Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman | |
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![]() Shaiman at the Drama League All Star Benefit Gala, February 7, 2010 | |
Background information | |
Born | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | October 22, 1959
Occupation(s) |
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Website | www.marcshaiman.com |
Marc Shaiman (/ʃeɪmən/; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman. He wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the John Waters film Hairspray. He has won a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony, and been nominated for seven Oscars.
Personal life[]
Shaiman was born to a Jewish family[1] in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Claire (née Goldfein) and William Robert Shaiman.[2] He grew up in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, but got his GED and left school at age 16 to start working in New York's theaters.[3] He lives in both Manhattan and upstate New York.
He is openly gay.[4] Shaiman married Lieutenant Commander Louis Mirabal on March 26, 2016.[5]
Career[]
Shaiman started his career as a theatre/cabaret musical director. He started working at SNL as an arranger/writer and also became vocal arranger for Bette Midler, eventually becoming her musical director and co-producer of many of her recordings, including "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "From a Distance." He helped create the material for her performance on the penultimate The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His work with both Bette Midler and Billy Crystal led to his involvement on their films.
His film credits include Broadcast News, Beaches, When Harry Met Sally..., City Slickers, The Addams Family, Sister Act, Sleepless in Seattle, A Few Good Men, The American President, The First Wives Club, George of the Jungle, In & Out, Patch Adams, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Team America: World Police, Hairspray, Flipped, Mary Poppins Returns and HBO's From the Earth to the Moon and 61*. He frequently works on films by Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner. He also appeared in many of these films.
Shaiman has earned seven Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award and a Grammy Award for his work on the musical Hairspray, and an Emmy Award for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award performances. He has also been Grammy-nominated for his arrangements for Harry Connick Jr.'s recordings When Harry Met Sally... and We Are in Love as well as Hairspray and Smash and Emmy-nominated for his work on Saturday Night Live and Smash. In 2002, he was honored with the "Outstanding Achievement in Music-In-Film" award at The Hollywood Film Festival, and in 2007 he was honored with ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television.[6] He is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Comedy Feature Film.
On Saturday Night Live, Shaiman portrayed Skip St. Thomas, the accompanying pianist for The Sweeney Sisters, a singing duo played by Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks, which earned him an Emmy nomination.[7] He began his professional relationships with Billy Crystal and Martin Short during his tenure at Saturday Night Live. He wrote and sang the song "Yes" for his agent's film Finding Kraftland. He co-wrote (with partner Scott Wittman) songs for Neil Patrick Harris when Harris hosted the 63rd Tony Awards (2009) and the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009), and was Emmy-nominated for musical directing and co-writing the 82nd Academy Awards (2010).
Shaiman co-produced and co-wrote cuts on Mariah Carey's 2010 Christmas album Merry Christmas II You.
Shaiman & Wittman wrote original songs for the musical-based television show for NBC, Smash, and served as Executive Producers. For their song "Let Me Be Your Star," Shaiman and co-lyricist Wittman were nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award, and as Executive Producers they were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical.
Shaiman co-wrote Billy Crystal's farewell to Jay Leno which featured Carol Burnett and Oprah Winfrey among others. He collaborated on the final performances for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show (with Bette Midler), Conan O'Brien's Late Night (with Nathan Lane), both of Jay Leno's final Tonight Show broadcasts, and Nathan Lane's farewell to David Letterman called "Dead Inside."
Shaiman & Wittman were honored on April 28, 2014, by The New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.[7]
Shaiman produced Bette Midler's CD It's the Girls, which had the highest debut of Midler's recording career on the Billboard Album charts.
Shaiman appeared on The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, having co-created Martin Short and Maya Rudolph's salute to musical sketch characters.
Jennifer Hudson sang Shaiman & Wittman's Smash song "I Can't Let Go" at the 87th Academy Awards, which they revised to fit the In Memoriam section.
Shaiman & Wittman's latest Broadway musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ran on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, after finishing a four-year run on London's West End at The Royal Drury Lane Theater. Shaiman was Tony-nominated for his orchestrations for their previous Broadway musical Catch Me If You Can.
Shaiman & Wittman are currently writing a new musical version of "Some Like It Hot, coming to Broadway in 2022.[8]
Activism[]
In 2008, a controversy erupted nationwide when California Musical Theatre's then artistic director Scott Eckern[9][10] resigned over the revelation of his personal donation of $1000 to a political campaign to support California proposition 8, which was an amendment to change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. After the amendment was passed, donor information became public. Shaiman and other Broadway artists who had previously worked with the director became critical and called for a boycott of the theatre by all gay artists and performers, ending in the director's resignation days later.
