Martin Charnin (November 24, 1934 – July 6, 2019) was an American

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's incom ...

, writer, and

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

. Charnin's best-known work is as conceiver, director, and lyricist of the

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 Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

'' Annie.''

Life and career

Charnin was born in New York City, the son of Birdie (Blakeman) and William Charnin, an opera singer. His family was Jewish. Charnin graduated from

The High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...

and then from

The Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

, where he earned a BFA."Martin Charnin Biography".
FilmReference.com, accessed July 11, 2012 Charnin began his theatrical career as a performer, appearing as "Big Deal", one of the Jets in the original production of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

''. He played the role for 1,000 performances on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and on the road. He wrote music and lyrics for numerous

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

and cabaret revues, many of them for Julius Monk. He then went on to write, direct, and produce nightclub acts for

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles ch ...

, Nancy Wilson, Mary Travers, Larry Kert,

Jose Ferrer Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya * Jose the Galilea ...

, and Leslie Uggams. The first Broadway musical for which he wrote the lyrics was the 1963 musical '' Hot Spot'' starring Judy Holliday, with music by Mary Rodgers."Martin Charnin Biography".
MasterWorksBroadway.com, accessed July 11, 2012 He contributed lyrics to

Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can' ...

's musical '' Zenda'' which ran in California in 1963 but did not reach Broadway. In 1967, he wrote the lyrics for ''Mata Hari'', which was produced by

David Merrick David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards. Life and career Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gra ...

. He wrote lyrics to

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...

' music and Peter Stone's book for the musical '' Two by Two'' (1970), which starred

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

and ran on Broadway for 10 months. In the early 1970s, he worked in television where he conceived, produced, wrote and directed six television variety specials. In 1971, he won the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for ''Annie, The Women in the Life of a Man'', which starred

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two ...

."Charnin Emmy Listing"
Emmys.com, accessed July 11, 2012 In 1972, he won two primetime Emmy Awards for ''S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin'', which starred, among others,

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

, Larry Kert, and

Robert Guillaume Robert Guillaume (born Robert Peter Williams; November 30, 1927 – October 24, 2017) was an American actor and singer, known for his role as Benson DuBois in the ABC television series ''Soap'' and its spin-off, '' Benson'', as well as for voi ...

. His other television specials included ''Get Happy'' (starring

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...

), '' Dames at Sea'' (1971, starring

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

, Anne Meara,

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...

, Dick Shawn, Harvey Evans, and Fred Gwynne). ''Cole Porter in Paris'' (starring

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

Twiggy Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949) is an English model, actress, and singer, widely known by the nickname Twiggy. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London. ...

Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), ''Lette ...

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

), and a second Bancroft special, titled ''Annie and the Hoods''. He supplied music and lyrics for the song "The Best Thing You've Ever Done", sung by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

on her multi-platinum album ''

The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents wrote both the novel and screenplay based on his college days at Cornell University and his ...

''. He made his Broadway directing debut in 1973, conceiving and directing the revue ''Nash at Nine'', based on the works of

Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's best ...

and starring E.G. Marshall and running for 21 performances. He next directed the revue ''Music! Music!'', which had a libretto by

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre b ...

and ran at

City Center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

for 37 performances in 1974. He directed ''The National Lampoon Show'' (1975) and its road company. The New York version starred

John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...

Gilda Radner Gilda Susan Radner (June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an American actress and comedian, and one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). In h ...

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...

, and other ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' performers."Charnin Overview".
Allmusic.com, accessed July 11, 2012 He then created, wrote the lyrics for and directed '' Annie'' at the

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

. ''Annie'' moved to Broadway and ran for 2,327 performances, becoming one of the 25 longest running musicals in Broadway history. His collaborators were

Charles Strouse Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as '' Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''. Life and career Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...

and Thomas Meehan. He went on to direct the five U.S. national companies of '' Annie'' and three productions in the West End in London. While in London, he directed ''

Bar Mitzvah Boy "Bar Mitzvah Boy" is the first episode of seventh season of the British BBC anthology TV series ''Play for Today''. The television play was originally broadcast on 14 September 1976. It was written by Jack Rosenthal, directed by Michael Tuchner ...

'' (1978), which had music by

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also becam ...

and lyrics by Don Black. He wrote the lyrics for '' I Remember Mama'' (1979) with music by Richard Rodgers, and directed, wrote the lyrics for, and co-wrote the book for '' The First'' (1981), a musical about

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

and the integration of baseball, which he was nominated for two Tony Awards. He directed ''A Little Family Business'' on Broadway in 1982, which starred

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

and John McMartin, and

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

and

Anne Jackson Anne Jackson (September 3, 1925 – April 12, 2016); retrieved April 16, 2016Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2016. was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-st ...

in ''The Flowering Peach'' for Tony Randall's National Theatre, on Broadway. He wrote additional lyrics for ''

La Strada ''La strada'' () is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman (Giulietta Masina) bought from her mother ...

