Brian Hill (author)

Brian Hill (born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) is an actor, director and writer living in New York City. He is best known for writing the book for the Broadway musical The Story of My Life with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram. For his work on that show he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for outstanding book of a musical.^[1] Among other pieces, he wrote the musical Somewhere in the World, which ran for five seasons at the Charlottetown Festival, and Not Wanted on the Voyage, a musical adaptation of Timothy Findley's novel of the same title about the Great Flood, both with collaborator Neil Bartram.^[2]

He served as associate director of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on Broadway. He has also served in this position for the Toronto and Broadway productions of Disney's The Lion King and all three major Canadian companies of Forever Plaid. He originated the role of Frankie, a role which garnered him a Dora Award for outstanding actor, in the original Canadian cast of Forever Plaid and has played Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera and Joe in Sunset Boulevard. He also spent three seasons with the prestigious Shaw Festival.^[2]

Works

The Broadway musical The Story of My Life was written with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram and was nominated for four Drama Desk Awards for outstanding musical, music, lyrics and book of a musical.^[3] The Story of My Life is licensed through Music Theatre International.

His adaptation (with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram) of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio was commissioned by Chicago Shakespeare Theater for its 25th anniversary season in 2011.^[4] The Adventures of Pinocchio is licensed through the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization.

He and writing partner Neil Bartram have written a musical adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Bartram and Hill's musical called The Theory of Relativity was commissioned by Toronto's Sheridan College and is written specifically for college age students. It received its London UK premiere on May 1, 2014. ^[5] The Theory of Relativity played Goodspeed Musicals Norma Terris Theatre in May 2015. ^[6] The Theory of Relativity is licensed through Music Theatre International.

Bartram and Hill's musical Spin was part of the 2013 Signature Theatre season directed by Eric Schaeffer. ^[7]

Hill wrote the revised book for Brigadoon for the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. ^[8]

Hill co-wrote the book for October Sky which was produced in 2016 at the Old Globe Theatre directed by Rachel Rockwell. ^[9]

Hill and Bartram wrote a one-woman musical entitled You Are Here which premiered at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in 2016 starring Linda Kash and directed by Robert McQueen in a co-production with Acting Up Stage. ^[10]

Hill and Bartram are developing a new musical called Senza Luce with the Canadian Music Theatre Project and Sheridan College.

Hill and Bartram are developing a stage adaptation of Bedknobs and Broomsticks with Chicago Shakespeare Theater directed by Rachel Rockwell.

References