Strike Up the Band - Off-Broadway Creative Team

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 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 George S. Kaufman was an American playwright, director, and producer who was born on November 16, 1889, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was known for his wit and satire, and his work helped shape the American theater in the early 20th century. Kaufman began his career as a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines. In 1918, he wrote his first play, "Someone in the House," which was produced on Broadway the following year. He quickly became a prolific playwright, collaborating with other writers such as Edna Ferber, Moss Hart, and Irving Berlin. One of Kaufman's most famous works is "You Can't Take It ... read more Broadway: Venus in Fur, Time Stands Still, A View from the Bridge, The Royal Family, The Color Purple, Doubt, Chicago, Dinner at Eight, Proof, Rabbit Hole, Last Night of Ballyhoo, A Delicate Balance, The Heiress, The Most Happy Fella, The Sisters Rosensweig, Burn This, Penn & Teller, Ain't Misbehavin', Talley's Folly, Crimes of the Heart, Morning's at Seven, among others. Off-Broadway: Other Desert Cities, The Substance of Fire, A Life in the Theatre. Thirty-six seasons with MTC, Lincoln Center, Circle Rep, City Center Encores! Tony, Obie, DD, OCC awards; Theatre Hall of Fame. Graduate of Brown and Yale School of ... read more Broadway: Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, Grey Gardens, Deaf West's Big River (2004 Tony Honor, Excellence in Theatre), Brooklyn, Bells Are Ringing (2001 Revival), Annie Get Your Gun (1999 Tony Award, Best Revival), Grease (1994 Tony nomination, Best Choreography), Tommy Tune Tonite!, The Will Rogers Follies. West End/International: Disney's High School Musical 1 & 2: On Stage!. Regional/National tour: Jekyll & Hyde, Upcoming National Tour; Disney's Newsies, Paper Mill Playhouse; Jane Austen's Emma: A Musical Romantic Comedy (2011 Craig Noel Award, Outstanding Resident Musical), The Old Globe; Bonnie & Clyde (2009 San Diego Critics Circle Award, Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Director of ... read more Highlights include Jerry Zaks' 1992 Guys and Dolls, The Boy From Oz starring Hugh Jackman, and Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life. As music director for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Hummel composed 3 songs for their 75th celebration in 2007. ... read more David Ives is probably best known for his evenings of one-act comedies called All in the Timing and Time Flies. All in the Timing won the Outer Critics Circle Playwriting Award, ran for two years Off-Broadway, and in the 1995-96 season was the most performed play in the country after Shakespeare productions. His full-length plays include The School For Lies (adapted from Moliere's The Misanthrope and a major hit at New York's Classic Stage Company last spring); The Heir Apparent (an adaptation of J-F Regnard's comedy that was an audience and critical hit at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, ... read more