CREATIVES

Films (author or co-author): Sleeper, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, For the Boys and Intersection (as writer/director): Simon, Lovesick, The Manhattan Project and Sister Mary Explains It All. Television: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (head writer) and The Dick Cavett Show (head writer/co-producer). He has published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Playboy and other periodicals, and was the 2006 recipient of the Writers Guild of America’s Ian McLellan Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award. Jersey Boys, his first venture into musical theatre (with co-author Rick Elice), won four Tonys, including Best Musical. The Addams Family, his second theatrical venture (also with Rick), ran over 700 performances on Broadway and had national and international tours. Upcoming projects include musicals about Roy Rogers and the Woodstock Festival of 1969.

RICK ELICE (Book) co-wrote Jersey Boys (winner 2006 Tony Award, 2007 Grammy Award and 2009 Olivier Award for Best Musical) with the great Marshall Brickman; The Addams Family; Peter and the Starcatcher (winner of five 2012 Tony Awards); and The Cher Show (currently on tour in the UK). In the pipeline: Water for Elephants, adapted from the popular novel; Silver Linings Playbook, adapted from the popular film; The Princess Bride for Disney; Smash for Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Steven Spielberg. In London, Rick’s new play, Doubting Tom, and an original musical, Treasure, written with 2021 Ed Kleban Award-winner Benjamin Scheuer, will be produced in 2024-5. Rick’s book, Finding Roger, An Improbably Theatrical Love Story, is published by Kingswell. Heartfelt thanks to those whose theatre work makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Nunn, Laurents, Stone, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, David, Strong, Gaudio, Valli, McAnuff, Trujillo, Timbers, Coyne, Brickman, and, eternally, Roger Rees.  Rick thinks about them a lot. He never thought about Jersey much. He does now.

BOB GAUDIO (Composer) wrote his first hit, “Who Wears Short Shorts,” at 15, for the Royal Teens, and then went on to become a founding member of the Four Seasons and the band’s principal songwriter. He also produced the hit “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” for Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand (Grammy nomination, Record of the Year) as well as seven albums for Diamond, including The Jazz Singer. Other producing credits include albums for Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and the soundtrack for the film of Little Shop of Horrors. Several songs co-written with Bob Crewe have been cover hits for such artists as the Tremeloes (“Silence Is Golden”), the Walker Brothers (“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”) and Lauryn Hill (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”). Gaudio produced and co-wrote the Who Loves You album for the Four Seasons and one of Billboard’s longest-charted singles (54 weeks),“Oh, What a Night.” A high point in his career came in 1990 when, as a member of the original Four Seasons, Gaudio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which hailed him as “a quintessential music-maker.” Gaudio co-produced the current hit Broadway show A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, and the Jersey Boys film with Nick Jonas as Frankie Valli. In 2022, Gaudio’s song “Beggin’” recorded by Månesskin, an Italian rock group, was chosen as Favorite Song of the Year by The American Music Awards. Gaudio is currently working on a project relating to Frank Sinatra’s Watertown album. To this day, Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli still maintain their partnership…on a handshake.

“New York was pregnant in the fifties,” says Bob Crewe, “gestating with possibilities.” Crewe and music partner Frank Slay became independent writer-producers when the category hadn’t yet been invented. In 1957 they wrote and produced “Silhouettes” for The Rays, which skyrocketed to No. 1. Suddenly, producers in demand, they launched Freddie Cannon’s “Tallahassee Lassie” and Billy & Lillie’s “Lah Dee Da.” Crewe’s 1960s unprecedented producing success with The Four Seasons birthed a new sound, striking a major chord in American pop. “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Candy Girl,” “Ronnie” – all smashes! When lead Frankie Valli demanded a solo turn, Crewe and Bob Gaudio wrote (and Crewe produced) “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” which eventually became the century’s fifth most-played song. Crewe ran hot with artists from Vicki Carr, Oliver and Lesley Gore to Mitch Ryder, co-writing with Charles Fox the soundtrack for Jane Fonda’s film, “Barbarella.” Then his own Bob Crewe Generation exploded with Music to Watch Girls By. In 1972 Bob was in L.A., where he revived Frankie Valli with “My Eyes Adored You” by Crewe and Kenny Nolan. They also co-wrote Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” (No. 1, July 1975), which was a hit again on the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge (No. 1, June 2001)

