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Neil Berg
(Composer/Lyricist/Producer)
Neil is the composer/lyricist of the hit Off-Broadway musical “The
Prince and the Pauper,” which ran for two years at the Lambs Theater
in New York City. The New York Times raved “(Berg’s) music soars on
Angel’s wings”. The original cast CD is released internationally on
Jay Records, sheet music published by Hal Leonard, and licensing by
Samuel French Inc. Songs from this show are also featured with many
other classic songs in the official Off-Broadway Songbook, published
by Hal Leonard.
Neil is currently the composer for the new Broadway-bound musical
“Grumpy Old Men,” based on the Warner Brothers movie classic starring
Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and scheduled to open in 2010/2011.
The last developmental reading featured Academy Award-winning actor
F. Murray Abraham and TONY Award winner George Hearn, with Marilu Henner,
Carole Kane, Ken Page and Vicki Lewis. Scheduled to open in Canada in
fall of 2011. For more information go to
www.grumpyoldmenthemusical.com.
Neil is currently collaborating with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright
Robert Schenkkan on a new rock musical called "The 12". Following a
very successful showcase at the China Club in NYC, featuring Dan Spitz
of Anthrax on lead guitar, “The Twelve” it had its World Premiere at
the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on April 1, 2010, produced
by Adam Friedson.
Neil's latest musical, “The Man Who Would Be King,” with book and
lyrics by DJ Salisbury, had a developmental reading/workshop at The
Village Theater in Issaquah, WA, directed by Tony Award winner Brian
Yorkey (Next To Normal). This follows a staged reading at the Rubicon
Theater in CA. This show has been developed with dramaturgical guidance
by Moises Kaufman of the Tetonic Theater Project. The fully-orchestrated
CD recording, featuring Brian d’Arcy James, Marc Kudisch and Mandy Gonzalez,
has recently been released, and can be purchased at www.neilberg.com.
Neil’s musical “Tim and Scrooge,” with book and lyrics by Nick Meglin
(former editor of Mad Magazine), had its first developmental production
at the wonderful Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, NY. It was then voted “one
of the best musicals” of the inaugural NYMF festival in NYC, then garnered
a rave review in the NY Times after it opened for an Equity run, starring
TONY nominee Bobby Steggert at The Queens Theater in the Park, and was
recently presented as a special reading at the Criterion Theater in
the London’s West End.
Neil also composed the new musical “Heidi,” book by Julia Jordan
and commissioned by Douglas Love and the Walden Family Theater. Heidi
ran for over eighty performances in its regional premiere in Denver.
His musical "Hexed in the City" played Off- Broadway at the Zipper Theater.
Other new projects in development are musical versions of "Pollyanna"
and "The Count of Monte Cristo". Other commissioned works include “Percy
Penguin” for the Penguin Repertory Theater (Joe Brancato, Artistic Director),
“Threads” for the Helen Hayes Theater, and “Fiona: The Mother Goose
Musical”.
Neil was also the recipient of the 1995 Bistro Award for Best Musical
for his show "Asylum in the Night," a revue of Neil's theater music.
Neil has had evening's dedicated to his music at Joe's Pub and Feinstien's
in NYC. Neil was also the composer/music supervisor on the feature film
“Searching For Bobby D.” featuring Carmen Electra, Sandra Bernhard,
and Mario Cantone. Also, many of Neil’s theater songs are featured in
various Hal Leonard’s Musical Anthologies.
Neil studied musical composition with Robert Printz, Sue Peters,
and is a product of The BMI Musical Writer’s Workshop, mentored by Maury
Yeston and Skip Kennon.
Neil is the creator and co-producer of Neil Berg's "100 Years of
Broadway,” which is now the number one Broadway touring concert in the
United States, currently touring over 120 cities in 2010/2011. For a
schedule go to www.neilberg.com.
As owner of Leftfield Productions, Inc., Neil has produced over a
thousand Broadway concerts worldwide with such stars as Michael Crawford,
Bernadette Peters, Ben Vereen, Betty Buckley, Rita Moreno, Donna McKechnie,
Liz Callaway, Mark Kudisch, Alice Ripley, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Stephanie
Block, and many other greats.
Neil is also currently producing, in partnership with Adam Friedson,
the Twenty Year Anniversary production of Maltby and Shire’s classic
musical revue “Closer Than Ever”. The show just played to rave reviews
in April/May of 2010 at the Queens Theater in the Park and Bristol Riverside
Theater, starring original cast members Lynne Winterstellar and Sally
Mayes. Plans are underway to bring Closer Than Ever to an Off-Broadway
theater this fall.
Neil recently produced the concert version of the Broadway musical
“The Secret Garden” in association with its composer, Lucy Simon. He
has also produced concert versions of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,”
“Chess,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Neil was the Producing Artistic Director of The Broadway Series at
the world famous China Club in NYC. Over the past 20 years, Neil has
been the musical director/entertainment coordinator for such great organizations
as Covenant House, and The Leukemia Society of America. He has produced
countless corporate events all across the world for UBS/Paine Webber,
Goldman Sachs, Deloitte Touche, John Hancock, Marriott Corporation,
IBM, The United Hospice Organization, The American Red Cross, and many
others.
In May 2010, Neil was honored with the Distinguished Citizen's Award,
along with Academy Award Winning actress Ellen Burstyn, by The Rockland
Family Shelter for his efforts on behalf of abused women. Neil was also
honored in 2001 as The American Red Cross Man of the Year, and was honored
again in 2003 by The United Hospice Foundation. In 2008, Neil was awarded
“Artist of the Year” by the Arts Council of Rockland County.
Neil can be heard on radio around the country with his jingle for
Shock Coffee. Neil also toured the US with rock band Joe D'Urso & Stone
Caravan and played on their past seven CDs as well as performed with
them on the recent 100 Year Anniversary Tour for Harley Davidson.
Neil is the proud co-owner, with John Asselta, of the SJR Theater
Workshop, a theater camp for students in Montvale NJ, which instructs
over 200 young actors/singers a year. This program is now run year round.
For more information please go to www.sjrtheater.com.
Neil is a proud member of the Dramatis Guild, and can be reached
at www.neilberg.com.
Neil dedicates everything to his wife, Rita Harvey, and their son,
Lucas David Berg.
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