Jeanine Tesori,known earlier in her career asJeanine Levenson,[1](born November 10, 1961)[1]is an Americancomposerandmusical arrangerbest known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway musicals and sixTony Awardnominations.[2]She won the 1999Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a PlayforNicholas Hytner's production ofTwelfth NightatLincoln Center,the 2004Drama Desk Award for Outstanding MusicforCaroline, or Change,the 2015Tony Award for Best Original ScoreforFun Home(shared withLisa Kron), making them the first female writing team to win that award, and the 2023Tony Award for Best Original ScoreforKimberly Akimbo(shared withDavid Lindsay-Abaire).[3]She was named aPulitzer Prize for Dramafinalist twice forFun HomeandSoft Power.
Jeanine Tesori | |
|---|---|
 Tesori at the76th Tony Awardsin 2023 | |
| Born | November 10, 1961 Port Washington, New York,United States |
| Education | Columbia University(BA) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Musical Theatre |
| Occupation(s) | Composer,Musical Arranger |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Her majorworks[broken anchor]includeKimberly Akimbo;Fun Home;Caroline, or Change;Shrek The Musical;Thoroughly Modern Millie;andViolet.
Early life and education
editTesori saw her first Off-Broadway production,Godspellat the Promenade, when she was fourteen. She said of the experience that she felt the sense of "I'm someplace where there's something happening, and I don't want to be anywhere else."[4]
She attendedPaul D. Schreiber High SchoolinPort Washington, New York.She is a graduate ofBarnard CollegeofColumbia University,[5][6]where she initially waspre-medbut changed her major to music.[7]
Career
editTesori began her career as the substitute assistant conductor for the 1989 production of Gypsy. Tesori made her creditedBroadwaydebut as the dance arranger, associate conductor and keyboard player forThe Secret Gardenin 1991. Soon after, she was the associate conductor and played keyboard for the original production ofThe Who's Tommy,working with frequent collaborator,Des McAnuff.Tesori eventually music directed the German production of the musical, which she says gave her the courage to continue music directing. Tesori says she drew from her experience working on Tommy while writingFun Home,and that it gave her the idea for how to bring her protagonist into her own story.[8]She arranged the dance music for the 1995 revival ofHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.At the same time she became pregnant with her first child, Tesori worked as an arranger on the musical revueDream.While pregnant, Tesori also did the incidental music arrangements and dance arrangements for the 1998 production ofThe Sound of Music.Tesori struggled with the fact that she "worked so hard to hide the fact that (she) had a uterus", and was then arriving to rehearsals pregnant.
In 1997 she composed the score for theOff-BroadwaymusicalViolet,for which she won anObie Award,theNew York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical,and theLucille Lortel Awardfor Outstanding Musical.
Tesori was asked to write the score for the 1998 production ofTwelfth Nightafter being introduced toNicholas HytnerbyIra Weitzman.Hytner heard her score forVioletand she asked her to write 60 minutes of music for the production, with 3 months to complete the score. Despite scores for plays not typically being nominated forbest scoreat the Tony Awards, Thomas Cott ensured that people considered it, and Tesori was nominated in 1999. Next, Tesori wrote the arrangements forSwing![8]
[9]In 2000, Tesori joined forces with lyricistDick Scanlanto write eleven new songs for a stage adaptation ofThoroughly Modern Millie.A successful run at theLa Jolla PlayhouseinSan Diegoresulted in a transfer to Broadway in 2002, and Tesori was nominated for theTony Award for Best Original Scoreand the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.
Tesori has collaborated withTony Kushnerfour times. In 2004 she supplied music for the sung-through musicalCaroline, or Change,which garnered her a third Tony nomination for Best Original Score. In 2006 she wrote incidental music for Kushner's new translation ofBertolt Brecht'sMother Courage and Her Children,which was produced as part of the 2006Shakespeare in the Parkseason staged at theDelacorte TheaterbyThe Public Theater.[10]In the summer of 2011, their operaA Blizzard on Marblehead Neckpremiered atGlimmerglass.In 2019, Tesori was credited as voice coach on the new Steven Spielberg film ofWest Side Storyfor which Kushner wrote the screenplay based largely on the original stage musical. Filmed over two months in and around New York City, the film saw its 2020 release rescheduled to December 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tesori has composed music for the filmsNights in Rodanthe,The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning,Shrek the Third,Mulan II,andThe Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove.