DES McANUFF (Director) is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and former artistic director of Canada’s Stratford Festival. He is also Director Emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, where as Artistic Director he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals. He’s co-founder of Broadway’s Dodgers. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud, Summer, Doctor Zhivago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, Jersey Boys (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Musical), Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event), Dracula the Musical, How to Succeed…, The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Director), A Walk in the Woods, Big River (Tony Awards: Best Director, Best Musical). Selected New York: Fetch Clay, Make Man (NYTW), multiple productions at The Public and BAM. Stratford highlights: Twelfth Night (with Brian Dennehy), A Word or Two, Caesar and Cleopatra, The Tempest (all with Christopher Plummer). Opera: Faust (The Met, ENO). TV: 700 Sundays (HBO). Film: Cousin Bette (with Jessica Lange, director), The Iron Giant (producer, BAFTA Award) and Quills (executive producer). In 2011, he was honored with a doctorate from Ryerson University where he attended theatre school. In 2012, he was awarded Canada’s Governor General’s National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada.

SERGIO TRUJILLO. Recipient of a Tony Award for Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations and an Olivier Award for Memphis the Musical. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud (Tony/NAACP Award, Outer Critics Circle/Chita Rivera nominations), On Your Feet! (Tony Award nominee, Outer Critics Circle/Astaire Awards), Memphis the Musical (Olivier/OCC Award, Drama Desk/Astaire Award nominations), Jersey Boys (Olivier/ Drama Desk/OCC/Greenroom/Dora nominations), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Chita Rivera/NAACP Award), A Bronx Tale (Chita Rivera Award nomination), The Addams Family, Next to Normal, Hands on a Hardbody (Drama Desk nomination), Leap of Faith (Drama Desk nomination), Guys and Dolls (Astaire Awards nomination), and All Shook Up. Director/choreographer:  Real Women Have Curves ( The ART), The Harder They Come (The Public Theater), Cirque De Soleil’s Paramour (Stage Entertainment), Arrabal (A.R.T.-Elliot Norton Award), Gloria Estefan on Broadway (Minskoff Theatre), Flashdance: The Musical (national tour). International credits: Disney’s Tarzan (Stage Entertainment), Peggy Sue Got Married (West End), West Side Story (Stratford Festival). TV credits: “Annie Live” for NBC (Emmy Nominee), “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (Emmy nominee), Kennedy Center Honors, 2021 Tony Awards.

RON MELROSE (Music Supervision, Vocal/Dance Arrangements and Incidental Music). Forty-seven years of arranging, music direction and supervision, including nineteen Broadway shows and productions spanning the world. Helpmann Award (Australia’s Tony) for music direction on Jersey Boys, music supervisor of Jersey Boys streaming and film, associate producer of Jersey Boys cast and Christmas albums. Music supervisor and arranger, A Bronx Tale (Broadway/Tour), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Broadway/Tour), The Who’s Tommy (Goodman Theatre). Composer: Fourtune (Off-Broadway), The Silver Swan (NEA Fellowship), The Missing Peace (Washington’s Capitol Fringe), Early One Morning (liturgical one-woman musical, two Harvard Hasty Pudding shows, a gospel Requiem, songs for Saturday Night Live. Education: Harvard (philosophy), Westminster (choral conducting). Thanks to Alexandra.

