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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brock Peters to Jonathan Prince
Harold Prince Biography (1928-)
Full name, Harold Smith Prince; born January 30, 1928, in New York, NY; son of Milton A. (a stockbroker) and Blanche (Stern) Prince; married Judith Chaplin, October 26, 1962; children: Charles, Daisy. Career: Producer and director; sometimes credited as Hal Prince or Harold S. Prince. New Phoenix Repertory Company, co-artistic director, 1972--; narrator of a revue for the Festival of American Arts and Humanities. Performing Arts Library, New York City, chairperson; National Endowment for the Arts, member of council; National Council for the Arts, member. Military service: U.S. Army, Artillery, 1950-52; served in Germany. Member: League of New York Theatres (president, 1963-65), National Institute for Music Theatre (chairperson), Society ofStage Directors and Choreographers, Coffee House Club. Awards, Honors: Antoinette Perry Awards, best musical, 1955, for The Pajama Game, and 1956, for Damn Yankees; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best musical, 1958, for West Side Story; Pulitzer Prize for drama, Antoinette Perry Award, best musical, and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, best musical production, all 1960, for Fiorello!; Antoinette Perry Awards, bestmusical and best producer of a musical, both 1963, for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Antoinette Perry Award nominations, best musical and best director of a musical, both 1964, for She Loves Me; Antoinette Perry Award, best musical, and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award,best musical production, both 1965, for Fiddler on the Roof; Antoinette Perry Awards, best musical and best director of a musical, and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, best musical production, all 1967, for Cabaret; Shubert Foundation Award, 1969; Antoinette Perry Award nominations, bestmusical and best director of a musical, both 1969, for Zorba;
Variety-New York Drama Critics' Poll Award, best director, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, best musical production, and Drama Desk Award, best director, all 1970, and Antoinette Perry Awards, best musical and best director ofa musical, 1971, all for Company; New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, best musical production, 1971, for Follies; honorary D.F.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1971; honorary Litt.D., Emerson College, 1971; Antoinette Perry Award, best director of a musical, Antoinette Perry Award nomination,best musical, and Drama Desk Award, best director, all 1972, for Follies; Drama Desk Award, best director, 1972-73, for The Great God Brownand A Little Night Music. Antoinette Perry Award, best musical, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best director of a musical, and New York DramaCritics' Circle Award, best musical production, all 1973, for A Little Night Music; Drama Desk Award, best director, 1973-74, for Candide and The Visit; Antoinette Perry Award, best director of a musical, special Antoinette Perry Award citation, best musical, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, best musical, and Obie Award, distinguished direction, VillageVoice, all 1974, for Candide; Antoinette Perry Award nominations,best musical and best director of a musical, both 1976, for Pacific Overtures; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best musical, 1977, for Side by Side by Sondheim; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best director of amusical, 1978, for On the Twentieth Century; Antoinette Perry Award and Drama Desk Award, both best director of a musical, 1979, for Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Antoinette Perry Award and Drama Desk Award, both best director of a musical, 1980, for Evita; Commonwealth Award for Public Service, dramatic arts category, Bank of Delaware, 1982;Antoinette Perry Award nominations, best musical and best director of a musical, both 1985, for Grind; Antoinette Perry Award and Drama Desk Award,both best director of a musical, 1988, for The Phantom of the Opera;Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best director of a musical, 1993, for Kiss of the Spider Woman;
Evening Standard Award, 1994; Kennedy Center Honoree, 1994; Drama Desk Award, best director of a musical, 1995, for Show Boat.
