Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

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Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 11:50am

Who are some of the best theatre directors out there (in the U.S. and internationally) who have yet to make their mark on a Broadway stage?

Simon Stone
Thomas Ostermeier
Dominic Cooke only feels like a matter of time. (Technically, he was a producer on MUSIC MAN in 2022, but I think his involvement was pretty passive.) Maybe his FOLLIES will eventually come in.
Yael Farber
Daniel Evans (though he has performed on Broadway as an actor)
Barrie Kosky, international opera director who has also done a bunch of musical revivals. This only feels like a matter of time, though he works on a very large scale. (His THREEPENNY will play BAM this spring, and he has a SWEENEY in Berlin right now.)
Donna Feore has had a number of musicals in development kicking around for a while.
John Ortiz
Sarah Benson

This is, admittedly, a very Brit-and-Australian-centric list. Who else?!

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 12:05pm

Acclaimed, none are ringing a bell for me. But as far as off-broadway up and comers, the first one that comes to mind is Dustin Wills, who directed Wolf Play, Wet Brian, and the one-man Marriage of Figaro at Little Island. Just an explosion of creativity whenever he’s in charge. He certainly excels at making small shows feel huge, and I would love to see him try something enormous.

Annie Tippe also comes to mind, having seen her direct Dave Malloy’s two more recent pieces.

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 12:27pm

Annie Tippe is a good pull!

While I haven't seen any of Katie Spelman's directorial work, I know she's been lauded for a number of productions in Chicago (including a recent GREAT COMET and ONCE). She feels like someone who will probably make an impact on Broadway as a director. She choreographed THE NOTEBOOK and has been an associate on a number of shows.

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 4:37pm

From his IBDB page, it looks like Steven Spielberg has produced but never directed. Does anyone see that changing?

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 4:56pm

Barrie Kosky worked with him years ago, his staging of Nabucco was booed off the stage in Sydney and was a massive hit in Melbourne. He’s was certainly a very interesting director.

Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist. Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino. This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more. Tazber's: Reply to Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 5:03pm

Aside from some of the names you mentioned, the first person to come to mind was Eric Tucker, from Bedlam theatre. His lack of Broadway credits is maybe self-explanatory, given the kind of work the company is known for -- but he's definitely been a fixture of the Off-Broadway scene for over a decade.

In that same vein, you could throw the Fiasco Theatre folks in there too (Ben Steinfeld*, Noah Brody, et al).

I also thought of Oskar Eustis* -- he's not necessarily all that acclaimed as a director, but he's certainly a director who is also an incredibly important figure.

As far as directors who haven't necessarily gotten a lot of individualized attention, but who are well-established in the NYC theatre scene, we also have: Lee Sunday Evans and Chay Yew.

Eric Ting has been directing regionally for a long time, but I didn't know about him until some of his recent NYC credits -- which I've been very impressed with on the whole. Definitely on my radar!

*(both of these guys have Broadway credits, but neither as a director)

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 5:33pm

Lee Sunday Evans directed that clunker of a musical about time travel recently in Brooklyn, so I'll pass.

Dustin Willis, yes.

I see Jon M Chu directing a lavish production of Crazy Rich Asians as his Broadway debut here in a few years.

Chay Yew's work has been very hit or miss for me, but I'm also surprised he has not been on Broadway yet.

Me thinks it's time to give more directors a chance, even just to start seeing who else is out there. Lots of Chicago area folks who would be great candidates, but none of which have enough name recognition for this board.

I'm just here so I don't get fined

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/30/24 at 6:11pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "Lee Sunday Evans directed that clunker of a musical about time travel recently in Brooklyn, so I'll pass.”

Not going to fight you on Safety Not Guaranteed, but did you see Oratorio For Living Things? Dance Nation? In the Green? I thought she did some great work on those shows!

Most acclaimed directors who haven't worked on Broadway?

Posted: 12/31/24 at 2:48am

Sarah Benson directed Skittles Commercial: The Musical at Town Hall a few years ago, which was Broadway adjacent but feels about right for her lol

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