Brian Yorkey
{{Short description|American playwright}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Brian Yorkey
| image = Brian Yorkey crop.jpg
| caption = Yorkey in 2018
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
| education = Columbia University (BA)
| known_for = Next to Normal, 13 Reasons Why
| awards = Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2010)
Tony Award for Best Original Score (2009)
}}
Brian Yorkey is an American playwright and lyricist. His works often explore dark and controversial subject matter such as mental illness, grief, the underbelly of suburbia, and ethics in both psychiatry and public education.
Early life
Yorkey was born in Omaha, Nebraska,{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0120-if-then-20160119-story.html|title=Musical about life choices comes to Segerstrom|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-date=March 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326051741/http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-0120-if-then-20160119-story.html|url-status=dead}} where he was raised, before his family moved to Issaquah, Washington. He graduated from Columbia University in 1993,{{Cite web|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/archive/spring14/features3|title=The Marriage of True Minds {{!}} Columbia College Today|website=www.college.columbia.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-11-29}} where he served as the Artistic Director of the Varsity Show. He is an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.{{cite web|url=http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/5828/Brian-Yorkey|title=Brian Yorkey: Writer|publisher=playbill.com|access-date=September 16, 2016}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20100729223532/http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/18396 Bio]; archived July 29, 2010.
Career
=Early work=
Prior to bringing Next to Normal to Broadway, Yorkey was affiliated with Village Theatre in Issaquah, where he began as a KIDSTAGE student and eventually progressed to a seven-year tenure as Associate Artistic Director.{{cite news|first=Gianni|last=Truzzi|title=A moment with ... Brian Yorkey/director|date=January 15, 2009|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/theater/396191_theater16.html|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=2009-05-06}} Four musicals written by Yorkey—Funny Pages (1993), Making Tracks (2002), The Wedding Banquet (2003), and Play it by Heart (2005)—were staged there.{{cite web|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsY/yorkey-brian.html|title=Brian Yorkey – Playwright|access-date=2009-06-09|publisher=Doollee.com|date=2003}}{{cite web|url=http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/seattle/se151.html|title=The Wedding Banquet at the Village Theatre|access-date=2009-06-09|last=Hughes|first=David-Edward|work=Seattle|publisher=Talkin' Broadway Regional News and Reviews (talkinbroadway.com)}}{{cite news|first=Misha|last=Berson|title="Play It By Heart" is a rags-to-rhinestones musical tale|date=March 25, 2005|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20050325/heart25/play-it-by-heart-is-a-rags-to-rhinestones-musical-tale|newspaper=The Seattle Times|access-date=2009-06-09}}
While at Village Theatre, Yorkey founded the KIDSTAGE Company class which teaches teens to write, direct, and perform their own musicals. Yorkey's frequent collaborator, Tom Kitt, joined him in assisting with the score to the 2008 Company Original, In Your Eyes. He worked with composer Tim Symons, on other Company Originals such as Last Exit{{cite web |url=https://vtdb.org/show.php?s=431 |title=Village Theatre Database: Last Exit - Issaquah - Company |website=vtdb.org |access-date=2022-03-23}} and A Perfect Fall.{{cite web |url=https://vtdb.org/show.php?s=420 |title=Village Theatre Database: A Perfect Fall - Issaquah - Company Originals |website=vtdb.org |access-date=2022-03-23}}
During Yorkey's tenure as Village Theatre's Associate Artistic Director, he developed a comprehensive new works program, Village Originals.{{Cite web|url=https://villagetheatre.org/issaquah/village-originals.php|title=Village Theatre Originals|website=villagetheatre.org|access-date=2016-04-22}} The Village Originals program develops approximately ten new musicals each season, in various stages from reading to full production. Yorkey is credited with the development of over 50 new musicals, including the 2010 Broadway musical, Million Dollar Quartet, which was nominated for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and won Best Performance by a Featured Actor (Levi Kreis) in a Musical at the 64th Tony Awards.
''Next to Normal'' and subsequent work
Next to Normal began as a ten-minute-long piece called Feeling Electric, which recent college graduates Yorkey and Kitt wrote as a final project for the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop at the end of the 1990s.{{cite news|first=Molly|last=Marinik|title=The Popdose Interview: Brian Yorkey|date=June 2, 2009|url=http://popdose.com/the-popdose-interview-brian-yorkey|publisher=Popdose.com|access-date=2009-06-09}}
Their inspiration was a segment about electroconvulsive therapy Yorkey saw on Dateline NBC.{{cite news|first=Kimberly|last=Read|author2=Marcia Purse|title=Interview with Brian Yorkey – Writer and Lyricist of Next to Normal|date=May 16, 2009|url=http://bipolar.about.com/od/mediaportrayals/a/brian_yorkey.htm|publisher=about.com|access-date=2009-06-09|archive-date=2011-07-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718153605/http://bipolar.about.com/od/mediaportrayals/a/brian_yorkey.htm|url-status=dead}}
Next to Normal was nominated for a total of eleven Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. The show won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Original Score, and Tony Award for Best Orchestrations. In 2010 Yorkey and Kitt were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Next to Normal, citing "a powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals."[http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2010-Drama "The 2010 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Drama"]. The Pulitzer Prizes; retrieved 2013-11-12 (with two short biographies and liner notes to the recording)
In 2013, Yorkey's musical with Kitt, If/Then, starring Idina Menzel, LaChanze, and Anthony Rapp, had its pre-Broadway try-out at The National Theatre in Washington, D.C. The musical subsequently opened on Broadway on March 30, 2014. The musical garnered a Tony Award nomination and Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Original Score for Kitt and Yorkey, as well as a nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress for Menzel.[http://www.playbill.com/production/if-then-richard-rodgers-theatre-vault-0000014003# " If/Then Broadway"] Playbill (vault), retrieved January 31, 2017
In 2014, Yorkey's collaborative work, with Sting and co-librettist John Logan, The Last Ship opened on Broadway. The musical is loosely based on Sting's album The Soul Cages (1990).{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sting/the-last-ship_b_3384993.html | title=Writing The Last Ship |work=Huffington Post | date=6 May 2013 | access-date=January 31, 2017}} It opened on September 29, 2014. Yorkey and Logan were nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for their book.
