Jeff Whitty
Jeff Whitty is an American playwright. His works for the stage include the musical Avenue Q, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Book of a musical.
[edit] Career
Whitty was born September 30, 1971, was raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, and now lives in New York City. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1993, and received a Master's degree from New York University's Graduate Acting Program in 1997.[1] He is openly gay.[2]
He won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Book of a musical for Avenue Q, written with composers Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, which opened on Broadway in 2003, and continued to a West End run and two national tours, as well as dozens of international productions. His plays include The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler which was commissioned by and received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in January, 2006; The Plank Project (a parody of documentary theater pieces like The Laramie Project); the multi-play cycle Balls; The Hiding Place, a romantic Manhattan comedy which received its New York debut at the Atlantic Theater Company; and the dark comedy Suicide Weather.
Whitty is also an actor, having appeared in New York productions of plays by Amy Freed, including The Beard of Avon and Freedomland, as well as small roles in the films Garmento, Lisa Picard is Famous, and a cameo in Shortbus. Among his theatrical credits include stints at the Goodman Theater in Chicago, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Playwrights Horizons and New York Theatre Workshop in New York City.
Whitty is writing the libretto to an upcoming stage version of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, with music by Jake Shears and John Garden of the musical group Scissor Sisters.[3] The show was workshopped at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2009 National Music Theater Conference. It will open at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco on May 18, 2011 and run through July 10, with direction by Jason Moore and a cast that features Judy Kaye, Betsy Wolfe, Mary Birdsong and Wesley Taylor.[4]
Whitty wrote the libretto for a musical version of Bring It On: The Musical. This is a "free adaptation" of the popular film series with an original story by Whitty, with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and lyrics by Amanda Green and Lin-Manual Miranda. Direction is by Andy Blankenbuehler with music direction by Alex Lacamoire.[5] The musical premiered at the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia on January 16, 2011.[6][7]
[edit] References
- ^ "NYU Graduate Acting Alumni". 2011. http://gradacting.tisch.nyu.edu/object/ga_alumbios.html. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
- ^ Whitless.com
- ^ Article Entertainment Weekly March 2, 2001
- ^ Hetrick, Adam."'Tales of the City' Musical Will Star Judy Kaye, Betsy Wolfe, Mary Birdsong and Wesley Taylor" playbill.com, March 18, 2011
- ^ Variety, September 22, 2009
- ^ "Bring It On" listing alliancetheatre.org, retrieved April 3, 2010
- ^ Jones, Kenneth; Hetrick, Adam. "Something to Cheer About: Bring It On: The Musical Begins Atlanta Run Jan. 16 After Ice Delay" playbill.com, January 16, 2011
[edit] External links
- Whitless.com (Personal Website)
- The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler at South Coast Repertory
- Production: Avenue Q - Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, September 2003
- Advocate.com: Jeff Whitty’s Broadway-bound Tales of the City musical: Just how gay will it be?
