Jerry Zaks
Encyclopedia
Jerry Zaks is a German-born American
stage
and television director
, and actor
. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
and Drama Desk Award
for directing The House of Blue Leaves
, Lend Me A Tenor
, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
and Drama Desk Award for Guys and Dolls.
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
and received a Master of Fine Arts
from Smith College
.
He made his Broadway
acting debut in the original production of Grease
as "Kenickie" and appeared in Tintypes
in 1980. He made his directing debut in 1981 with the off-Broadway
production of Christopher Durang
's Beyond Therapy
. He has directed many Broadway productions, both musicals and dramas.
He has also directed many Off-Broadway
productions, several at Playwrights Horizons
and the Public Theatre. He directed the City Center Encores!
productions of Girl Crazy
(November 2009), Stairway to Paradise (May 2007), and Bye Bye Birdie (May 2004).
He was the director of the new musical 101 Dalmatians Musical
, which toured the United States from October 2009 through April 2010. Zaks was named "creative consultant" for the new musical The Addams Family
, which opened on Broadway in April 2010.
He is currently directing the Broadway
production of Sister Act, which will open in Spring 2011.
Lincoln Center
Zaks served as Resident Director at Lincoln Center from 1986 to 1990 and is a founding member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre
.
Television and film
As an actor, Zaks' screen credits include Outrageous Fortune, Crimes and Misdemeanors
, and Husbands and Wives
. On television he has appeared in M*A*S*H and The Edge of Night
and directed episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond
, Frasier
, Hope and Faith, and Two and a Half Men
, among others. He also directed the feature films Marvin's Room and Who Do You Love?
.
Honors
He received the George Abbott
Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater in 1994 and an honorary Doctorate
of Fine Arts from Dartmouth College in 1999.
Nominations
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
and television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play...
and Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for directing The House of Blue Leaves
The House of Blue Leaves
The House of Blue Leaves is a play by American playwright John Guare, first staged in 1966 by Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut....
, Lend Me A Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...
, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions...
and Drama Desk Award for Guys and Dolls.
Biography
Zaks was born in Stuttgart, Germany, the son of Holocaust survivors. His family emigrated to the United States in 1948, finally settling in East Paterson, New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and received a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
.
Career
StageHe made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
acting debut in the original production of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
as "Kenickie" and appeared in Tintypes
Tintypes
Tintypes is a musical revue conceived by Mary Kyte with Mel Marvin and Gary Pearle.With its time frame set between the turn of the 20th century and the onset of World War I, this chamber piece with a cast of five provides a musical history lesson focusing on an exciting and tumultuous period in...
in 1980. He made his directing debut in 1981 with the off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
's Beyond Therapy
Beyond Therapy
Beyond Therapy is a play by Christopher Durang.The farcical comedy focuses on Prudence and Bruce, two Manhattanites who are seeking stable romantic relationships with the help of their psychiatrists, each of whom suggests the patient place a personal ad. Bruce is a highly emotional bisexual who...
. He has directed many Broadway productions, both musicals and dramas.
He has also directed many Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions, several at Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work....
and the Public Theatre. He directed the City Center Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
productions of Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy
Girl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
(November 2009), Stairway to Paradise (May 2007), and Bye Bye Birdie (May 2004).
He was the director of the new musical 101 Dalmatians Musical
101 Dalmatians Musical
The 101 Dalmatians Musical is a musical produced by Luis Alvarez, directed by Jerry Zaks, and sponsored by Purina Dog Chow. The music written by former Styx member Dennis DeYoung, who also co-wrote the lyrics with the musical's book author B.T. McNicholl...
, which toured the United States from October 2009 through April 2010. Zaks was named "creative consultant" for the new musical The Addams Family
The Addams Family (musical)
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for...
, which opened on Broadway in April 2010.
He is currently directing the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Sister Act, which will open in Spring 2011.
Lincoln Center
Zaks served as Resident Director at Lincoln Center from 1986 to 1990 and is a founding member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre
Ensemble Studio Theatre
The Ensemble Studio Theatre is a membership-based, developmental theatre located in New York City. It has a dual mission of nurturing individual theatre artists and developing new American plays.-Overview:...
.
Television and film
As an actor, Zaks' screen credits include Outrageous Fortune, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crimes and Misdemeanors is a 1989 black comedy written, directed by and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Martin Landau, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Jerry Orbach, Alan Alda, Sam Waterston and Joanna Gleason....