Tesori wrote the music forShrek The Musical,which opened on Broadway in 2008 and for which she earned both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for her music.[11]
In 2011, she wrote the music toFun Homewith a book and lyrics byLisa Kron,a musical based onthe memoirbyAlison Bechdel.The show was overseen by Philip Himberg while being workshopped at theSundance Institute's 2011 Theatre Labat White Oaks Lab inYulee, Florida.It was previously developed during the 2009Ojai Playwrights Conference.[12]Fun Homeopened Off-Broadway atThe Public Theateron October 17, 2013, and sold out through November 4, 2013, with numerous extensions until it closed there on January 12, 2014.[13]Here, it also won the 2014Obie Awardfor Musical Theatre.[14]Following the successful Off-Broadway run, the show transferred to Broadway atCircle in the Square Theatre,with previews beginning on March 27, 2015, and an official opening on April 19, 2015. Tesori and Kron won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score forFun Home,marking the first time an all-female composing team won either category. The musical was named a 2014Pulitzer Prize for Dramafinalist.[15]
Tesori was the artistic director of a concert series of Off-Broadway musicals, "Encores!Off-Center ". The July 2013 season includedThe Cradle Will Rock,I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road,[16]andViolet.[4][17]It was also in this role that Tesori recruitedJake Gyllenhaalto play Seymour in the 2015 Encores! production ofLittle Shop of Horrors.[18]
Tesori's operaThe Lion, The Unicorn, and Mepremiered with theWashington National Operaat theKennedy Centerin December 2013. The libretto is byJ. D. McClatchy,based on the children's book byJeanette Wintersonand was directed byFrancesca Zambello.[19]
The English version of three songs in the 2016Tokyo DisneySeastage showOut of Shadowlandwere written by Tesori. They were sung in Japanese by pop singerAngela Aki.[20]
With book and lyrics byDavid Henry Hwang,Tesori's new musicalSoft Powerbegan performances at theAhmanson Theatrein Los Angeles in May 2018 and at San Francisco'sCurran Theatrein June.[21]The musical opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theater on September 14, 2019, directed by Leigh Silverman.[22]The musical was named a 2020Pulitzer Prize for Dramafinalist.[23]
In July 2019, she premiered her operaBlue,with libretto byTazewell Thompson,at theGlimmerglass FestivalinCooperstown, New York.The opera concerns the issue of African American boys having become a prime target ofpolice brutality in the United States.[24]
In December 2021, her new musical,Kimberly Akimbo,with book and lyrics byDavid Lindsay-Abaireopened at theLinda Gross Theaterin Manhattan. It won Best Musical at theDrama Desk Awards,Lucille Lortel Awards,andOuter Critics Circle Awards.It transferred to Broadway in fall 2022, with previews beginning on October 12, and an official opening on November 10. She and Lindsay-Abaire won theTony Award for Best Original Score(making Tesori the first female composer to win that award twice)[25]and the show itself won Best Musical.[26]
In October 2023, Tesori's new operaGroundedopened at theKennedy CenterinWashington DC.[27][28]The Kennedy Center's publicity summarizes the opera as "Jess is a hot shot F-16 fighter pilot, an elite warrior trained for the sky. When an unexpected pregnancy grounds her, she’s reassigned to the “chair force” to control drones in Afghanistan from the comfort of a trailer in Las Vegas. Mezzo-sopranoEmily D'Angelostars as a pilot and mother shaken into a downward spiral as her separation between career and home crumbles. What price is inflicted upon the operator of a lone drone in a blue sky? "The libretto is byGeorge Brant,based on his play. The premier is a co-production with theMetropolitan Operawho originally commissioned the piece, and it will start their 2024–2025 season.
Personal life
editShe lives with her child, Siena, in Manhattan. Tesori is divorced from Siena’s father, Michael Rafter, an arranger and conductor.[5]
Stage
edit- Violet(1997), a musical
- Twelfth Night(1998)
- The First Picture Show[29](1999), a musical
- Thoroughly Modern Millie(2000)
- Caroline, or Change(2003)
- Mother Courage and Her Children(2006)
- Shrek The Musical(2008)
- A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck(2011)
- Fun Home(2013)
- The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me(2013)
- Soft Power(2018)
- Blue(2019), an opera
- Kimberly Akimbo(2021)
- Grounded(2023), an opera
Awards and nominations
editTony Awards
edit| Year | Award | Show | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Best Original Score | Twelfth Night | Nominated |
| 2002 | Best Original Score(withDick Scanlan) | Thoroughly Modern Millie | Nominated |
| 2004 | Best Original Score(withTony Kushner) | Caroline, or Change | Nominated |
| 2009 | Best Original Score(withDavid Lindsay-Abaire) | Shrek the Musical | Nominated |
| 2015 | Best Original Score(withLisa Kron) | Fun Home | Won |
| 2023 | Best Original Score(withDavid Lindsay-Abaire) | Kimberly Akimbo | Won |
Drama Desk Awards
edit| Year | Award | Show | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Outstanding Music | Violet | Nominated |
| 1999 | Outstanding Music In A Play | Twelfth Night | Won |
| 2002 | Outstanding Music | Thoroughly Modern Millie | Nominated |
| 2004 | Caroline, or Change | Won | |
| 2009 | Shrek the Musical | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Fun Home | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Soft Power | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated |
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
edit| Year | Show | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Fun Home(withLisa Kron) | Finalist |
| 2020 | Soft Power(withDavid Henry Hwang) | Finalist |
Grammy Award
edit| Year | Award | Show | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Best Musical Theater Album | Thoroughly Modern Millie(Original Broadway Cast) | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Musical Theater Album | Soft Power(Original Cast) | Nominated |
| 2023 | Best Musical Theater Album | Caroline, or Change(New Broadway Cast) | Nominated |
| 2024 | Best Musical Theater Album | Kimberly Akimbo(Original Broadway Cast) | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ab"Jeanine Tesori".Masterworks Broadway.RetrievedMarch 29,2010.
