Bartlett Sher
Bartlett Sher | |
|---|---|
 Sher in 2017 | |
| Born | March 27, 1959 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross(BA) |
| Occupation | Theatre director |
| Spouse | Kristin Flanders (2 children) |
Bartlett B. Sher[1](born March 27, 1959) is an Americantheatre director.The New York Timeshas described him as "one of the most original and exciting directors, not only in the American theater but also in the international world of opera".[2]Sher has been nominated for nineTony Awards,winning aTony Award for Best Direction of a Musicalfor the 2008 Broadway revival ofSouth Pacific.
Sher has directed revivals of classic mid-century musicals onBroadwayatLincoln Center,which includeSouth Pacific(2008),The King and I(2015),My Fair Lady(2018), andCamelot(2023). He also directed the playsOslo(2017),To Kill a Mockingbird(2018), andPictures from Home(2023).
Early life[edit]
Sher was born inSan Francisco, California,the son of Aird (Stewart) and Joseph Sher.[3]He had six siblings, including a twin brother, Bradley. He was raised Catholic (during his teenage years, he found out that hisLithuanian-born father was Jewish).[4][5]Sher attendedSt. Ignatius College Preparatoryand later theCollege of the Holy CrossinWorcester, Massachusetts.He returned to St. Ignatius to teach English and run the theatre program.[4]During the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games he was influenced by the arts programs associated with the Games, particularly by the work of Polish directorTadeusz Kantor.
Career[edit]
Sher served as associateartistic directorat Hartford Stage (Hartford, Connecticut) and company director at theGuthrie Theater(Minneapolis, Minnesota) where he worked with Garland Wright,[6]who was a mentor as wasRobert Woodruff.Sher has directed, taught and led workshops across the country and internationally. He was artistic director atIntiman Theatrein Seattle and in 2008 was named resident director atLincoln Center Theaterin New York City.[7]
Intiman Playhouse, Seattle[edit]
Sher served asartistic directoratIntiman PlayhouseinSeattlefrom 2000 to 2010. During 2010 Sher handed over this job to his successor,Kate Whoriskey.(The Intiman cancelled its 2011 season due to financial problems.)[8][9]His productions at Intiman have included:
- Nickel and Dimed,a world premiere byJoan Holdenbased on the book byBarbara Ehrenreich;
- Tony Kushner'sHomebody/Kabul(British housewife becomes fascinated with Afghanistan);[10]
- Ingmar Bergman'sNora(adaptation ofHenrik Ibsen'sA Doll's House);
- G. B. Shaw'sArms and the Man;
- Shakespeare'sCymbelineandTitus Andronicus;
- Carlo Goldoni'sThe Servant of Two Masters;
- Works byCraig Lucas:
- The Dying Gaul(a funny and tragic story of a grieving Hollywood scriptwriter)[11]
- The Singing Forest(neurotics and therapists sparring) — world premiere[12]
- Prayer for My Enemy(dysfunctional family,friendship, war in Iraq)[13]
- The Light in the Piazza,book by Lucas (a chance meeting in Florence leads to romance)[14]
Other theatre and opera[edit]
At theTheatre for a New Audience(TFANA) in New York, Sher directed productions of[15]WastebyHarley Granville Barkerin 2000 (its American premiere, winning the 2000 Obie Award for Best Play),Cymbelineby Shakespeare in 2002,Dom Juanby Molière in 2003, andPericles, Prince of Tyreby Shakespeare in 2004. He directedCymbeline,Dom Juan,andPericlesat theBrooklyn Academy of Music.In 2006 Sher directedGioachino Rossini'sIl barbiere di Siviglia(The Barber of Seville) at theMetropolitan OperainLincoln Center.In 2009 Sher directed the operaTales of Hoffmannat theMetropolitan Operain New York (opening December 3, 2009).[16]In 2011, Sher directedMourning Becomes ElectraforSeattle Opera.[17][18]In March 2011,Le Comte OrybyRossiniopened at theMetropolitan Operain New York, in a production directed by Sher. The reviewer forThe New York Timescalled the production "lively, colorful and inventive."[19]In June 2011, Sher's production of the world premiere ofNico Muhly'sTwo Boyswas presented at the English National Opera. The American debut took place in October 2013, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Met commissioned the production. Sher directed a London revival ofKiss Me Kateat theBarbican Theatrefor a run lasting from June through September 2024.[20][21]
Broadway and Lincoln Center[edit]
Sher made hisBroadwaydebut in 2005 when his production ofThe Light in the Piazzawhich had originated at the Intiman Playhouse premiered at theVivian Beaumont Theatre.Sher receivedTony Awardnominations forThe Light in the Piazzaand a 2006 revival ofAwake and Sing!,winning theTony Award for Best Direction of a Musicalfor the 2008 Broadway revival ofSouth Pacific.He received another Tony nomination for the 2009 revival ofJoe Turner's Come and Gone.In 2010 Sher directed a musical production ofWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdownbased on the 1988 film byPedro Almodóvar.The show opened November 4, 2010 on Broadway in aLincoln Center Theaterproduction. The musical was criticized byBen BrantleyofThe New York Timesas being distracted, gimmicky and overdesigned.[22]A previously announced revival ofFunny Girlthat Sher was expected to direct with a Broadway opening in February 2012 was ultimately postponed.[23]
In December 2012,Golden BoybyClifford Odetsas directed by Sher opened in New York to a positive review inThe New York Times.[24]This production was staged at theBelasco Theatre,the same spot whereGolden Boywas first presented on Broadway, 75 years earlier.[25]The production received eight Tony Award nominations, including Sher's fifth for directing. Sher had directed Odets'Awake and Sing!in 2006. The production ran from December 2012 into January 2013 for 53 performances. In 2014 Sher directed amusical productionof the novelThe Bridges of Madison County.The production ran for 100 performances from February to May 2014.
