Amy Powers (born 1960) is a lyricist, songwriter and producer who writes songs for film, television, and theater.

Career

Early life

Powers graduated from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

, and then attended

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

(M.B.A) and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(law degree).

Musical theater

Powers co-wrote the lyrics for the musical ''Cinderella: A Musical'' with composer Dan Levy for

Riverside Shakespeare Company The Riverside Shakespeare Company of New York City was founded in 1977 as a professional (AEA) theatre company on the Upper West Side of New York City, by W. Stuart McDowell and Gloria Skurski. Focusing on Shakespeare plays and other classical ...

at Playhouse 91 in New York, which ran in December 1991 to March 1992.Robbins, Norman. ''Cinderella: A Musical''
Rochester.edu. She wrote the lyrics and book for the stage musical ''Lizzie Borden'' with composer Christopher McGovern. The musical ran at Goodspeed Musicals Norma Terris Theatre (Chester, CT.) in November 2001.Jones, Kenneth
Musical ''Lizzie Borden'' is a Bloody Hit
Playbill.com, November 12, 2001 ''The Game'', a stage musical for which Powers is the co-librettist/lyricist, was produced at Barrington Stage Company in August 2003.Jones, Kennet
''The Game's'' Afoot in World Premiere of Dangerous-Liaisons Musical"
Playbill.com, August 7, 2003 She is the co/lyricist with

Michael Korie Michael Korie (born April 1, 1955) is an American Libretto, librettist and lyricist whose writing for musical theater and opera includes the musicals ''Grey Gardens (musical), Grey Gardens'' and ''Far from Heaven (musical), Far From Heaven'', and ...

for '' Doctor Zhivago'', a musical based on the Russian novel Doctor Zhivago, by

Boris Pasternak Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (30 May 1960) was a Russian and Soviet poet, novelist, composer, and literary translator. Composed in 1917, Pasternak's first book of poems, ''My Sister, Life'', was published in Berlin in 1922 and soon became an imp ...

."SUMMER STAGES: THEATER; Really Far Off Broadway"
''The New York Times'' The show was revised after its preview run at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...

, and premiered at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney in February 2011.Creative Team
, DrZhivago.com.au.Legit Reviews
Variety.com.
AustralianStage.com. The musical premiered on Broadway in April 2015. Powers, alongside Don Black, was the original co-lyricist for the

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

composed musical adaptation of ''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

.'' Released from the show following a first act developmental presentation at the Sydmonton Festival in 1991, Powers was ultimately given a lyrical development credit for four songs from the show: "With One Look," "The Greatest Star Of All," "Sunset Boulevard" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye".

Film and television

Powers' first song for film was the title track for the Oscar-Winning ''

When We Were Kings ''When We Were Kings'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the " Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship boxing match that was held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) betw ...

'' (1996)."Movies: Complete Production Credits for When We Were Kings"
The New York Times. She has also written songs for the films ''Sweet Home Alabama'', ''Ella Enchanted'' and ''Aquamarine'' as well as television shows including ''Guiding Light'', ''All My Children'', ''Laguna Beach'', ''Castle'' and ''America's Next Top Model''. Powers' songs have been featured in Mattel's Barbie Movies Moore, Rick
"L.A. Songwriter Series: Amy Powers"
americansongwriter.com, February 23, 2012 including '' Barbie & the Diamond Castle'', ''

Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper ''Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper'' is a 2004 animated musical fantasy film. It was released to video on September 28, 2004, and made its television premiere on Nickelodeon on November 14, 2004. This film is the first musical in the Barbie ...

'', and '' Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams''.

Nominations

Powers was nominated for an Outstanding Original Song

Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

in the Children's/Animated category for "Shine" in ''Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses'' in 2007, and an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origina ...

for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production for her work in '' Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams'' in 2007.Northam, Mark
"Annie Award Noms for Music Announced"
filmmusicmag.com, December 14, 2007

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, Amy Living people American lyricists Songwriters from California Columbia Business School alumni Harvard Law School alumni Vassar College alumni 1961 births