Cy Coleman was a prolific composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist who made a significant impact on American music and Broadway. Born Seymour Kaufman in 1929 in New York City, Coleman began playing piano at an early age and was soon performing in clubs and bars around the city. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, but his true education came from playing with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
Coleman's first foray into Broadway was with the musical "Wildcat" in 1960, which starred Lucille Ball. The show was not a critical success, ... read more
Richard Balcombe is firmly established as one of the most versatile musicians of his generation.
In opera he has conducted The Gondoliers (English National Opera), Barber of Seville (Ulster Orchestra), Magic Flute and Offenbach's Bluebeard (English Chamber Orchestra), Rigoletto (English Touring Opera), Madama Butterfly and Magic Flute (Central Festival Opera), Falstaff, Tosca, Cosi fan Tutte, The Marriage of Figaro (London Opera Players), Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Gondoliers and Pirates of Penzance (Carl Rosa) and HMS Pinafore & The Mikado (D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in the UK and America). He has also conducted for Bryn Terfel, ... read more
Michael Blakemore is an accomplished actor, director, and writer with a long and distinguished career in both the theater and film industries. Born in Sydney, Australia in 1928, Blakemore began his career as an actor before transitioning to directing in the 1960s. He has since become one of the most respected directors in the industry, with numerous awards and accolades to his name.
Blakemore's early career was marked by his work as an actor in Australia and the UK. He made his West End debut in 1950 in a production of The Heiress, and went on to appear in numerous productions ... read more
Andrew began his theatre career at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1968 and was appointed head of sound at the Royal Opera House in 1971. A year later he co-founded Autograph Sound Recording, a leading British sound design and equipment rental company, now responsible for numerous productions woldwide. He was associate designer on several landmarks of British musical theatre such as Evita, Cats and Starlight Express. Original design credits include Song and Dance, Abbacadabra, Little Me, Les Misérables, Chess, Follies, Into the Woods, The Card, Miss Saigon, Children of Eden, City of Angels, Martin Guerre, The Fix, The Witches of Eastwick, ... read more
Cy Coleman was a prolific composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist who made a significant impact on American music and Broadway. Born Seymour Kaufman in 1929 in New York City, Coleman began playing piano at an early age and was soon performing in clubs and bars around the city. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, but his true education came from playing with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
Coleman's first foray into Broadway was with the musical "Wildcat" in 1960, which starred Lucille Ball. The show was not a critical success, ... read more
