Ted Sperling
Encyclopedia
Ted Sperling is a Musical Director, conductor
, orchestrator, arranger
, stage director and musician, primarily for the stage and concerts. He won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
and the Drama Desk Award
, Outstanding Orchestrations, for his work in The Light in the Piazza in 2005.
and started taking violin lessons at age 5, studied at Juilliard School
starting at age 16, and graduated from Yale University
, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude at the age of 21.
Sperling has been the musical director, conductor, stage director and/or arranger for such Broadway
musicals as the revival of South Pacific
(2008) and The Light in the Piazza (2005), and for some ten Off-Broadway
musicals, starting with Gus and Al in 1989 through Striking 12 in 2006. He appeared on-stage in the musical Titanic
(1997) as a performer and one of the on-stage trio of musicians. He began stage directing in regional theatre in 2001, and then directed the musical See What I Wanna See
, both regionally and off-Broadway
, in 2004 and 2005.
He is the musical conductor for concerts for performer Victoria Clark
. The two met at Yale University, when they sang in the Yale Chapel Choir and he was also the first violist in the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted concerts for Audra McDonald
, such as her Houston Grand Opera debut in March 2006 and her New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve concert, December 31, 2006.
In 2002 he was named Associate Artistic Director of the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, PA . In 2008 he was appointed Director of the Public Theater
's Musical Theatre Initiative.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, orchestrator, arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, stage director and musician, primarily for the stage and concerts. He won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
-1990s:1997*Jonathan Tunick – Titanic**Michael Gibson - Steel Pier**Luther Henderson - Play On!**Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler - The Life1998*William David Brohn – Ragtime**Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler - The Lion King...
and the 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...
, Outstanding Orchestrations, for his work in The Light in the Piazza in 2005.
Career
Sperling was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and started taking violin lessons at age 5, studied at Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
starting at age 16, and graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude at the age of 21.
Sperling has been the musical director, conductor, stage director and/or arranger for such 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...
musicals as the revival of South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(2008) and The Light in the Piazza (2005), and for some ten 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...
musicals, starting with Gus and Al in 1989 through Striking 12 in 2006. He appeared on-stage in the musical Titanic
Titanic (musical)
Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical...
(1997) as a performer and one of the on-stage trio of musicians. He began stage directing in regional theatre in 2001, and then directed the musical See What I Wanna See
See What I Wanna See
See What I Wanna See is a musical by Michael John LaChiusa based on three short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa: "Kesa and Morito", "In a Grove" and "The Dragon". The story is told in two parts with two prologues. Each prologue involves the medieval lovers/killers Kesa and Morito...
, both regionally and 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...
, in 2004 and 2005.
He is the musical conductor for concerts for performer Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark
Victoria Clark is an American musical theatre singer and actress. Clark has performed in many Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television work, and her soprano voice can be heard on numerous cast albums and several animated films...
. The two met at Yale University, when they sang in the Yale Chapel Choir and he was also the first violist in the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted concerts for Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...
, such as her Houston Grand Opera debut in March 2006 and her New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve concert, December 31, 2006.
In 2002 he was named Associate Artistic Director of the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, PA . In 2008 he was appointed Director of the Public Theater
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
's Musical Theatre Initiative.
Work (selected)
- Guys and Dolls (2008) - Musical Director, Vocal arrangements
- South Pacific (2008) - Musical Director, Conductor
- Striking 12 (2006), Daryl Roth Theatre, Stage director,
- The Light in the Piazza (2005) - Orchestrator, Musical Director, Conductor
- Peter Pan and Wendy (2002), Prince Music Theatre, New Jersey, Stage Director
- Lady in the DarkLady in the DarkLady in the Dark is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fashion magazine, Allure, who is undergoing psychoanalysis...
(2001), Prince Music Theatre, New Jersey, Stage Director - The Full MontyThe Full MontyThe Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
(2000) - Musical Director, Vocal and incidental music arrangements - Sunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with GeorgeSunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
(1984) Synthesizer