Jacques Levy

Jacques Levy (July 29, 1935 – September 30, 2004) was an American songwriter, theatre director and clinical psychologist.

Early life and education

Levy was born in New York City in 1935 and graduated from the City College of New York in 1956. He then received his M.A. (1958) and Ph.D. (1961) in psychology from Michigan State University and was certified by the Menninger Institute for Psychoanalysis in Topeka, Kansas. After returning to New York, he practiced as a clinical psychologist while pursuing his avocation in the city's experimental theatre scene.

Career

In 1965, Levy directed Sam Shepard's play ''Red Cross'' at the Judson Poets Theater, New York City. The following year he directed two of the short plays in Jean-Claude van Itallie's '' America Hurrah''. In 1969, Levy directed the successful off-Broadway erotic revue ''Oh! Calcutta!''Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert
"Jacques Levy, Director of Broadway's Oh! Calcutta! and Doonesbury, Dead at 69"
''Playbill'', October 4, 2004

During this period, Levy approached Roger McGuinn of The Byrds to collaborate on ''Gene Tryp'', a project inspired by Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt''. While development of the musical stalled (a revised iteration was eventually performed at Colgate University in 1993), one song, "Chestnut Mare," became the single released from the album '' (Untitled)'' in 1970. Although it only peaked at #121 in the United States, the song reached #19 in the United Kingdom and ultimately became an enduring FM radio staple in America. Many further Levy-McGuinn songs appeared on Byrds and McGuinn albums during the 1970s. In 1973, Levy and Van Itallie reunited for ''Mystery Play'', which starred Judd Hirsch and ran for 14 performances off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre. The songwriting partnership between McGuinn and Levy endured until 1977's ''Thunderbyrd'', a McGuinn solo album.

In the mid-seventies, Levy met Bob Dylan through McGuinn. Shortly thereafter, the two collaborated on "Isis" and another six songs which appeared on Dylan's 1976 album ''Desire''. These included "Hurricane" (about imprisoned boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter) and "Joey" (an ode to the American Mafia gangster and hitman Joe Gallo). Levy was the stage director of both the 1975 and 1976 legs of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue.

In 1980, he staged Stephen Poliakoff's play ''American Days'' at Manhattan Theatre Club, which featured David Blue, one of the performers in the Rolling Thunder Revue. Frank Rich in his review for ''The New York Times'' wrote: "Jacques Levy, the director, matches the crackling energy of the text blow for blow." In 1983 he staged '' Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy'' (based on Garry Trudeau's Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip ''Doonesbury'') on Broadway."Jacques Levy Broadway"
playbillvault, accessed August 21, 2015 In 1988 he provided the lyrics for the stage musical of the film '' Fame''. Later came ''Marat/Sade'' (1994), ''Bus Stop'' (1997), and ''Brecht on Brecht'' (2000, in New York City).''Brecht on Brecht''
theatermania.com, accessed August 21, 2015

In the early 1990s he taught acting at Hunter College in Manhattan. From 1993 until his death from cancer in 2004, he was a professor of English and director of the drama program at Colgate University in upstate New York.

Personal life

He had two children, Maya and Julien, with his wife Claudia.

Theatrical credits

Broadway
*''Oh! Calcutta!'' (1969) – revue – director
*''Oh! Calcutta!'' (1976 revival) – revue – director and contributing songwriter
*''Almost an Eagle'' (1982) – play – director
*'' Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy'' (1983) – musical – director

Note: ''Fame'', the stage musical, was not presented on Broadway, but has been playing in London's West End since 1995.

Off Broadway
*'' America Hurrah'' (1966) – play – director – Pocket Theatre – American premiere
*''Mystery Play'' (1973) – play – director – Cherry Lane Theatre – American premiere
*''American Days'' (1980) – play – director – Manhattan Theatre Club – American premiere
*''TRYP'' (2005) – play – dramaturge

References

External links

* Obituary in ''The Guardian'' of November 26, 2004
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Jacques
1935 births
2004 deaths
American theatre directors
Songwriters from New York (state)
Jewish American musicians
Musicians from New York City
City College of New York alumni
Michigan State University alumni
Bob Dylan
20th-century American writers