Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American

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 ...

and producer,

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 ...

, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Musical: '' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1978: Tony, N.Y. Drama Critics, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards, also Tony Award for Best Director) and '' Fosse'' (1999: Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards).

Life and career

Maltby was born in Ripon, Wisconsin, the son of Virginia (née Hosegood) and Richard Maltby, Sr., a well-known orchestra leader.Filmreference.com
/ref> Maltby and

David Shire David Lee Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtracks to the 1976 film '' The Big Bus'', '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'', ''The Conversation'' and ''All ...

started working together as students at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

(where he was a member of

Manuscript Society Manuscript Society is a senior society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Toward the end of each academic year 16 rising seniors are inducted into the society, which meets twice weekly for dinner and discussion. Manuscript is reputedly ...

); their first Broadway credit was in 1968, when their song "The Girl of the Minute" was used in the revue '' New Faces of 1968''. In 1977 the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has g ...

produced a revue of their earlier songs, written for other works, finally titled '' Starting Here, Starting Now''. With composer Shire, Maltby was the director and lyricist for ''

Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

'', (1983, book by

Sybille Pearson Sybille Pearson (born January 25, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia)
filmreference.com, accessed February 18, 2011< ...

) and the lyricist for ''

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

'' (1996, book by

John Weidman John Weidman (born September 25, 1946) is an American librettist and television writer for ''Sesame Street''. He has worked on stage musicals with Stephen Sondheim and Susan Stroman. Career Weidman was born in New York City and grew up in Westport ...

). Also with Shire, he conceived and wrote the lyrics for '' Take Flight'' (book by John Weidman), which had its world premiere in July 2007 at the

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Boro ...

in London. He was director/co-lyricist for the American version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''

Song and Dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in "Song" and one entirely in " Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew ...

'', (1986) starring

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

. He was co-lyricist for ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed roma ...

'' (Evening Standard Award 1990; Tony nomination: Best Score, 1991). He also conceived and directed ''

Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring o ...

'', a musical about Johnny Cash, which ran on Broadway in 2006. He is co-bookwriter/lyricist for '' The Pirate Queen'' (2007). He was most recently represented on Broadway as the director of the new, original musical '' The Story of My Life'' by composer/lyricist

Neil Bartram Neil Bartram is a musical theatre composer/lyricist based in New York. Bartram is the composer and lyricist of Disney's ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' and Broadway's ''The Story of My Life'' with book writer Brian Hill. Career Prior to Broadway, ...

and book writer Brian Hill. That musical had a brief run at the

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...

in February 2009. and received a 2009 Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding production of a musical. Since 1976 he has constructed the monthly

cryptic crossword A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, includi ...

puzzles for '' Harper's Magazine'', formerly in collaboration with E. R. Galli. He constructed cryptic crosswords for ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

'' in the early 1970s.

Personal life

Maltby married twice: first to Barbara Black Sudler on June 5, 1965 (they had two children, Nicholas and David), and second, in 1987, to Janet Brenner (they had three children, Jordan, Emily, and Charlotte). He now has seven grandchildren, Aidan, Emma, Liam, Owen, Matt, Lionel, and Jesse Maltby.

Work

;Broadway *'' Ain't Misbehavin''', 1978 (Director/Co-lyricist) *''

'', 1983 (Director/Lyricist) *''

Blood Knot ''Blood Knot'' is an early play by South African playwright, actor, and director Athol Fugard. Its single-performance premier was in 1961 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with the playwright and Zakes Mokae playing the brothers Morris and Zacharia ...

'', 1985 (Producer) *''

'', 1986 (Director/Co-lyricist) *''

'', 1989 (Lyricist) *'' Nick & Nora'', 1991 (Lyricist) *''

'', 1996 (Lyricist) *'' Fosse'', 1999 (Director) *''

Bea Arthur Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress and comedian. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Arthur began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving ...

on Broadway'', 2002 (Production Consultant) *''

'', 2006 (Creator/Director)Ibdb.com
/ref> *'' The Pirate Queen'', 2007 (Writer/Lyricist) ;Off-Broadway *''

Closer Than Ever ''Closer Than Ever'' is a musical revue in two acts, with words by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire. The revue contains no dialogue, and Maltby and Shire have described this show as a "bookless book musical." The show was originally co ...

'', (1989, two Outer Critics Circle Awards: Best Musical, Best Score) with David Shire *'' Starting Here, Starting Now'', director/lyricist (1977 Grammy nomination) with David Shire *'' The Story of My Life'', 2009 (Director) ;Regional *'' Love Match'', lyricist (1968,

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings and ...

, Los Angeles) *'' The 60's Project'', director, (2006, Goodspeed Opera House) *''Waterfall'', book and lyrics; David Shire music (2015), Pasadena PlayhouseVirini, Bob
"L.A. Theater Review: ‘Waterfall’ with Thai Pop Star Bie Sukrit"
''Variety'', June 12, 2015 ;Film *''

Miss Potter ''Miss Potter'' is a 2006 biographical drama film directed by Chris Noonan. It is based on the life of children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, and combines stories from her own life with animated sequences featuring characters from her ...

'', (2007), Screenplay, starring

Renée Zellweger Renée Kathleen Zellweger (; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid ...

and

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...

(Christopher Award, best screenplay)

Awards and nominations

;Awards *1978 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Ain't Misbehavin'' *1990 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Score - ''Closer Than Ever'' *1999

for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Fosse'' *2001 Laurence Olivier Award - ''Fosse'' ;Nominations *1977

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Original Cast Recording - ''Starting Here, Starting Now'' *1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Baby'' *1984 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Baby'' *1984 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Baby'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Musical - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Play - ''Blood Knot'' *1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Closer Than Ever'' *1991 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Miss Saigon'' *1992 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Nick & Nora'' *1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Big'' *1996 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Big'' *1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - ''Fosse''

References

External links

* *
Richard Maltby Jr.
- ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org
MTI Shows biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maltby, Richard Jr. 1937 births Living people American lyricists American male screenwriters American theatre directors American theatre managers and producers Broadway composers and lyricists Broadway theatre directors Harper's Magazine people People from Ripon, Wisconsin Puzzle designers Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Wisconsin Tony Award winners Yale University alumni