Dan Goggin (composer)

Last updated
Dan Goggin
Born
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
  • Writer
  • composer
  • lyricist
  • singer
Known forMusical theatre
Notable work Nunsense

Dan Goggin is an American writer, composer, and lyricist for musical theatre.

Contents

Biography

Goggin began his career as a singer in the Broadway production of Luther , which starred Albert Finney. He then toured for five years as a member of the folksinging duo, The Saxons, before writing the music for and appearing in the off-Broadway musical Hark!. [1] [2]

Goggin began composing both music and lyrics for revues satirizing current events, trends, and personalities. He later composed incidental music for the short-lived 1976 Broadway production, Legend, starring Elizabeth Ashley and F. Murray Abraham, which closed after five performances.

Goggin's early life experiences, including schooling by the Marywood Dominican Sisters and his days as a seminarian, influenced him to create his greatest success. A line of greeting cards featuring a nun offering tart quips caught on so quickly that Goggin decided to expand the concept into a cabaret show called The Nunsense Story, which opened for a four-day run at Manhattan's Duplex and remained for 38 weeks, encouraging its creator to expand it into a full-length theater production. [3]

What followed was Nunsense (1985), one of off-Broadway's biggest commercial successes, which ran a total of 3672 performances. By the time it closed, it had become an international phenomenon translated into 21 languages with more than 5000 productions worldwide. Goggin followed it with six sequels, Nunsense 2: The Second Coming, Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree, Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical, Meshuggah-Nuns!, Nunsensations: The Nunsense Vegas Revue, and Nunset Boulevard. In 1998 Dan opened an all-male production of Nunsense entitled Nunsense A-Men! The show played in New York City to rave reviews. [1]

Goggin also wrote the book, music, and lyrics for A One-Way Ticket To Broadway and Balancing Act, neither of which was as successful as the Nunsense franchise.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Kern</span> American composer

Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Song Is You", "All the Things You Are", "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Long Ago ". He collaborated with many of the leading librettists and lyricists of his era, including George Grossmith Jr., Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg.

Mary Rodgers was an American composer, screenwriter, and author who wrote the novel Freaky Friday, which served as the basis of a 1976 film starring Jodie Foster, for which she wrote the screenplay, as well as three other versions. Her best-known musicals were Once Upon a Mattress and The Mad Show, and she contributed songs to Marlo Thomas' successful children's album Free to Be... You and Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Herman</span> American composer and lyricist (1931–2019)

Gerald Sheldon Herman was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Comden</span> American dramatist

Betty Comden was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned six decades: "the longest running creative partnership in theatre history." The musical-comedy duo of Comden and Green collaborated most notably with composers Jule Styne and Leonard Bernstein, as well enjoyed success with Singin' in the Rain, as part of the famed "Freed unit" at MGM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Ebb</span> Musical artist

Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Strouse</span> American composer and lyricist

Charles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and Annie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Taylor (actor)</span> American actor, singer and writer (1952–2002)

Ronald James Taylor was an American actor, singer and writer. He grew up in Galveston, Texas and later moved to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating, Taylor began working in musical theater, appearing in The Wiz (1977), before getting his break with the 1982 off-Broadway production Little Shop of Horrors. Taylor voiced the killer plant Audrey II in the show, which ran for five years and over 2,000 performances.

Martin Charnin was an American lyricist, writer, and theatre director. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the musical Annie.

Glenn Slater is an American lyricist who collaborates with Alan Menken, Christopher Lennertz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and other musical theatre composers. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Original Score for the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid at the 62nd Tony Awards in 2008, Sister Act at the 65th Tony Awards in 2011, and School of Rock at the 70th Tony Awards in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaye Ballard</span> American actress and singer (1925–2019)

Kaye Ballard was an American actress, comedian, and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Jo Catlett</span> American actress

Mary Jo Catlett is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! and for playing Pearl Gallagher, the third housekeeper on Diff'rent Strokes.

David Joel Zippel is an American musical theatre lyricist, director and producer.

<i>The Passing Show of 1918</i> 1918 Broadway revue

The Passing Show of 1918 is a Broadway musical revue featuring music of Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz, with book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge. The show introduced the hit songs "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Smiles".

Rick Crom is an American actor, singer, comedian, lyricist, and composer. He has appeared in numerous television shows and specials, Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, as well as written several off-Broadway revues, and has 3 times been nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics.

<i>Nunsense</i>

Nunsense (1985) is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical. The original Off-Broadway production opened December 12, 1985, running for 3,672 performances and becoming the second-longest-running Off-Broadway show in history. The show has since been adapted for television, starring Rue McClanahan, and has spawned six sequels and three spin-offs.

<i>The Passing Show of 1916</i>

The Passing Show of 1916 is a revue featuring the music of Sigmund Romberg and Otto Motzan, with book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge. It included the first George Gershwin songs introduced in a Broadway show.

<i>A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green</i>

A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green is a musical revue with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne, André Previn, Saul Chaplin, and Roger Edens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimi Hines</span> Canadian singer and comedian (born 1933)

Mimi Hines is a Canadian singer and comedian best known for her appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and her work on Broadway. She succeeded Barbra Streisand in the original production of Funny Girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Thompson (writer)</span>

Frederick A. Thompson, usually credited as Fred Thompson was an English writer, best known as a librettist for about fifty British and American musical comedies in the first half of the 20th century. Among the writers with whom he collaborated were George Grossmith Jr., P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton and Ira Gershwin. Composers with whom he worked included Lionel Monckton, Ivor Novello and George Gershwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark Gesner</span> Musical artist

Clark Gesner was an American composer, songwriter, author, and actor. He is best known for composing the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, based on the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts.

References