, and Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives
Husbands and Wives is a 1992 American drama film directed and written by Woody Allen. The films stars Allen, Mia Farrow, Sydney Pollack, Judy Davis, Juliette Lewis, Liam Neeson and Blythe Danner. It was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Writing,...
. On television he has appeared in M*A*S*H and The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
and directed episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, Hope and Faith, and Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, among others. He also directed the feature films Marvin's Room and Who Do You Love?
Who Do You Love? (2008 film)
Who Do You Love? is a 2008 film named after the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love?". It is also known by its working title of Chess. It is a biopic of the record producer Leonard Chess and was directed by Jerry Zaks and written by Peter Martin Wortmann and Robert Conte. Leonard Chess was played by...
.
Honors
He received the George Abbott
George Abbott
George Francis Abbott was an American theater producer and director, playwright, screenwriter, and film director and producer whose career spanned more than nine decades.-Early years:...
Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater in 1994 and an honorary Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
of Fine Arts from Dartmouth College in 1999.
Personal
Zaks married Jill Rose, an actress, on January 14, 1979; they have two children, Emma and Hannah Zaks.Broadway stage productions
- Sister Act, 2011
- A Bronx TaleA Bronx TaleA Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
, 2007 - The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, 2006
- La Cage aux Folles, 2004
- Little Shop of HorrorsLittle Shop of Horrors (musical)Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
, 2003 - 45 Seconds from Broadway45 Seconds from Broadway45 Seconds from Broadway is a play by Neil Simon, his thirty-third.The title refers to the amount of time it takes to walk to Broadway from the play's setting, a coffee shop inspired by the one located off the lobby of midtown-Manhattan's tourist-class Edison Hotel, a long-time watering hole for...
, 2001 - The Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert...
, 2000 - Swing!Swing!Swing! is a musical conceived by Paul Kelly with music by various artists. It celebrates the music of the Swing era of jazz , including many well-known tunes by artists like Duke Ellington, William "Count" Basie, Benny Goodman and others...
, 1999 - Epic ProportionsEpic ProportionsEpic Proportions is a play by Larry Coen and David Crane.Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of brothers Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona desert to work as extras in the Biblical epic film Exeunt Omnes, directed by the mysteriously reclusive D.W. DeWitt. All 3400 extras are supervised by...
, 1999 - The Civil WarThe Civil War (musical)The Civil War is a musical written by Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and music by Wildhorn. The musical centers on the American Civil War, with the musical numbers portraying the war through Union, Confederate, and slave viewpoints. The musical was nominated for a Tony...
, 1999 - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
, revival, 1996 - Smokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's CafeSmokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
, 1995 - Laughter on the 23rd FloorLaughter on the 23rd FloorLaughter on the 23rd Floor is a play by Neil Simon.Inspired by Simon's early career experience as a junior jokesmith for Your Show of Shows, the play focuses on Sid Caesar/Jackie Gleason-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show circa 1953, and his staff, including Simon's...
, 1993 - Guys and Dolls, revival, 1992
- Six Degrees of SeparationSix degrees of separationSix degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
, 1990 - Lend Me a TenorLend Me a TenorLend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...
, 1989 - Anything GoesAnything GoesAnything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
, revival, 1987 - The Front PageThe Front PageThe Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
, revival, 1986 - The House of Blue LeavesThe House of Blue LeavesThe House of Blue Leaves is a play by American playwright John Guare, first staged in 1966 by Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut....
, 1986
Awards and nominations
Awards- 1986 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play - The Marriage of Bette & Boo and The House of Blue Leaves
- 1986 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play - The House of Blue Leaves
- 1989 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play - Lend Me a Tenor
- 1989 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play - Lend Me a Tenor
- 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play - Six Degrees of Separation
- 1991 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play - Six Degrees of Separation
- 1992 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - Guys and Dolls
- 1992 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Guys and Dolls
- 1988 Outer Critics Circle Awards - Wenceslas Square
- 1985 ObieObie AwardThe Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
- The Marriage of Bette and Boo - 1985 ObieObie AwardThe Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
- The Foreigner
Nominations
- 1980 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Tintypes
- 1988 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - Anything Goes
- 1988 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Anything Goes
- 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - Assassins
- 1995 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Smokey Joe's Cafe
- 1996 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- 2006 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play - The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
- NAACP Image AwardNAACP Image AwardAn NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
nomination for the national tour of The Tap Dance KidThe Tap Dance KidThe Tap Dance Kid is a musical based on the novel Nobody's Family is Going to Change by Louise Fitzhugh. It was written by Charles Blackwell with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics by Robert Lorick.-Productions:...
.