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In 2012, Meehan wrote the book from the original screenplay by [[Sylvester Stallone]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/04/28/rocky-musical-headed-to-broadway/2119697/ | title='Rocky' musical bound for Broadway in 2014 | publisher=[[USA Today]] | work=usatoday.com | date=April 28, 2013 | accessdate=December 27, 2013}}</ref> for the musical [[Rocky the Musical|''Rocky'']].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/theater/a-hit-in-germany-a-rocky-musical-aims-at-broadway.html?pagewanted=1 | title=Yo, Adrian! I'm Singin'! | publisher=[[New York Times]] | work=nytimes.com | date=December 5, 2012 | accessdate=December 27, 2013}}</ref> The show premiered in [[Hamburg]] in 2012,<ref name="premiere">{{cite web | url=http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/17/sylvester-stallone-talks-rocky-musical | title=Sylvester Stallone talks 'Rocky' musical | publisher=[[Toronto Sun]] | work=torontosun.com | date=October 17, 2013 | accessdate=October 22, 2013}}</ref> before transferring to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 2014.<ref name=vault/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://variety.com/2013/legit/news/rocky-musical-set-for-a-bout-with-broadway-1200424086/ | title='Rocky' Musical Set for a Bout With Broadway | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | work=variety.com | date=April 28, 2013 | accessdate=October 24, 2013}}</ref>
In 2012, Meehan wrote the book from the original screenplay by [[Sylvester Stallone]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/04/28/rocky-musical-headed-to-broadway/2119697/ | title='Rocky' musical bound for Broadway in 2014 | publisher=[[USA Today]] | work=usatoday.com | date=April 28, 2013 | accessdate=December 27, 2013}}</ref> for the musical [[Rocky the Musical|''Rocky'']].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/theater/a-hit-in-germany-a-rocky-musical-aims-at-broadway.html?pagewanted=1 | title=Yo, Adrian! I'm Singin'! | publisher=[[New York Times]] | work=nytimes.com | date=December 5, 2012 | accessdate=December 27, 2013}}</ref> The show premiered in [[Hamburg]] in 2012,<ref name="premiere">{{cite web | url=http://www.torontosun.com/2013/10/17/sylvester-stallone-talks-rocky-musical | title=Sylvester Stallone talks 'Rocky' musical | publisher=[[Toronto Sun]] | work=torontosun.com | date=October 17, 2013 | accessdate=October 22, 2013}}</ref> before transferring to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 2014.<ref name=vault/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://variety.com/2013/legit/news/rocky-musical-set-for-a-bout-with-broadway-1200424086/ | title='Rocky' Musical Set for a Bout With Broadway | publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | work=variety.com | date=April 28, 2013 | accessdate=October 24, 2013}}</ref>

Meehan held the distinction of being the only writer to have written three Broadway shows that ran for more than 2,000 performances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/thomas-meehan-writer-annie-hairspray-producers-dies-88/|title=Thomas Meehan, Writer of ‘Annie,’ ‘Hairspray’ and ‘The Producers,’ Dies at 88|author=Reid Nakamura|publisher=The Wrap|date=August 22, 2017|accessdate=August 22, 2017}}</ref>


==Death==
==Death==

Revision as of 21:39, 22 August 2017

Thomas Meehan
BornThomas Edward Meehan
(1929-08-14)August 14, 1929[1][2]
Ossining, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 22, 2017(2017-08-22) (aged 88)
Greenwich Village, New York, U.S.
OccupationWriter
NationalityUnited States
Alma materHamilton College
Notable worksAnnie
The Producers
Hairspray
Notable awardsTony Award for Best Book of a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

Thomas Edward Meehan (August 14, 1929 – August 22, 2017) was an American writer. He was best known for Annie, The Producers, and Hairspray. Meehan wrote books for musicals Young Frankenstein and Cry-Baby. Meehan also co-wrote the book for Elf: The Musical and Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin.[3]

Early life

Meehan was born in Ossining, New York, but grew up in Suffern, New York.[4] He graduated from Hamilton College.[4]

Career

Meehan moved to New York at age 24, and worked at The New Yorker's "Talk of the Town".[5]

