Movin' Out sued by troupe member

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

MIAMI (Reuters): A Miami-based dancer is suing the owners and producers of the Broadway musical ''Movin' Out'' for more than 100 million dollars in damages on grounds that she was emotionally abused and fired after her breasts grew too large for her costumes. Alice Alyse was a top dancer in the touring company of the show, which features Billy Joel's music and Twyla Tharp's choreography. Alyse says she was dismissed from the cast of the show last month after her breasts grew from cup size C to D while she was recovering from an injury.

Michael Hartman, a spokesman for the producers, said they had no comment. A spokesman for Joel, who is not a defendant in the case, could not be reached for immediate comment. Alyse, who is in her 20s, said the change of cup size occurred naturally as her body matured. Ruling out any big weight gain, she said she kept fit while recovering from a toe injury suffered when she was dropped by a fellow dancer from six feet in the air. ''I was thin, I was a size zero, but my breasts had gotten bigger,'' Alyse told a news conference yesterday. ''When I tried on my costumes they fit everywhere except in the breast area.'' Her suit, which names Tharp among the defendants, lists a whole catalogue of charges including wrongful termination, breach of contract, defamation, sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It was filed on Monday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Alyse's lawyer, Larry Klayman, said the ''main perpetrator'' of the alleged abuse heaped on the young dancer was Eric Sprosty, a stage manager. Klayman said Sprosty flew into a rage after learning of Alyse's changing breast size.

''She was in fear of bodily injury,'' Klayman said. He said the more than $100 million suit was ''based on actual and compensatory damages'' in the case, but he also said ''Movin' Out'' was ''a very lucrative show'' and a ''cash cow for Broadway.'' The show, which won Tonys awards for choreography and orchestrations, ended its Broadway run in December after 1,300 performances. ''In the ballet world, obviously, people are small-breasted,'' Klayman said in answer to a question about the maturing shape of Alyse, who is a trained ballerina. ''On Broadway, what happened should be an attribute.''

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