Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American theatre director and producer,

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's incom ...

, and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for Best Musical: '' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1978: Tony, N.Y. Drama Critics, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards, also Tony Award for Best Director) and '' Fosse'' (1999: Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards).

Life and career

Maltby was born in

Ripon, Wisconsin Ripon is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,733 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Ripon. Ripon is home to the Little White Schoolhouse, the commonly recognized birthplace of ...

, the son of Virginia (née Hosegood) and Richard Maltby, Sr., a well-known orchestra leader.Filmreference.com
/ref> Maltby and David Shire started working together as students at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

(where he was a member of Manuscript Society); their first Broadway credit was in 1968, when their song "The Girl of the Minute" was used in the revue '' New Faces of 1968''. In 1977 the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has ...

produced a revue of their earlier songs, written for other works, finally titled ''

Starting Here, Starting Now ''Starting Here, Starting Now'' is a musical revue with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and music by David Shire. With a cast of three and three musicians, the revue explores a variety of romantic relationships. Productions The revue was first prod ...

''. With composer Shire, Maltby was the director and lyricist for '' Baby'', (1983, book by Sybille Pearson) and the lyricist for '' Big'' (1996, book by John Weidman). Also with Shire, he conceived and wrote the lyrics for '' Take Flight'' (book by John Weidman), which had its world premiere in July 2007 at the

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borou ...

in London. He was director/co-lyricist for the American version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''

Song and Dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in " Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew ...

'', (1986) starring Bernadette Peters. He was co-lyricist for ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...

'' (Evening Standard Award 1990; Tony nomination: Best Score, 1991). He also conceived and directed ''

Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring ...

'', a musical about Johnny Cash, which ran on Broadway in 2006. He is co-bookwriter/lyricist for '' The Pirate Queen'' (2007). He was most recently represented on Broadway as the director of the new, original musical ''

The Story of My Life The Story of My Life or Story of My Life may refer to: Literature * ''The Story of My Life'' (biography), a 1903 autobiography by Helen Keller * ''Story of My Life'' (novel), 1988 novel by Jay McInerney * '' Histoire de ma vie'' (''Story of my ...

'' by composer/lyricist Neil Bartram and book writer Brian Hill. That musical had a brief run at the Booth Theatre in February 2009. and received a 2009

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

nomination for outstanding production of a musical. Since 1976 he has constructed the monthly

cryptic crossword A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, includi ...

puzzles for ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'', formerly in collaboration with E. R. Galli. He constructed cryptic crosswords for ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

'' in the early 1970s.

Personal life

Maltby married twice: first to Barbara Black Sudler on June 5, 1965 (they had two children, Nicholas and David), and second, in 1987, to Janet Brenner (they had three children, Jordan, Emily, and Charlotte). He now has seven grandchildren, Aidan, Emma, Liam, Owen, Matt, Lionel, and Jesse Maltby.

Work

;Broadway *'' Ain't Misbehavin''', 1978 (Director/Co-lyricist) *'' Baby'', 1983 (Director/Lyricist) *'' Blood Knot'', 1985 (Producer) *''

'', 1986 (Director/Co-lyricist) *''

'', 1989 (Lyricist) *'' Nick & Nora'', 1991 (Lyricist) *'' Big'', 1996 (Lyricist) *'' Fosse'', 1999 (Director) *'' Bea Arthur on Broadway'', 2002 (Production Consultant) *''

'', 2006 (Creator/Director)Ibdb.com
/ref> *'' The Pirate Queen'', 2007 (Writer/Lyricist) ;Off-Broadway *'' Closer Than Ever'', (1989, two Outer Critics Circle Awards: Best Musical, Best Score) with David Shire *''

'', director/lyricist (1977 Grammy nomination) with David Shire *''

'', 2009 (Director) ;Regional *'' Love Match'', lyricist (1968,

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., an insurance and savings and ...

, Los Angeles) *'' The 60's Project'', director, (2006, Goodspeed Opera House) *''Waterfall'', book and lyrics; David Shire music (2015), Pasadena PlayhouseVirini, Bob
"L.A. Theater Review: ‘Waterfall’ with Thai Pop Star Bie Sukrit"
''Variety'', June 12, 2015 ;Film *'' Miss Potter'', (2007), Screenplay, starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor (Christopher Award, best screenplay)

Awards and nominations

;Awards *1978 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Ain't Misbehavin'' *1990

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

for Best Score - ''Closer Than Ever'' *1999

for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Fosse'' *2001

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

- ''Fosse'' ;Nominations *1977

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Original Cast Recording - ''Starting Here, Starting Now'' *1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Baby'' *1984 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Baby'' *1984 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Baby'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Musical - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Song and Dance'' *1986 Tony Award for Best Play - ''Blood Knot'' *1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Closer Than Ever'' *1991 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Miss Saigon'' *1992 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Nick & Nora'' *1996 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics - ''Big'' *1996 Tony Award for Best Original Score - ''Big'' *1999

for Outstanding Director of a Musical - ''Fosse''

References

External links

* *
Richard Maltby Jr.
- ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org
MTI Shows biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maltby, Richard Jr. 1937 births Living people American lyricists American male screenwriters American theatre directors American theatre managers and producers Broadway composers and lyricists Broadway theatre directors Harper's Magazine people People from Ripon, Wisconsin Puzzle designers Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Wisconsin Tony Award winners Yale University alumni