Award-Winning Theatre, Television, and Film Producer Craig Zadan Passes Away at Age 69
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 21, 2018
Award-winning producer, Craig Zadan, best known for his work on musicals of stage and screen (helping bring both back to the mainstream), has passed away at age 69.
According to a statement made by frequent Zadan collaborator, NBC Chairman, Bob Greenblatt, Zadan died from complications stemming from a recent shoulder replacement surgery.
Greenblatt's full statement reads: "It is with profound sadness that I am announcing the passing of my dear friend and colleague Craig Zadan, who died of complications following shoulder replacement surgery. On behalf of his life partner, Elwood Hopkins, and his producing partner, Neil Meron, we are stunned that the man behind so many incredible film, theatre, and television productions - several of them joyous musicals - was taken away so suddenly. Craig's distinguished career as a passionate and consummate producer is eclipsed only by his genuine love for the thousands of actors, directors, writers, musicians, designers, and technicians he worked with over the years. His absence will be felt in our hearts and throughout our business."
of Zadan and Meron's
extensive collaboration here.
Along with his producing partner, Neil Meron, Zadan's extensive career included works on the big and small screens, as well as the stage. Most notably, the team has produced NBC's annual live musicals including, The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!, The Wiz Live!, Hairspray Live! and Jesus Christ Superstar Live!
Their motion picture credits include, the movie musical Hairspray, Footloose and the Oscar-winning Best Picture, Chicago.
The two have accrued an astounding 148 Emmy nominations, including honors for their television films Gypsy starring Bette Midler, Cinderella starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, Annie starring Kathy Bates, The Music Man starring Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Broderick, a television remake of Steel Magnolias and the Golden Globe-nominated TV series SMASH.
Throughout their storied career, Zadan and Meron have earned a total of six Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, 17 Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a Grammy Award, six GLAAD Awards, four NAACP Image Awards and two Tony Awards.
Zadan and Meron have also produced award shows including the 85th Academy Awards, which garnered over 40 million viewers in the U.S. alone, the 86th Academy Awards, which was named the highest rated Academy Awards of the Century. They returned in 2015 to produce the 87th Academy Awards, making Zadan and Meron the first executive producers in sixteen years to have produced three consecutive Oscar broadcasts.
Having begun his career working for Joe Papp at the Public Theater, Zadan and Meron also have a number of theatre credits to their name, including the Tony-winning Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe, and the recent Broadway revival of Promises, Promises, starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.
Zadan and Meron had recently inked a deal with the Shubert Organization to develop and produce new plays and musicals for the stage. They also produced a concert version of Bombshell, the fictional musical from their series Smash, as a charity benefit for The Actors Fund. A complete version of the fictional musical is currently in development.
Zadan and Meron were also currently at work on the upcoming Hair Live! and Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men Live! for NBC, as well as a Broadway production of the classic comedy Some Like It Hot, with Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Matthew Lopez, directed and Casey Nicholaw. A feature film was also in the works, Hans Christian Andersen, written by Stephen Schwartz and David Magee.
In addition to his producing credits, Zadan was also an author, having penned the book Sondheim & Co., which tells behind the scenes stories of the making of the musicals of Stephen Sondheim. Prior to his producing career, he wrote for New York Magazine and also contributed articles to publications such as After Dark. He co-produced a Broadway tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim: A Musical Tribute, featuring Angela Lansbury and Alexis Smith in 1973.
For more reads on Craig Zadan's extensive career from the BWW archives:
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