Marc Shaiman ( ; born October 22, 1959) is an American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre, best known for his collaborations with lyricist and director Scott Wittman, actor

Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. ...

, and director

Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and liberal activist. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael Stivic, Mike "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitc ...

. Shaiman has received numerous accolades including two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, two

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

, and a

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

. He has also received seven

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominations.

Early life, family and education

Shaiman was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, the son of Claire (née Goldfein) and William Robert Shaiman. He grew up in

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Scotch Plains is a Township (New Jersey), township in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is located on a ridge in North Jersey, northern-central Jersey, central New Jersey, within the Raritan R ...

. He attended Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, but he left school at age 16 to start working in New York's theaters; he later obtained a GED.

Career

Shaiman started his career as a theatre/

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

musical director. He started working at ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' as an arranger/writer. He portrayed Skip St. Thomas, the accompanying pianist for The Sweeney Sisters, a singing duo played by

Nora Dunn Nora Dunn (born April 29, 1952) is an American actress and comedian. She first garnered popularity during her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990. Following her departure from ''SNL'' ...

and

Jan Hooks Janet Vivian Hooks (April 23, 1957 – October 9, 2014) was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', where she was a repertory player from 1986 to 1991. After le ...

, which earned him an Emmy nomination; he returned for an appearance on ''The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special,'' having co-created

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...

and

Maya Rudolph Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress and comedian. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). During her tenure on the show, she appeared in supporting roles in ...

's salute to musical sketch characters. He began his professional relationships with

and

during his tenure at the show. He also was a vocal arranger for

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

, eventually becoming her musical director and co-producer of many of her recordings, including " The Wind Beneath My Wings" and " From a Distance." He helped create the material for her performance on the penultimate ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

''. His work with both Midler and

led to his involvement on their films. He later produced Midler's album '' It's the Girls'', which had the highest debut of Midler's recording career on the ''Billboard'' Album charts, and co-wrote Crystal's farewell to

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

which featured Carol Burnett and

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

among others. His film credits include '' Broadcast News'', ''

Beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

'', '' When Harry Met Sally...'', '' City Slickers'', ''

The Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

'', '' Sister Act'', ''

Sleepless in Seattle ''Sleepless in Seattle'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, from a screenplay she wrote with David S. Ward and Jeff Arch. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, the film follows a journalist (Ryan) who becomes enamored ...

'', ''

A Few Good Men ''A Few Good Men'' is a 1992 American legal drama film based on Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play, produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, financed and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was written by Sorkin, directed by Rob Reiner, and produced ...

'', ''

The American President ''The American President'' is a 1995 American political romantic comedy drama film directed and produced by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. The film stars Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd, a widower who pursues a romanti ...

'', '' The First Wives Club'', ''

George of the Jungle ''George of the Jungle'' is an American animated television series produced and created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who also created '' The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends''. The character George was inspired by the story of ...

'', '' In & Out'', '' Patch Adams'', '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'', '' Team America: World Police'', '' Hairspray'', '' Flipped'', '' Mary Poppins Returns'' and HBO's ''

From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' () is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an en ...

'' and '' 61*''. On television, he worked on the final performances for

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

's ''

Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show, originating in the American Media, United States. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest inte ...

'' (with

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...

's '' Late Night'' (with

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. Since 1975, he has been Nathan Lane on screen and stage, on stage and screen in both comedic and dramatic roles. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Na ...

), both of Jay Leno's final ''

'' broadcasts, and Nathan Lane's farewell to

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...

called "Dead Inside." Shaiman has earned seven

nominations, a

and a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for his work on the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

'' Hairspray'', and an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award performances. He has also been Grammy-nominated for his arrangements for Harry Connick Jr.'s recordings '' When Harry Met Sally...'' and '' We Are in Love'' as well as '' Hairspray'' and '' Smash'' and Emmy-nominated for his work on ''

'' and ''Smash''. In 2002, he was honored with the "Outstanding Achievement in Music-In-Film" award at The Hollywood Film Festival, and in 2007 he was honored with

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

's Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television. He is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Comedy Feature Film. He wrote and sang the song "Yes" for his agent's film '' Finding Kraftland'', and co-wrote (with partner Scott Wittman) songs for

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...

when Harris hosted the 63rd Tony Awards (2009) and the

61st Primetime Emmy Awards The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 20, 2009 on CBS. It took place at Peacock Theater, Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations were announced on July 16, 2009. On July 13, 2009, the Academy of Televi ...