Broadway: Sister Act; The Farnsworth Invention; Jersey Boys; The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Awards: The Green Room Award Australia, Theatregoers’ Choice Award London for Best Set Design; Lumen Award for the design of The New World Stages in NYC; Drammy Award for Best Set Design, Carbonell Award for Best Set Design, and designed sets for Best Touring Production of the L.A. Ovation Awards. Ms. Zieglerova has designed numerous productions in the United States, Europe and Asia. www. klarazieglerova.com

Selected NY credits include Disney’s Newsies, On the Town, Proof, The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Henry IV with Kevin Kline, Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Take Me Out, How I Learned to Drive, Buried Child, Tintypes, Enchanted April, The Most Happy Fella, Il Trittico for the Metropolitan Opera and a 2005 Tony Award for Lincoln Center Theatre’s The Rivals and Lortel and Hewes Awards for The Mineola Twins. Film designs include A Walk on the Moon, The Substance of Fire, Talking With and Far East. A Yale grad, he has taught design at the Drama School since 1990. 2015 Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award. www.jess-goldstein.com

Broadway: Prince of Broadway, Come From Away (2017 Tony nomination), A Bronx Tale, Hamilton (2016 Tony winner), After Midnight (2014 Tony nomination), How to Succeed Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe (2011 Tony nomination), West Side Story (2009 Tony nomination), Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone; In the Heights (2008 Tony nomination), Jersey Boys (2006 Tony winner), Avenue Q, Parade and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993 Tony nomination). Awards: 1993 Sir Laurence Olivier and Canadian Dora awards for Kiss of the Spider Woman. 2006 Henry Hewes Design Award for Jersey Boys. 2016 Henry Hewes Design Award for Hamilton. Co-founder and resident lighting designer for Parsons Dance.

Steve was the production engineer on such Broadway shows as Cats, Starlight Express, Song & Dance, The Phantom of the Opera, Carrie and Aspects of Love. His Broadway sound design credits includes Ain’t Too Proud, On Your Feet, Zhivago, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Tony Award), Hands on a Hardbody (Drama Desk Award), Jesus Christ Superstar, Catch Me If You Can (Tony Nomination), Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Jersey Boys (Drama Desk Award), Rent, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Hairspray, The Producers, Aida, Titanic, Big, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Carousel and The Who’s Tommy (Drama Desk Award).  

Broadway: Jersey Boys (Tony nomination for Best Orchestrations). Off-Broadway: Snoopy!, Personals and A Good Swift Kick. Tours: Annie, Godspell and A Class Act. Regional Theatre: musical director and/or orchestrator at Pasadena Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Hollywood Bowl, La Jolla Playhouse, Theatreworks, Goodman Theatre, Goodspeed, Asolo Rep, Dorset Theatre, Northlight and Pioneer Theatre. Television: composer, arranger and conductor for documentaries, sitcoms, movies and specials. Recordings: 20 albums, including the Grammy-winning Jersey Boys cast album. His orchestrations have been performed by the National Symphony, the Boston Pops, at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the White House and around the world.

Credits include: Elephant Man, Dracula – the Musical, Lennon, 700 Sundays, Jersey Boys, Ring of Fire (Broadway), Domesticated, Frankenstein – the Musical, Burleigh Grimes (off-Broadway), Heidi Chronicles, My One and Only, Big Maybelle, The Breakup Notebook, Villains Tonight!, Sondheim Celebration (regional and cruise lines), Le Denier Judgement (Cannes) and Ghost – the Musical (UK tour). Over 30 other productions as associate designer and currently forming new curriculum in projection, augmented and virtual reality at the University of Florida.

THE DODGERS (Producer) is a theatrical producing partnership hatched at BAM in New York in 1978 by six friends. Over 200 productions in North America, London, Europe and Australasia; blessed by Broadway’s Tonys (56), London’s Oliviers, Australia’s Helpmanns. On Broadway: Jersey Boys, Matilda (with RSC), Groundhog Day (with Whistle Pig), 42nd Street, Urinetown, Into the Woods (original ’87 and ’02), High Society, Titanic, ….Forum, The King and I, The Who’s Tommy, Ralph Fiennes’ Hamlet (with Almeida), Guys and Dolls, Jelly’s Last Jam, The Secret Garden, Gospel at Colonus, Big River among others. The original producers of Jersey Boys, their Offices in Times Square and Covent Garden. Their president is Michael David, who is also Exec Producer of MJ, coming to the Prince Edward in 2024.