Beloved Stagedoor Manor Teacher Michael Larsen Passes Away

BroadwayWorld has just learned that Michael Larsen, beloved teacher at popular theatre summer camp Stagedoor Manor, has passed away.

Michael spent 24 seasons as Director/Master Teacher of Acting and Musical Theatre at world-renown Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Center in Upstate NY, his last 11 seasons as co-Artistic Supervisor. At Stagedoor, he helped create and maintain a musical theatre program of extraordinarily high standards. The impact of Michael's influence at Stagedoor Manor rings throughout professional theatre, television and film. Some of Michael's former students, at Stagedoor and/or privately, include actors Natalie Portman, Josh Charles, Zach Braff, Jon Cryer, Amy Ryan, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mandy Moore, Mary Stuart Masterson, Alexander Chaplin, Erich Bergen, Julia Murney, Marni Raab, Jenny Powers, Courtney Balan, Todd Buonopane, Danny Gurwin, Yancey Arias, Etai Benson, playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman, directors Daniel Goldstein, Gordon Greenberg and Rachel Chavkin, film director Shawn Levy, and countless others.

Michael's resume includes Broadway, off-Broadway and regional credits. He is probably best known as the director and musical supervisor of Menopause The Musical in 22 American cities, London's West End, and Toronto. His Las Vegas staging of Menopause is currently in its 11th hit year, now at Harrah's. Michael won San Antonio's prestigious ATAC award as Best Director for his work on Menopause. He has been nominated three times for Florida's Carbonell Award. Michael is also well-known on the variety circuit, having conducted or played for Theodore Bikel, Elaine Stritch, Judy Kaye, Hal Linden, Paula Wayne, Gloria DeHaven, Avi Hoffman, Melissa Manchester and many others. Michael proudly spent more than twenty years conducting for his dear friend, the late Bruce Adler, all over the globe.

Stagedoor Manor is the only camp of its kind in the world, training kids age 10-18 for the past 42 years in the performing arts at its unique campus in upstate New York. In its eight full-sized on-campus theaters, Stagedoor has inspired a who's who of actors including Ansel Elgort, Zach Braff, Sebastian Stan, Natalie Portman, Robert Downey, Jr., and Beanie Feldstein. In 2012, Stagedoor Manor received the Theatre Arts Education Award from the Theatre Museum, celebrating outstanding achievement in theatre.