Andy Propst
{{Short description|American theatre critic (1965–2021)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andy Propst
| image =
| caption = Theater critic and author Andy Propst
| birth_date = {{birth date|1965|03|07}}
| birth_place = Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|09|06|1965|03|07}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Theater critic, journalist, writer
| nationality =
| movement =
| signature =
}}
Andy Propst (March 7, 1965 – September 6, 2021) was an arts journalist, theater critic, and writer living in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Early work as a critic
In 1998, he founded what would become one of the Internet's first major theater portals for theater news, reviews and production listings online, [http://www.americantheaterweb.com AmericanTheaterWeb.com]. It was a site that predatedAmericanTheaterWeb.com - Whois.net - creation date: http://whois.net/whois/americantheaterweb.com and inspired such sites as TheaterManiaTheaterMania.com - Whois.net - creation date: http://whois.net/whois/theatermania.com and BroadwayWorld.com.BroadwayWorld.com - Whois.net - creation date: http://whois.net/whois/broadwayworld.com
The uniqueness of the site and its pioneering nature for the theater community attracted remarkable press coverage, including a feature in The New York Times.{{cite news|last=Biersdorfer|first=J.D.|title=For Surfers, the World's a Stage|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/technology/for-surfers-the-world-s-a-stage.html|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=January 14, 1999}}
Expanding outlets
Propst continued to run the site through 2009, even as he began to write reviews and features for print publications, including Backstage, The Village Voice,{{cite news|title=Author Archive - Andy Propst|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/authors/andy-propst/|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=The Village Voice}} TimeOut NY, and The Sondheim Review.{{cite web|last=Claire |first=Felicity |title=Index of the First 40 Issues of "The Sondheim Review" |url=http://www.sondheimreview.com/index-k-z.htm |work=The Sondheim Review |accessdate=2013-06-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510234308/http://www.sondheimreview.com/index-k-z.htm |archivedate=2013-05-10 }} He and AmericanTheaterWeb also became affiliated with XM Satellite Radio's XM 28 On Broadway Channel, and for four years, he provided daily "Broadway and Beyond" reports and served as a deejay for the channel with programs airing Monday-Friday.{{cite web|title=XM 28 - On Broadway |url=http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=28 |work=XM Satellite Radio via Internet Archive |accessdate=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113225925/http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=28 |archivedate=November 13, 2005 }}
In 2009, he joined the staff of TheaterMania, writing news and reviews, and providing ongoing coverage of theater music available digitally and on disc.{{cite web|title=Author Archive|url=http://www.theatermania.com/search/?term=andy+propst|work=TheaterMania|accessdate=June 6, 2013}} He also served as Senior Editor when the site launched its iPad magazine app in 2011,{{cite web|title=November 2011 Issue |url=http://www.theatermania.com/magazine/previous-issues/1/ |work=TheaterMania Magazine |publisher=TheaterMania |accessdate=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501171651/http://www.theatermania.com/magazine/previous-issues/1/ |archivedate=May 1, 2012 }} a position he retained until 2013. He subsequently contributed to Huffington Post,{{cite web|title=Author Archive|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-propst|work=Huffington Post|accessdate=June 6, 2013}} and served as a writer for Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records.{{cite web|title=The Eclectic Sounds of Pasek & Paul's DOGFIGHT|url=http://www.sh-k-boom.com/the-eclectic-sounds-of-pasek-paul-dogfight-by-andy-probst|publisher=Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records|accessdate=June 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814222946/http://www.sh-k-boom.com/the-eclectic-sounds-of-pasek-paul-dogfight-by-andy-probst|archive-date=August 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}
Other affiliations
