Adam Gwon

Gwon was born in Boston, and spent his childhood in Baltimore before attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts.{{cite web|last=Saccoccia|first=Susan|date=28 September 2011|title=McDonald's 'Songs We Love Tour' stops in Hub|url=https://www.baystatebanner.com/2011/09/28/mcdonalds-songs-we-love-tour-stops-in-hub/|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=The Bay State Banner}}{{cite web|last=Rule|first=Doug|date=6 October 2011|title=A Musical Mystery|url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2011/10/a-musical-mystery/|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Metro Weekly}} While studying acting at NYU, Gwon was encouraged to pursue writing by a teacher, David Bucknam, and was later mentored by the musical theater writing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.{{cite web|url=https://www.americantheatre.org/2017/01/04/where-do-you-learn-to-write-musicals/|title=Where Do You Learn to Write Musicals?|first=Suzy|last=Evans|date=4 January 2017|website=AMERICAN THEATRE|accessdate=18 June 2019}} Gwon is of Chinese-American and Jewish descent.{{cite web|last=Wada|first=Karen|date=1 May 2011|title='Cloudlands': Singing — and tragedy|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-may-01-la-ca-pacific-playwrights-cloudlands-20110501-story.html|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=The Los Angeles Times}}

Gwon made his off-Broadway debut in 2009 with Ordinary Days, the first musical production in Roundabout Theatre Company's black box space, Roundabout Underground.{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Kenneth|date=19 August 2009|title=Hunter Foster Is One of Four in NYC Premiere of Musical Ordinary Days|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/hunter-foster-is-one-of-four-in-nyc-premiere-of-musical-ordinary-days-com-163690|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Playbill}} In 2011, Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, premiered Gwon's musical The Boy Detective Fails, based on the novel by Joe Meno, as part of their American Musical Voices Project.{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/dcs-signature-plans-four-new-musicals-writers-include-adam-gwon-hunter-foster-and-more-com-177924|title=DC's Signature Plans Four New Musicals; Writers Include Adam Gwon, Hunter Foster and More|first=Kenneth|last=Jones|date=5 April 2011|website=Playbill|accessdate=18 June 2019}} South Coast Repertory commissioned and premiered his musical Cloudlands, written with Octavio Solis, in 2012.{{cite web|last=Foley|first=F. Kathleen|date=23 April 2012|title=Review: An extraordinary 'Cloudlands' has world premiere|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2012-apr-23-la-et-cm-cloudlands-review-20120423-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601004308/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2012-apr-23-la-et-cm-cloudlands-review-20120423-story.html|archive-date=June 1, 2019|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=The Los Angeles Times}}

In 2015, Gwon had two simultaneous world premieres, both co-written with Julia Jordan: Bernice Bobs Her Hair, adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and Cake Off at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.{{cite web|last=Levitt|first=Hayley|date=October 14, 2015|title=Adam Gwon and Julia Jordan: So Many World Premieres — So Little Time|url=https://www.theatermania.com/washington-dc-theater/news/adam-gwon-julia-jordan-interview_74578.html|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=TheaterMania}} Cake Off received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation.{{Cite news|date=February 1, 2016|title=2016 Helen Hayes Award nominations|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/2016-helen-hayes-awards-nominations/2016/02/01/bf4ba7fe-c6d7-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203004630/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/2016-helen-hayes-awards-nominations/2016/02/01/bf4ba7fe-c6d7-11e5-9693-933a4d31bcc8_story.html|archive-date=February 3, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington, produced the world premiere of Gwon's musical String, with a book by Sarah Hammond, in 2018.{{cite web|date=March 2, 2017|title=Village Theatre Announces 2017–2018 Season|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/seattle/article/Village-Theatre-Announces-2017-2018-Season-20170302|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=BroadwayWorld}}

