Henry Krieger
Henry Krieger(born February 9, 1945) is an Americanmusical theatrecomposer.He most notably wrote the music for theBroadwayshowsDreamgirls(1981, with lyrics and book byTom Eyen),The Tap Dance Kid(1983), andSide Show(1997).
He was nominated for theTony Award for Best Scorefor bothDreamgirlsandSide Show,won theGrammy Award for Best Cast Show Albumfor the cast album ofDreamgirls,and received three nominations for theAcademy Award for Best Songfor songs he wrote for the 2006Dreamgirlsfilm.
Early life
[edit]Born inNew York City,Krieger grew up inWhite PlainsandOssininginWestchester County, New York,and attended school at theScarborough SchoolinScarborough, New York.[1]There he played inGilbert and Sullivan'sIolantheandRuddigore.He became interested in theatre and the dramatic arts, and he later studied creative and liberal arts at theAmerican UniversityinWashington, D.C.,andColumbia Universityin New York, and then he studied Graphical Arts inPontifical Xavierian UniversityinBogotá,Colombia.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]While still in his twenties, Krieger began composing forOff-Off-Broadway.Eyen and Krieger first worked together on the 1975 musical version of Eyen's revueThe Dirtiest Show in Town,calledThe Dirtiest Musical in Town.[2]Nell Carter's performance in that musical inspired Krieger and Eyen to craft a musical about blackbackup singers,which they workshopped forJoe Pappbut shelved when Carter dropped out in 1978 to appear inRyan's Hope.A year later, the project caught the interest of Broadway director/producer/choreographerMichael Bennett,who sponsored a workshop production ofBig Dreams,as the musical was then known, withDevineand twenty-year-old gospel singerJennifer Hollidayas Carter's replacement. After several workshops, numerous rewrites and various roadblocks,[3]the show, now calledDreamgirls,came to Broadway in 1981. It was a success, and was nominated for thirteenTony Awards(including Best Score), winning six. One of its songs, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"became a top hit, and others became popular songs. Theoriginal cast albumwon Krieger a Grammy Award.
Two years later, in 1983, Krieger's musicalThe Tap Dance Kid,with lyrics byRobert Lorick,opened at Broadway'sBroadhurst Theatreand went on to win two Tony Awards.
Nearly 15 years later, his next Broadway musical,Side Show,with book and lyrics byBill Russell,opened at theRichard Rodgers Theatrein 1997.Side Showreceived four Tony nominations, including Best Score.
In 2000, Krieger's musicalEverything's Ducky,again with Russell, opened atTheatreWorksinPalo Alto, California.The show won the 2000 Backstage West Garland Award for Best Score as well as the Will Glickman Award for Best New Bay Area Play of 2000. The musical has since had productions in St. Louis, Cincinnati, La Mirada, and Chicago. The musical was later revised and retitled toLucky Duck,debuting at theBoston Conservatory.
Krieger collaborated with Russell again onKept,based onAlexandre Dumas, fils' classic,Camille.Keptpremiered at TheatreWorks in 2002. Krieger and Russell also wrote "Santa's Gonna Rock and Roll", which would serve as opening number of theRadio City Music HallChristmas Spectacularfor over a decade, and also "Take the Flame," for the opening and closing ceremonies ofGay GamesIV.
In 2002, Krieger also wrote the score forThe Wonderful World of Disney's television version ofSleeping Beauty,with lyrics bySusan Birkenhead.
When thefilm version ofDreamgirlswas released in 2006, the soundtrack became a number one album, and Krieger's songs from the soundtrack became hits again. Krieger wrote four new songs for the film version, and he had the distinction of beingnominatedfor theAcademy Awardfor Best Original Song three times in one year, for three of the songs: "Listen","Love You I Do",and"Patience".
With Birkenhead, he contributed two songs toHats!,the 2007 musicalrevueof theRed Hat Society.
In 2008, he wrote the music for the musicalRomantic Poetry,which features a book and lyrics byJohn Patrick Shanley.The musical premiered atManhattan Theatre Clubat New York City Center in October 2008 and featured a cast that includesJeb Brown,Jerry Dixon, Ivan Hernandez, Mark Linn Baker,Patina Miller,and Emily Swallow. According to press notes, "Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Mary of Greenpoint climbs Frankie of Little Italy's fire escape with amorous erotic intent – but things go awry as she reaches for her dream."
Krieger teamed up once again with Bill Russell to write the song "We Have to Change" forSpare Some Change: NYC Artists for Barack Obamaon August 11, 2008, in New York City. The song was performed byMichael-Leon Wooley.[4][5][6]
Personal life
[edit]Krieger lives in New York City'sGreenwich Villagewith the actorRobert Joy,his partner since 1995.[7]
Awards
[edit]| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Original Song | "Listen" | Nominated |
| "Love You I Do" | |||
| "Patience" |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Original or Adapted Song | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Won |
| "Listen" | Nominated | ||
| "One Night Only" |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Original Music | Dreamgirls | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Original Song | "Listen" | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Best Cast Show Album | Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album | Won |
| 2008 | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media | "Love You I Do" | Nominated |
Source:[8]
Online Film and Television Association Awards
[edit]| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Adapted Song | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Won |
| "I Am Changing" | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song | "Listen" | Won | |
| "Love You I Do" | Nominated | ||
| "Patience" |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Original Song | "Listen" | Nominated |
| "Love You I Do" |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Best Original Score | Dreamgirls | Nominated |
| 1998 | Side Show |
Notes
[edit]- ^Buckley, Michael (December 17, 2006)."Stage to Screens:" Dreamgirls "Composer Krieger and Co-Star Rose; Plus David Warren".Playbill.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2022.RetrievedJune 26,2022.
- ^Tallmer, Jerry (February 14, 2007)."Oscar dreaming: Songwriter Henry Krieger scores three Academy nominations for 'Dreamgirls'".The Villager.Vol. 76, no. 38. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedJune 26,2022.
- ^Hill, Jeremy. "Pre-Broadway.Dreamgirls: Your Virtual Coffee Table Book of the Musical.
- ^"BITYMI website" When You Wish Upon a Frog ", accessed Oct 20 2008".Archivedfrom the original on April 28, 2010.RetrievedOctober 20,2008.
- ^Video "We Have to Change, accessed October 20, 2008onYouTube
- ^"DailyKos We Have To Change, accessed Oct 20, 2008".Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2008.RetrievedOctober 20,2008.
- ^Doolan, Susan (June 9, 2011)."Joy gets to join his daughter on stage"ArchivedSeptember 30, 2011, at theWayback Machine.The Barrie Examiner(Barrie, Ontario, Canada). Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- ^25th Annual Grammy Awardsgrammy.com ArchivedFebruary 6, 2023, at theWayback Machine[permanent dead link]
References
[edit]- Profile of Henry Krieger[permanent dead link]
- Another profile of Krieger
- Article on Krieger's work and hisDreamgirlsnominations
- Playbill interview with Henry Krieger
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