'' (1969) and '' The Madwoman of Central Park West'' (1979). He directed ''Cafe Crown'' in 1988 at the Off-Broadway

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 L ...

, which subsequently transferred to Broadway in 1989. In 1989 he directed ''Sid Caesar & Company'' on Broadway. He directed ''Laughing Matters'' in 1989 at the Theater at St. Peter's Church, New York, a revue written by and starring Peter Tolan and Linda Wallem. He directed ''Jeanne La Pucelle'' (1997) in Montreal, with book and lyrics by Vincent de Tourdonnet and music by Peter Sipos. In the 1990s, he directed dozens of companies of ''Annie'', and its sequel ''

Annie Warbucks ''Annie Warbucks'' is a musical with a book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Martin Charnin. A sequel to the 1977 Tony Award-winning hit '' Annie'', based on Harold Gray's ''Little Orphan Annie'' comic strip, it begins imm ...

''; in 1997, he directed three additional companies of ''Annie'' in London, Australia and Amsterdam. He directed the 20th anniversary production of ''Annie'' on Broadway, and in 2004, he directed the 30th anniversary production of ''Annie'', produced by Ken Gentry and Networks. It ran for three and a half years all over the U.S. He conceived and directed the cabaret revue ''Upstairs at O'Neals'', which ran Off-Broadway from October 1982 to July 1983 at O'Neal's restaurant. He directed and wrote the book with Douglas Bernstein and Denis Markell and music with Marvin Hamlisch, Thomas Meehan, Billy Weeden and David Finkle for ''The No Frills Revue''; sketches were written by Ronny Graham among others. The revue featured his daughter, Sasha Charnin Morrison. The revue opened Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater in October 1987. He directed the premiere stage adaptation of

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...

's ''Carnal Knowledge'' Off-Broadway at the Kaufman Theatre in 1990 and Wallach and Jackson in ''In Persons''. In regional theatre, he directed ''Robin Hood: The Legend Continues'' which ran at the Village Theatre,

Issaquah, Washington Issaquah ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 40,051 at the 2020 census. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the " Issaquah Al ...

in December 2004. He also wrote the lyrics, with music by Peter Sipos and the book by Thomas Meehan, and the cast featured Shelly Burch. He directed A.R. Gurney's ''Later Life'' in Orlando in 2005, featuring Shelly Burch. He created, wrote or directed regional shows including '' Love is Love'', '' Shadowlands'', and in 2010, ''

Sleuth Sleuth may refer to: *Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...

'', all for the Village Theatre in Issaquah. He moved back to the East Coast for the 35th Anniversary revival of ''Annie'', which opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in November 2012 and ran until January 2014. He created, produced and directed night club acts for his wife, Shelly Burch. and prepared a new one-woman theatrical entertainment for Shelly Burch for Fall 2014. He directed the revival of '' Two by Two'', starring

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' ...

as Noah, and Tovah Feldshuh as Noah's wife. It was performed at the York Theatre in 2014 and a new Broadway production was being planned. Charnin moved to Issaquah, Washington after directing ''Robin Hood'' and stayed there until he returned to New York in 2012. He was Artistic Director of Showtunes!, a theatre company in Seattle, Washington, devoted to resurrecting forgotten and unsung musicals, and celebrating the works of composers, including

and

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

, and producing them in concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. On the East Coast, he created and directed three musicals for the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck and in 2014 directed the national tour of ''Annie'' for Troika Productions.

Personal life and death

He has two children, Randy Charnin and Sasha Charnin Morrison and three step-children Joel, Dayna, and Richard Bennett whom he raised and three grandchildren, Maxwell Charnin and Gus and Oliver Morrison. He lived with his wife, Shelly Burch, in New York. He died on July 6, 2019, having been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack on July 3. The marquee lights of Broadway’s Alvin Theatre (Neil Simon) were dimmed on July 13, 2019, in the traditional gesture in his honor. 5

Works

Stage

* ''Fallout (Revue)'' (1958) * ''Kaleidoscope (Revue)'' (1960) * ''Pieces of Eight'' (1961) - for Julius Monk * ''Upstairs at the Downstairs'' (1961) - for Julius Monk * ''The Littlest Revue'' (1961) - for

Ben Bagley Ben Bagley (October 18, 1933 – March 21, 1998) was an American musical producer and record producer. Career Born in Burlington, Vermont, Bagley moved to New York during the early 1950s, and in 1955, at age 22, he produced his first hit, ''Shoes ...

* '' Zenda'' (1963) - co-lyricist, music by

* '' Hot Spot'' (1963) - lyricist; music by Mary Rodgers * ''

Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...

