Top Five Directors of the Stage?

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Top Five Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:38pm

And I'm talkin' directors. Not individuals who mainly did music director or choreography but also directed. I'm referring to full-fledged directors.

GO!

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

Updated On: 7/9/06 at 03:38 PM

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:57pm

There's only one. The great Robert Jess Roth.

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:59pm

Hal Prince, duh!

"Cages or wings, which do you prefer?"-- Tick, Tick...BOOM!

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 4:02pm

Now I'm not trying to be lamely funny, but Joe Mantello perhaps?

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 4:06pm

Gower Champion, Elia Kazan, Mike Nichols

"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear." ~ Freddie Mercury

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 4:17pm

George Abbott, Elia Kazan, Joe Mantello

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 4:58pm

Hal Prince, Tommy Tune (a personal favorite), Michael Bennett, George Abbott, Moss Hart, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Jerome Robbins, George C. Wolfe, William Shakespeare...

Updated On: 7/9/06 at 04:58 PM

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 5:11pm

Sam Mendes

"I have this mental image of Patti barreling down the street and pushing tourists out of her way." -colleen_lee

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 5:12pm

JOHN DOYLE

#10

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:32pm

There are so many but I'll just list a few who are still alive:

Jack O'Brien
Mike Nichols
Michael Blakemore
George C. Wolfe
Harold Prince

"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"

#11

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:36pm

If you think Joe Mantello is one of the "top" directors right now, you're a fool. He got lucky with WICKED (which was more Stephen Schwartz, David Stone, and Marc Platt) and has been riding soley on that.

Jeff Calhoun and Graciele Daniele are pretty good right now also.

Updated On: 7/9/06 at 06:36 PM

#12

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:39pm

Joe Mantello? HHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!

Everyone I thought of has already been said. My favorites are:

Gower Champion
Hal Prince
Michael Bennett
George C. Wolfe
Mike Nichols

More current directors that I think are wonderful:

David Leveaux
Sam Mendes
Kathleen Marshall
Susan Stroman

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

#13

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:39pm

Mike Nichols, Mike Nichols, Mike Nichols, Mike Nichols, Mike Nichols...

Sorry...I've worked with him and he's stunningly fun and brilliant. His films ain't too shabby either!

And he's married to Diane Sawyer!

Every listen to his comedy albums with Elaine May?

"It's not so much do what you like, as it is that you like what you do." SS

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx

#14

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:41pm

Gower Champion
George Abbott
Susan Stroman

"I believe that art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, to engage in a constant search for the truth." - Barbra Streisand

#15

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:45pm

Hal Prince
Gower Champion
Jerrome Robbins
Michael Bennent
Bob Fosse
Sam Mendes
George Abbott
Mike Nichols
Moss Hart
Trevor Nunn

"Who is Stephen Sondheim?" -roninjoey
"The man who wishes he had written Phantom of the Opera!" - SueleenGay

GO CARDINALS!!!

Updated On: 7/9/06 at 06:45 PM

#16

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:46pm

OMG! There are ssooo many!....I'll narow my list down to 6

Lonny Price
Kathleen Marshal
Walter Bobbie
Jack O'Brien
Joe Mantello
Jamrs Lapine

"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey

#17

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:46pm

Kathleen Marshall???
Oy.

#18

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:48pm

Julie Taymor
Jack O'Brian
Des McAnuff

#19

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 7:01pm

I also admire directors who not only direct shows but also function as Artistic Directors or Managing Directors for major theatre companies - the likes of :

*Sam Mendes - plays, the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, and even movies

*Trevor Nunn - the megamusicals and revivals like OKLAHOMA!, director for RSC and RNT

*Nicholas Hytner - Miss Saigon and History Boys, RNT

Which ones are the American counterparts? Maybe more of those who are successful both on stage and in movies - the likes of

*Mike Nichols

#20

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 7:09pm

Hal Prince definately
and Trevor Nunn

#21

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 7:50pm

The best stage directors are people whose work rarely (if ever) appears on Broadway-- people like:
Elizabeth LeCompte (of The Wooster Group)
Richard Foreman (of Ontological Hysteric Theatre)
Ariane Mnouchkine (of Theatre du Soliel)
Robert Wilson (whose work often appears at BAM)
Julie Taymor (whose productions at Theatre for a New Audience (before she hit it big with the Lion King) were stunning)

of the current "Broadway" directors, I admire George C. Wolfe and Jack O'Brien for their versatility.

"Inside every actor there is a Tiger, a Pig, an Ass, and a Nightingale. You never know which one is going to show up." -John Michael Higgins in FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

#22

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 7:58pm

Zachary Goldfarb - Who cares? I accidently left out an L in Marshall!

What about Lonny Price?

"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey

#23

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 8:38pm

Hal Prince
Susan Stroman
Nicholas Hytner
Trevor Nunn

Those were the only ones I could think of off the top of my head.

"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible

#24

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 8:55pm

Susan Stroman!!!!! I cant believe I forgot her!!!

"I'm tellin' you, the only times I really feel the presence of God are when I'm having sex and during a great Broadway musical." - Nathan Lane - Jeffrey

#25

re: Top Ten Directors of the Stage?

Posted: 7/9/06 at 9:18pm

In no particular order-

Hal Prince
So many great shows, so many reasonw why he's excellent.

Bob Fosse
My favorite choreographer and second favorite director. He, in my opinion, perfected cinematic staging the most. His shows are also damned entertaining.

John Doyle
An up and coming director with a wonderful vision.

Susan Stroman
"The Producers" is a masterpiece, but her work on other pieces are exceptional as well.

Gower Champion
A pioneer of continous action and movement.

George Abbott
A legendary musical comedy director with a gift.

Tommy Tune
"Nine" and "Grand Hotel" are two of the most brilliantly staged pieces of the last 25 years.

Michael Bennet
I think "Chicago" is a better piece than "Chorus Line" and that "Nine" is a better piece than "Dreamgirls", but still, he was a genius.

Joshua Logan
Yes, he gave us an awful film of "Camelot", but his stage direction of "South Pacific" was incredible (so I'm told. It sounds incredible too.)

Jerome Robbins
Exception choreographer, yes. However, his direction is even more interesting in my opinion.

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