John Weidman
Encyclopedia
John Weidman is an American
librettist
. He is the son of librettist and novelist Jerome Weidman
.
He has written the books for a wide variety of stage musicals, three in collaboration with Stephen Sondheim
: Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show. In 1999 he co-created the Tony Award-winning musical Contact
with choreographer/director Susan Stroman
. He has been nominated for the Tony Award
for Best Book for a Musical three times.
In the 1970s, Weidman wrote for National Lampoon. Since 1986, Weidman has been a writer for Sesame Street
, for which he has won more than a dozen Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Children's Program.
From 1999 to 2009 he was president of the Dramatists Guild of America
.
Weidman received a B.A. from Harvard University
and a J.D. from Yale
Law School.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
. He is the son of librettist and novelist Jerome Weidman
Jerome Weidman
Jerome Weidman was an American playwright and novelist. He collaborated with George Abbott on the book for the musical Fiorello! with music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick...
.
He has written the books for a wide variety of stage musicals, three in collaboration with Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
: Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show. In 1999 he co-created the Tony Award-winning musical Contact
Contact (musical)
Contact: The Musical is a musical "dance play" that was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, with its "book" by Weidman and both choreography and direction by Stroman. It ran both off-Broadway and on Broadway in 1999 - 2000. It consists of three separate one-act dance...
with choreographer/director Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
. He has been nominated for the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Book for a Musical three times.
In the 1970s, Weidman wrote for National Lampoon. Since 1986, Weidman has been a writer for Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, for which he has won more than a dozen Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Children's Program.
From 1999 to 2009 he was president of the Dramatists Guild of America
Dramatists Guild of America
The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market.Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Members are playwrights who have had at least one play...
.
Weidman received a B.A. from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and a J.D. from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
Law School.
Stage work (libretti)
- Pacific OverturesPacific OverturesPacific Overtures is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is set in 1853 Japan and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, through the lives of two friends caught in the change...
- 1976 (Tony Award nominee, Best Book of a Musical) - 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...
- 1987 (revised original book with Timothy Crouse; Tony Award, Best Musical Revival) - AssassinsAssassins (musical)Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
- 1991 (revived on Broadway in 2004) (Drama Desk Award nominee, Outstanding Book of a Musical; Tony Award, Best Musical Revival) - BigBig, The MusicalBig: the musical is a musical adaptation of the 1988 Tom Hanks film Big. It was directed by Mike Ockrent and featured music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., with choreography by Susan Stroman. It involves a 12-year-old boy, Josh Baskin, who grows up overnight after being granted a...
- 1996 (Tony Award nominee, Best Book of a Musical) - ContactContact (musical)Contact: The Musical is a musical "dance play" that was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, with its "book" by Weidman and both choreography and direction by Stroman. It ran both off-Broadway and on Broadway in 1999 - 2000. It consists of three separate one-act dance...
- 2000 (Tony Award nominee, Best Book of a Musical; Tony Award, Best Musical) - BounceBounce (musical)Road Show is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman...
- 2003 - Take FlightTake Flight (musical)Take Flight is a musical with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.. The musical is inspired by the early history of aviation, interweaving the lives of the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and her publisher George Putnam, along with such...
- 2007 - Road Show - 2008
- Happiness - 2009