Crazy for You - West End Creative Team

... read more George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898, and began his musical training when he was 13. At 16 he quit high school to work as a "song plugger" for a music publisher, and soon he was writing songs himself. "Swanee," as introduced by Al Jolson, brought George his first real fame and led to his writing a succession of 22 musical comedies, most with his older brother, Ira. The Gershwins' shows include Lady Be Good, Oh, Kay!, Strike Up the Band, Girl Crazy, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Of Thee I Sing. From his early career George ... read more Ira Gershwin, the first songwriter to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, was born in New York City on December 6, 1896. In 1917 The Evening Sun published his first song ("You May Throw All The Rice You Desire But Please Friends, Throw No Shoes"). Four years later Ira enjoyed his first major stage success, Two Little Girls in Blue, written with another Broadway newcomer, Vincent Youmans. In 1924 Ira and his brother, George, created the smash hit Lady Be Good and went on to continue their remarkable collaboration through a dozen major stage scores, producing such standards as "Fascinating Rhythm," ... read more Ken Ludwig is a prolific playwright known for his witty and fast-paced comedies. Born in York, Pennsylvania in 1950, Ludwig studied music and theater at Haverford College and later attended Harvard Law School. However, he ultimately decided to pursue a career in writing and began his playwriting career in the 1980s. Ludwig's breakthrough came in 1986 with the premiere of his play "Lend Me a Tenor," which opened on London's West End before transferring to Broadway. The play, a farce set in 1930s Cleveland, Ohio, tells the story of a world-famous tenor who is mistakenly given a double dose of tranquilizers ... read more ... read more Pick a Stephen Sondheim Broadway premiere in the last three decades – say, Sweeney Todd or Sunday in the Park with George or Into the Woods. Who was at the podium on opening night? If you guessed Paul Gemignani, you got it right. In fact, Maestro Gemignani has been a distinguished and constant presence in musical theater for the last forty years. In 2001 he was honored with a Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award®. Significantly, for an artist so closely associated with Sondheim, Gemignani made his Broadway debut as a conductor in Sondheim’s Follies (1971), taking over the role of music ... read more William Ivey Long has over 70 Broadway design credits in addition to his work in television, film, opera and ballet. Mr. Long has won 6 Tony Awards, with 15 nominations. He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2006 and recently completed a 4-year elected term as Chairman of the American Theatre Wing. ... read more Mike Ockrent was a British stage director and choreographer who left an indelible mark on the world of theater. Born on June 18, 1946, in London, Ockrent began his career as a stage manager before transitioning to directing and choreography. He went on to become one of the most sought-after directors on both sides of the Atlantic. Ockrent's Broadway debut came in 1984 with the musical "Me and My Girl," which he directed and choreographed. The show was a huge success, running for over 1,400 performances and earning Ockrent a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography. He followed this up with ... read more A five-time Tony Award winning director and choreographer most known for Crazy For You, Contact, The Scottsboro Boys, and The Producers. Her work has been honored with Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel and a record six Astaire Awards. She directed and choreographed The Producers, winner of a record-making 12 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography. She co-created, directed and choreographed the Tony Award winning musical Contact for Lincoln Center Theater, which was honored with a 2003 Emmy Award for “Live from Lincoln Center”. She directed and choreographed the critically acclaimed musical The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway and in ... read more Wagner was born in San Francisco, the son of Phyllis Edna Catherine (née Smith-Spurgeon) and Jens Otto Wagner. His mother was from New Zealand and his father was from Denmark. He attended art school and started his career in theatres in that city with designs for Don Pasquale, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Tea and Sympathy, and Waiting for Godot, among others. In 1958, he relocated to New York City, where he worked on numerous off-Broadway productions before making his Broadway debut as an assistant designer for the Hugh Wheeler play Big Fish, Little Fish in 1961. His first solo ... read more