Doug Besterman
Encyclopedia
Douglas "Doug" Besterman (born February 3, 1965) is an American
orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Award
s out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award
nominee.
musical with Alan Menken
. Besterman then began an extensive career in film with Lincoln (1992), subsequently orchestrating Disney's Pocahontas
in 1995.
He made his Broadway
debut with Damn Yankees
(1994), for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations
. Besterman was also nominated for the latter in 1997, with Big: the musical. He won his first Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
in 1999, for orchestrating Fosse
with Ralph Burns
.
Besterman was nominated for the Tony Award for The Music Man
in 2000, for which he also received his third Drama Desk Award nomination.
Besterman won his second Tony Award and his first Drama Desk Award for the Broadway and West End productions of The Producers
(2001). In 2002, he shared these awards with Ralph Burns for the original Broadway production of Thoroughly Modern Millie
, starring Sutton Foster
. Burns had passed away in November 2001 and Besterman accepted the awards. In his acceptance speech at the 2002 Tony Awards
, Besterman was quoted as saying, "I'm sad to be here without him."
In 2001, Besterman orchestrated Rogers and Hammerstein's score in the TV movie South Pacific
. In 2002 he served as orchestrator for the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Chicago
. Besterman also arranged music for the 2003 film Piglet's Big Movie
.
In 2004, Besterman orchestrated music for the original productions of Dracula, the Musical
at the La Jolla Playhouse
and Broadway's Belasco Theatre
.
Besterman provided orchestrations and arrangements for the 2005 West End
production of Guys and Dolls
.
Also in 2005, Besterman reunited with The Producers composer Mel Brooks
for the film version of the same name
. He again worked with Brooks on his 2007 musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein
, for which he was nominated for his sixth Drama Desk Award
and first Grammy Award
.
Besterman worked with writer Deb Fordham
and composers Jeff Marx
and Robert Lopez
for a musical episode of Scrubs
, titled "My Musical
", which aired in 2007. Many described initial misgivings that the musical concept would make the episode seem gimmicky, but these fears were, for the most part, put to rest by the fact that the episode was "logically insane."
In 2008, Besterman orchestrated songs for the Houston, Texas
, premiere of The Gershwins' An American In Paris, a musical adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name
. It played from April 29, 2008, to June 22, 2008.
In concerts, Besterman has orchestrated performances for Mel Brooks and Chita Rivera
at the Kennedy Center Honors
, Beyonce Knowles
' 2002 benefit concert, and the "Stephen Sondheim
75th Birthday Celebration" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
. In addition, he has worked with the Boston Pops Orchestra
and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
.
Orchestrations for ballets include Take Five (More Or Less) (Pacific Northwest Ballet
), Double Feature
(New York City Ballet
), and But Not For Me (Martha Graham Dance Company); all of these were choreographed by Susan Stroman
.
He wrote orchestrations to the La Jolla Playhouse's 2010 production of Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin
. He orchestrated songs for a musical adaptation, titled Elf the Musical
, of the 2003 film Elf
, which played at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
on Broadway in winter 2010.
Besterman was the orchestrator for Rob Ashford
's 2011 Broadway revival of Frank Loesser
's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
, starring Daniel Radcliffe
, for which he has been nominated for his fifth Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
. For this production, Besterman scaled down the orchestra: "Music director David Chase and orchestrator Doug Besterman explored ways to honor the contributions of the original music team (music director Elliot Lawrence
and orchestrator Robert Ginzler
) while capitalizing on the assets of a streamlined 14-member orchestra." When describing Besterman's approach for these new orchestrations, producers Craig Zadan
and Neil Meron
wrote:
He also provided orchestrations for the London, Broadway, and Hamburg
productions of the musical Sister Act. These productions opened on June 2, 2009 (London), December 2, 2010 (Hamburg), and April 20, 2011 (Broadway).
Besterman provided orchestrations for the 2011 film remake of Winnie the Pooh
, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez
and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, with contributions by The Sherman Brothers.
Besterman orchestrated, with Michael Starobin
, the Roundabout Theatre Company
's musical The People in the Picture
(2011), concerning a grandmother recalling her life in the Yiddish theater and the Holocaust. Besterman will also provide orchestrations for the upcoming MCC Theater
revival of the 1988 musical Carrie
.
Nominations
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominee.
