Michael Starobin
Encyclopedia
Michael Starobin is an orchestrator, arranger, and Musical Director, primarily for the stage and television.
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 Orchestration. He has done the orchestrations for 21 Broadway musicals, 2 special concerts, including the benefit concert of Sunday in the Park with George, and was the Musical Director for The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985).
He has also provided orchestrations, or been the Musical Director, for many off-Broadway
musicals. He did the orchestrations for several works by Lynn Ahrens
and Stephen Flaherty
, such as Once on This Island
(1990), as well as William Finn
, including In Trousers
(1985), Falsettoland
(1990) (Musical Director), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
(2005).
He did the orchestrations for Next to Normal (2009), for which he won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
.
Starobin provided orchestrations for the television movie musicals Once Upon a Mattress
(2005) and A Christmas Carol
(2004), among others.
Television
Film
Career
The first BroadwayBroadway 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...
musical that Starobin provided the orchestrations for was Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
in 1984, for which he won the 1984 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...
for Outstanding Orchestration. He has done the orchestrations for 21 Broadway musicals, 2 special concerts, including the benefit concert of Sunday in the Park with George, and was the Musical Director for The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985).
He has also provided orchestrations, or been the Musical Director, for many off-Broadway
Off-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...
musicals. He did the orchestrations for several works by Lynn Ahrens
Lynn Ahrens
Lynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years...
and Stephen Flaherty
Stephen Flaherty
Stephen Flaherty is an American composer of musical theatre. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/bookwriter Lynn Ahrens...
, such as Once on This Island
Once On This Island
Once on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, set in the French Antilles in the Caribbean Sea...
(1990), as well as William Finn
William Finn
William Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
, including In Trousers
In Trousers
In Trousers is a musical, first produced in 1979, with a book, lyrics, and music by William Finn.The one-acter centers on Marvin, who has an unnamed wife and a son, Jason...
(1985), Falsettoland
Falsettoland
Falsettoland is a musical with a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn.Following In Trousers and March of the Falsettos, it is the third in a trio of one-act musicals centering on Marvin, his wife Trina, his psychiatrist Mendel, his son Jason, and his gay lover Whizzer Brown...
(1990) (Musical Director), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
(2005).
He did the orchestrations for Next to Normal (2009), for which he won the 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...
.
Starobin provided orchestrations for the television movie musicals Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway...
(2005) and A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol (2004 film)
A Christmas Carol, also known as A Christmas Carol: The Musical, is a 2004 television film based on a 1994 stage musical of the same name, with songs written by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens . The musical is based on Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name, produced by Hallmark...
(2004), among others.
Work (selected)
Stage- La Boheme, Public Theatre, (1984) - 1985 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestration (nominee)
- 3 Guys Naked From the Waist Down (1985) - 1985 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestration (nominee)
- RagsRags (musical)Rags is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and music by Charles Strouse.-Production history:The Broadway production opened on August 21, 1986 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre with little advance sale and to mostly indifferent reviews, and it closed after only four...
(1986) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestration (nominee) - Birds of Paradise (1987) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestration (nominee)
- My Favorite YearMy Favorite Year (musical)My Favorite Year is a musical with a book by Joseph Dougherty, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. It is based on the film of the same name.-Production history:...
(1992) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee) - A New BrainA New BrainA New Brain is a musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine.The musical was first produced Off-Broadway at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, with previews beginning on May 14, 1998...
(1999) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee) - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee)
- AssassinsAssassins (musical)Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
- Tony Award Best Orchestrations (winner); Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee) - The Glorious Ones (2007) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations (nominee)
- Next to Normal (2009) - Tony Award Best Orchestrations (winner)
Television
- Cinderella (1997), song arranger
- Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted ChristmasBeauty and the Beast: The Enchanted ChristmasBeauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a 1997 animated holiday special produced by The Walt Disney Company. It is a midquel that takes place within the timeline of the original Beauty and the Beast...
(1997), additional orchestrator - South PacificSouth 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...
(2001) song orchestrator
Film
- The Little Mermaid (1989), additional orchestrator
- Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast (1991 film)Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
(1991), additional orchestrator - Aladdin (1992), additional orchestrator
- PocahontasPocahontas (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...
(1995), additional orchestrator - The Hunchback of Notre DameThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of...
(1996), orchestrator - HerculesHercules (1997 film)Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
(1997), additional orchestrator - Tangled (2011), songs orchestrator