Christopher Massimine

Christopher Massimine
Christopher Massimine at the Opening Night of Indecent on Broadway
Occupation	CEO of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Chairman of the Immigrant Arts Coalition, Entertainment Executive, Activist
Board member of	Immigrant Arts Coalition, Petra Diamonds, Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York

Christopher Massimine is an award-winning theatrical producer,^[1] general manager,^[2] television producer,^[3] entertainment executive, playwright,^[4] composer^[5], and a leading voice in arts advocacy.^[6] Massimine serves as an advisor on New York City's Cultural Community Council, is a Trustee of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York^[7], the Chair of the Immigrant Arts Coalition^[8], and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene^[9], the longest consecutively producing performing arts institution in the United States, and the world's oldest-operating Yiddish Theatre.^[10]

Biography

In 2013, at age 27, Massimine made news as the youngest theater executive to oversee the activities of a professional multi-million dollar performing arts institution, when appointed Producing Director and administrative head of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.^[11] Previous to his appointment, Massimine earned a Tony Award nomination for his work as a producer on American Idiot (musical)^[12] and developed high-impact promotional campaigns in recorded music, retail,^[13] and video gaming.^[14]

Massimine was the executive producer of the 2015 KulturfestNYC,^[15] the first International Jewish Performing Arts Festival, which included thousands of entertainers from over 30 countries, incorporating dance, cabaret, theater, film, education and music programming.^[16] Later that year, following the sudden passing of Folksbiene friend, collaborator, and lifetime achievement award recipient Theodore Bikel, Massimine honored the memory of the beloved icon of film and stage, by conceiving and producing the official multi-media tribute concert.^[17] In 2016, Massimine produced Mandy Patinkin: In Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center.^[18]

Massimine earned his second Tony Award nomination with the Broadway production of Indecent (play).^[19] In the summer of 2017, Massimine conceived New York's first Immigration Arts Summit to create an ongoing dialogue among multi-cultural artists and arts organizations^[20], with actor, author, and comedian John Leguizamo as keynote speaker and journalist Ann Curry as distinguished moderator.^[21] In November 2017, Massimine and Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek assembled an Artistic Council, composed of renowned theater artists and producers, to collaborate and advise on the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene programming initiatives. ^[22] Members of the Artistic Council include producer Margot Astrachan; producer and general manager Emanuel Azenberg; composer, lyricist, and playwright Jason Robert Brown; playwright and lyricist Joe DiPietro; actress Tovah Feldshuh; playwright and lyricist Sheldon Harnick; playwright Jon Marans; actor Mandy Patinkin; producer and actor Jana Robbins; producer Daryl Roth; producer and general manager Lawrence S. Toppall; and director Jerry Zaks.^[23]

In December 2017, Massimine announced that he and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene would produce the United States Premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish starting summer of 2018, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.^[24] In a March 2018 issue of Forbes Magazine it was announced that Academy Award and Tony Award winner Joel Grey would direct the production.^[25] In a subsequent radio interview with 90.7FM WFUV Massimine commented on Grey's involvement.^[26] In April 2018, as part of Immigrant Heritage Week, Massimine and Immigrant Arts Coalition President, journalist and social justice activist Marlena Fitzpatrick Garcia partnered with New York City Mayor's office^[27], The New York Times Company^[28], and Dramatists Guild of America^[29] to host a series of panel discussions on immigrant rights and diversity in the arts. Later that month, Massimine, Zalmen Mlotek and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene were nominated for a 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revival for the Off Broadway production of Amerike- The Golden Land.^[30]

References