Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa is an
American composer,
lyricist,
book writer,
performer, and
producer, and the resident artist at the
Ars Nova Theater in
New York City.
A graduate of the
University of Michigan, Lippa began work in New York in
1987 as a middle school teacher and administrator at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School. He then went on to a successful music career.
In
1998, Lippa was commissioned by the
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver to create an
anthem for a concert celebrating
Israel's 50th birthday, to be sung by 350 singers and conducted by
Sergiu Comissiona of the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
In
1999, Lippa contributed three new songs to the
Broadway version of
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (including
My New Philosophy for
Tony Award winner
Kristin Chenoweth), and created all new arrangements. He wrote the music and co-wrote the book (with Tom Greenwald) for
John & Jen, which played in New York City in
1995 at the Lamb's Theater.
Lippa wrote the
book,
music and
lyrics for
The Wild Party, which was given its world
premiere in
2000 at the
Manhattan Theater Club in
New York City.
The Wild Party won the
Outer Critics Circle Award for best
Off-Broadway musical of the season and Lippa won the 2000
Drama Desk Award for best music. The show was nominated for 13 Drama Desk Awards including best new
musical.
The summer of
2004 saw the premiere of Lippa's
A Little Princess (book and lyrics by Brian Crawley) at TheatreWorks in
Palo Alto,
CA.
As a singer, Lippa has performed at
Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, The Rainbow Room, and The Supper Club. His vocal arrangements and singing voice can be heard on the songs of
Stephen Schwartz in the animated feature,
The Prince of Egypt.
Lippa is currently working with
Northwestern University and the American Music Theatre Project to produce his new musical
Asphalt Beach.
* A
Grammy nomination for
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown*
Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Award *
ASCAP's
Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award *
Robert and Adele S. Blank Jewish Arts Award*
Drama Desk *
Outer Critics Circle* Second place for the
Alice B. Deucey Award for all-round outstanding fifth-grader (losing to
Cynthia Fink).
*
ASCAP*
Dramatists Guild *
Actors' Equity Association *
AF of M*
Andrew Lippa's home page* http://www.nomti.org/lippa.html
