John Miller (musician)
John Miller (born 1945) is an American bassist and musical coordinator known for his work on Broadway. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1968.
A professional bass player, he moved to New York City in the mid-1970s and was eventually hired as the musical director for the Broadway musical I Love My Wife. Miller also had an acting role in the show for which he won a Drama Desk Award.[1] In the mid-seventies Miller played bass and arranged for Leonard Cohen, arranging his single “Do I Have to Dance All Night”.[2]
Although Miller won an acting award, he has done very few acting roles since, instead choosing to work as a musical contractor and later musical coordinator on stage, and in films and television. As a musical coordinator, he not only finds and hires musicians, but also musical directors, orchestrators, and copyists for productions. He also provides the same service to film companies when they hire out of New York City.[3]
Over the past thirty years, Miller has worked as the musical coordinator for more than 75 Broadway shows including Young Frankenstein, Les Misérables, Jersey Boys, Sweeney Todd, Caroline, or Change, Little Shop of Horrors, Big River, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Producers, The Who's Tommy, Little Women, and Barnum.[4]
He has also worked as the musical coordinator for films, including The Producers, Mulan, and Marvin's Room.[5]
In 2008, Miller released a solo album "Stage Door Johnny: John Miller Takes On Broadway" on the P.S. Classics label. The album showcases Miller's vocals, guitar, and bass playing on a wide range of material from the Broadway catalog. Unique arrangements and an all-star cast of musicians are featured.
In 2014, Miller made his acting debut as the drug-dealing tympanist Dee Dee in the Amazon Original comedy Mozart in the Jungle.
References
- ^ Bursting with Song-Review of I Love My Wife
- ^ https://allanshowalter.com/2020/03/01/he-had-that-wonderful-balance-of-knowing-what-he-wanted-trusting-his-music-director-and-trusting-his-musicians-john-miller-talks-about-working-with-leonard-cohen-in-the-1970s-qa-photos/
- ^ University of Michigan alumni site Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ John Miller at the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ John Miller at IMDb