Michael White (producer)
Encyclopedia
Michael White is a British theatrical impresario
and film producer.
Theatre impresario and film producer Michael White was born in Scotland
on 16 January 1936, and educated at the Sorbonne
in Paris
.
After working as a Wall Street
runner in New York City
in the fifties, White took an interest in theatre, spending five years as assistant to Sir Peter Daubeny at the World Theatre in London
.
At 26, White produced his first West End play, a production of Jack Gelber
's The Connection. It was the start of a career that went on to produce over ninety shows in twelve years,
Famed for bringing the risqué to the stage his productions include Sleuth, The Doll's House, Oh! Calcutta, Two Gentlemen of Verona, the original Theatre Upstairs production of the cult The Rocky Horror Show, and subsequently the film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show
. He also produced the cult classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and is responsible for starting the popular TV show The Comic Strip with Peter Richardson.
White has authored his autobiography, Empty Seats.
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
and film producer.
Theatre impresario and film producer Michael White was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 16 January 1936, and educated at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
After working as a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
runner in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the fifties, White took an interest in theatre, spending five years as assistant to Sir Peter Daubeny at the World Theatre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
At 26, White produced his first West End play, a production of Jack Gelber
Jack Gelber
Jack Gelber was an American playwright best known for his 1959 drama The Connection, depicting the life of drug-addicted jazz musicians. The first great success of the Living Theatre, the play was translated into five languages and produced in ten nations...
's The Connection. It was the start of a career that went on to produce over ninety shows in twelve years,
Famed for bringing the risqué to the stage his productions include Sleuth, The Doll's House, Oh! Calcutta, Two Gentlemen of Verona, the original Theatre Upstairs production of the cult The Rocky Horror Show, and subsequently the film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
. He also produced the cult classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and is responsible for starting the popular TV show The Comic Strip with Peter Richardson.
White has authored his autobiography, Empty Seats.