'' (1967) - lyricist; music by Edward Thomas, book by Jerome Coopersmith * ''Ballad for a Firing Squad'' evision of ''Mata Hari''(1968) * ''

'' (1969) – additional lyrics; Music by Eliot Lawrence * '' Two by Two'' (1971) – lyricist; music by

, book by Peter Stone * ''Nash at Nine'' (1973) - director; music by

Milton Rosenstock Milton Rosenstock (June 9, 1917, New Haven, Connecticut - April 24, 1992, New York City) was an American conductor, composer, and arranger. Career Trained at the Juilliard School, he was highly active as a musical director for Broadway mus ...

* ''Music! Music!'' (1974) - director; book by

, various composers * '' Annie'' (1977) - conceived, director and lyricist; music by Charles Strouse, book by Thomas Meehan * ''

'' (1979) – director; music by

, lyrics by Don Black, book by

Jack Rosenthal Jack Morris Rosenthal (8 September 1931 – 29 May 2004) was an English playwright. He wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations. ...

* '' I Remember Mama'' (1979) – lyricist; music by

, book by Thomas Meehan * '' The Madwoman of Central Park West'' (1979) – additional lyrics * '' The First'' (1981) – lyricist, director; co-book writer with Joel Siegel, music by Bob Brush * ''A Little Family Business'' (1982) – director, Written by

Jay Presson Allen Jay Presson Allen (March 3, 1922 – May 1, 2006) was an American screenwriter, playwright, stage director, television producer, and novelist. Known for her withering wit and sometimes-off-color wisecracks, she was one of the few women making a ...

* ''Upstairs at O'Neal's'' (1982) – creator and director * ''Jokers'' (1986) – director, Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam * ''The No-Frills Revue'' (1987) – creator and director * ''

Cafe Crown ''Cafe Crown'' is a three-act play by Hy Kraft that premiered on Broadway on January 23, 1942, at the Cort Theatre. The cast included Sam Jaffe and Morris Carnovsky. Its action presented "a motley group of amiable squatters found in a Second Avenu ...

'' (1989) – director * ''

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...

& Company'' (1989) - director * ''Laughing Matters'' (1989) - director, St. Peter's Church, New York City * ''Carnal Knowledge'' (1990) – director; Written by Jules Feiffer; Kaufman Theater * ''

'' (1993) – director, lyricist; music by Charles Strouse, book by Thomas Meehan * ''Starcrossed: The Trial of Galileo'' (1994) – director; lyrics by Keith Levenson, music by

Jeanine Tesori Jeanine Tesori (known earlier in her career as Jeanine Levenson) is an American composer and musical arranger best known for her work in the theater. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway m ...

at Goodspeed/Norma Terris Theatre, Connecticut * '' Can-Can'' (1995) – director; music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Abe Burrows, revised by Martin Charnin at Goodspeed Opera House, Connecticut * ''

The Flowering Peach ''The Flowering Peach'' is a 1954 dramatic play by American playwright Clifford Odets with music by Alan Hovhaness. The plot is a modern take on the Bible stories of Noah and Noah's Ark. It was the last original play by Odets produced in his lif ...

'' (1997) – director; Written by Clifford Odets * '' Annie'' (1997) Broadway Revival – director, lyricist * ''Jeanne La Pucelle'' (1997) - director; book & lyrics by Vincent de Tourdonnet, music by Peter Sipos * '' Two by Two'' (2004) director, lyricist. Revised book by Peter Stone * ''Robin Hood: The Legend Continues'' (2004) - director, lyricist; music by Thomas_Meehan *_''Later_Life''_(2005)_director_(Orlando,_Florida) *_''_Annie''_(2005)_30th_Anniversary_Production_–_director,_lyricist *_''_Shadowlands''_(2006)_–_director;_written_by_William_Nicholson_(writer).html" ;"title="eter Sipos; book by Thomas Meehan * ''Later Life'' (2005) director (Orlando, Florida) * '' Annie'' (2005) 30th Anniversary Production – director, lyricist * '' Shadowlands'' (2006) – director; written by William Nicholson (writer)">William Nicholson * ''Annie Warbucks'' (2008) - director, lyricist (For Showtunes) * ''Rodgers &...'' (2009) - writer, director, lyricist (Lyrics and Lyricists, 92nd Street Y, New York City) * ''Love Is Love'' (2009) Musical Revue - director, lyricist; music by Richard Gray (Florida) * ''Follies'' (2010) - Artistic Director, Concert (For Showtunes Theatre Company, Seattle.) * ''

