Gordon Greenberg

Gordon Greenberg (born July 7, 1969) is an acclaimed American director and writer.

Education

Greenberg attended Stanford University and NYU Film School Tisch School of the Arts, as well as The Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Stagedoor Manor.

Career

Greenberg has directed, created and produced musicals, including the Broadway adaptation of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, which he co-wrote (with Chad Hodge) and directed on Broadway at Studio 54 for Roundabout Theatre Company and Universal Pictures Stage Productions. In its review, Variety said “Holiday Inn,” the 1942 film, has gotten a complete and first-class stage redo at Roundabout Theatre Company, turning this shaky fixer-upper into prime property that should please audiences looking for an easy-on-the-eyes, none-too-taxing escape. Director Gordon Greenberg and co-writer Chad Hodge have significantly rethought, reshaped and revitalized the script, giving the show more heart, a slightly modern sensibility and a joyful spirit. Engaging performances, dynamic dancing and a lively orchestra make it the feel-good show of the fall." ^[1] Deadline Hollywood called it "An endorphin assault, inducing warm bath pleasure like no other show since 42nd Street," ^[2] and the Star Ledger said "directed with generosity and warmth by Gordon Greenberg (who also co-wrote the show with chad Hodge) — and as performed by a pair of dashing and very endearing leading men, this "Holiday inn" wears down all defenses." ^[3] Variety called its premier at Goodspeed Musicals "a charmer of a tuner…an impressive and stylish redo (of the film)…recalls the gold standard of re-purposed shows, Crazy For You." It was extended 4 times and had the longest run of any show in the theatre's history.Variety called its premier at Goodspeed Musicals "a charmer of a tuner…an impressive and stylish redo (of the film)…recalls the gold standard of re-purposed shows, "Crazy For You." It was extended 4 times and had the longest run of any show in the theatre's history.^[4][5]

His celebrated revival of Guys And Dolls recently finished a record breaking run in London's West End, first at the Savoy Theatre, then on tour and later at the Phoenix Theatre, starring Rebel Wilson.^[6] In his review for the New York Times, Ben Brantley called it "Pure, unforced pleasure...a boozy bawdy party." ^[7] It premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre, where The Week called "A triumphant…exhilarating staging of a golden age musical,"^[8] Charles Spencer of The Telegraph wrote, "I left the theater walking on air and with a grin of pure happiness on my face…One hell of an evening," and Dominic Maxwell of The London Times wrote, "Gordon Greenberg's production leaves the whole audience purring with pleasure."^[9][10]

He directed and adapted the Drama Desk Award winning ^[11][12] revised production of Working (adapted and revised with composers Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda) at 59 E 59 Theatre in New York, about which New York One said 'All of the songs are little revelations as melodic as they are insightful. And they're delivered to near perfection.The concept featuring "the extraordinary dreams of ordinary people," as Terkel describes it, could so easily turn cloyingly sweet. But the revisions, under Gordon Greenberg's imaginatively resourceful direction, hit all the right notes."' Prior to that, it was presented at Broadway in Chicago's Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, where reviewer Chris Jones, from the Chicago Tribune said "In director Gordon Greenberg's moving and fresh production of a new revision of the musical “Working,” these workers' words and dreams live on' and Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times wrote 'Superb ‘Working’ explores what we do, who we are";^[13][14] at the Old Globe in San Diego, which Variety called "100 uninterrupted minutes of buoyant pleasure";^[15] and at Asolo Repertory Theatre.^[16]

Greenberg revised and directed the Award winning revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Drama League noms), which Charles Isherwood of the New York Times said, "Gordon Greenberg, the director of this powerful revival, recognizes that Brel's popularity in America derives from a specific cultural moment, the tumultuous days of the late 1960's when disillusion perfumed the air, and a homegrown singer-songwriter tradition had emerged to challenge the dominance of British rock and put a personal stamp on the pop charts…sung with heart stirring transparency...Brel's art in its purest and most persuasive form," Elysa Gardner of USA Today said, "In his radiant revival at the Zipper Theatre, director Gordon Greenberg captures what made Brel's oeuvre at once distinctly of a certain place and time and enduringly universal," the New York Sun said,"Gordon Greenberg has brilliantly resurrected ‘Jacques Brel Is Alive & Well’ in a spine-tingling production."^[17][18][19]