Career
Besterman found work in New York City in 1986 as a rehearsal pianist. In 1990, he met Danny Troob, who recommended Besterman to work on an Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical with Alan Menken
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
. Besterman then began an extensive career in film with Lincoln (1992), subsequently orchestrating Disney's Pocahontas
Pocahontas (1995 film)
Pocahontas is the 33rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and was originally released to selected theaters on June 16, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
in 1995.
He made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut with Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
(1994), for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...
. Besterman was also nominated for the latter in 1997, with Big: the musical. He won his first Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
-1990s:1997*Jonathan Tunick – Titanic**Michael Gibson - Steel Pier**Luther Henderson - Play On!**Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler - The Life1998*William David Brohn – Ragtime**Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler - The Lion King...
in 1999, for orchestrating Fosse
Fosse
Fosse is a three-act musical revue showcasing the choreography of Bob Fosse. After 21 previews, the original Broadway production, conceived and directed by Richard Maltby, Jr...
with Ralph Burns
Ralph Burns
Ralph Burns was an American songwriter, bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and bebop pianist.-Early life:...
.
Besterman was nominated for the Tony Award for The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
in 2000, for which he also received his third Drama Desk Award nomination.
Besterman won his second Tony Award and his first Drama Desk Award for the Broadway and West End productions of The Producers
The Producers (musical)
The Producers is a musical adapted by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich...
(2001). In 2002, he shared these awards with Ralph Burns for the original Broadway production of Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical)
Thoroughly Modern Millie is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan, and a book by Richard Morris and Scanlan. Based on the 1967 film of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for...
, starring Sutton Foster
Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer. Foster has received two Tony Awards, in 2002 for her role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie and in 2011 for her role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes...
. Burns had passed away in November 2001 and Besterman accepted the awards. In his acceptance speech at the 2002 Tony Awards
56th Tony Awards
The 56th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall on June 2, 2002 and broadcast by CBS. "The First Ten" awards ceremony was telecast on PBS television...
, Besterman was quoted as saying, "I'm sad to be here without him."
In 2001, Besterman orchestrated Rogers and Hammerstein's score in the TV movie South Pacific
South Pacific (2001 film)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific is a made-for-television movie, directed by Richard Pearce in 2001. This ABC production starred Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr. and Rade Šerbedžija...
. In 2002 he served as orchestrator for the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Chicago
Chicago (2002 film)
Chicago is a 2002 musical film adapted from the satirical stage musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Jazz-age Chicago....
. Besterman also arranged music for the 2003 film Piglet's Big Movie
Piglet's Big Movie
Piglet's Big Movie is a 2003 American animated film produced by DisneyToon Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 21, 2003. It is based upon the characters in the Winnie-the-Pooh books written by A. A. Milne...
.
In 2004, Besterman orchestrated music for the original productions of Dracula, the Musical
Dracula, The Musical
Dracula, the Musical is a musical based on the original Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton....
at the La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
and Broadway's Belasco Theatre
Belasco Theatre
The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist...
.
Besterman provided orchestrations and arrangements for the 2005 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
.
Also in 2005, Besterman reunited with The Producers composer Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
for the film version of the same name
The Producers (2005 film)
# "Overture" - Orchestra# "Opening Night" - Opening Nighters# "We Can Do It" - Max and Leo# "I Wanna Be a Producer" - Leo, Accountants, Mr. Marks and Dancing Chorus Girls# "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" - Franz, Max, and Leo...
. He again worked with Brooks on his 2007 musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein (musical)
Young Frankenstein, officially known as The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, is a musical with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the 1974 comedy film of the same name written by Brooks and Gene Wilder and directed by Brooks, who has...
, for which he was nominated for his sixth Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
and first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
Besterman worked with writer Deb Fordham
Deb Fordham
Deb Fordham served as an Emmy-nominated writer and producer for the American situation comedy Scrubs. She wrote sixteen episodes, two of which, "My Life in Four Cameras" and "My Musical", are considered to be among the best Scrubs episodes...
and composers Jeff Marx
Jeff Marx
Jeff Marx is a composer and lyricist of musicals. He is best known for creating the Broadway musical Avenue Q with collaborator Robert Lopez.- Early life :...
and Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez is an American composer and lyricist of musicals best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Avenue Q and for co-creating the musical The Book of Mormon, receiving Tony Awards for both works....
for a musical episode of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, titled "My Musical
My Musical
"My Musical" is a musical episode from the American comedy-drama television series Scrubs. It follows the story of Patti Miller, played by guest star Stephanie D'Abruzzo of Avenue Q fame, a woman who mysteriously starts hearing everyone's speech as singing.The episode was written by Deb Fordham,...
