Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City on March 6, 1948. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went to work as an A&R producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work in the Broadway theatre. His first major credit was the title song for the play BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE; the song was eventually used in the movie version as well.
In 1971, he wrote the music ... read more
Joseph Stein was a prolific American playwright and librettist, best known for his work on the beloved musicals Fiddler on the Roof and Zorba. Born on May 30, 1912, in New York City, Stein grew up in the Bronx and attended City College of New York. After graduating, he worked as a social worker and then as a writer for the Army Air Force during World War II.
Stein began his career in theater as a writer for radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s, but it was his work on Broadway that earned him the most acclaim. His first ... read more
His early career was spent performing in Off-Broadway productions, including Class Enemy in 1979, for which he won a Theater World Award for outstanding stage debut.
His first major Broadway credit was the ill-fated Stephen Sondheim/Hal Prince/George Furth musical Merrily We Roll Along (1981), which underwent constant changes during an unusually long preview period and closed after only sixteen performances. His next show, the Athol Fugard play "Master Harold"...and the Boys - in which he portrayed a South African student opposite Danny Glover and Zakes Mokae as the family servants - ran for eight months.
Possibly his most significant Off-Broadway stage credit ... read more
Jeffrey has produced more than 50 shows on and off Broadway and has done press for more than 200 productions. The theatre remains his SO. ... read more