'' (2010) - director; written by Anthony Shaffer * ''The Melody Lingers On: The Songs of Irving Berlin'' (2011) - director, author. (For Showtunes Theatre Company, Seattle.) * ''Real to Reel'' (Songs that went from stage to screen) (2012) - director, author. (For Showtunes Theatre Company, Seattle.) * ''The Broadway Revues'' (A Tribute to the Great Revues from The Follies to Sugar Babies) (2012) - director, author. (For Showtunes Theatre Company, Seattle.) * ''Rodgers &'' (2013) The Emelin Theatre * ''Real to Reel'' (2014) The Emelin Theatre * ''Something Funny's Going On'' (revue) 54Below, New York City *“I Happen To Like New York” (2015) Emelin Theatre starring Shelly Burch *”In The Secret Sea” (2016)Theatre Row *”Incurably Romantic”(2016)starring Burch *”Forgotten Broadway” (2017)-Emelin Theatre

Television and film

* ''Feathertop'' (1961) ABC - (lyricists; music by Mary Rodgers) * ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...

'' (1961) CBS - (lyricist; music by Mary Rodgers) * ''Annie, The Woman in the Life of a Man'' (1971) - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * ''S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin'' (1972) - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * ''Get Happy'' - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * '' Dames at Sea'' - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * ''Cole Porter in Paris'' - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * ''Annie and the Hoods'' - (conceived; produced; wrote; and directed) * ''The Annie Christmas Show'' (1977) CBS - (director, producer) * '' Annie'' (1982)

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

(starring Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, Bernadette Peters) * '' Annie'' (1999)

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

(starring Kathy Bates, Audra McDonald, Victor Garber, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth) * '' Annie'' (2014) Columbia Pictures (starring Quvenzhané Wallis,

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for fo ...

, Rose Byrne,

Bobby Cannavale Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in '' Third Watch'', '' Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in '' Will & Grace'', which ...

)

Awards and nominations

;Awards *1971

for Outstanding Single Program-Variety or Musical-Variety and Popular Music – ''Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man'' *1972

for Outstanding Single Program-Variety or Musical-Variety and Popular Music – ''S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin'' *1973

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

for Broadcasting – ''S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin'' *1977

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

for Outstanding Director of a Musical – ''Annie'' *1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics – ''Annie'' *1977 Tony Award for Best Original Score – ''Annie'' *1999 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album – '' Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life'' *2006 The Richard Rodgers Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Performing Arts *2011 Goodspeed Musical Award for Outstanding Contribution to the American Musical Theatre"'Annie' is celebrated at Goodspeed - where it all began".
TheDay.com, June 5, 2011 *2013 The first George M. Cohan Ascap Award ;Nominations *1972 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety, or Music – ''S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous, S'Gershwin'' *1973 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy, Variety, or Music – ''Get Happy'' *1977 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''Annie'' *1982 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical – ''The First'' *1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical – ''The First''

Miscellaneous

;Miscellaneous *Member of ASCAP, The Writers Guild, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. *Author: ''Annie: A Theatrical Memoir'' (1977) - Published E.P. Dutton, *Author: ''The Giraffe who Sounded like Ol' Blue Eyes'' (illustrated by Kate Draper - Published by

E.P. Dutton E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group. Creator Edward Payson Dutton (January 4, ...

) *Album: ''Nancy Wilson Live at the Sands'' (1969) *Album: ''Annie'' Original Broadway recording (1977 Columbia Records) *Album: ''Upstairs at O'Neal's'' Original New York Company (1982 Bruce Yeko Records) *Album: ''Incurably Romantic'' (seventeen lyrics; various composers) *Album: ''Annie'' 30th Anniversary Original recording (2005 Time-Life Records) *Album: ''Second Coming'' - Shelly Burch live at the Metropolitan Room in New York City *Songs recorded by: Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Rod McKuen, Grace Jones, Jay-Z, Nancy Wilson, Andrea McArdle, Shelly Burch, and others *Unproduced musical - ''Softly'' - lyricist, music by Harold Arlen, book by Hugh Wheeler *Cabaret Acts - Nancy Wilson, Diahann Carrol, Leslie Uggams, Jose Ferrer, Tom Poston, Larry Kert, Andrea McArdle, and Shelly Burch.

Notes

References

* Bloom, Ken. ''American Song: The Complete Musical Theater Companion 1877–1995'', Vol. 2, 2nd edition, Schirmer Books, 1996. * Green, Stanley; Taylor, Deems. ''The World of Musical Comedy: The Story of the American Musical Stage'', A. S. Barnes, 1980. * Larkin, Colin. ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', 3rd edition, Macmillan, 1998. * Press, Jaques Cattell (ed.). ''ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers'', 4th edition, R. R. Bowker, 1980

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Charnin, Martin 1934 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers American musical theatre lyricists American theatre directors Broadway composers and lyricists Broadway theatre directors Cooper Union alumni Drama Desk Award winners Grammy Award winners Jewish American musicians Jewish American songwriters Male actors from New York City Musicians from New York City The High School of Music & Art alumni Tony Award winners Writers from New York City