", which aired in 2007. Many described initial misgivings that the musical concept would make the episode seem gimmicky, but these fears were, for the most part, put to rest by the fact that the episode was "logically insane."
In 2008, Besterman orchestrated songs for the Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, premiere of The Gershwins' An American In Paris, a musical adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name
An American in Paris (film)
An American in Paris is a 1951 MGM musical film inspired by the 1928 orchestral composition by George Gershwin. Starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary, and Nina Foch, the film is set in Paris, and was directed by Vincente Minnelli from a script by Alan Jay Lerner...
. It played from April 29, 2008, to June 22, 2008.
In concerts, Besterman has orchestrated performances for Mel Brooks and Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
at the Kennedy Center Honors
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
, Beyonce Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
' 2002 benefit concert, and the "Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
75th Birthday Celebration" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
. In addition, he has worked with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra is a symphony orchestra which is managed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and plays the vast majority of its performances at the Hollywood Bowl....
.
Orchestrations for ballets include Take Five (More Or Less) (Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association, it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978. It is said to have the highest per...
), Double Feature
Double Feature (ballet)
Double Feature was made by Susan Stroman on New York City Ballet to music of Irving Berlin and Walter Donaldson and a libretto by Ms. Stroman and Glen Kelly with orchestrations by Doug Besterman and arrangement by Mr. Kelly; the libretto for "Makin' Whoopee!" is based on the play Seven Chances,...
(New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
), and But Not For Me (Martha Graham Dance Company); all of these were choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
.
He wrote orchestrations to the La Jolla Playhouse's 2010 production of Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin
Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin
Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin is a musical with music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis and a book by Curtis and Thomas Meehan. The show is based on the life of Charlie Chaplin.-Productions:...
. He orchestrated songs for a musical adaptation, titled Elf the Musical
Elf the Musical
Elf the Musical is a musical with a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The book is adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the 2003 Jon Favreau-directed film Elf.-Synopsis:...
, of the 2003 film Elf
Elf (film)
Elf is a 2003 comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in the United States on November 7, 2003 and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide.-Plot:A baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack while he is...
, which played at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
The Al Hirschfeld Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 302 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect G. Albert Lansburgh for vaudeville promoter Martin Beck, the theatre opened as the Martin Beck Theatre with a production of Madame Pompadour on November 11, 1924. It...
on Broadway in winter 2010.
Besterman was the orchestrator for Rob Ashford
Rob Ashford
Rob Ashford is an American choreographer and director. He is a seven-time Tony Award nominee , five-time Olivier Award nominee, Emmy Award winner, Drama Desk winner, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner.-Biography:...
's 2011 Broadway revival of Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
, starring Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
, for which he has been nominated for his fifth Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
-1990s:1997*Jonathan Tunick – Titanic**Michael Gibson - Steel Pier**Luther Henderson - Play On!**Don Sebesky and Harold Wheeler - The Life1998*William David Brohn – Ragtime**Robert Elhai, David Metzger and Bruce Fowler - The Lion King...
. For this production, Besterman scaled down the orchestra: "Music director David Chase and orchestrator Doug Besterman explored ways to honor the contributions of the original music team (music director Elliot Lawrence
Elliot Lawrence
Elliot Lawrence is an American jazz pianist and bandleader.Son of the broadcaster Stan Lee Broza, Lawrence led his first dance band at age 20, but he played swing at the time its heyday was coming to a close. He recorded copiously as a bandleader for Columbia, Decca, King, Fantasy, Vik, and Sesac...
and orchestrator Robert Ginzler
Robert Ginzler
Robert “Red” Ginzler was an influential American orchestrator,principally remembered for his contributions to the landmark Broadway...
) while capitalizing on the assets of a streamlined 14-member orchestra." When describing Besterman's approach for these new orchestrations, producers Craig Zadan
Craig Zadan
Craig Zadan is an American executive producer, director, and writer. Zadan is openly gay and is one half of the successful production team Storyline Entertainment with partner Neil Meron since their meeting many years ago in the New York theatrical community.-Early life:Zadan was born in Miami,...
and Neil Meron
Neil Meron
Neil Meron is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he runs the production company "Storyline Entertainment".-Life and career:...
wrote:
He also provided orchestrations for the London, Broadway, and Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
productions of the musical Sister Act. These productions opened on June 2, 2009 (London), December 2, 2010 (Hamburg), and April 20, 2011 (Broadway).