- ^"Awards and nominations"ibdb.com, accessed August 28, 2016
- ^Kennedy, Mark (June 7, 2015)."'Fun Home' songwriters become 1st winning female team ".Yahoo News.Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 2016.
- ^abVellucci, Michelle (July 12, 2013)."The Now and the Then: Jeanine Tesori Brings Off-Broadway to City Center Encores!".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^ab"Biography – Jeanine Tesori".American Theatre Wing.December 2008. Archived fromthe originalon January 30, 2009.
- ^Rosenberg, Merri (December 19, 2013)."Music to Her Ears".Barnard College.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Heyman, Marshall (November 30, 2008)."Shrek's Theater Queen".W Magazine.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^abPlaybill (July 28, 2023).Jeanine Tesori’s Broadway Journey, From "Thoroughly Modern Millie" to "Kimberly Akimbo".RetrievedNovember 5,2024– via YouTube.
- ^"Jeanine Tesori".Internet Off-Broadway Database.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Kalb, Jonathan (August 6, 2006)."Still Fearsome, Mother Courage Gets a Makeover".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.
- ^Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (May 5, 2009)."Nominations for 2009 Tony Awards Announced;Billy ElliotEarns 15 Nominations ".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Hetrick, Adam (September 9, 2011)."Sundance Will Shape Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron Musical, Plus Works by Debate Society, Aaron Jafferis, Byron Au Yong".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Hetrick, Adam (October 17, 2012)."Jeanine Tesori-Lisa Kron MusicalFun Home,With Judy Kuhn, Begins Public Run Oct. 17 ".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^"2014".Obie Awards.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^"Finalist:Fun Home,by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori ".Pulitzer.org.
- ^Suskin, Steven (July 25, 2013)."Encores! Scores WithI'm Getting My Act Together".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Hetrick, Adam (April 4, 2013)."Encores! Off-Center Series Will Launch With Sutton Foster inViolet;Jeanine Tesori Named Artistic Director ".Playbill.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
- ^Gyllenhaal, Jake (July 18, 2015)."Jake Gyllenhaal talks Little Shop of Horrors – singing and" playing against type "".Ovation(Interview). Interviewed by David Poland. YouTube.RetrievedMarch 18,2023.
- ^Smith, Tim (December 19, 2013)."New family opera for Christmas from Washington National Opera".The Baltimore Sun.
- ^Explorer, T. D. R. (July 8, 2016)."Out of Shadowland Review at Tokyo DisneySea".TDR Explorer.RetrievedJune 17,2024.
- ^Franklin, Marc J. (April 13, 2018)."A Sneak Peek at the World Premiere of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori'sSoft Power".Playbill.
- ^Lefkotwitz, Andy (September 6, 2019)."Jeanine Tesori & David Henry Hwang's New MusicalSoft PowerGets Extension at Public Theater ".Broadway.com.
- ^"Finalist:Soft Power,by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori ".Pulitzer.org.
- ^"The Glimmerglass Festival to Premiere 'Blue' by Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson in 2019".The Glimmerglass Festival.June 22, 2018.
- ^Huston, Caitlin (June 11, 2023)."Tony Awards 2023: 'Kimberly Akimbo' Wins Big as Winners Praise Writers".The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^"Kimberly Akimbo Wins Best Musical at 2023 Tony Awards".Playbill.June 11, 2023.
- ^"Grounded | Kennedy Center".The Kennedy Center.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^Salazar, Francisco (March 12, 2023)."Emily d'Angelo, Isabel Leonard & Justin Austin Lead Washington National Opera's 2023–24 Season".OperaWire.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^"The First Picture Show".August 13, 1999.
Further reading
edit- Means, Richard (November 2018). "Jeanine Tesori".Current Biography.79(11): 72–75.