Michael Friedman (composer)

Michael Friedman
Birth name John Michael Friedman
Born (1975-09-24)September 24, 1975
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died September 9, 2017(2017-09-09) (aged 41)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Genres Musical theatre
Occupations
Associated acts The Civilians

John Michael Friedman (September 24, 1975 – September 9, 2017) was an American composer and lyricist. He was a founding associate artist of The Civilians. He received a 2007 Obie award for sustained excellence.[1] His musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson opened on Broadway in October 2010. He died on September 9, 2017, aged 41, from complications related to HIV/AIDS.[2]

Background

Born in Boston, Friedman grew up in Philadelphia. He attended Germantown Friends School, after which he studied history and literature at Harvard College.[3] While at Harvard, he studied under Bernard Rands, Mario Davidovsky, and Elizabeth Swados.[4]

Career

Friedman wrote music and lyrics for Saved, In the Bubble, The Brand New Kid, God's Ear, and The Blue Demon. His music has also been heard at the New York Shakespeare Festival, New York Theatre Workshop, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage, Soho Repertory Theater, Signature Theatre, Theater for a New Audience, and The Acting Company. Regionally, his work has been featured at Hartford Stage, The Humana Festival of New American Plays, ART, Berkeley Rep, Dallas Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Portland Center Stage, and internationally at London's Soho and Gate Theatres and the Edinburgh Festival.

He was the dramaturg for the 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon.[5]

He worked with Itamar Moses on The Fortress of Solitude, an adaption based on the Jonathan Lethem book of the same name. It opened September 30, 2014 at The Public Theater.[6]

He was also writing a commissioned work on American history for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a musical about the adult film industry with Bess Wohl and The Civilians titled "Pretty Filthy".[7]

The Civilians

With The Civilians, Friedman was the composer and lyricist for Canard, Canard, Goose?, Gone Missing, [I Am] Nobody's Lunch, This Beautiful City, The Great Immensity, and In the Footprint, and co-author of Paris Commune.[8] His work on Pretty Filthy can be seen in the theater company's premiere production of the new musical.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "2006–2007 Obie Award Winners - Page 1 - Theater - New York". Village Voice. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  2. ↑ Paulson, Michael (September 10, 2017). "Michael Friedman, Co-Creator of 'Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,' Dies at 41". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ Grathwohl, Casper (2007-03-11). "Composing for Shakespeare While Listening to Timberlake". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ "Songs with "Open Eyes"". Harvardmagazine.com. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  5. ↑ The Broadway League. "A Raisin in the Sun | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  6. ↑ "2014-2015 Season". Publictheater.org. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  8. ↑ "The Civilians / Artist: Michael Friedman". Thecivilians-artist.blogspot.com. 2009-12-29. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2012-11-21.
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