Kenny J. Seymour
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| Kenny J. Seymour | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kenneth Julius Seymour November 29, 1970 New York, New York, U.S. |
| 🏫 Education | Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College of Music |
| 💼 Occupation |
|
| 📆 Years active | 1988–present |
| 👪 Relatives | Mary Seymour (mother), Kenny W. Seymour (father) |
Kenny J. Seymour (born November 29, 1970) is an African American composer, arranger, orchestrator, musician, and music director. Seymour is best known as the music director/music supervisor/arranger for the multiple Tony Award nominated Broadway show "Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of the Temptations" and received the 29th Annual NAACP Theatre Award for Best Music Director - Larger Theatre in 2020.[1]
In 2022, "Ain’t Too Proud" went on national tour.[2][3][4][5]
Early life & education[edit]
Seymour was born into a musical family as his late grandmother, Wilhelmina C. Pappy, was an entertainer and his mother Mary Seymour was a Broadway actress and his late father Kenny W. Seymour, was a member of the music group Little Anthony and the Imperials.[6] His stepfather, Ken Williams, wrote or co-wrote many popular songs, including "Everybody Plays The Fool" by The Main Ingredient. Seymour started playing piano at age 4. By age 7, he was getting professional gigs to sing commercial jingles. As a teenager, Seymour played his piano in local bands, and did club shows and wedding gigs.[7]
Kenny attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, Manhattan School of Music, and Berklee College of Music.[7][8]
Father passed away 2023.
Career[edit]
In addition to "Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of the Temptations"[9], his other Broadway credits include: music director for the 2010 Tony Award winning Best Musical, Memphis, orchestrator for Nederlander Theatre's production of Amazing Grace[10], and music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator for MARLEY: A Premiere Musical. Seymour has other major theatrical credits including: music director/supervisor/orchestrator for Carnegie Hall’s A Time Like This: Music For Change[11][12], music supervisor/orchestrator for Big Maybelle: Soul of the Blues[13], music director/arranger/incidental music for The Tallest Tree In The Forest[14], and dance arranger/electronic music producer for Half-Time: The Musical[15]
As a composer, Seymour has had his work performed by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra,[16] among others. Seymour has arranged and orchestrated music for various TV shows. He was also music arranger for Stevie Wonder’s performance at President Barack Obama's 2009 Presidential Inaugural Ball. On February 1, 2021, Seymour was nominated by Otis Williams of The Temptations for the first Good Morning America Inspiration List to celebrate Black History Month.[17]
Seymour is also Vice President of the Grammy-winning music publishing company, A-Dish-A-Tunes LLC[18], owned and operated by his family. Seymour's step father, Ken Williams (songwriter, record producer, arranger, and singer), founded the company in 1968 and is the CEO. Seymour's mother, Mary Seymour, is the company President.[19]
Along with musical director and orchestrator, Stephen Oremus, Seymour co-founded the non-profit organization, Musicians United for Social Equity (MUSE). MUSE seeks to create diversity within the music departments of the theatre industry. On April 7, 2021, MUSE launched a scholarship program to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) musicians who want to bring their craft into the theater world.[20]
Awards[edit]
- 2020 winner: 29th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards "Best Music Director - Larger Theatre" for Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations[21]
- 2018 winner: Theatre Bay Area Award: Outstanding Music Direction - Tier 1, Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations — music director[22]
- 2017 nomination: Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award: Music Direction - Theatres Over 300 Seats, Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations — music director[22]
- 2013 winner: Composer & Recipient of the Global Music Award for Best Original Score for “Talking with the Taxman About Poetry”[8][23]
- 2023 nomination: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations, for "The Harder They Come", produced by the Public Theatre..[24]
Notable Credits[edit]
MUSICAL THEATRE CREDITS
- "THE HARDER THEY COME" (The Public Theater) - Music Supervision, Orchestrations, and Dance Arrangements[25][26][27]
- “Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations” (Broadway: Imperial Theatre) - Music Supervisor/Music Director/Arranger[28][29]
- "Half Time: The Musical" (Paper Mill Playhouse) - Dance Music Arranger/Electronic Music Producer[8]
- “Amazing Grace: An Epic Musical” (Norma Terris Theater at Goodspeed) - Orchestrator[28][10]
- "Marley: A World Premiere Musical" (Center Stage) - Music Supervisor/Orchestrator/Arranger[22][30]
- “Memphis: The Birth of Rock and Roll” (Broadway: Shubert Theater) - Music Director/Conductor/Keyboard 1[28]
