Mike Nichols on screen and stage

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Mike Nichols in 2010 Mike Nichols Funny Face.jpg
Mike Nichols in 2010

Mike Nichols was an American comedian, director, and producer of the stage and screen. He began his career in the 1950s as a comedian alongside Elaine May doing improvisational comedy. Together they formed the comedy duo Nichols and May. Their live improv act was a hit sensation on Broadway, and the first of their three albums won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1962. Nichols also became known as a director of plays on the Broadway stage including Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park (1963), The Odd Couple (1965), and Plaza Suite (1968). He also directed acclaimed revival productions of Anton Chekov's The Seagull (2002), Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (2012) and Harold Pinter's Betrayal (2013).

Contents

Nichols was also known as a film director breaking out with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and The Graduate (1967) starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. Nichols continued directing acclaimed films such as the war film Catch-22 (1970), the sexual coming of age drama Carnal Knowledge (1971), the drama Silkwood (1983), the romantic comedy Working Girl (1988), the farce comedy The Birdcage (1996), the political drama Primary Colors (1998), the romantic drama Closer (2004), and biographical drama Charlie Wilson's War (2007). Nichols also became known for his work on television directing HBO adaptations of Margaret Edson's Wit (2001) and Tony Kushner's Angels in America (2003) starring Meryl Streep and Al Pacino.

Theatre

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterPerformerVenueRef.
1960 An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May NoNoYesYes John Golden Theatre [1]
1963 Barefoot in the Park YesNoNoNo The Biltmore Theatre [1]
1964The KnackYesNoNoNo New Theatre [1]
Luv YesNoNoNo Helen Hayes Theatre [2]
1965 The Odd Couple YesNoNoNo Plymouth Theatre [3]
1966 The Apple Tree YesNoNoNo Shubert Theatre [4]
1967 The Little Foxes YesNoNoNo Ethel Barrymore Theatre [3]
1968 Plaza Suite YesNoNoNoPlymouth Theatre [3]
1971 The Prisoner of Second Avenue YesNoNoNo Eugene O'Neill Theatre [3]
1973 Uncle Vanya YesNoNoNo Circle in the Square Theatre [5]
1976 Streamers YesNoNoNo Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre [5]
Comedians YesNoNoNo Music Box Theatre [5]
1977 Annie NoYesNoNoEugene O'Neill Theatre [5]
The Gin Game YesYesNoNoJohn Golden Theatre [5]
1978Drinks Before DinnerYesNoNoNo Public Theater [1]
1980 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? NoNoNoYes Long Wharf Theatre
Billy Bishop Goes to War NoYesNoNo Morosco Theatre [5]
Lunch HourYesNoNoNoEthel Barrymore Theatre [5]
1981 Fools YesNoNoNoEugene O'Neill Theatre [5]
Grown UpsNoYesNoNo Lyceum Theatre [5]
1984 The Real Thing YesNoNoNoPlymouth Theatre [5]
Hurlyburly YesNoNoNoEthel Barrymore Theatre [5]
Whoopi GoldbergNoYesNoNoLyceum Theatre [5]
1986 Social Security YesNoNoNoEthel Barrymore Theatre [5]
1987Standup ShakespeareYesNoNoNoTheatre 890 [1]
1988 Waiting for Godot YesYesNoNoMitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center [5]
1990Eliot LovesYesYesNoNo Goodman Theatre [3]
1992 Death and the Maiden YesNoNoNo Brooks Atkinson Theatre [5]
1996 The Designated Mourner NoNoNoYes Royal National Theatre [3]
1999James Naughton: Street of DreamsYesNoNoNoPromenade Theatre [5]
2001 The Seagull YesNoNoNo The Public Theater, Off-Broadway [5]
2003 The Play What I Wrote NoYesNoNoLyceum Theatre [5]
2004Whoopi: The 25th Anniversary ShowNoYesNoNo [5]
2005 Spamalot YesNoNoNoShubert Theatre [5]
2008 The Country Girl YesNoNoNo Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre [5]
2012 Death of a Salesman YesNoNoNoEthel Barrymore Theatre [5]
2013 Betrayal YesNoNoNo [5]

Film

YearTitleDirectorProducerNotes
1966 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? YesNo
1967 The Graduate YesNo
1968 Teach Me! YesNoShort film
1970 Catch-22 YesNo
1971 Carnal Knowledge YesYes
1973 The Day of the Dolphin YesNo
1975 The Fortune YesYes
1980 Gilda Live YesNoDocumentary
1983 Silkwood YesYes
1986 Heartburn YesYes
1988 Biloxi Blues YesNo
Working Girl YesNo
1990 Postcards from the Edge YesYes
1991 Regarding Henry YesYes
1993 The Remains of the Day NoYes
1994 Wolf YesNo
1996 The Birdcage YesYes
1998 Primary Colors YesYes
2000 What Planet Are You From? YesYes
2004 Closer YesYes
2007 Charlie Wilson's War YesNo

Executive producer

Performer

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1957–1958 The Steve Allen Show Himself2 episodes [6]
1958 Omnibus PerformerEpisode: "The Suburban Review"
The DuPont Show of the Month Rod CarterEpisode: "The Red Mill"
1959–1960 The Jack Paar Tonight Show Himself5 episodes
1960 Playhouse 90 Arthur MillmanEpisode: "Journey to the Day"
What's My Line? HimselfEpisode: "Elaine May & Mike Nichols"
1962President Kennedy's Birthday SaluteHimselfTelevision special
1964–1965The Jack Paar ProgramHimself (guest)6 episodes
1976 Family Producer
Television series
1986Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary SpecialHimself (cameo)Television special
2001 Wit Director, writer, and executive producer
Television movie
2003 Angels in America Director and executive producer
Miniseries, 6 episodes

Discography

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mike Nichols Broadway Credits". Playbill .
  2. "Mike Nichols Broadway and Theatre credits". Broadway World .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mike Nichols theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com.
  4. "The Apple Tree — 1966 — Broadway". Broadway World .
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "Mike Nichols Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos".
  6. Mike Nichols on screen and stage at IMDb
  7. Anon. (December 15, 1958). "Sold Out". Billboard . p. 17. Retrieved June 5, 2018.