In addition to his writing, Propst served for three consecutive years as a nominator for the Drama Desk Awards (2005-2007{{cite news|authorlink1=Robert Simonson|last=Simonson|first=Robert|title=Drama Desk Nominations Announced April 28|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92606-Drama-Desk-Nominations-Announced-April-28|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=Playbill|date=April 28, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604182702/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92606-Drama-Desk-Nominations-Announced-April-28|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Simonson|first=Robert|title=Harvey Fierstein to Host 2006 Drama Desk Awards May 21|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/98749-Harvey-Fierstein-to-Host-2006-Drama-Desk-Awards-May-21|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615214211/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/98749-Harvey-Fierstein-to-Host-2006-Drama-Desk-Awards-May-21|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 15, 2013|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=Playbill|date=May 21, 2006}}{{cite news|last=Gans|first=Andrew|title=Nominees for Drama Desk Awards Announced; LoveMusik Garners 12 Noms|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107626-Nominees-for-Drama-Desk-Awards-Announced-LoveMusik-Garners-12-Noms|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=Playbill|date=April 26, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922124819/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/107626-Nominees-for-Drama-Desk-Awards-Announced-LoveMusik-Garners-12-Noms|archive-date=September 22, 2013|url-status=dead}}) and was secretary and judge for three years for The Village Voice's Obie Awards (2009-2011{{cite news|last=Various writers|title=The Village Voice Obies Winners|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-05-20/theater/the-village-voice-obie-winners/full/|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=May 20, 2009}}{{cite news|last=Village Voice contributor|title=And The 55th Annual OBIES Awards Winners Are. . .|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2010/05/and_the_55th_an.php|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=May 17, 2010}}{{cite news|title=The Village Voice's 56th Annual Obie Awards|url=http://obies.villagevoice.com/2011/|accessdate=June 6, 2013|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=May 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110703031450/http://obies.villagevoice.com/2011/|archive-date=July 3, 2011|url-status=dead}} ).
Propst is an alum of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's National Critics Institute{{cite web|title=NCI History/Application/Staff |url=http://www.theoneill.org/professional-development-and-education/nci/history-staff-apply/ |publisher=Eugene O'Neill Theater Center |accessdate=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605065314/http://www.theoneill.org/professional-development-and-education/nci/history-staff-apply/ |archivedate=June 5, 2013 }} and has returned to the program to serve as a mentor to young critics since 2008.{{cite web|title=O'Neill Center - National Critics Institute|url=http://www.theoneill.org/professional-development-and-education/nci/|publisher=Eugene O'Neill Theater Center|accessdate=June 6, 2013}} He has also been a reader{{cite web|title=2016 O\u0027Neill Finalists|url=https://sites.google.com/a/theoneill.org/2016-o-neill-finalists/nmtc-readers|accessdate=September 9, 2018}} for and mentor at the organization's National Music Theater Conference.
Propst returned to reviewing for AmericanTheaterWeb.com and for the 2015-2016 season, once again served as a member of the Drama Desk Awards' Nomimnating Committee.{{cite web|title=Nominating Committee & Current Members|url=http://www.dramadesk.org/content/nominating-committee-current-members|publisher=Drama Desk Awards|accessdate=February 10, 2016}}
Work as a writer
His first book, You Fascinate Me So: The Life and Times of Cy Coleman, was published in April 2015 by Applause Books.Listing for You Fascinate Me So on Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/You-Fascinate-Me-So-Coleman/dp/1480355909/ Oxford University Press will release his second book, They Made Us Happy: The Musicals and Movies of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, in March 2019.Listing for They Made Us Happy on Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/They-Made-Us-Happy-Musicals/dp/0190630930/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536526285 He is currently at work on The 100 Most Important People in Musical Theater History for Rowman & Littlefield.
In early 2013, Propst provided the liner notes for two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone's CD Far Away Places.Listing of Far Away Places CD on CD Universe - http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8894826 Since then he has written notes for three CDs from Harbinger Records, including Barnum Backer's Audition{{cite web|title=Harbinger Records Releases Barnum's Backers' Audition Private Recording|date=30 January 2018 |url=https://nitelifeexchange.com/harbinger-records-releases-barnums-backers-audition-private-recording/|accessdate=September 9, 2018}} and A Jazzman's Broadway.
References
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