Michael Stewart (playwright)
| Michael Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Michael Stuart Rubin August 1, 1924 New York, New York |
| Died |
September 20, 1987 (aged 63) New York, New York |
| Occupation | Playwright, librettist |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | MFA (1953) |
| Alma mater | Yale School of Drama |
| Period | 1955 - 1985 |
| Genre | Musical theater |
| Notable works |
Bye Bye Birdie (1960) Carnival! (1961) Hello, Dolly! (1964) George M! (1968) Mack & Mabel (1974) Barnum (1980) 42nd Street (1980) |
| Notable awards |
Tony Award for Best Musical 1961 Bye Bye Birdie 1964 Hello, Dolly! Tony Award for Best Author of a Musical 1964 Hello, Dolly! |
| Relatives |
Francine Pascal (sister) John Pascal (brother-in-law) |
Michael Stewart (August 1, 1924 – September 20, 1987) was an American playwright and librettist for the stage.
Life and career
Born Myron[1] Stuart Rubin in Manhattan, Stewart attended Queens College, and graduated from the Yale School of Drama with a Master of Fine Arts in 1953.[2][3]
His early work was writing sketches for the revues The Shoestring Revue (1955),[4] The Littlest Revue (1956),[5] and Shoestring '57 (1956, Barbizon-Plaza, New York).[6] He then joined the staff writers of Sid Caesar's television program, Caesar's Hour.[2]
He met Charles Strouse and Lee Adams in 1954, and several years after collaborated with them and Gower Champion on the 1960 Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie.[2] He worked again with Champion and Jerry Herman, with their musical Hello, Dolly! opening on Broadway in 1964.[2]
Stewart died on September 20, 1987 in New York City. Jule Styne said of him: "He was an extremely talented and knowledgeable man of the theater. He was one of the great musical-theater writers, and his string of hits showed that."[2] Stewart's sister was writer Francine Pascal.
Theatre credits
- Bye Bye Birdie (1960) - musical - bookwriter - Tony Award for Best Musical
- Carnival! (1961) - musical - bookwriter - Tony Nomination for Best Musical, Tony Nomination for Best Author of a Musical
- Hello, Dolly! (1964) - musical - bookwriter - Tony Award for Best Musical, Tony Award for Best Author of a Musical
- Those That Play the Clowns (1966) - play - playwright
- George M! (1968) - musical - co-bookwriter with sister Francine Pascal and her husband John Pascal
- Mack & Mabel (1974) - musical - bookwriter - Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical
- I Love My Wife (1977) - musical - lyricist and bookwriter - Tony Nomination for Best Original Score, Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical
- The Grand Tour (1979) - musical - co-bookwriter
- Barnum (1980) - musical - lyricist - Tony Nomination for Best Original Score
- 42nd Street (1980) - musical - co-bookwriter - Tony Co-Nomination for Best Book of a Musical
- Bring Back Birdie (1981) - musical - bookwriter
- Pieces of Eight (1985) - music - co-bookwriter, Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Canada and closed out of town.
- Harrigan 'n Hart (1985) - musical - bookwriter - Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical[7]
Notes
- ↑ Mitchell Loebel, 1st cousin
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gerard, Jeremy. "Michael Stewart Is Dead 63; Author of Broadway Musicals", The New York Times, September 21, 1987, Section B, p.16
- ↑ His name should be shown as "Myron Rubin"-edited by Mitchell Loebel ... first cousin
- ↑ The Shoestring Revue. BroadWayWorld.com, accessed January 3, 2011
- ↑ The Littlest Revue. BroadWayWorld.com, accessed January 3, 2011
- ↑ Funke, Lewis. "Theatre: 'Shoestring '57': New Revue Arrives at the Barbizon-Plaza", The New York Times, November 6, 1956, p.31
- ↑ Rich, Frank."Stage:'Harrigan 'n Hart' Opens at the Longacre" The New York Times, February 1, 1985
References
- Jeremy Gerard (21 September 1987). "Michael Stewart Is Dead 63; Author of Broadway Musicals". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
External links
- Michael Stewart at the Internet Broadway Database
- Michael Stewart at the Internet Movie Database
- Michael Stewart papers, 1948-1987, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts