Thomas Robert Kitt is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator, and musician. For his score for 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 ...

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing ...

'', he shared the 2010

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

with Brian Yorkey. He has also won two

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 c ...

s and an Outer Critics Circle Award for ''Next to Normal'', as well as Tony and Outer Critics Circle nominations for ''

If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then'' ...

'' and ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American Animated series, animated Television comedy, comedy Television show, television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It ...

.'' He has been nominated for eight

Drama Desk Awards 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. Fo ...

, winning one, and a

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...

for '' Jagged Little Pill'' in 2021''.''

Early life

Kitt was raised in

Port Washington, New York Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. The hamlet is the anchor community of the Greater Port Wa ...

, on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

, until age 13, when his family moved to Bedford, New York, in

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

. He attended Byram Hills High School in neighboring

Armonk, New York Armonk is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of North Castle, located in Westchester County, New York, United States. The corporate headquarters of IBM are located in Armonk. Geography and climate As of the 2010 census, A ...

, where he participated in various theatrical productions. He graduated in 1992. As a youth he attended Interlochen Arts Camp. He then attended Columbia College, New York City, graduating with a degree in economics in 1996. During his time at Columbia, Kitt was also a member of the Columbia Kingsmen.

Career

Arranger, orchestrator, music director, composer

Kitt began working on Off-Broadway in 2002, when he served as music director and conductor for '' Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical''. In 2006, he composed the music for '' High Fidelity'', based on the

Nick Hornby Nicholas Peter John Hornby (born 17 April 1957) is an English writer and lyricist. He is best known for his memoir '' Fever Pitch'' and novels '' High Fidelity'' and '' About a Boy'', all of which were adapted into feature films. Hornby's work ...

novel of the same name. In 2008, Kitt teamed with Brian Yorkey to create ''

'', a show about mental illness in suburban America. The musical addressed issues such as suicide,

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, and ethics in modern psychiatry. He had met Yorkey while studying at Columbia University, and they had attended the

BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

as a team. ''Next to Normal'' was well received by critics. Kitt won the 2008

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

, Outstanding New Score, and was nominated for the

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 ...

, Outstanding Music; and

Tony Awards 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 c ...

for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre and Best Orchestrations for the show''.'' Kitt and Yorkey shared the 2010

for ''Next to Normal''. The Pulitzer Board called it "a powerful

rock musical A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and con ...

that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals." Kitt received the 2009 Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition for ''Next to Normal'' from the Dramatists Guild of America. Also in 2008, Kitt composed the music for the play ''From Up Here,'' which was also nominated for the 2008 Drama Desk Award, Best Play; and the Outer Critics Circle Award. He was the music supervisor for the

Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...

musical '' Everyday Rapture'', which ran at Second Stage Theatre in 2009. Kitt was the music supervisor, orchestrator and music arranger for the musical '' American Idiot'', which opened on Broadway in March 2010. Kitt composed the score for

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 ...

Shakespeare in the Park (New York City) production of ''The Winter's Tale'', which ran in July 2010. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reviewer wrote that, "His score is a triumph of the less-is-more approach to incidental music." In August 2010, Brian Yorkey and Kitt's musical ''In Your Eyes'' was workshopped at the Village Theatre's Festival of New Musicals in Issaquah, Washington. Kitt's next musical, '' Bring It On'', a musical adaption of the film, was a collaboration with

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...

Amanda Green Amanda Green (born December 29, 1963) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, she was elected president of the Dramatists Guild of America, the first woman to hold the role in the Guild's 100-year history. Early life and edu ...

and playwright Jeff Whitty. The musical premiered at the

Alliance Theatre The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia, based at the Alliance Theatre, part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, and is the winner of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal T ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, running from January 15, 2011 to February 20, 2011. Miranda later called Kitt "one of the best melodists of our generation," and attributed personal growth and education to their relationship. In 2012, he worked on arranging strings sections for Green Day's album trilogy ''Uno'', ''Dos'' and ''Tre''. He worked with Brian Yorkey on a new musical titled ''

'' which was workshopped in 2013 in New York City with

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...

in the lead role. Following the workshop, the show had an out-of-town tryout at Washington D.C.'s National Theatre, from November 5 to December 8, 2013. It opened on Broadway at the

Richard Rodgers Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Her ...

on March 4, 2014 in previews, officially on March 30, 2014. The show is directed by Michael Greif, produced by David Stone, and stars Menzel, LaChanze and

Anthony Rapp Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of ''Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film versio ...

. The choreography is by Larry Keigwin, sets are by Mark Wendland, and costumes by Emily Rebholz. Kitt and Yorkey wrote a musical adaptation of the book (and films) ''

Freaky Friday ''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...

'', with the book by Bridget Carpenter. The musical, developed by Disney Theatrical, began performances at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia on October 4, 2016. Directed by

Christopher Ashley Christopher Ashley (born July 6, 1964) is an American stage director. Since 2007, he has been the artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse. Career Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre.

, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo, the cast featured Emma Hunton, Jason Gotay and

Heidi Blickenstaff Heidi Blickenstaff (born December 28, 1971) is an American actress based in New York City best known for playing a version of herself in the musical '' itle of show' during its Off-Broadway and Broadway runs, as well as for originating the role ...

. The musical begins performances at the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego on January 31, 2017 to March 12. Directed by Ashley, Hunton and Blickenstaff reprise their original roles. ''

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

'', a musical based on the 1993 movie ''

'', premiered in July 2018 at the

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

, Washington, DC, with lyrics by Nell Benjamin, a book by Benjamin and Thomas Meehan, and music by Kitt. Directed by

Tina Landau Tina Landau (born May 21, 1962) is an American playwright and theatre director. Known for her large-scale, musical, and ensemble-driven work, Landau's productions have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, most extensively at the ...

, the cast featured

Douglas Sills Douglas Howard Sills (born July 5, 1960) is an American actor. Early life Sills was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Rhoda (Nemeth) and Archie Sills, and grew up in the suburb of Franklin, in a Jewish household. He was friends (and did ama ...

and

Drew Gehling Andrew Shearer Gehling (born October 16, 1982) is an American stage and screen actor, best known for his role as Dr. Pomatter in the Broadway musical ''Waitress'', Garry Marshall's ''Billy & Ray'', and as the voice of Gord in the 2006 video game ' ...

. ''

Superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

,'' a new musical by Kitt and John Logan, premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre, with an official opening on February 28, 2019. Kitt had reteamed with Brian Yorkey for a musical adaptation of ''

Magic Mike ''Magic Mike'' is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. The plot revolves around Adam, a 19-year-old who enters the wor ...

'', with

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (born 1973) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series '' Glee'', '' Big Love'', '' Riverdale'', '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' ...

writing the book. By May 2019, the creative team of Kitt, Yorkey and Aguirre-Sacasa left the project and a developmental lab that had been scheduled for the week of May 3 was cancelled. Kitt then composed the new musical titled ''Almost Famous'', the world-premiere musical adaptation of Cameron Crowe's 2000 coming-of-age film ''

Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for ''Rolling Stone ...

''. The musical opened September 27, 2019 at The Old Globe in San Diego, California. Kitt and Yorkey worked on a stage adaptation of '' The Visitor''. The musical premiered Off-Broadway 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 L ...

on October 16, 2021. The book is by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Brian Yorkey, choreography by

Lorin Latarro Lorin Latarro is a Broadway Director/Choreographer whose work can be seen on Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera, and in dance companies internationally. She began her career as a dancer who performed in fourteen Broadway shows and toured with worl ...

with direction by Daniel J. Sullivan.

David Hyde Pierce David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and director of stage, film and television. He starred as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom '' Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, and won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Scree ...

and Ahmad Maksoud star. Kitt is the composer of the musical titled ''

Flying Over Sunset ''Flying Over Sunset'' is a musical with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Michael Korie, and book by James Lapine. The musical is a fictional account of a meeting between Aldous Huxley, Clare Boothe Luce and Cary Grant, who all used the drug LSD. P ...

'', which was expected to premiere in a Lincoln Center Theater production on Broadway on March 12, 2020 in previews. The book is by

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', '' Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ...

, who is also the director, with the lyrics by Michael Korie. The show was postponed when Broadway shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced in May 2021 that the show would resume production on November 4, 2021 in previews, with the official opening on December 6, 2021. Kitt has signed on to compose the upcoming

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

animated musical film, ''Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical'', with lyrics and screenplay by Ariel Dumas of ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...

''.

Performance & The Tom Kitt Band

Kitt has performed his own songs in a one-man show at various venues such as the Bitter End in New York. He is the founder of The Tom Kitt Band, in which he plays piano. The band's first album is ''Find Me''. Kitt also contributed in 2006 to

Julia Murney Julia Kathleen Murney (born January 14, 1969) is an American actress and singer, also known for television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway. This ...

's self-titled debut album, ''I'm Not Waiting'', for which he co-wrote the song ''Perfect''.

Personal life

He married Rita Pietropinto in 2000. They have three children.

Compositions

*'' High Fidelity'' (2006) *''From Up Here'' (2008, Manhattan Theatre Club) *''

'' (2008) *''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...

'' (2010), incidental music *'' Bring It On'' (2011); music also by

*'' Orphans'' (2013) *''

'' (2013) *''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'' (2015, Shakespeare in the Park) *''

Penny Dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typically referred to ...

'' (2016), composed the opening title for the show's season 3 finale *''

'' (2016) *'' Grease: Live'' (2016), wrote two new songs with Brian Yorkey *''

'' (2018) *''

'' (2019) *''Almost Famous'' (2019, Old Globe Theater) *'' The Visitor'' (2021) *''

'' (2021) *''Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical'' (TBA), provided music and orchestration

Work as arranger, orchestrator, music director

*'' Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical'' (2002) *''

Urban Cowboy ''Urban Cowboy'' is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford Uan "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy (Debra Winger). The film's success was credited for spur ...

'' (2003) *''

Mario Cantone Mario Cantone (born December 9, 1959) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and singer with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including '' Chappelle's Show''. He also played Anthony Marentino in '' Sex and the City'' and Terri in ''Men In ...

: Laugh Whore'' (2004) *'' 13'' (2008) *''Keys: The Music of Scott Alan'' (2008) *''

21st Century Breakdown ''21st Century Breakdown'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist/guita ...

'', Green Day (2009) *'' Everyday Rapture'' (2009, Second Stage Theatre, and 2010, Broadway) *'' American Idiot: The Musical'' (2009,

Berkeley Rep Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It runs seven productions each season from its two stages in Downtown Berkeley. History The company was founded in 1968, as the East Bay's first resident ...

; 2010, Broadway) *''

¡Uno! ''¡Uno!'' (stylized in all caps) is the ninth studio album by American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2012, by Reprise Records. It is the first of three albums in the ''¡Uno!'', ''¡Dos!'', ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of stu ...

'', Green Day (2012) *''

¡Tré! ''¡Tré!'' (stylized in all caps) is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Green Day. It is the third and final installment in the ''¡Uno!'' ''¡Dos!'' ''¡Tré!'' trilogy, a series of studio albums that were released from Septemb ...

'', Green Day (2012) *'' Pitch Perfect 2'' (2015) - Vocal Arrangements *''

'' (2016) *'' Head over Heels'' (2018) *'' Jagged Little Pill'' (2018)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * *
Tom Kitt Band Official Site

Tom Kitt Interview
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitt, Tom American musical theatre composers American male musicians Broadway composers and lyricists Columbia College (New York) alumni Grammy Award winners Living people Drama Desk Award winners Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners Place of birth missing (living people) People from Armonk, New York Primetime Emmy Award winners Songwriters from New York (state) Tony Award winners 1974 births American male songwriters