NEW YORK CITY CENTER EDUCATION NOVEMBER 2020 BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Cornelius Art by Clara WORKING: A MUSICAL Your personal guide to the production. MEET THE CREATORS Rocky Horror Show from Los Angeles to Broadway. She co-adapted and co-di- rected the musical Working, based on Studs Terkel’s book, for the Goodman Theater in Chicago and for Broadway. TABLE OF She co-wrote the teleplay for Work- ing for the PBS series American Play- house. She is the author and director of the children’s television special, The Fa- ble Company, and the co-producer and CONTENTS co-director of a short film calledSing for Your Life. Among her other directing STEPHEN SCHWARTZ (Composer, CRAIG CARNELIA (Composer) For credits are the musicals Just Once and Broadway he wrote the lyrics for Sweet Book) wrote the music and lyrics for Is It Just Me, Or Is It Hot in Here? which the current Broadway hit Wicked, and Smell of Success (music by Marvin enjoyed long runs in New York and Los Hamlisch, book by John Guare) and has also contributed music and/or lyrics Angeles, respectively. to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Imaginary Friends (with Hamlisch and Baker’s Wife, Working, Rags, and Chil- Nora Ephron) as well as the score for dren of Eden. For film, he collaborated Is There Life After High School? and he with Alan Menken on the songs for contributed four songs to Working: A 3 Meet the Creators Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Musical. Off-Broadway, he wrote the Notre Dame, and Enchanted, and wrote music and lyrics for 3 Postcards at Play- the songs for the DreamWorks animat- wrights Horizons (book by Craig Lu- 6 Meet the Artists ed feature The Prince of Egypt. Schwartz cas) and contributed the classic base- has been inducted into the Theatre Hall ball song “What You’d Call a Dream” of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, for Diamonds. His new musical Poster 8 An Interview with Anne Kauffman and has been given a star on the Hol- Boy (book by Joe Tracz) premiered at lywood Walk of Fame. Awards include Williamstown Theatre Festival and is three Academy Awards, four Grammy en route to The Public Theater. Craig 10 The Workers Behind Working by Ryan Wenzel Awards, and the Isabelle Stevenson has received two Tony Award nomina- tions, two Drama Desk nominations, Tony Award. For his direction of the SUSAN BIRKENHEAD (Composer) original Broadway production of Work- two “Best Plays” citations, the Johnny received a Tony Nomination, a Gram- Mercer Award, the Gilman and Gonza- 12 The Faces of Working at City Center ing, he received a Drama Desk Award my nomination, and a Drama Desk for best direction of a musical. lez-Falla Award, and the Kleban Award Award for her lyrics for Jelly’s Last Jam. for distinguished lyric writing. He has 14 Activity She was nominated for a Drama Desk been on the council of the Dramatists Award for Triumph of Love and won a Guild since 1995 and is married to ac- Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomi- tress/educator Lisa Brescia. nation for Working. She won an Outer 16 Up Next for City Center Critics Circle award for What About Luv and an L.A. Drama Critics Award for Minsky’s. She wrote additional lyrics and new songs for the Broadway ver- sion of High Society and wrote songs for the Off-BroadwayStars of David and My Name Is Alice. Her latest musical, written with Lynn Nottage and Duncan Sheik, The Secret Life of Bees played at NINA FASO (Book) made her directo- the Atlantic Theater in Summer 2019. rial debut with Peter Ustinov’s The Un- She is also working on Black Orpheus known Soldier and His Wife. Following a with Lynn Nottage and George C. stint with the improvisational comedy Wolfe and Betty Boop with Bob Martin, MICKI GRANT (Composer) has per- group, The Committee, she became one David Foster, and Jerry Mitchell. of the creators of Godspell and directed formed on and off Broadway and has most major productions of the show in created an extensive body of musical America and Europe. She then took The composition and poetry. Her Broad- CITY CENTER EDUCATION 3 MEET THE CREATORS (CONTINUED) MEET THE CREATORS (CONTINUED) way musicals Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria liard School, on the Board of ASCAP, Rep); Marvin’s Room (Roundabout Cope—in which Grant also starred—and in September 2017, creating “Almost and on the Council of the Dramatists Theatre Company); Assassins (En- Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God Like Praying” in support of the His- Guild. cores! Off-Center);Sundown ; Yellow garnered multiple awards including a panic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Moon (Women’s Project/Ars Nova); A Grammy and five Tony nominations. Relief and Recovery Program. In honor Life (Lortel nomination, Drama League Grant composed a musical based on the of the 2019 run of Hamilton in Puerto Nomination); Marjorie Prime (Lortel life of George Washington