Besterman provided orchestrations for the 2011 film remake of Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh (2011 film)
Winnie the Pooh is a 2011 American animated musical children's family film inspired by the A. A. Milne stories of the same name. The film is a reboot of Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise and is the fifth theatrical Winnie the Pooh film released and the second from the Walt Disney Animation...
, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez is an American composer and lyricist of musicals best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Avenue Q and for co-creating the musical The Book of Mormon, receiving Tony Awards for both works....
and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, with contributions by The Sherman Brothers.
Besterman orchestrated, with Michael Starobin
Michael Starobin
Michael Starobin is an orchestrator, arranger, and Musical Director, primarily for the stage and television.-Career:The first Broadway musical that Starobin provided the orchestrations for was Sunday in the Park with George in 1984, for which he won the 1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding...
, the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
's musical The People in the Picture
The People in the Picture
The People in the Picture is a musical with book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart and music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler. The musical is about a grandmother recalling her life in the Yiddish theater and the Holocaust.-Production:...
(2011), concerning a grandmother recalling her life in the Yiddish theater and the Holocaust. Besterman will also provide orchestrations for the upcoming MCC Theater
MCC Theater
MCC Theater is an Off-Broadway theater company located in New York City, founded in 1986 by artistic directors Robert LuPone and Bernard Telsey along with six graduates of the New York University drama department, including Jana Herzen...
revival of the 1988 musical Carrie
Carrie (musical)
Carrie: The Musical is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. Adapted from Stephen King's novel Carrie, it focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother...
.
Discography
- All credits as music producer.
Title Performer Label A Love Like Ours A Love Like OursA Love Like Ours is an album by Barbra Streisand. It was released in North American on September 21, 1999 and Europe on September 20, 1999. It is her 23rd Top 10 album in the US. This was Streisand's first commercial release since her marriage to actor James Brolin. Much of the material was...Barbra Streisand Barbra StreisandBarbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...Sony Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
/Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...Timeless: Live in Concert Timeless: Live in ConcertTimeless: Live in Concert is a live album released by Barbra Streisand on September 19, 2000 . It was her fifth live album and was released on Columbia Records...Barbra Streisand Sony/Columbia Records Manilow Sings Sinatra Manilow Sings SinatraManilow Sings Sinatra is an album by singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, released in 1998. The album was a compilation of himself singing songs originally made notable by Frank Sinatra, who had recently died...Barry Manilow Barry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...Arista Records Arista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...Oscar and Steve Mandy Patinkin Mandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...Nonesuch Records Nonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...Mamaloschen Mandy Patinkin Nonesuch Records Kidults Mandy Patinkin Nonesuch Records Experiment ExperimentAn experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...Mandy Patinkin Nonesuch Records Standing Room Only Standing Room OnlyStanding Room Only may refer to:*Standing-room only, an event so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied*Standing Room Only , an 1976 entertainment series on HBO...Jerry Hadley Jerry HadleyJerry Hadley was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of Jenůfa , Susannah , and Candide...Bertelsmann Music Group Here’s To The Ladies Christine Andreas Christine Andreas-Biography:BroadwayAndreas was born in Camden, New Jersey. She made her Broadway debut in a 1975 revival of Angel Street. The following year she was cast as Eliza Doolittle in the 20th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady, for which she received the Theatre World Award...
Awards and nominations
Wins- 1999 Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, Fosse
- 2001 Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, The Producers
- 2001 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, The Producers
- 2002 Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, Thoroughly Modern Millie
- 2002 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Nominations
- 1994 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, Damn Yankees
- 1997 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, Big
- 2000 Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, The Music Man
- 2000 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, The Music Man
- 2008 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, Young Frankenstein
- 2009 Grammy Award, Best Musical Show Album, Young Frankenstein
- 2011 Tony Award, Best Orchestrations, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
External links
- Official website, dougbesterman.com
- Doug Besterman at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....
- Doug Besterman at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Doug Besterman at the Lortel ArchivesLortel ArchivesThe Lortel Archives, or the Internet Off-Broadway Database is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway.The archives are named in honor of actress and theatrical producer Lucille Lortel.-See also:...
/Internet Off-Broadway Database