The Music of Neil Berg - May 23 at Joe's Pub at 7:00 pm
By: BWW Mar. 15, 2005
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Neil Berg -is the composer/lyricist of the hit off-Broadway musical The Prince and the Pauper, which ran for two years at the Lamb's Theater in New York City. It received a rave review from The New York Times, which wrote "...it soars on the wings of theatrical fun". It is available for licensing through Samuel French, and the Piano/Vocal selections are distributed by Hal Leonard Corp. The original cast CD was produced by John Yap, and is released internationally on Jay records.
Neil has been doubly honored this fall to have two of his new musicals selected to the prestigious New York Musical Theater Festival. Included are: The Man Who Would Be King, a musical realization of Rudyard Kipling's novella, with collaborator DJ Salisbury, and Tim and Scrooge, the sequel to A Christmas Carol. The book and lyrics are written by MAD Magazine editor Nick Meglin, and it will be directed by Nick Corley. Tim has already been optioned for television only by Emmy award winning producer Daniel Wilson and his partner William Fucci.Neil is widely sought after to write family musicals.He was commissioned by Douglas Love and the Walden Family Theater to be the composer/lyricist of the new musical Heidi (book by Julia Jordan), which opened last fall in Denver. His latest family musicals, Fiona: The Mother Goose Musical and Threads recently played to sold out houses at the Helen Hayes Theater in Nyack. Another commissioned musical, Percy Penguin Comes to America, opened this past fall at the Penguin Rep Theater to much acclaim.
Works in development include Temptation, with collaborators Michael Leeds and 3-time Emmy nominated songwriter John Forster. He is also currently writing the new musical Twelve, a rock musical about the Apostles. Past works include Asylum in the Night (1995 Bistro Award for Best Musical), Golf: A Musical in 18 Holes, Hexed (produced at the Belt Theater by Sonnet Rep. ), False Profits (produced at Theater Off Park), Saviour, and Broadway Loves Lucy (commissioned by the Lucille Ball Museum).Neil is a product of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop; the Musical Writer's Playground; and is a current member of The Dramatist Guild of America.Many singers have performed Neil's songs including Alice Ripley, Mark Kudisch, Christiane Noll, Norm Lewis, Robert Evan, Michael Lanning, brian d'Arcy James, Emily Skinner and Capathia Jenkins. He has scored such productions as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Trelawny of the Wells.
Neil served as Producer/Musical Director for the concert version of Chess, a benefit for BC/EFA at the John Houseman Theater. He was the Musical Supervisor/Arranger for Really Rosie at the Helen Hayes Theater Company and he has also been Musical Director for over 100 shows regionally. He is currently the musical director for soap opera stars Michael Park and Martha Burns duo concerts, and last year Neil composed music for Harley Davidson's 100 Year Anniversary World Tour which was choreographed by Christopher Gatelli.Neil has also produced many theatrical events and continues to do so. In 2005 he will be producing the official Twenty Year Anniversary Concert version of Ruppert Holme's The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This will be a star studded tribute to one of Broadway's greatest and most under appreciated Tony award winning classics. He is also the producer of 100 Years of Broadway.
As a teacher/lecturer Neil still continues his successful musical theater workshops in Tampa, Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey.Neil was a two time All State Centerfielder while attending Binghamton University and still plays in hardball tournaments around the country. He is married to Broadway actress Rita Harvey (they met on the ballfield in Central Park) and they love living in Nyack with their two cats, Lynus and Lucy.
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