Carver en- Rico, the Miranda family, the producers Nomination, Drama League Nomina- titled Don’t Underestimate a Nut, pro- of Hamilton, and the Flamboyan Foun- tion); Detroit, Your Mother’s Copy of vided the English lyrics for 20 songs in dation created the Flamboyan Arts the Kama Sutra, and Maple and Vine Jacques Brel Blues, was composer/ lyr- Fund, raising $15 million for arts and (Playwrights Horizons); The Nether, icist for J.E. Franklin’s Prodigal Sister, culture on the island. TV/Film credits Smokefall (MCC); Buzzer (The Public); contributed additional lyrics to Broad- include Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your GORDON GREENBERG (Additional ALEX LACAMOIRE (Original Or- Belleville (Lortel Nomination, NYTW, way’s Eubie, and has written songs Enthusiasm (2018 Emmy Nomination, Material) revised and directed Working: chestrations) has three Tonys and three Yale Rep); You Got Older (Drama Desk for educational TV’s Infinity Factory. Guest Actor), Saturday Night Live A Musical for The Old Globe, Broadway Grammys for his work on the Broadway Nomination, P73 Productions); The Grant’s work has been celebrated in two (2017 Emmy Nomination, Guest Ac- in Chicago, Asolo Rep, and 59 E 59. He musicals Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Muscles in Our Toes (Labyrinth Theater Off-Broadway musical retrospectives. tor), Sesame Street, DuckTales, Moana directed the acclaimed West End revival and In The Heights. He won his fourth Company); Somewhere Fun, God’s Ear For the national tour of Having Our (2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nomi- JAMES TAYLOR (Composer) As a re- of Guys and Dolls, which starred Rebel Grammy producing the soundtrack to (New Georges and Vineyard Theater); Say, she won the Helen Hayes Award nations, Grammy Award for Best Orig- cording and touring artist, James Tay- Wilson; received six Olivier Award nomi- The Greatest Showman and received a Stunning, Slowgirl (LCT3). Regional: for her portrayal of Sadie Delany. Some inal Song), and Mary Poppins Returns lor has touched people with his warm nations (Savoy Theatre, Chichester Fes- Kennedy Center Honors in 2018 for The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, of her numerous other awards include (2019 Golden Globe Nomination, Best baritone voice and distinctive style of tival Theatre); and directed/ co-wrote his work on Hamilton. Broadway credits Smokefall (Goodman Theatre); And the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Actor). Miranda received his B.A. from guitar-playing for more than 40 years, the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving include Bring It On, Wicked, High Fidel- No More Shall We Part, You Better Sit NAACP Image, Obie, and the Paul Wesleyan University in 2002. while setting a precedent to which Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Roundabout /Uni- ity, Annie (2011 Broadway revival), 9 to Down: Tales from My Parents’ Divorce, Robeson. countless young musicians have aspired. versal, PBS Great Performances.) Re- 5 (Drama Desk and Grammy noms.), Six Degrees of Separation (William- Over the course of his celebrated song- cent/current work includes The Heart of Legally Blonde, and Bat Boy. Film/tele- stown Theater Festival); Belleville (Yale writing and performing career, Taylor Rock and Roll (Old Globe); Barnum (Me- vision: FX’s Fosse (Supervising Music Rep, Steppenwolf). Resident Director has sold more than 100 million albums, nier Chocolate Factory, London); Terms Producer), The Greatest Showman (Ex- Roundabout Theater, Artistic Associate earning gold, platinum, and multi-plat- of Endearment starring Alfred Molina, ecutive Music Producer), Incredibles 2 and founding member of The Civilians, inum awards for classics ranging from Calista Flockhart, and Constance Wu (Arranger/Orchestrator), and Sesame Clubbed Thumb Associate Artist, and Sweet Baby James in 1970 to October (Geffen); The Secret of My Success (also Street ( Emmy-nominated composer). co-creator of the CT Directing Fellow- Road in 2002. In 2015, Taylor released co-writer, Universal Stage Productions); Other: Godspell (2001 National Tour); ship, New Georges Associate Artist, Before This World, his first new studio Piaf: Dietrich (Mirvish, Toronto); writing orchestrations for The Rockettes and Artistic Council of Soho Rep, SDC Ex- album in thirteen years, which earned the new book for Meet Me in St. Louis the Oscars; recipient of an Honorary ecutive Board Member. Three OBIES, him his first ever #1 album. He has won (St. Louis Muny); co-writing/direct- Doctorate from his alma mater, Berklee the Joan and Joseph Cullman Award multiple Grammy awards and has been ing Mystic Pizza with Melissa Etheridge College of Music. for Exceptional Creativity from Lincoln inducted into both the Rock & Roll and Sas Goldberg for MGM; co-writing Center, the Alan Schneider Director Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Port Au Prince (New Group); co-writing/ Award.