To protest the passage of California Proposition 8 in November 2008, Shaiman wrote a satiric mini-musical called Prop 8 — The Musical. The 3-minute video was distributed on the internet at FunnyOrDie.com, beginning on December 3, 2008. It was written and produced in just a few days. The cast includes Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, and Rashida Jones. Shaiman plays the piano and appears briefly in the video. It received 1.2 million internet hits in its first day.[11][12]
Filmography[]
Films[]
Year | Title | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Big Business | Jim Abrahams | songs only; first collaboration with Jim Abrahams |
1988 | Beaches | Garry Marshall | music supervisor |
1989 | When Harry Met Sally... | Rob Reiner | First collaboration with Rob Reiner |
1990 | Misery | Rob Reiner | Second collaboration with Rob Reiner |
1991 | Scenes from a Mall | Paul Mazursky | N/A |
1991 | City Slickers | Ron Underwood | N/A |
1991 | The Addams Family | Barry Sonnenfeld | First collaboration with Barry Sonnenfeld |
1991 | Hot Shots! | Jim Abrahams | actor; second collaboration with Jim Abrahams |
1991 | For the Boys | Mark Rydell | songs only |
1992 | Sister Act | Emile Ardolino | N/A |
1992 | Mr. Saturday Night | Billy Crystal | First collaboration with Billy Crystal |
1992 | A Few Good Men | Rob Reiner | Third collaboration with Rob Reiner |
1993 | Sleepless in Seattle | Nora Ephron | Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("A Wink and a Smile") Nominated for a BAFTA for Best Original Music |
1993 | Heart and Souls | Ron Underwood | Second collaboration with Ron Underwood |
1993 | Life with Mikey | James Lapine | N/A |
1993 | Addams Family Values | Barry Sonnenfeld | Second collaboration with Barry Sonnenfeld |
1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Bill Duke | N/A |
1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Paul Weiland | N/A |
1994 | North | Rob Reiner | Fourth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
1994 | Speechless | Ron Underwood | Third collaboration with Ron Underwood |
1994 | That's Entertainment! III | Bud Friedgen and Michael J. Sheridan | N/A |
1995 | Stuart Saves His Family | Harold Ramis | N/A |
1995 | Forget Paris | Billy Crystal | Second collaboration with Billy Crystal |
1995 | The American President | Rob Reiner | Fifth collaboration with Rob Reiner Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Musical or Comedy Score |
1996 | Bogus | Norman Jewison | N/A |
1996 | Mother | Albert Brooks | N/A |
1996 | The First Wives Club | Hugh Wilson | Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Musical or Comedy Score |
1996 | Ghosts of Mississippi | Rob Reiner | Sixth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
1997 | George of the Jungle | Sam Weisman | First collaboration with Sam Weisman |
1997 | In & Out | Frank Oz | N/A |
1998 | My Giant | Michael Lehmann | N/A |
1998 | Simon Birch | Mark Steven Johnson | N/A |
1998 | Patch Adams | Tom Shadyac | Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Musical or Comedy Score |
1999 | The Out-of-Towners | Sam Weisman | Second collaboration with Sam Weisman |
1999 | South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut | Trey Parker | First collaboration with Trey Parker Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Blame Canada") |
1999 | The Story of Us | Rob Reiner | With Eric Clapton; seventh collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2000 | The Kid | Jon Turteltaub | N/A |
2001 | Get Over It | Tommy O'Haver | songs only |
2001 | One Night at McCool's | Harald Zwart | N/A |
2001 | The Wedding Planner | Adam Shankman | First collaboration with Adam Shankman |
2003 | Down with Love | Peyton Reed | N/A |
2003 | Alex & Emma | Rob Reiner | Eighth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2003 | The Cat in the Hat | Bo Welch | songs only |
2003 | Marci X | Richard Benjamin | songs only |
2004 | Team America: World Police | Trey Parker | Second collaboration with Trey Parker; song only, score was rejected and replaced by Harry Gregson-Williams |
2005 | Rumor Has It... | Rob Reiner | Ninth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2007 | Hairspray | Adam Shankman | Second collaboration with Adam Shankman |
2007 | The Bucket List | Rob Reiner | Tenth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2007 | Bee Movie | Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner | song in end credits only |
2010 | Flipped | Rob Reiner | Eleventh collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2012 | The Magic of Belle Isle | Rob Reiner | Twelfth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2012 | Parental Guidance | Andy Fickman | N/A |
2014 | And So It Goes | Rob Reiner | Thirteenth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2016 | LBJ | Rob Reiner | Fourteenth collaboration with Rob Reiner |
2017 | The Star | Timothy Reckart | Nominated with Mariah Carey for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song ("The Star") |
2018 | Mary Poppins Returns | Rob Marshall | Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("The Place Where Lost Things Go") Nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score |
Television[]
- Bette Midler - Mondo Beyondo (1982)
- Saturday Night Live (1984–1985)
- Saturday Night Live (1986–1987) †
- Comic Relief (1986)
- Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started (1986)
- Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started - The Lost Minutes (1988)
- I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood (1989)
- What's Alan Watching? (1989)
- Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow (1990)
- The 62nd Academy Awards (1990)
- The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) †
- The 64th Academy Awards (1992) †#