He co-wrote the book and lyrics, with Melanie Burgess, to Jesus in My Bedroom, an original musical, with a score by Tim Symons. Jesus in My Bedroom received a reading at Village Theatre's 13th Annual Festival of New Musicals.{{Cite web|url=http://www.vtdb.org/show.php#ss003037|title=VTDB Shows|website=vtdb.org|access-date=2016-04-22}}
He wrote the music, with Kitt, for a musical version of Freaky Friday with librettist Bridget Carpenter. Freaky Friday is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, and had its World Premiere at the Signature Theatre (Arlington, Virginia) in October 2016.Gioia, Michael. [http://www.playbill.com/article/freaky-friday-with-emma-hunton-and-heidi-blickenstaff-begins-performances# " 'Freaky Friday,' With Emma Hunton and Heidi Blickenstaff Begins Performances"] Playbill, October 4, 2016 The musical began performances at the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, on January 31, 2017 running to March 12. The cast features Emma Hunton and Heidi Blickenstaff.Clement, Olivia. [http://www.playbill.com/article/la-jolla-freaky-friday-begins-january-31# "La Jolla 'Freaky Friday' Begins Jan. 31"] Playbill, January 31, 2017
=Film and television=
Yorkey adapted Jay Asher's bestselling novel, 13 Reasons Why, for Netflix, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.{{Cite web|url=http://flavorwire.com/545313/selena-gomez-and-next-to-normal-writer-brian-yorkeys-thirteen-reasons-why-adaptation-is-officially-a-go-at-netflix|title=Selena Gomez and 'Next to Normal' Writer Brian Yorkey's 'Thirteen Reasons Why' Adaptation Is Officially a "Go" at Netflix|website=Flavorwire|date=29 October 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-22}} Spanning four seasons, the series ran from March 2017 to June 2020. While the first season earned positive reviews, the rest were poorly received.
He scripted Sluts for Lionsgate Films. His first feature film pitch, Time After Time, sold in a bidding war to Universal Pictures. It is now fast tracked at Lionsgate/Summit with Bradley Buecker directing. Yorkey is adapting Next to Normal's film adaptation for Anonymous Content and an untitled fashion musical for Paramount Pictures, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald.{{cite web|last=Kitt|first=Borys|title=Robert Downey Jr. Attached to Star in Musical From 'Next to Normal' Team|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-downey-jr-attached-star-56130|date=3 December 2010|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=11 March 2018}} Yorkey and Kitt are also developing Score!, a theatre camp musical for Robert Downey Jr. to star in for Warner Bros.{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=Musical Comedy Set With Robert Downey Jr|url=https://deadline.com/2010/12/warner-bros-sets-up-tuner-with-robert-downey-jr-and-next-to-normal-team-88177/|date=3 December 2010|publisher=Deadline|access-date=22 May 2017}}{{cite web|last=Shady|first=Justin|title=Yorkey: Screen meets stage in unusual career path|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/yorkey-screen-meets-stage-in-unusual-career-path-1118046667/|date=2 December 2011|publisher=Variety|access-date=18 April 2018}}
More recently, he signed deals with Netflix to start the Echoes limited series,{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2021-06-29|title='Echoes' Mystery Thriller Limited Series Ordered By Netflix Under Overall Deal With Brian Yorkey|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/echoes-limited-series-netflix-under-brian-yorkey-overall-deal-twin-sisters-1234783397/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Deadline|language=en-US}} and adapt Neal Shusterman's book Game Changer into a series.
=Future theatrical projects=
Yorkey was working with Tom Kitt on a musical adaption of Magic Mike, with Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa writing the book.MacAtee, Rebecca (July 24, 2013). [http://www.eonline.com/news/442134/magic-mike-the-musical-heading-to-broadway-channing-tatum-confirms "Magic Mike, The Musical Heading to Broadway, Channing Tatum Confirms"]. Eonline.com; accessed September 16, 2016. According to various news sources, on May 2 and 3, 2019, the creative team of Kitt, Yorkey and Aguirre-Sacasa have left the project and a private workshop that had been scheduled for the week of May 3 has been cancelled.Evans, Greg. [https://deadline.com/2019/05/magic-mike-musical-creative-team-cancel-workshop-1202607031/ "‘Magic Mike’ Musical Loses Creative Team, Cancels Workshop"] deadline.com, May 3, 2019McPhee, Ryan. [http://www.playbill.com/article/lab-presentation-of-broadway-aimed-magic-mike-musical-postponed-after-creative-team-shift# "Lab Presentation of Broadway-Aimed 'