‘Wicked’ Choreographer on Ariana Grande’s High Kick, Viral Dance Moves and Why ‘No Books Were Harmed’ in ‘Dancing Through Life’

variety.com:

Angelique Jackson “Wicked” choreographer Christopher Scott used to escape to the movies as a kid. When his family moved from Maryland to Los Angeles, Scott would head to the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to work out his angst. “I’d take my ticket stub, and they would let me back in, so I paid once, but I saw it probably 10 times,” Scott tells Variety, recalling the summer of 1998 when he religiously watched (and rewatched) “Blade” starring Wesley Snipes. “Any time I was frustrated, I would just go.

That was my outlet.” So, when “Wicked” debuted in theaters last month, Scott strolled back into that famed cinema. “I could feel my younger self in that theater, dealing with those emotions and remembering how powerful this stuff can really be,” Scott recalls. “This was my sanctuary, and now I’m watching my choreography on screen.

And I have a cameo. When I popped up on screen, I was crying.” (Scott is the gentleman who takes Elphaba and Glinda’s coats when the witches pull into the Emerald City train station.) It should be noted that “Wicked” is far from Scott’s first foray into making magic on the big screen: His partnership with the film’s director Jon M.

Chu began 17 years ago on “Step Up 2: The Streets” and has continued ever since. The duo partnered on three more “Step Up” movies, as well as “In The Heights,” “Jem and the Holograms” and “Now You See Me 2.” But they’ve never had a hit quite as big as “Wicked.” The Universal movie, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has grossed $322 million domestically and $457 million worldwide to date.