Paul Gemignani

Paul Gemignani is an award-winning American musical director with a career on Broadway and West End theatre spanning over thirty years.

Life and career

Gemignani began his career in 1971 as a replacement musical director for Stephen Sondheim's "Follies", eventually leading the cast on the subsequent tour. [cite web|url=http://www.sondheimguide.com/people.html#Gemignani|title=Sondheim People|first=Michael H.|work=The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide|accessdate=2008-06-12] Since then, he has led over 38 Broadway and West End musicals, [cite web|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=26593|title=Photo Coverage: Starry Tribute to Paul Gemignani|first=BWW |work=broadwayworld.com|accessdate=2008-06-12] including the following Tony Award-winning productions: [Each of these won either Tony Award for Best Musical or Tony Award for Best Revival)] "A Little Night Music" (1973), "Sweeney Todd" (1979), "Evita" (1979), "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" (1989), "Crazy for You" (1992), "Passion" (1994), "Kiss Me, Kate" (1999), "Into the Woods" (2002), and "Assassins" (2004).cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=69716|title=Paul Gemignani|work=ibdb.com|accessdate=2008-06-12] Other well-known Broadway productions have included "Candide" (1974), "Pacific Overtures" (1976), "Side by Side by Sondheim" (1977), "On the Twentieth Century" (1978), "Merrily We Roll Along" (1981), "A Doll's Life" (1982), "Zorba" (1983), "The Rink" (1984), Pulitzer Prize winner "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984), "Big" (1996), "High Society" (1998), and "The Frogs" (2004). [http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/music/artist_detail.cfm?id=2260 "Paul Gemignani" biography in "The Music" section at the Hollywood Bowl website] ]

Gemignani has recorded numerous cast albums and albums featuring musical theatre and opera singers with American Theatre Orchestra and other orchestras. He has been a guest conductor with the Boston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, New York City Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Royal Opera, and New York City Ballet. He has conducted such films as "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979), "Reds" (1981), and "Sweeney Todd" (2008), as well as many television specials, including several installments of "Great Performances". [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0312563/|title=Paul Gemignani|work=imdb.com|accessdate=2008-06-12]

He was the recipient of the 2001 Tony Award for Special Lifetime Achievement and a Special Drama Desk Award in 1989. [cite web|url=http://www.dramadesk.com/1988_1989dd.html|title=1988-1989 35th Drama Desk Awards|work=Drama Desk Awards|accessdate=2008-06-12] In 2006, he received an Emmy Award for "best musical direction" for the PBS/Great Performances presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" in concert from Carnegie Hall. Gemagnani was honored in an all-star concert, "Another Op'nin, Another Show: A Musical Tribute To Paul Gemignani" on March 30, 2008. [ [http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=26593 "Photo Coverage: Starry Tribute to Paul Gemignani", BroadwayWorld.com] ]

In 2008, Gemagnani conducted "Camelot" at Lincoln Center. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/arts/music/09came.html?_r=1&ref=theater&oref=slogin Tommasini, Anthony. "That Congenial Spot Revisited, With a World-Class Orchestra Playing Along", "The New York Times" (Music Review)] , May 9, 2008] He is slated to lead the Broadway revival of "Pal Joey" premiering in December 2008.

He is married to actress Derin Altay and father to actor Alexander Gemignani.

References

External Links

*ibdb name|id=69716|name=Paul Gemignani
*imdb name|0312563
* [http://www.sondheimguide.com/people.html#Gemignani Paul Gemignani profile at The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide]
* [http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/?personid=9327 Paul Gemignani credits at BroadwayWorld.com]