Addresses: Office: 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY10020.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Producer, director
- Birth Details
- January 30, 1928
- New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Stage Work
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Producer, Unless Otherwise Noted
- (With Frederick Brisson and Robert E. Griffith) The Pajama Game, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1954
- (With Brisson and Griffith) Damn Yankees, 46th Street Theatre, NewYork City, 1955
- (With Brisson and Griffith) New Girl in Town, 46th Street Theatre,1957
- (With Griffith) West Side Story, Winter Garden Theatre, 1957then Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 1958
- (With Griffith) A Swim in the Sea, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1958
- (With Griffith and H.M. Tennent) Two for the Seesaw, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1958
- (With Griffith) Fiorello!, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1959
- (With Griffith) Tenderloin, 46th Street Theatre, 1960
- (With Griffith) A Call on Kuprin, Broadhurst Theatre, 1961
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Take Her, She's Mine, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1961
- Director, They Might Be Giants, produced in London, 1961
- Director, A Family Affair, Billy Rose Theatre, New York City, 1962
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Alvin Theatre, NewYork City, 1962then Strand Theatre, London, 1963
- (With Sidney Gordon and Howard Erskine, and director) She Didn't Say Yes, Falmouth Theatre, Coonamessett, MA, 1963
- (With Lawrence N. Kasha and Phillip C. McKenna, and director) She Loves Me, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1963then Lyric Theatre, London, 1964
- (With Michael Codron and Pledon Ltd.) Poor Bitos, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1964
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Fiddler on the Roof, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1964then Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1967later (with Richard Pilbrow) Her Majesty'sTheatre, 1967
- Director, Baker Street, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1965
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Flora, the Red Menace, Alvin Theatre, 1965
- (With Ruth Mitchell, and director) It's a Bird.It's a Plane.It's Superman!, Alvin Theatre, 1966
- (With Mitchell, and director) Cabaret, Broadhurst Theatre, 1966then Imperial Theatre, 1967later Broadway Theatre, 1968then (with Pilbrow) Palace Theatre, London, 1968
- (With Pilbrow) The Beggar's Opera, Apollo Theatre, London, 1968
- (With Mitchell, and director) Zorba, Imperial Theatre, 1968
- (With Mitchell, and director) Company, Alvin Theatre, 1970then (with Pilbrow) Her Majesty's Theatre, 1972
- (With Mitchell, and director with Michael Bennett) Follies, WinterGarden Theatre, 1971
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Don Juan, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Lyceum Theatre, New YorkCity, 1972
- (And director) The Great God Brown, New Phoenix Repertory Company,Lyceum Theatre, 1972
- "A Meeting by the River," in Phoenix Theatre Sideshows, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Edison Theatre, New York City, 1972
- "Strike Heaven on the Face!" and "Games and after Liverpool" (double-bill) and "The Government Inspector," all in Phoenix Theatre Sideshows, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Edison Theatre, 1973
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Chemin de Fer, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1973
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Holiday, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1973
- (And director) The Visit, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1973
- (And director) Candide (opera), Chelsea Theatre Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY, 1973then (with Mitchell) Broadway Theatre, 1974
- (With Mitchell, and director) A Little Night Music, Shubert Theatre, then Majestic Theatre, both 1973later (with Pilbrow) Adelphi Theatre, London, 1975
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The Rules of the Game, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Helen HayesTheatre, New York City, 1974
- (And director) Love for Love, New Phoenix Repertory Company, HelenHayes Theatre, 1974
- "The Removalists" and "In the Voodoo Parlor of Marie Leveau" in Phoenix Theatre Sideshows, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Playhouse II, New York City, 1974
- "Pretzels" in Phoenix Theatre Sideshows, Playhouse II, then Theatre Four, New York City, both 1974
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The Member of the Wedding, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Helen Hayes Theatre, 1975
- "Dandelion Wine" and "Meeting Place," both in Phoenix Theatre Sideshows, New Phoenix Repertory Company, Playhouse II, 1975
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Knuckle, New Phoenix Repertory Company, 1975
- (With Mitchell, and director) Pacific Overtures, Winter Garden Theatre, 1976
- Director, Ashmedai (opera), New York City Opera, State Theatre, New York City, 1976
- Director, Some of My Best Friends, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1977
- (With Mitchell) Side by Side by Sondheim, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1977
- Director, On the Twentieth Century, St. James Theatre, 1978
- Director, The Girl of the Golden West (opera), Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 1978then San Francisco Opera, San Francisco, CA, 1979
- Director, Evita, Prince Edward Theatre, London, 1978then BroadwayTheatre, 1979
- Director, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Uris Theatre, New York City, 1979then Drury Lane Theatre, London, 1980
- Director, Silverlake (opera), New York City Opera, State Theatre,1980
- Director, Fanciulla del West (opera), Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1980
- (With Lew Grade, Martin Starger, and Robert Fryer, and director) Merrily We Roll Along, Alvin Theatre, 1981
- Director, Willie Stark (opera), Houston Grand Opera, Houston, TX,1981
- Director, Candide (opera), New York City Opera, State Theatre, 1982
- (And director) A Doll's Life, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1982
