Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an early age. He initially pursued an acting career, studying with Stella Adler and performing at the Circle in the Square Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse.
In 1986, he began writing for Show Music magazine [1] and the New York Native , and the following year he joined the staff of TheaterWeek . [2] He was a frequent contributor to Playbill and wrote a regular column for Broadway.com until 2006. Before his career as a theatre writer, he was a teacher in New York public schools.
He is the author of A Chorus Line and the Musicals of Michael Bennett (St. Martin's Press, 1989, ISBN 978-0-312-03061-2) [3] and Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops (St. Martin's Press, 1992, ISBN 1466843276). [4]
The New York Times called Not Since Carrie a "must read", saying, "Mr. Mandelbaum hits all the highlights, everything from Breakfast at Tiffany's,' starring Mary Tyler Moore as Holly Golightly, to last season's Shogun: The Musical. Mr. Mandelbaum also takes a good swipe at Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge." [5]
Dear World is a musical with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. With its opening, Herman became the first composer-lyricist in history to have three productions running simultaneously on Broadway. It starred Angela Lansbury, who won the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical in 1969 for her performance as the Countess Aurelia.
Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City.
Michael Bennett was an American musical theatre director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. He won seven Tony Awards for his choreography and direction of Broadway shows and was nominated for an additional eleven.
First Impressions is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by George Weiss, Bo Goldman, and Glenn Paxton, and book by Abe Burrows, who also directed the musical. It is based on Helen Jerome's 1935 stage adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.
Carrie is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. It is based on Stephen King's horror novel of the same name, and integrates elements from the 1976 film adaptation.
The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N is a musical with lyrics and music by Oscar Brand and Paul Nassau. The musical book by Benjamin Bernard Zavin is based on Leo Rosten's stories of the fictional character Hyman Kaplan.
Minnie's Boys is a musical with a book by Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady.
La Strada is a musical with lyrics and music by Lionel Bart, with additional lyrics by Martin Charnin and additional music by Elliot Lawrence. It is based on the 1954 film of the same name by Federico Fellini. Bart wrote the score in 1967 and made a demonstration recording, although the musical was not produced until 1969, when it was famously cancelled after just one performance. The musical's book was written by Charles K. Peck, Jr., who also produced it on Broadway.
Platinum is a stage musical with a book by Will Holt and Bruce Vilanch, music by Gary William Friedman, and lyrics by Holt.
The Girl Who Came to Supper is a musical with a book by Harry Kurnitz and music and lyrics by Noël Coward, based on Terence Rattigan's 1953 play The Sleeping Prince. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1963.
Home Sweet Homer is a 1976 musical with a book by Roland Kibbee and Albert Marre, lyrics by Charles Burr and Forman Brown, and music by Mitch Leigh.
Shōgun: The Musical is a musical with a book and lyrics by John Driver and music by Paul Chihara.
The Human Comedy is a 1983 musical with a book and lyrics by William Dumaresq and music by Galt MacDermot.
Ankles Aweigh is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis, lyrics by Dan Shapiro, and music by Sammy Fain. The plot involves Hollywood starlet Wynne, who secretly marries a Navy pilot while filming a movie in Sicily. She disguises herself as a sailor and stows away on his ship to grab a covert honeymoon. They get mixed up with an espionage ring.
Lara Teeter is an American dancer, actor, singer, theater director and college professor.
A Time for Singing is a musical with music by John Morris, lyrics by Gerald Freedman and John Morris, and a book by Freedman and Morris. The work was based on Richard Llewellyn's novel of a Welsh mining village, How Green Was My Valley. The show takes place in the memory of Protestant minister David Griffith, recalling conflict within the Morgan family over the possible formation of a miners' union within the village, and the romance between Griffith himself and Angharad of the Morgans, who ultimately marries the mine owner instead. The show starred Ivor Emmanuel, Tessie O'Shea, Shani Wallis and Laurence Naismith.
A Broadway Musical is a musical with a book by William F. Brown, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. The Broadway production closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978.
TheaterWeek was a national weekly magazine catering to artists and lovers of theater and cabaret. It covered Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and educational theater with articles that included profiles and interviews of actors, directors and designers, reviews, theater news and behind-the-scenes looks at shows. The magazine was founded and first edited by Mike Salinas. Later, Bob Sandia and then John Harris edited the magazine. Columnists as Peter Filichia, Alexis Greene, Charles Marowitz, Ken Mandelbaum, Davi Napoleon, Leslie (Hoban) Blake, and Michael Riedel were featured. The New York Daily News called the magazine "influential".
Samuel Joseph Williams was an American actor of stage and film. He was best known for his role as Paul in the musical A Chorus Line, for which he won Broadway's 1976 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
I'm Solomon is a 1968 musical with music by Ernest Gold, lyrics by Anne Croswell, and book by Crowell and Dan Almagor. It opened 23 April 1968 and closed 27 April after seven performances.