- The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson May 21, 1992 - Bette Midler final guest
- The 65th Academy Awards (1993)
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1993)
- The 69th Academy Awards (1997)
- Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas (1997)
- The 70th Academy Awards (1998)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1998)
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997)
- From the Earth to the Moon part eleven (1998)
- Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary (1999)
- The 72nd Academy Awards (2000)
- South Park - "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" (1999)
- Get Bruce (1999)
- Jackie's Back (1999)
- Bette (2000)
- 61* (2001)
- South Park episode - "Cripple Fight" (2001)
- Greg the Bunny (2002)
- Charlie Lawrence (2003)
- The Score with Phil Ramone (2003)
- The 57th Annual Tony Awards (2003)
- SJP Gap commercial - "I Enjoy Being A Girl" (2004)
- Biography - Bette Midler (2004)
- The 76th Academy Awards (2004) †
- The 77th Academy Awards (2005)
- Lovely SJP perfume commercial (2005)
- The 79th Academy Awards (2007)
- The 63rd Tony Awards (2009)
- The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (February 18, 2009)
- The 82nd Academy Awards (2010) † †
- The Kennedy Center Honors (Bosom Buddies song 2010)
- The 84th Academy Awards (2012) †
- Smash season one (2012) † † *
- Smash season two (2013) †
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (February 6, 2014)
- Late Night with David Letterman (May 5, 2015)
- Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special (2015) †
- The 87th Academy Awards (2015)
- Hairspray Live! (2016)
- Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020)
- The Prince (TV series) (Episode 10 - School Musical Part 2) (2021)
† = Emmy nominee
†# = Emmy winner
* = Golden Globe nominee
Theatre[]
Broadway[]
† = Tony nominee †# = Tony winner
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West End[]
Off-Broadway[]
|
Internet[]
- Prop 8 - The Musical (2008) (composer, lyricist, pianist) - 2009 "Webby" winner for Best Comedy: Short or Individual Episode
- (The End Titles song) † (2020)
† = Emmy nominee
Discography[]
Mariah Carey[]
Bette Midler[]
Harry Connick, Jr.[]
† = Grammy nominee Peter Allen[]
Original Broadway cast recordings[]
† = Grammy nominee †# = Grammy winner |
Soundtracks[]
† = Grammy nominee
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Concert/cabaret work[]
- Peter Allen
- Jack Black & Will Ferrell
- Kristin Chenoweth
- Rosemary Clooney
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Billy Crystal
- Christine Ebersole
- Ellen Foley
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Annie Golden
- The Harlettes
- The High-Heeled Women
- Lauryn Hill
- Jennifer Holliday
- Allison Janney
- Laura Kenyon
- Nathan Lane
- Ute Lemper
- Jenifer Lewis
- Darlene Love
- Patti LuPone
- Lypsinka
- Ann Magnuson
- Andrea Martin
- Lonette McKee
- Bette Midler
- Catherine O'Hara
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Zora Rasmussen
- Ann Reinking
- Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
- Martin Short
- Barbra Streisand
- Donald Trump
- Tracey Ullman
- Luther Vandross
- Bruce Vilanch
- Steven Webber
- Raquel Welch
- Robin Williams
References[]
- ^ Bloom, Nate (February 2, 2012). "Jewish stars: Whales, ghosts and 'Smash'". Cleveland Jewish News. Archived from the original on May 6, 2018.
- ^ Marc Shaiman Biography (1959-) Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine filmreference.com
- ^ Fowler, Linda. "N.J. native Marc Shaiman drops in on Paper Mill's production of his Broadway hit 'Hairspray'" Archived 2015-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, NJ.com, December 23, 2010. Accessed October 1, 2015. "Joking with fans during this fall production, Shaiman refers to his Scotch Plains hometown as exit 135.... Reluctant but supportive, his parents let him drop out of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School at 16 — he later earned a GED — to work in Manhattan’s fringe theaters."
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave. "For This Songwriter, the Political Is Musical" The New York Times, December 6, 2008
- ^ "Hairspray Composer Marc Shaiman Ties The Knot" Archived 2016-03-29 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, March 26, 2016
- ^ "ASCAP Henry Mancini Award". ASCAP. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Smash - NBC Official Site: Bios". NBC TV. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (February 10, 2021). "Amber Ruffin to Co-Write Broadway-Aimed Some Like It Hot Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
- ^ "Sacramento theater director who donated to Prop. 8 faced storm of criticism". Los Angeles Times. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ McKinley, Jesse (12 November 2008). "Scott Eckern of California Musical Theater Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire Over Proposition 8 in California". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave. "Marc Shaiman on 'Prop 8 — The Musical'", Archived 2009-12-06 at Wikiwix The New York Times, December 4, 2008
- ^ "Star-studded Web video protests Prop 8 – Spoof musical's blockbuster cast includes Jack Black as Jesus", Associated Press, MSN.com, December 4, 2008
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marc Shaiman. |
- Marc Shaiman at IMDb
- Marc Shaiman at the Internet Broadway Database
- Marc Shaiman at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- The Marc Shaiman non-official site
- The Musical Mind of Marc Shaiman
- MusicalTalk Interview with Marc Shaiman
- 1959 births
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- Musicians from Newark, New Jersey
- People from Scotch Plains, New Jersey
- Primetime Emmy Award winners
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