Gwon's Ordinary Days was preserved on a cast album and has been produced in London's West End and around the world from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=16 September 2010|title=Cast Recording of Ordinary Days Due Sept. 21; R&H Theatricals Acquires Performance Rights|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/cast-recording-of-ordinary-days-due-sept-21-r-h-theatricals-acquires-performance-rights-com-171810|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Playbill}}{{cite web|last=Shenton|first=Mark|date=30 December 2010|title=Daniel Boys and Julie Atherton to Star in Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days at Trafalgar Studios|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/daniel-boys-and-julie-atherton-to-star-in-adam-gwons-ordinary-days-at-trafalgar-studios-com-174777|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Playbill}}{{cite web|last=Lefkowitz|first=Andy|date=May 9, 2019|title=Adam Gwon's Scotland, PA Musical Sets World Premiere with Roundabout|url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195777/adam-gwons-scotland-pa-musical-sets-world-premiere-with-roundabout/|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Broadway.com}} A 2018 revival by the Keen Company was nominated for a Drama League Award for Best Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical.{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Greg|date=17 April 2019|title=Bryan Cranston, Adam Driver, Jeff Daniels & Laurie Metcalf Among Broadway's Drama League Award Nominees – Complete List|url=https://deadline.com/2019/04/broadway-drama-league-awards-bryan-cranston-adam-driver-jeff-daniels-laurie-metcalf-1202597430/|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Deadline}}

Gwon's song "I'll Be Here" was recorded by Audra McDonald on her album Go Back Home.{{cite web|last=Lunden|first=Jeff|date=May 18, 2013|title=Audra McDonald, A Broadway Star Gone Roaming, Comes Home|url=https://www.wbur.org/npr/183965997/audra-mcdonald-a-broadway-star-gone-roaming-comes-home|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=www.wbur.org}} McDonald has performed the song in concert, including at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.{{cite web|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=23 October 2011|title=Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall – Review|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/arts/music/audra-mcdonald-at-carnegie-hall-review.html|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=The New York Times}}{{cite web|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=10 May 2013|title=Not Just the Standards, but Storytelling, Too|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/arts/music/audra-mcdonald-at-lincoln-center.html|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=The New York Times}} It aired on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center in 2013.{{cite web|last=Hetrick|first=Adam|date=24 May 2013|title=Audra McDonald's Go Back Home Concert Broadcast on 'Live from Lincoln Center' May 24|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/audra-mcdonalds-go-back-home-concert-broadcast-on-live-from-lincoln-center-may-24-com-205798|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=Playbill}}

He served a three-year term on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, beginning in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/tom-kitt-adam-gwon-among-those-tapped-for-2015-16-tony-nominating-committee-com-349878|title=Tom Kitt, Adam Gwon Among Those Tapped for 2015–16 Tony Nominating Committee|first=Andrew|last=Gans|date=26 May 2015|website=Playbill|accessdate=18 June 2019}}

Gwon's musical Scotland, PA, with book by Michael Mitnick, adapted from the cult 2001 film, premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre in 2019.

In 2008, Gwon was the fourth annual recipient of the Fred Ebb Foundation Award, presented to aspiring composer/lyricists.{{Cite web|title=Fourth Annual Fred Ebb Award Winner: Adam Gwon|url=https://fredebbfoundation.org/fred-ebb-award/past-recipients/fourth-annual-fred-ebb-award-winner-adam-gwon/|access-date=2021-03-22|website=Fred Ebb Foundation|language=en}}

In 2011, Gwon received the Kleban Prize for most promising musical theater lyricist. The award included a $100,000 cash prize.{{Cite web|url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/adam-gwon-michelle-elliott-win-lucrative-musical-theater-writing-prizes/|title=Adam Gwon and Michelle Elliott Win Musical-Theater Writing Prizes|first=Felicia R.|last=Lee|date=May 13, 2011}}

• Ordinary Days
• Go Back Home
• The Essential Liz Callaway{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/listen-to-heartbreaking-exclusive-sondheim-track-from-liz-callaways-new-essential-album-com-370759|title=Listen to Heartbreaking Exclusive Sondheim Track From Liz Callaway's New 'Essential' Album|first=Robert|last=Viagas|date=9 November 2015|website=Playbill|accessdate=18 June 2019}}
• Because{{cite web|last=Graham|first=Trey|date=13 February 2015|title='Because' – Tracy Lynn Olivera's CD – reviewed|url=https://dctheatrescene.com/2015/02/13/tracy-lynn-oliveras-cd-reviewed/|accessdate=18 June 2019|website=DC Theatre Scene}}
• 16 Stories{{Cite web|date=January 31, 2019|title=Australian Discovery Orchestra to Hold Vocal Competition to Record New Music|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Australian-Discovery-Orchestra-to-Hold-Vocal-Competition-to-Record-New-Music-20190131|access-date=2021-03-26|website=BroadwayWorld|language=en}}

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:American lyricists

Category:American male composers

Category:Musicians from Boston