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FOREWORD
Forewordby Carol LawrenceI G Dale when we were both cast in the original Broadway production of West Side Story in 1957. I was “Maria” and Grover was a Jet named “Snowboy.”Strangely enough, however, I never got to talk to Grover until the show had opened. It sounds ridiculous, but Jerome Robbins—already a renowned and respected choreographer—was having his rst go at directing. And Jerry was crazy about Stanislavski, the Soviet director whose famed “method” called on actors to live a role rather than perform it.It was a brilliant idea by Jerry to substitute gangs for the Montagues and Capulets in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But we were required to approach this premise on Stanislavskian terms. e Jets and the Sharks were doing what gangs did in 1957: killing each other. So in rehearsal we could not even speak to a member of the opposing gang. at’s how far Jerry extended this rule. And it worked.But Grover was a Jet, and I was a Shark. I was aware, however, that Grover was a brilliant dancer. Of course, every dancer in the show was brilliant, but he was uniquely captivating to watch. To this day, I love watching him just cross a room.Larry Kert, my “Tony,” was my best friend at the time. He was my rst leading man, and I loved him like no other. My husband
GROVER DALE • Viiand I used to invite him and Grover to dinner at our home. We all became great friends.My admiration for Grover continued to grow, in more than just professional sense. Grover is not only wonderful performer, but he’s a wonderful human being. Beyond being funny, charming, handsome, and talented, Grover is giving and generous. He has carried his benevolence to a new level by becoming a mentor—a person who can be depended upon to help other dancers, whether he knows them or not. He applies all his capabilities in the entertainment world towards helping others, either directly or by addressing their questions on his website answers4dancers.com.I continue to admire Grover’s versatility and how he’s just terribly smart about everything. I don’t know anything about nances, so it amazes me that without any specic training or schooling, Grover is a nancial wizard and a savvy businessman. I admire his taste in people, clothing, buildings, and productions. He’s terribly astute about the workability of any project in which he engages.In our relationship, my biggest regret is never working together again. Because on stage, at a dinner table, or in a gym class, Grover is delicious to be with. You could eat him with a spoon! Being in a show with him again would have been a delight.Sadly it never happened. But at age ninety-one, I would still accept anything Grover enlisted me to do with him. We just click. If you saw us dance together, it says it all. We enjoy nuances onstage that no one but dancers can feel.My fondest memory is when Grover and I were both in Paris in the early ’60s; I was there lming A View from the Bridge while he was on tour with West Side Story. We connected for a late-night dinner, and as he walked me home, we passed through a farmer’s market. As we walked side by side, our steps turned into dancing. Entertained by our performance, ower vendors started handing
Viii • A BOY LiKE THATme single blooms as we passed by. By the end of the walk, I had the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen in my life.e most important thing I want to say is that I am deeply honored to be a part of presenting Grover Dale to the public. Because you are in for a gigantic treat. As you know, “A Boy Like at” is a song I performed with Chita Rivera in West Side Story. And it’s a tting title for Grover’s book—except that there is no boy like Grover. I know we’re all unique, but Grover is really unique, in everything—the sound of his voice, the look of his wonderful gaze when he nails you with it. (ough if you’re close enough to matter to him, you don’t want to be on the end of that gaze if you’ve let him down, so I recommend stepping up to his level of quality and dedication!)His story is so delightful that my rst reaction was “When do I get to audition for the role of your Grandma Ammon?”My dream would be to include a clip of Grover dancing on this page, so that you can fully appreciate how magical his talent is. (I would show him strutting in his red socks in e Unsinkable Molly Brown.) If I could, these words I’ve written would be redundant and superuous. Grover is a visual, and you would all get to see his brilliance shine brighter than any sun.Grover is worth whatever it takes to be his friend, and I shall be honored to be his friend for as long as I breathe.—Carol Lawrence, Broadway’s Original “Maria”
GROVER DALE • iXGrover and I did reunite to perform together in a limited engagement of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at L.A.’s Wadsworth eatre in 2002.What a treat!