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen.

She then careened into yet another Tony award winner, Fosse, assisting Ann Reinking on the Broadway, West End, and National and European tours. The show won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Musical. Later, Debra herself became the Director and Choreographer of the second National and Internationl tours of Fosse, in addition to a special post-touring engagement presented by The Gateway Playhouse in New YorkDebra was Ann Reinking’s Associate Choreographer on Applause at Papermill Playhouse, No Strings! at New York City Center Encores!, The Look of Love at Roundabout Theatre Company, the original version of The Visit,at the Goodman Theatre with Chita Rivera, Legends at Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Suite Kander at Missouri State Ballet, Tonight at 8:30 at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Caution: Side Effects with Melissa Thodos Dancers.

Debra also was Associate Director & Choreographer for Broadway Under The Stars at Bryant Park, choreographer for Ben Vereen’s one-man shows, and choreographer for the workshops of two of composer Frank Wildhorn’s musicals: Wonderland, which eventually ran on Broadway, and Havana. In addition Debra had the distinct pleasure of working with 2014 Olympic Gold Medalists. Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Earlier in her career, Debra served as Chair of the University of South Florida Dance Department in Tampa. She holds a Masters degree in Mathematics with a concentration in statistics and, in her earlier non-showbiz life, worked at NASA on the space program, where her father was a launch team member on the Apollo mission.It was with Ann Reinking and others in 1991 that Debra co-founded the Broadway Theatre Project, which has developed into a world-class training ground for young artists. The success of BTP inspired her to author Musical Theatre Training: The Broadway Theatre Project Handbook, published in 2009 by University Press of Florida. Debra continues to write and is doing so for the very popular online magazine, Dance Informa. Bi-monthly a column describing the personal friendship she and Ann Reinking shared during their time together, is published.

Debra thanks her dance partner of years ago, Rob Hertenstein, Director, Entertainment Production for Norwegian Cruise Line for hosting Broadway Theatre Project in 2015.  The final performance took place in the 800 seat theatre onboard Norwegian’s newest ship at that time, Getaway.   She also had the distinct pleasure of working with writer, director, songwriter, producer and BTP visiting artist, Gianna Palminteri, and is looking forward to working with her once again.

Debra taught master classes, along with Co-Artistic Director, Herman Payne, at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival from 2012 until 2020.  She currently has enjoyed reviewing new works with Executive Director, Blake Coheley, with an eye toward helping to hold a reading for those that are ready or even workshop a new piece that is further along.

Debra stays challenged by the everchanging landscape of the new space program, has begun experimenting with choreographing for video, has a deep interest in the K-Pop group, BTS and their choreography, as well as that of Jackson Wangs from China, continues to ballroom dance, and is eagerly looking forward to the continuation of new opportunities in her life.  She is a proud Associate member of the SDC.