(2009), and was Emmy-nominated for musical directing and co-writing the 82nd Academy Awards (2010). Shaiman co-produced and co-wrote cuts on Mariah Carey's 2010 Christmas album '' Merry Christmas II You''. He and Wittman wrote original songs for the musical-based television show for NBC, '' Smash'', which ran from 2012 to 2013, and served as executive producers. For their song " Let Me Be Your Star," Shaiman and co-lyricist Wittman were nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award, and as executive producers they were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical. Shaiman and Wittman were honored on April 28, 2014, by The New York Pops Orchestra at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

. The following year,

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...

sang the ''Smash'' song " I Can't Let Go" at the 87th Academy Awards during the in memoriam tribute, featuring revised lyrics. The duo's Broadway musical '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' ran on Broadway at the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by C ...

, after finishing a four-year run on London's West End at The Royal Drury Lane Theater. Shaiman was Tony-nominated for his orchestrations for their previous Broadway musical ''

Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...

''. In 2021, they wrote a song titled "Save the City" for the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

(MCU) in-universe Broadway production titled '' Rogers: The Musical'' featured in the first episode of ''Hawkeye'', "Never Meet Your Heroes". It was released as a single on November 24, the day the episode became available on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

. In February 2021, it was announced that Shaiman and Wittman were writing songs for a new musical adaptation of ''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee an ...

'', which premiered on Broadway in 2022 with a book by Amber Ruffin and Matthew Lopez.

Activism

In 2008, a controversy erupted nationwide when California Musical Theatre's then artistic director Scott Eckern resigned over the revelation of his personal donation of $1,000 to a political campaign to support California Proposition 8, an amendment which enshrined into the

California Constitution The Constitution of California () is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. California's constitution was drafted in both English ...

that "only marriage between a man and a woman asrecognized in California". After the amendment was passed, donor information became public. Shaiman and other Broadway artists who had previously worked with the director became critical and called for a boycott of the theatre by all gay artists and performers, ending in the director's resignation days later. To protest the passage of California Proposition 8 in November 2008, Shaiman wrote a satiric mini-musical ''Prop 8 – The Musical.'' The three-minute video was distributed on the internet at FunnyOrDie.com, beginning on December 3, 2008. It was written and produced in just a few days. The cast includes

Jack Black Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...

(who plays Jesus),

, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Andy Richter,

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and musician. In her Stand-up comedy, stand-up routines she critiques social and political problems, especially about race and sexuality. She starred in the Ame ...

, and

Rashida Jones Rashida Leah Jones ( ; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is best known for her roles as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Offic ...

. Shaiman plays the piano and appears briefly in the video. It received 1.2 million internet hits in its first day.

Personal life

Shaiman is openly gay, and married Louis Mirabal, a retired lieutenant commander (United States), lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, on March 26, 2016. He lives in both Manhattan and upstate New York.

Filmography (composer unless otherwise noted)

Films

Television

Theatre

Broadway theatre, Broadway * ''Peter Allen: Up in One'' (1979) * ''Bette! Divine Madness (film), Divine Madness'' (1980) * ''André De Shields' Haarlem Nocturne'' (1984) * ''Leader of the Pack (musical), Leader of the Pack'' (1985) * ''An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. and Orchestra'' (1990) * ''Patti LuPone on Broadway'' (1995) * '' Hairspray'' (2002) * ''The Odd Couple (play), The Odd Couple'' (2005) * ''

: Fame Becomes Me'' (2006) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2017) * ''Some Like It Hot (musical), Some Like It Hot'' (2022) * ''Smash (musical), Smash'' (2025) West End theatre, West End * '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2013) Off-Broadway * ''Dementos'' - The Production Company * ''Livin' Dolls'' - Manhattan Theatre Club * ''Legends (play), Legends'' - Ahmanson Theatre * ''The Sound of Muzak'' - Anna Genovese#Club 82, Club 82 * ''Trilogy of Terror'' - Club 57 (nightclub), Club 57 * ''Non Pasquale'' - Delacorte Theatre Disney Parks * '' Rogers: The Musical'' - Hyperion Theatre

