Wayne Cilento

Wayne Louis Cilento, born August 28, 1949, in the Bronx, New York City, is an American actor, dancer, director, and choreographer. He grew up in suburban Westchester County and came to dance relatively late, having attended only a single class around age seven or eight before abandoning it. His serious interest in performance began in high school after seeing the original production of Cabaret, which prompted him to audition for school musicals, earn dance leads, and begin studying twice a week. He went on to attend SUNY College at Brockport, graduating in 1972, where he studied under Bill Glassman of the American Ballet Theatre.

Shortly after marrying his high school sweetheart, Cathy Colety, Cilento made his Broadway debut in the chorus of Seesaw in 1973, his first experience working with choreographer Michael Bennett. That same year he appeared in Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don't You Ever Forget It, where he met several performers who would later become his A Chorus Line castmates. He was also part of the company of Irene before Bennett invited him to participate in the workshop sessions that would develop into A Chorus Line between 1974 and 1975.

Cilento originated the role of Mike in A Chorus Line, a character described as short, athletic, and aggressive — traits drawn directly from Cilento's own personality. He introduced the song "I Can Do That," though the specific autobiographical story behind it belonged to fellow performer Sammy Williams. During the show's development, the creative team also explored giving Cilento a second solo number titled "Joanne" and a role as a backup dancer in Cassie's nightclub sequence, both of which were ultimately cut. He appeared in the production's iconic marketing materials alongside the full ensemble and received the Theatre World Special Award for ensemble performance in 1976.

Following A Chorus Line, Cilento appeared in The Act with Liza Minnelli in 1977 and then joined Bob Fosse's dance-driven revue Dancin' in 1978, which earned him his first Tony Award nomination, for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He subsequently appeared in Fosse's Big Deal and in the Frank Loesser revue Perfectly Frank. He also took the lead role in the touring production of the Jack Cole musical Jack and had a small part in the film Annie alongside Ann Reinking and Pamela Blair. During this period, Cilento appeared in more than 100 national television commercials for brands including VISA, Dr Pepper, Burger King, McDonald's, Kmart, and Dairy Queen.

In the early 1980s, Cilento transitioned into directing and choreography. His stage credits in this capacity include the Jerry Herman revue Jerry's Girls, featuring Chita Rivera, and Baby in 1983, the latter earning him his second Tony nomination, for Best Choreography. His profile as a choreographer grew substantially when his work on The Who's Tommy in 1993 brought him both the Tony Award for Best Choreography and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography. He repeated that production's success in London, receiving a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Theatre Choreographer in 1997. Also in 1995, he choreographed the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, recreating Bob Fosse's original style, and later staged a revival of Sweet Charity. He choreographed two major hits of the 2000s, Aida in 2000 and Wicked in 2003, and received Tony nominations for both. Additional Tony nominations came for his work on Dream in 1997 and Sweet Charity in 2005.

Beyond the stage, Cilento has directed and choreographed for concert performances and television featuring artists including Alicia Keys, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Donna Summer, the Jonas Brothers, and Pete Townshend. He directed music videos for Billy Joel's "Keeping the Faith" and Barry Manilow's "Read 'em and Weep," produced a PBS special titled Spirit — A Journey in Dance, Drums and Song, and has won two Clio Awards for commercial work. He staged the hip-hop musical Holler If Ya Hear Me in 2014, which featured the music of Tupac Shakur, and directed the American Dance Machine's 2015–16 season at The Joyce Theater. In 2023, he directed and staged the first Broadway revival of Dancin', which received positive reviews and seven Chita Rivera Award nominations recognizing its dancers.

Cilento also appeared in the Broadway productions V.I.P. Night on Broadway and Happy Birthday, Mr. Abbott! He resides in Mamaroneck, New York, with his wife Cathy. They have three sons: Brian, Keith, and Doug.