He has received the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times: Annie (1977), his Broadway debut; The Producers (2001); and subsequently shared the 2003 award with Mark O'Donnell for Hairspray.[6][7]

Additional credits include Ain't Broadway Grand; Oh, Kay!; Bombay Dreams, a musical adaptation of I Remember Mama; and Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge, which was subsequently reworked and re-staged Off-Broadway as Annie Warbucks.[8] He also wrote the libretto to the opera 1984.[6][7]

In addition, Meehan is a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker; an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy; and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks' Spaceballs; a remake of To Be or Not to Be; the film adaptation of The Producers; and One Magic Christmas.[9]

Meehan wrote the book for the musical Young Frankenstein, a 2007 musical stage adaptation of the 1974 film of the same name and Cry-Baby. He co-wrote the book, with Bob Martin, for Elf the Musical.[6][7][10] He co-wrote the book for the production of the musical Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin which ran at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2010[11] and premiered on Broadway in 2012. In 2011 he revised the book originally written by Peter Stone for the Off-Broadway musical Death Takes a Holiday with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.[12]

In 2012, Meehan wrote the book from the original screenplay by Sylvester Stallone[13] for the musical Rocky.[14] The show premiered in Hamburg in 2012,[15] before transferring to Broadway in 2014.[7][16]

Meehan held the distinction of being the only writer to have written three Broadway shows that ran for more than 2,000 performances.[17]

Death

Meehan died on August 22, 2017 at his home in Greenwich Village, New York City at the age of 88.[18][19]

References

  1. ^ Date information sourced from Library of Congress Authorities data, via corresponding WorldCat Identities linked authority file (LAF).
  2. ^ Some other sources state 1932 and 1934 as a year of birth. The U.S. copyright office entry under his name lists 1929.
  3. ^ "'Annie,' 'The Producers' writer Thomas Meehan dies at 88". WCVB News. August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Thomas Meehan bio" cityfile.com, accessed March 12, 2011. according to this biography, Meehan was born in 1929)
  5. ^ Gurley, George and Larocca, Amy. "Thomas Meehan, Writer – Horst of Fifth Avenue", The New York Observer, November 14, 1999
  6. ^ a b c "Thomas Meehan". Who's Who, playbill.com, Retrieved January 30, 2011. Archived January 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c d "Thomas Meehan Broadway Credits and Awards" playbillvault.com, accessed October 17, 2015
  8. ^ Rothstein, Mervyn. "Troubled 'Annie 2' Closing Out of Town; Revisions Planned". The New York Times, January 16, 1990
  9. ^ One Magic Christmas at the TCM Movie Database
  10. ^ Hetrick, Adam."Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby and George Wendt to Star in Elf – The Musical on Broadway" playbill.com, August 11, 2010
  11. ^ Jones, Kenneth."Limelight Musical, Starring Robert McClure and Ashley Brown, Opens at La Jolla Sept. 19" playbill.com, September 19, 2010
  12. ^ Suskin, Steven. "On the Record. Maury Yeston's 'Death Takes a Holiday' and the London Album of Styne, Comden and Green's 'Do Re Mi'", Playbill.com, October 20, 2011
  13. ^ "'Rocky' musical bound for Broadway in 2014". usatoday.com. USA Today. April 28, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  14. ^ "Yo, Adrian! I'm Singin'!". nytimes.com. New York Times. December 5, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  15. ^ "Sylvester Stallone talks 'Rocky' musical". torontosun.com. Toronto Sun. October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  16. ^ "'Rocky' Musical Set for a Bout With Broadway". variety.com. Variety. April 28, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  17. ^ Reid Nakamura (August 22, 2017). "Thomas Meehan, Writer of 'Annie,' 'Hairspray' and 'The Producers,' Dies at 88". The Wrap. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  18. ^ "Thomas Meehan, Tony-Winning Writer of 'Annie', Dies at 88 Playbill, August 22, 2017
  19. ^ Jeremy Gerard (August 22, 2017). "Thomas Meehan Has Died; 'Spaceballs', 'Annie', 'The Producers' Author Was 88". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2017.

External links

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