After Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons won the Tony Award for their choreography of CATS: The Jellicle Ball, the pair teased what musical they’d like to take on next.
In the press room after their win on Sunday, June 7, at Radio City Music Hall, Wiles and Lyons were asked what other musicals they would like to choreograph after being lauded for their work on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which has been reenvisioned and set in the underground world of LGBTQ+ ballroom culture.
“We’re so multifaceted when it comes to choreography,” Wiles told press at the 2026 Tony Awards. “We don’t want people to just think of us as vogue choreographers because we do West African, street jazz, hip-hop, contemporary. We’re full of many tricks, and we’re just that magical!”
Explaining that they’d love to “bring original stories to Broadway and to theaters,” the two have also been talking about taking on a specific project with two other choreographers they know.
“We thought about, you know, possibly doing a revival of like Fame,” Wiles revealed. “And what would that look like?”
“No one’s ever done it before,” Wiles added, saying the project could be “amazing” with four choreographers who are also the directors at the helm.
“Manifesting,” he said.
Fame, based on the 1980 musical film of the same name, has yet to make its Broadway debut.
The musical ran Off-Broadway at the Little Shubert Theatre from October 2003 to June 2004.
Directed by Drew Scott Harris, the cast included Shakiem Evans as Tyrone Jackson, Nicole Leach, Cheryl Freeman and Christopher J. Hanke.
The musical also played in the West End in 1995, and the 1998 North American tour starred the late Gavin Creel as Nick Piazza.
The 79th annual Tony Awards, hosted by Pink, are being broadcast live on Sunday, June 7, from Radio City Music Hall.
Photo Credit: Michele Crowe/CBS
