''Radiant Baby'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

about

Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...

, who was an artist and social activist in New York City. The music was composed by Debra Barsha, with lyrics by

Ira Gasman Ira Gasman ( – October 6, 2018) was an American playwright, lyricist, and newspaper columnist. He was nominated for both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his contributions to '' The Life'', the 1997 Broadway musical that had its first productio ...

, Stuart Ross, and Debra Barsha. It was based on ''Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography'' (1991) by

John Gruen John Jonas Gruen (born Jonas Grunberg; September 12, 1926 – July 12, 2016) was an American art critic, art historian, author, photographer, and composer.Mark Segal, "John Jonas Gruen", ''The East Hampton Star'', August 4, 2016 Early life and ...

. ''Radiant Baby'' was partially developed at the 1998 O'Neil Music Theater Conference in

Waterford, Connecticut Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,571 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 3,074 ...

. It had its New York premiere at

The 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.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...

in a 2003 production directed by

George C. Wolfe George Costello Wolfe (born September 23, 1954) is an American playwright and director of theater and film. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for directing '' Angels in America: Millennium Approaches'' and another Tony Award in 1996 for his direction o ...

with Daniel Reichard in the title role.

Kate Jennings Grant Kate Jennings Grant (born March 23, 1970) is an American actress. She has appeared in a number of Broadway productions during her career, including '' Proof'', ''An American Daughter'', and ''Guys and Dolls''. She also has appeared in films such a ...

and Billy Porter also appeared in the New York production. Brantley, Ben
"An Artist's Energy, Subdued Only by Death"
''The New York Times'', 3 March 2003.

References

Musicals based on books 2003 musicals Keith Haring {{Keith Haring