He recently directed the new stage adaptation of Tangled for Disney.^[20][21]

Other directing/writing works includes "Johnny Baseball" at Williamstown Theatre Festival,^[22] a workshop of a newly revised Rags for Roundabout Theatre Company,^[23] "Pirates!, or Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder'd", conceived with Nell Benjamin and John McDaniel;^[24][25][26] the U.S. national tour of Guys & Dolls,^[27] Floyd Collins for Signature Theatre,^[28] "Stars of David" based on Abby Pogrebin's book, with music by Duncan Sheik, Tom Kitt, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Friedman, Jeanine Tesori, Gaby Alter, etc. for producer Daryl Roth, "Farewell My Concubine (China)" and several television projects, 1776 for Paper Mill Playhouse,^[29] co-wrote and directed the show Band Geeks for Goodspeed Musicals, supported by grants from the NEA and NAMT. It is currently licensed through Music Theatre International, Disney's Believe, a new musical for Disney Creative Entertainment with Kirsten Childs,^[30] the launch show for the Disney Fantasy, with Neil Patrick Harris and Jerry Seinfeld.the U.S. National tour of Happy Days (by Garry Marshall);^[31] and worked extensively with Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein to revise "The Baker's Wife" in a critically acclaimed production at Paper Mill Playhouse starring Alice Ripley and recorded for Lincoln Center Theatre,^[32] Half a Sixpence;^[33] the acclaimed South African-inspired production of Jesus Christ Superstar;^[34] the U.S. National tour of Peter Pan; We The People: America Rocks, written by Joe Iconis, Brad Alexander, Kevin Del Aguila, Eli Bolin, Sam Forman, Tommy Newman, Ryan Scott Oliver, Adam Overett, Erik Weiner, Mark Weiner, and Jordan Allen-Dutton. at the off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Theater, and contemporary dramas including 33 Variations.^[35]

Formerly an actor, he has appeared in the Broadway productions of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Grease; The Little Prince and the Aviator; and Off-Broadway in Peacetime; Names; City Suite; Show Me Where the Good Times Are; and on television in Shaky Ground, Knots Landing, Living Single, Step By Step; and on film in New York City Serenade, directed by Frank Whaley (with Todd Barry).

Greenberg produced and directed commercials for J. Walter Thompson from 1991 to 1993. He served as the Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Works in New York City from 1997 to 2000, and he currently serves as Artistic Director of the Broadway Teachers Workshop.^[36] and director of new musicals for The New Group.

Current projects

Greenberg is currently adapting The Secret Of My Success into a stage musical for Universal Pictures, co-writing an original movie musical for Nickelodeon called "Emerald City Music Hall" and another for The Disney Channel currently titled "Scramble Band," with Michael Weiner, writing a new musical updating Jane Austen's Emma to the Helen Gurley Brown 1960s New York, "The Single Girls Guide" which he developed at Seattle Fifth Avenue Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, Ars Nova, Goodspeed Musicals, ASCAP and a developmental production at Capital Rep and then NAMT. He is co-writing "Port-Au-Prince" as a NYSCA commission for The New Group with Kirsten Childs.

Quotes

Greenberg has noted that "I’d had a long-standing love for Gilbert and Sullivan. Gilbert and Sullivan, in their day, were the Saturday Night Live or the Jon Stewarts, the social and political satirists that people looked to for a good laugh."^[37]

On re-working Working, Greenberg said: "Stephen [Schwartz] gave me free rein to go back to the original book. So I brought him a big stack of index cards and I spread them all out over his living room and I said, 'How about this?' And then he reshuffled them and said, 'How about that.' And I reshuffled them, again and said, 'How about this and that?'"^[38]

References

External links

• http://broadwayteachersworkshop.com/about-us/
• http://huntingtontheatre.org/season/0809/pirates/interview.pdf
• http://musicalschwartz.com/working-reworked.htm
• http://www.gordongreenberg.com/