Richard Kagan (theatrical composer)
Richard Kagan is a theatrical composer and producer. He is composer & lyricist of the musical Havana Music Hall, and his Broadway producing credits include The Goodbye Girl, Smile, Leader of the Pack and The World's a Stage. He received two Tony Award nominations as a producer in the Best Musical category, for Goodbye Girl and Leader of the Pack. He has served as Board President of Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, one of America’s largest not-for-profit theatre companies, and on the Board of Directors for Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre.
Kagan started writing music 50 years ago while working at a girls camp in the Pocono Mountains with acclaimed composer Marvin Hamlisch. The two remained best friends until Hamlisch's untimely passing in 2013. Kagan eulogized Hamlisch at the composer's memorial service at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan on August 14, 2012[1][2], attendees of which included Richard Gere, Liza Minnelli, Diane Sawyer, and former President Bill Clinton,[3] and he also served as a featured speaker at the star-studded, invitation-only tribute concert for Hamlisch at The Juilliard School on September 18, 2012.[4]
Shortly prior to his death, Hamlisch prodded Kagan to start writing music again; he'd spent decades away from songwriting, as he pursued a forty-year career as a successful life insurance executive. [5] One month after losing his friend, Richard debuted an original song titled "My Soul Is Yours" at a special service at Beverly Hills Temple For The Arts on Yom Kippur, in Marvin's honor. [5] Kagan has since collaborated with such luminaries as Michael Jay, Dan Black and the late Hal David, and his work has been performed by symphonies around the country. His song “This Feels Just Like Christmas” was recorded by the boy band Forever in Your Mind. Kagan and Michael Jay recently wrote twelve songs for West End star Louise Dearman, which were recorded at Angel Studios in London in 2018.
Upon a visit to Cuba in 2013, Kagan was deeply moved by the music and stories of the people of Havana, particularly the experiences and aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. He teamed up with Cuban-American artists Carmen Pelaez (book writer) and Jose "Perico" Hernandez (lyricist) to write a new musical, Havana Music Hall[6]. Set in Cuba, spanning from 1958 to present day, the show is about a family of musicians that’s torn apart when Castro seizes power. A workshop of the musical was held at Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles in June 2017, which was soon followed by an announcement that the show would have a pre-Broadway premiere at Actors' Playhouse at Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, from October 10-November 18, 2018.[7] The production is directed and choreographed by Maria Torres (co-choreographer of the Tony-nominated On Your Feet!), with music and lyrics by Richard Kagan, lyrics by Jose “Perico” Hernandez and a book by Carmen Pelaez.[8]
Richard Kagan married actress Julie Hagerty in 2007. He has two children, Josh and Kelly, from a previous marriage.[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Stars attend composer Marvin Hamlisch's funeral". Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ Itzkoff, Dave. "Marvin Hamlisch Funeral at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan". Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe. "Marvin Hamlisch remembered by famous friends, including former President Clinton, and regular New Yorkers at his funeral - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ "The three divas: Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin sing their tribute to Hollywood's 'great, giving, genius' Marvin Hamlisch". Mail Online. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Marvin Hamlisch's Longtime Friend Pens Musical Tribute for Yom Kippur (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ "Havana Music Hall | The Musical". Havana Music Hall | The Musical. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ Desk, BWW News. "Actors' Playhouse At The Miracle Theatre Announces 2018 2019 Mainstage Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19. C1 control character in
|title=at position 57 (help) - ↑ "Ryan Murphy to reboot 'Boys in the Band' on Broadway". New York Post. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
- ↑ "No matter where actress Julie Hagerty lives, she'll always be a New Yorker". Irish Echo. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
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