Greif attended Northwestern University 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.
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 for which he received the Obie Award for direction of a musical and which he later directed on Broadway.
Greif has directed several 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), and War Paint (also at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago).
In August 2023, it was announced that his Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of 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.
Among his many directing credits Off-Broadway are Alicia Keys' autobiographical musical Hell's Kitchen, Katori Hall's Our Lady of Kibeho, John Guare's Landscape of the Body and A Few Stout Individuals at Signature Theatre, Beauty of the Father for the Manhattan Theatre Club, the 2009 Playwrights Horizons production of Mrs. Sharp (with music and lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver and starring Jane Krakowski), and Romeo and Juliet, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest at the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater (2007, 2010, 2015).
From: Photos: Alicia Keys & HELLS KITCHEN Company Get Ready for Broadway
From: Photos: Alicia Keys & HELLS KITCHEN Company Get Ready for Broadway
From: Photos: Alicia Keys & HELLS KITCHEN Company Get Ready for Broadway
Michael Greif, The Low Road
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Michael GreifOur Lady of Kibeho
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Greif , Grey Gardens
Michael Greif, Dogeaters
Michael Greif, Dogeaters
Michael Greif, Dogeaters
Michael Greif, Rent
Michael Greif , Rent
Bittersweet serendipity will be in the air when actor Gordon Clapp takes the stage in the Boston premiere of “Robert Frost: This Verse Business,” being presented April 23–28 by Spring Pool Arts at the Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts.
Through a collaboration with TodayTix Group, for every ticket sold during the run of HELL'S KITCHEN, $1 will go to support Alicia Keys co-founded organization, Keep a Child Alive.
BETTY – the award-winning Indie Rock trio of sisters Elizabeth and Amy Ziff and their bestie, Alyson Palmer who have been creating addictively melodic music for almost 40 years – will release their new anthem “Pride” as a single on Friday, May 17.
Tony Award winner Maryann Plunkett has played a wide range of roles in her Broadway career. The Lowell native’s latest, an elderly woman dealing with dementia, in “The Notebook: The Musical,” may be her most personal, however, as she recalls her own mother’s struggle with debilitating memory loss to bring her current character to life.
An all new music video has been released for the original song 'Kaleidoscope' from the new Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen. Check out the video here!
Ben Walker, who currently stars as 'Romeo' in @AndJulietBway posted a stripped-down version of Ariana Grande's latest hit 'We Can't Be Friends' to his Instagram page. Watch in this video!
Six-time Tony Award Winner Audra McDonald will return to Provincetown with SiriusXM Radio star Seth Rudetsky as music director and host, this Memorial Day Weekend. Learn how to purchase tickets!
This time, the reader question was: How often are people Tony Award-nominated for different shows in the same season?
Performances are now underway for the Broadway premiere of the new musical Hell's Kitchen, which will officially open on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. Check out a first look photo here!
The Broadway run of Days of Wine and Roses played its final performance last night, Sunday, March 31, following 25 previews and 73 regular performances. Check out a video of the cast taking their final bows!
The Notebook The Musical will present a special post-show event on Tuesday, April 2. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets.
In this video, stars align to celebrate opening night of the Notebook. BroadwayWorld was there to bring you interviews with Nicholas Sparks, Ingrid Michaelson, Will Chase, Vanessa Williams, Lilli Cooper, Corey Cott, McKenzie Kurtz and more.
The Broadway premiere of Mary Jane, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog, starring Academy Award nominee & Critics Choice Award Winner Rachel McAdams, begins previews on Broadway tonight, Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Meet the cast of Mary Jane here!
The Broadway premiere of Days of Wine and Roses will play its final performance Sunday, March 31, following 25 previews and 73 regular performances, plus 84 performances off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company.
HELL’S KITCHEN on Broadway is launching a digital lottery and in-person rush. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets!
Hell's Kitchen, the new musical conceived by Alicia Keys, begins previews tonight, March 28, with an opening night set for Saturday, April 20 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. Meet the cast of Hell's Kitchen here!
Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, March 25, 2024.
Watch the cast of HELL'S KITCHEN perform 'Kaleidoscope' on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in the video here!
Listen to 'Kaleidoscope' from Hell's Kitchen!
Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, March 18, 2024.
Michael Greif has been nominated for several awards throughout his career, including Outstanding Director at The Lortels for "The Low Road" and "Our Lady of Kibeho," Best Direction of a Musical at the BroadwayWorld Awards for "Dear Evan Hansen," and the Tony Awards for "Dear Evan Hansen," "Next to Normal," and "Grey Gardens." He also received nominations for Outstanding Director of a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Grey Gardens," Outstanding Director - Play at the Drama Desk Awards for "Dogeaters," and Direction at the Obie Awards for "Dogeaters." Additionally, he received Special Citations at the Obie Awards for "Rent" and won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for "Rent."
Michael Greif has won the Best Direction of a Musical at the BroadwayWorld Awards for Dear Evan Hansen, Outstanding Director - Play at the Drama Desk Awards for Dogeaters, Direction at the Obie Awards for Dogeaters, and Special Citations at the Obie Awards for Rent.
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