Karl Warden plays Daniel Pontipee in Seven Brides For Seven BrothersKarl Warden plays Daniel Pontipee in 5th Avenue Theatre’s Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (and is also the Assistant Choreographer). He was a competitive diver as a teenager before becoming a dancer and actor – and it shows! Plus, he seems like the nicest guy ever.
Karl is son of Detroit Tigers 1968 World Series Champion Pitcher Jon Warden and 1970 National Champion Synchronized Swimmer Karol. By time he was 10 years old he was training in a year round program with one of the top diving programs in the country. By 14, Karl was traveling around to world representing the USA in various competitions and exhibitions coming home with gold medals.
Always having been in the musicals at his high school, Karl saw a teammate’s jazz class rehearsing a dance and learned it from watching the teacher do it twice so she made him come to her jazz class that night. In three months time, he was the best dancer in the class and was teaching the other students and even choreographing dances. The teacher urged him to go to LA or NYC to start his career. That’s all the urging he need.
He decided to retire from diving at 19, leave Tennessee and move to NYC and was noticed by Michael Mao Modern Dance, one of the top NYC modern dance companies, and was offered a spot in the company. After 9 months in NYC he was offered the CHICAGO national tour.
He did three and a half years on tour with CHICAGO, Cats then the world tour of Fosse starring Ben Vereen and Ruthie Henshall. After that tour he was hand picked by Patti Colombo for the re-creation of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Goodspeed Musicals. Patti’s competitive, intense, intricate, athletic, yet graceful choreography was a perfect fit for Karl who lives by his own mantra: “I can do this, I was born to do this.”
I am really looking forward to the December performance of this classic musical Seven Brides For Seven Brothers at the 5th Avenue that Seattle has not seen in over 25 years.
You can get more info here.
My own preview of the musical is here.
LOVE KARL!
I can’t wait for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! I WANT MORE KARL! WOW!
Karl’s exterior packaging is only matched by the interior self. This is one book as good as, or better than, the cover. And to see him dance in SEVEN BRIDES is a holiday gift you shouldn’t miss.
That SEVEN BRIDES has come back to the Fifth is particularly great, seeing as how the national tour with Debbie Boone played there too (in fact, may have premiered there at the Fifth). This version is much better, or at least much more modern….and the scenery, human and painted/built, is spectacular.
can’t wait to see them on stage!
The Seven Hot Brother’s facebook page has more photos:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Seven-Hot-Brothers/35987617414?ref=ts