- “The Tallest Tree In The Forest”(KC Rep./La Jolla P.H.) - Music Director/Orchestrator/Incidental Music Composer[22]
- “Big Maybelle: Soul of The Blues” (Bay Street Theater, Sag Harbor) - Music Supervisor/Orchestrator/Arranger[22]
- “The Wiz” (La Jolla Playhouse) - Dance Music Arranger[22]
- “Hot Feet” (Broadway: Hilton Theater) - Synthesizer Programmer[28]
- “Bare: The Musical” (Off Broadway) - Synthesizer Programmer[31]
- “The Tempest” (Delacorte Theater) Ariel (Ensemble)[22]
ORIGINAL TV/FILM SCORES[32]
- "Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations - Original Broadway Cast Album" - Kenny J. Seymour, Music Director & Conductor[33]
- "Oya: Rise of the Orisha" - Surreal Films
- "Yemoja: Rise of The Orisha" - Surreal Films
- “Talking With The Taxman About Poetry” Freedom Writer Pictures - Composer[34]
- “Fringe” - Thalicer Entertainment - Composer)
- “English Egg Language Series” - Wisemom Entertainment - Composer[35]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Ain't Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations Broadway @ Imperial Theatre - Tickets and Discounts". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "AIN'T TOO PROUD is Coming to the Wharton Center in June". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ↑ Lanes, Elliot. "BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Kenny Seymour". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ↑ Cristi, A. A. "AIN'T TOO PROUD Comes To Music Hall, June 21- 26". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ↑ Brall, Susan (2022-05-04). "Theatre Review: 'Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations' at the Hippodrome Theatre". Maryland Theatre Guide. Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- ↑ Rosalsky, Mitch (2002). Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups. Scarecrow Press. p. 312. ISBN 9780810845923. Search this book on
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Kenny Seymour & Music's Universality". American Federation of Musicians. 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Kenny Seymour". Jacksonville Symphony. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "From Album to Stage and Back Again: Ain't Too Proud's Journey to the Grammy Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Amazing Grace". amazinggracemusical.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "A Time Like This: Music for Change". www.carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Rhiannon Giddens, Young Paris, and Toshi Reagon Announced as Guest Artists for A Time Like This: Music for Change". CREATE JUSTICE. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ Jacobson, Aileen (2012-08-18). "Reviving the Memory of a Blues Pioneer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ "Review: Paul Robeson's roots examined in 'Tallest Tree in the Forest'". Los Angeles Times. 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (2016-07-13). "Broadway-Bound Gotta Dance Gets a New Title and Music Collaborator". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ "Kenny Seymour". Jacksonville Symphony. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ News, A. B. C. "The GMA Inspiration List: Who's making Black history in 2021?". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Complete List of 47th Annual Grammy Award Winners". www.cbn.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Releases". adishatunes. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Scholarships For BIPOC Theater Musicians Announced". GRAMMY.com. 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ "29th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards Announces Nominees, Winners". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 "Kenny Seymour theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Winners-May-2013". www.globalmusicawards.com. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ "Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations", Wikipedia, 2023-06-12, retrieved 2023-11-18
- ↑ "All That Chat - Initial Casting Announced for THE HARDER THEY COME World Premiere". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ↑ "The Harder They Come". publictheater.org. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ↑ Johnson, Nacey Watson (2023-03-08). "'The Harder They Come': Inside the Stage Musical Adaptation of the Movie That Introduced Reggae to the World". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 "Kenny Seymour". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "'Ain't Too Proud' Temptations: I could never love another". The Riverdale Press. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ Marks, Peter (2015-05-20). "'Marley' at Baltimore's Center Stage offers up the music but not the man". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ↑ "OurStage". OurStage. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ "Kenny Seymour". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ↑ Ain't Too Proud - 2019 Original Broadway Cast, retrieved 2022-02-26
- ↑ Opening Credits (Theodore's Theme), 26 May 2015, retrieved 2023-02-16
- ↑ "Kenny Seymour: Bringing the Music of The Temptations to Broadway and Beyond | International Musician". Retrieved 2021-04-06.
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