- Director, Turandot (opera), Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria, 1983
- Director, Girl of the Golden West (opera), La Scala, Milan, Italy,1983
- Director, Play Memory, Longacre Theatre, 1984
- Director, End of the World, Music Box Theatre, 1984
- Director, Diamonds, Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City, 1984
- (With others, and director) Grind, Mark Hellinger Theatre, 1985
- Director, Roza, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1986then Royale Theatre, New York City, 1987
- Director, The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, 1986then Majestic Theatre, 1988--, later Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1990-91
- Director, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (opera),New York City Opera, State Theatre, 1987
- Director, Cabaret, Imperial Theatre, 1987then Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 1988
- Director, Madam Butterfly (opera), Lyric Opera of Chicago, 1988
- Director, Don Giovanni (opera), New York City Opera, State Theatre, 1989
- Director, Faust (opera), Metropolitan Opera, Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, 1989
- Director, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bluma Appel Theatre, then St.Lawrence Centre, both Toronto, Ontario, 1992then Shaftesbury Theatre, London,1992later Broadhurst Theatre, 1993
- Director, Grandchild of Kings, Irish Repertory Theatre Company, Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1992
- Director, Show Boat, North York Performing Arts Centre, MainstageTheatre, Toronto, 1993then Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1994
- Director, Whistle down the Wind, Broadway production, 1997
- Director, Candide, Gershwin Theatre, 1997
- Producer or director of the plays Company, Roundabout Theatre, NewYork City, 1995; Candide (opera), Civic Opera House, Chicago, 1995; and The Petrified Prince, Joseph Papp Public Theatre/Martinson Hall, New York City, 1995.
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Tours
- Director, The Matchmaker, New York State Council on the Arts/Phoenix Theatre, U.S. cities, 1963
- Producer, Fiddler on the Roof, U.S. cities, 1966-69
- Producer (with Mitchell) and director, Cabaret, U.S. cities, 1967-69
- Producer (with Mitchell) and director, Zorba, U.S. cities, 1968-70
- Producer (with Mitchell) and director, Company, U.S. cities, 1971-72
- Producer (with Mitchell) and director (with Bennett), Follies, U.S. cities, 1971-72
- Producer (with Mitchell) and director, A Little Night Music, U.S.cities, 1974-75
- Producer (with Mitchell), Side by Side by Sondheim, U.S. cities, 1977-78
- Director, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, U.S. andinternational cities, 1980-82
- Director, Evita, U.S. and international cities, 1980-83
- Director, Cabaret, U.S. cities, 1987
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Stage Appearances
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George Abbott.a Celebration, Shubert Theatre, 1976
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Give My Regards to Broadway: A Salute to 125 Years of Musical Theatre, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1991
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Film Work
- Associate producer, The Pajama Game, 1957
- Associate producer, Damn Yankees, 1958
- Director, Something for Everyone (also known as Black Flowers for the Bride and The Rook), National General, 1970
- Director, A Little Night Music, New World, 1977
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Television Director
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Specials
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Willie Stark (opera), PBS, 1981
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Sweeney Todd (also known as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Entertainment Channel, 1982
- "Candide," Live from Lincoln Center (also known as Great Performances), PBS, 1986
- (Stage director) Madam Butterfly, 1989
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Television Appearances
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Specials
- Intermission guest, "Candide," Live from Lincoln Center (also known as Great Performances), PBS, 1986
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Gian Carlo Menotti: The Musical Magician, 1986
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My Life for Zarah Leander (documentary), 1986
- "Bernstein at 70," Great Performances, PBS, 1989
- "An Evening with Alan Jay Lerner," Great Performances, PBS, 1989
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The Music Center's 25th Anniversary (also known as The Los Angeles Music Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration), PBS, 1990
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The People's Palace: Secrets of the New York Public Library, 1992
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The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1994
- "A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim," A & E Stage, Arts and Entertainment, 1995
- "Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II," Great Performances, PBS, 1995
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The 50th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1996
- Host/presenter, The Kennedy Center 25th Anniversary Celebration, PBS, 1996
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The Music of Kander and Ebb: Razzle Dazzle, PBS, 1997
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Broadway '99: Launching the Tony Awards, PBS, 1999
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WRITINGS
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Plays
- Adapter, Grandchild of Kings (based on the autobiographies of SeanO'Casey), Irish Repertory Theatre Company, Theatre for the New City, 1992
- Adapter, Whistle down the Wind, Broadway production, 1997
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Books
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Contradictions: Notes on Twenty-Six Years in the Theatre (autobiography), Dodd (New York City), 1974
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals:
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New Yorker, July 17, 1995, pp. 23-24.
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Saturday Night, September 17, 1993, p. 19.*
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