Internet

* ''Prop 8 - The Musical'' (2008) (composer, lyricist, pianist) - 2009 "Webby" winner for Best Comedy: Short or Individual Episode * ''Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Celebration for the Film and TV Music Community'' (2020) ("The End Titles" song)

Discography

Mariah Carey * '' Merry Christmas II You'' Bette Midler * ''Thighs and Whispers'' * ''Mud Will Be Flung Tonight'' * ''Some People's Lives'' * ''Experience the Divine'' * ''Bette (album), Bette'' * ''Bathhouse Betty'' * ''It's the Girls!'' Harry Connick Jr. * '' We Are in Love'' Peter Allen * ''Making Every Moment Count'' Original Broadway cast recordings * '' Hairspray'' * ''Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me'' * ''

'' * ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical'' (West End musical) * ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical'' (Broadway musical) * ''Some Like It Hot (cast album), Some Like It Hot'' (Broadway musical) Soundtracks * ''

'' * ''Addams Family Values'' * ''

'' * '' When Harry Met Sally...'' * ''Heart and Souls'' * ''For the Boys'' * '' City Slickers'' * ''

'' * '' Sister Act'' * ''

'' * ''Hocus Pocus (1993 film), Hocus Pocus'' * ''North (1994 film), North'' * ''

'' * ''The Out-of-Towners (1999 film), The Out-of-Towners'' * ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut#Track Listing, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' * ''Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics#CD, Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics'' * ''The Story of Us (1999 film), The Story of Us'' * ''Alex & Emma'' * ''Rumor Has It...'' * ''Hairspray (2007 soundtrack), Hairspray'' * ''The Bucket List'' * '' Smash'' Season One * '' Smash'' Season Two * ''Bombshell (musical), Bombshell'' * ''Hairspray Live!'' * ''The Star (2017 film), The Star'' * ''Mary Poppins Returns (soundtrack), Mary Poppins Returns'' * ''Hocus Pocus 2''

Concert/cabaret work

* Peter Allen (musician), Peter Allen *

& Will Ferrell * Kristin Chenoweth * Rosemary Clooney * Harry Connick Jr. *

* Christine Ebersole * Ellen Foley * Whoopi Goldberg * Annie Golden * The Harlettes * The High-Heeled Women * Lauryn Hill * Jennifer Holliday * Allison Janney * Laura Kenyon *

* Ute Lemper * Jenifer Lewis * Darlene Love * Patti LuPone * Lypsinka * Ann Magnuson * Andrea Martin * Lonette McKee *

* Catherine O'Hara * Sarah Jessica Parker * Zora Rasmussen * Ann Reinking * Debbie Shapiro Gravitte *

* Barbra Streisand * Donald Trump * Tracey Ullman * Luther Vandross * Bruce Vilanch * Steven Weber * Raquel Welch * Robin Williams

Accolades

For his work as a composer and lyricist for films, television, and musical theatre, theatre, Shaiman has received numerous accolades including two Emmy Awards, two

and a

as well as nominations for seven Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. He earned the Hollywood Film Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music and Film in 2002.

References

External links

* * *
The Marc Shaiman non-official site

The Musical Mind of Marc Shaiman

with Marc Shaiman {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaiman, Marc 1959 births 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American LGBTQ people American film score composers American gay musicians American LGBTQ composers American LGBTQ songwriters American light music composers American male film score composers American male musical theatre composers American male songwriters American male television composers American musical theatre composers American musical theatre lyricists American television composers Animated film score composers Broadway composers and lyricists Gay composers Gay Jews Gay songwriters Grammy Award winners Jewish American film score composers Jewish American songwriters Jewish American television composers La-La Land Records artists LGBTQ film score composers LGBTQ lyricists LGBTQ people from New Jersey Living people Musicians from Newark, New Jersey People from Scotch Plains, New Jersey Primetime Emmy Award winners Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School alumni Songwriters from New Jersey Tony Award winners