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Michael Greif

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Michael Greif
Bornca. 1959 (age 64–65)
Brooklyn, New York, United States
EducationNorthwestern University (BA)
University of California, San Diego (MFA)
OccupationTheater director

Michael Greif (born ca. 1959 in Brooklyn, New York[1]) is an American stage director. He has won three Obie Awards and received four Tony Award nominations, for Rent, Grey Gardens, Next to Normal, and Dear Evan Hansen.

Career

Greif attended Northwestern University[1] and graduated from the University of California, San Diego graduate directing program. He was the Artistic Director of the La Jolla Playhouse, LaJolla, California from 1994 to 1999.[2]

He was an Artistic Associate at the New York Theatre Workshop where he directed, among others, Bright Lights, Big City (1998–99) and the original production of Rent[3] for which he received the Obie Award for direction of a musical[4] and later directed on Broadway.

Greif has directed six original Broadway musicals and been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical four times. In addition to Rent, his Broadway credits include If/Then (also at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.), Next to Normal (also at Second Stage Theatre and Arena Stage), Grey Gardens (also at Playwrights Horizons), Dear Evan Hansen (also at Arena Stage and Second Stage),[5][6] and War Paint (also at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago).[7]

In August 2023, it was announced that his Goodman Theatre production of the The Notebook would transfer to Broadway in March 2024 and in September 2023, it was announced that he would transfer his Off-Broadway production of Days of Wine and Roses to Broadway in January 2024.[8][9]

Among his many directing credits Off-Broadway are Alicia Keys' autobiographical musical, Hell's Kitchen[10], Katori Hall's Our Lady of Kibeho, John Guare's Landscape of the Body and A Few Stout Individuals at Signature Theatre,[11] Beauty of the Father for the Manhattan Theatre Club,[12] the 2009 Playwrights Horizons production of Mrs. Sharp (with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver and starring Jane Krakowski), and Romeo and Juliet, Winter's Tale, and The Tempest at the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater (2007, 2010, 2015).[13]

Work

Broadway

Off-Broadway

New York Theatre Workshop

  • 70 scenes of Halloween (1986)
  • RENT (1996)
  • Bright Lights, Big City (1998)
  • Cave-Dweller (2002)

The Public Theater

  • Machinal (1990)
  • A Bright Room Called Day (1991)
  • Casanova (1991)
  • Pericles (1992)
  • Marisol (1994)
  • Dogeaters (2001)
  • Satellites (2006)
  • The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide... (2010)
  • Giant (2012)
  • The Low Road (2018)

Signature Theatre

Playwrights Horizons

  • Spatter Pattern (2004)
  • Grey Gardens (2006)
  • Far From Heaven (2013)

Second Stage

  • Spike Heels (1993)
  • Next to Normal (2008)
  • Boy's Life (2011)
  • Dear Evan Hansen (2016)

Atlantic Theatre Company

  • Days of Wine and Roses (2023)

La Jolla Playhouse

Williamstown Theater Festival

Guthrie Theater

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
1996 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Rent Nominated
2007 Grey Gardens Nominated
2009 Next to Normal Nominated
2017 Dear Evan Hansen Nominated
1991 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Play Machinal Nominated
1996 Outstanding Director of a Musical Rent Nominated
2001 Outstanding Director of a Play Dogeaters Nominated
2007 Outstanding Director of a Musical Grey Gardens Nominated
2017 Drama League Award Founders Award for Excellence in Directing Won
2006 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Grey Gardens Nominated
2016 Dear Evan Hansen Nominated
2018 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Director Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Welsh, Anne Marie, "New York and family call Michael Greif home", The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 10, 1999, p.E-1
  2. ^ Horwitz, Simi."Michael Greif Exits La Jolla", reprint from Backstage in allbusiness.com, October 9, 1998
  3. ^ Archives, New York Theatre Workshop nytw.org, accessed May 8, 2009
  4. ^ Obie Award for 1996 Archived 2013-05-30 at the Wayback MachineVillage Voice, accessed May 8, 2009
  5. ^ Marks, Peter. "'Dear Evan Hansen': Original story, high hopes for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul","The Washington Post", July 10, 2015
  6. ^ Clement, Olivia (March 26, 2016). "Pasek and Paul's 'Dear Evan Hansen' Bows in New York". Playbill.
  7. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole Apply War Paint, Starting Tonight", playbill.com, June 28, 2016
  8. ^ White, Abbey (2023-08-03). "'The Notebook' Musical to Open on Broadway in March 2024". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  9. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James Will Lead DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES on Broadway Next Year". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  10. ^ Paulson, Michael (2023-06-01). "Alicia Keys Is Making a Musical. Her Own Life Inspired the Story". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  11. ^ Listing Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine signaturetheatre.org, accessed May 8, 2009
  12. ^ Hoffman, Jan.Directing in Every Direction at Once",The New York Times, December 18, 2005
  13. ^ Brantley, Ben. "Rash and Unadvis’d in Verona Seeks Same",The New York Times, June 25, 2007
  14. ^ Gans, Andrew."Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide Begins Guthrie Run May 15", playbill.com, May 15, 2009; NY Premiere: March 23-June 12, 2011 at NY Public Theater
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