Sher directed a Broadway revival ofThe King and I,which opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center on April 16, 2015, with Kelli O'Hara as Anna Leonowens, Ken Watanabe as The King of Siam, and Ruthie Anne Miles as Lady Tiang. He received a 2015 Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical, and the production received Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (O'Hara), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Miles) and Best Costume Design of a Musical (Catherine Zuber).[26][27][28]He reproduced the musical when it transferred to theWest End'sLondon Palladiumin 2018.[29]Sher directed a Broadway revival ofFiddler on the Roof,starring Danny Burstein as Tevye and Jessica Hecht as Golde, which opened at the Broadway Theatre on December 17, 2015 and played its final performance on December 31, 2016.[30]
Sher directed the world premiere of J.T. Roger's playOslowhich opened at theMitzi Newhouse Theaterin July 2016.[31]The production transferred to theVivian Beaumont Theaterfor an open run in April 2017.[32]Sher directed the 2021television film adaptationofOslo.[33]Sher received Tony Award nominations forOslo,a 2018 revival ofMy Fair Lady,and the2018 play adaptationofTo Kill a Mockingbird.In 2023, it was announced that he would direct the stage musical adaptation ofDamien Chazelle's 2016 filmLa La Land.[34]
Personal life[edit]
Sher lives in Manhattan with his wife Kristin Flanders (aYaletrained actress) and two daughters.[2]His father, an insurance broker whom he described toThe New York Timesas a "brilliant businessman, very charismatic", was also a serial philanderer who had a second family with another woman.[2]Sher's childhood was marked by a drawn-out divorce.
His mother soon met a Chinese-American man, Doug Chung, who moved in, helped rear the family and brought them much needed stability. Sher's experiences with interracial blended families informed his directing ofSouth Pacific.
Directing credits[edit]
Broadway[edit]
West End[edit]
| Year | Title | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kiss Me, Kate | Barbican Centre |
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Oslo | Television film |
Awards and nominations[edit]
Other recognition[edit]
In 2017, Sher received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievementpresented by Awards Council memberJeremy Irons.[35][36]
In 2017,The New York Popscelebrated its 34th birthday with a gala honoring Sher andKelli O'Hara.[37]
See also[edit]
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play— 2006 nomination (Awake and Sing!), 2009 nomination (Joe Turner's Come and Gone), 2013 nomination (Golden Boy), 2017 nomination (Oslo), and 2019 nomination (To Kill a Mockingbird)
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical— 2005 nomination (The Light in the Piazza), 2008 winner (South Pacific), 2015 nomination (The King and I), and 2018 nomination (My Fair Lady)
Further reading[edit]
- "Meet the Nominees: And the Winner Is..."The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards. 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2008.Retrieved2008-08-23.
- Bartlett Sher (September 2005)."The Essential Bartlett Sher".American Theatre Magazine(transcript). Interviewed by Steven Drukman. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-06-08.Retrieved2008-08-23.
References[edit]
- ^"College of the Holy Cross – Holy Cross Magazine".Retrieved26 December2015.
- ^abcAlex Witchel,The Stages of Bart Sher,The New York Times,February 24, 2008.
- ^Korbelik, Jeff."The Bond of Brothers:As Close as You Would Expect Twins to Be"JournalStar (Lincoln), February 20, 2010
- ^abDrukman, Steven."The Essential Bartlett Sher"Archived2008-06-08 at theWayback MachineTheatreCommunicationsGroup, September 2005, accessed August 23, 2011
- ^"Bartlett Sher's production ofSouth Pacificremains younger than springtime ".The Australian.Retrieved26 December2015.
