Fred Alley
Fred Alley(1962–2001) was an American musical theatre lyricist and librettist who died unexpectedly just as his work gained national recognition. His collaboration on the musicalThe Spitfire Grillwith composerJames Valcqwon theAmerican Academy of Arts and Letters' prestigious Richard Rodgers Production Award for 2001. Premiered at theGeorge Street Playhousein New Jersey and producedOff-BroadwaybyPlaywrights Horizons,it received Best Musical nominations from theOuter Critics CircleandDrama League,as well as twoDrama Desknominations. The cast album was released on Triangle Road Records.
The Spitfire Grillhas become one of the most frequently performed recent musicals with more than 600 productions to date, not only in every major American city but inCanada,Germany,South Korea,andJapanas well. In 2008 the show had its UK premiere at theEdinburgh Festival Fringe.
Alley was the co-founder and artist-in-Residence atAmerican Folklore Theatre(AFT) inDoor County,Wisconsin,[1]a populist theatre with a seasonal audience of 50,000 performing original musicals that further the knowledge and appreciation of the heritage of the United States with local and regional settings and themes. It was at AFT that Alley first collaborated with Valcq on a musical calledThe Passage.Also at AFT, Alley collaborated on more than 20 original shows with composer James Kaplan, director Jeffrey Herbst, co-founder Doc Heide, and frequent guest artistsPaul SillsandJames Maronek.
Alley was the librettist and lyricist ofGuys on Ice,[2]Lumberjacks in Love,[3]andThe Bachelors,all of which began at AFT and set box office records in frequent productions at theMilwaukee Repertory Theater.
He was honored posthumously with the 2002 Mark R. Sumner Award for distinguished achievement in the U.S. outdoor drama movement.[4]
Alley was also an actor and singer who performed on the AFT stage for 20 consecutive seasons. His tenor voice can be heard on his recordingsThe Lake,Door Christmas,and the posthumously released collectionIt Would Be Enough For Me.
Alley died on May 1, 2001, of a previously undiagnosed heart condition while jogging near his Wisconsin home.[5]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- The New York Times, July 28, 2002
- The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2001
- The Chicago Tribune, November 22, 2002
- Playbill September, 2001, Volume 117, Number 9
- Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Bulletin, Fall, 2001
- The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, September 14, 2002
- ^"Lyricist-Librettist Alley Had Undiagnosed Heart Ailment; Colleagues Remember Him".Playbill.4 May 2001.
- ^"25 years of Leinies, laughs, ice fishing and real life: Northern Sky holds anniversary run of 'Guys on Ice'".Green Bay Press-Gazette.Retrieved2024-03-10.
- ^"New Album Honors the Late Fred Alley's Songwriting Side".Door County Pulse.2017-08-18.Retrieved2024-03-10.
- ^"The Heart and Soul of America | Utah Shakespeare Festival".bard.org.Retrieved2024-03-10.
- ^"Fred Alley: Unforgettable, Incomparable".Door County Pulse.2011-09-22.Retrieved2024-03-10.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1962 births
- 2001 deaths
- American male musical theatre actors
- American musical theatre lyricists
- American musical theatre librettists
- 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
- American male dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American male writers