- ^Gussow, Mel."Garland Wright obituary"The New York Times(requires registration), July 26, 1998.
- ^Berson, Misha.Bartlett Sher, Tony Award-winning director, to leave Intiman "SeattleTimes, May 19, 2009
- ^"Intiman release"IntimanTheatre.org, accessed August 23, 2011
- ^Healy, Patrick."Seattle Theater Takes No-Frills Approach to Filling a Top Job"The New York Times,August 16, 2009.
- ^"Radio interview"NPR.org, December 3, 2001
- ^"Script summary"StagePlays, accessed August 23, 2011[dead link]
- ^Isherwood, Charles."Modern Neurotics Mingling With the Ghosts of Vienna"The New York Times,January 29, 2005
- ^Huffman, Kelly."Review:'Prayer for My Enemy'"TheaterMania, August 10, 2007
- ^Simonson, Robert."Tony-Winning Light in the Piazza Extends at Lincoln Center Until Jan. 1"Archived2012-10-22 at theWayback MachinePlaybill, June 9, 2005
- ^"Production history"TFANA.org, accessed August 23, 2011ArchivedSeptember 25, 2009, at theWayback Machine
- ^Schweitzer, Vivien."Swan Song of Offenbach, the Outsider"The New York Times,November 25, 2009
- ^"Electra production"SeattleOpera.org, accessed August 23, 2011
- ^Bartlett Sher interview about Electra and New York City OperaSeattleOpera.org, accessed August 23, 2011
- ^Tommasini, Anthony."With Rossini's Mix of This and That, the Met Finds an Excuse for a Romp"The New York Times,March 25, 2011
- ^Dillon, Luke."Kiss Me, Kate to open at the Barbican Theatre starring Adrian Dunbar & Stephanie J Block"West End Theatre,January 17, 2024
- ^Culwell-Block, Logan."Stephanie J. Block Stars in London Kiss Me, Kate Revival, Opening June 18",Playbill,June 18, 2024
- ^Brantley, Ben."Here's Your Valium, What's Your Hurry?"The New York Times,November 5, 2010, pg C1
- ^Gans, Andrew."Los Angeles and Broadway Engagements of 'Funny Girl' Postponed"Archived2011-11-04 at theWayback Machineplaybill, November 3, 2011
- ^Isherwood, Charles"The Sweet Science vs. the Stradivarius",The New York Times,December 6, 2012
- ^New York Theatre"Golden Boy Reviews are Mostly Raves..."
- ^Hetrick, Adam."Tix on Sale forKing and IBroadway Revival, with Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe Leading Cast of More Than 50 ",Playbill,October 19, 2014
- ^Brantley, Ben."Review:The King and I,Back on Broadway ",The New York Times,April 16, 2015
- ^McRady, Rachel."Tony Awards 2015: Complete List of Winners!",Us Weeklymagazine, June 7, 2015
- ^Wood, Alex."The King and Ito be revived at the London Palladium in 2018 ",WhatsOnStage, November 17, 2017;"Bartlett Sher Revival ofThe King and Ito Head Out on International Tour ",BroadwayWorld, July 5, 2018; Smith, Neil."The King and I:timeless classic or dated relic? ",BBC, July 4, 2018; and Quinn, Dave."Ruthie Ann Miles 'Sang Like an Angel' in Stage Return After Daughter's Death and Losing Unborn Baby",People,August 4, 2018
- ^League, The Broadway."Fiddler on the Roof – Broadway Musical – 2015 Revival - IBDB".ibdb.Retrieved27 April2018.
- ^Theater, Lincoln Center."Oslo (Newhouse) - Lincoln Center Theater".Lincoln Center Theater.Retrieved27 April2018.
- ^League, The Broadway."Oslo – Broadway Play – Original - IBDB".ibdb.Retrieved27 April2018.
- ^Grater, Tom (2020-11-09)."Ruth Wilson & Andrew Scott Starring In HBO Movie 'Oslo'; Spielberg Exec'ing Tony-Winning Play Adaptation".Deadline.Retrieved2020-11-10.
- ^Galuppo, Mia (February 7, 2023)."'La La Land' to Become a Broadway Musical ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedFebruary 7,2023.
- ^"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement".achievement.org.American Academy of Achievement.
- ^"2017 Summit Overview Photo".
- ^"Kelli O'Hara and Bartlett Sher Honored at the New York Pops Gala".playbill.Playbill.
External links[edit]
- Bartlett Sherat theInternet Broadway Database
- Bartlett SheratIMDb
- Intiman Theatre website
- Lincoln Center Theater website
- Charlie Rose interviewwith Bartlett Sher, May 19, 2008
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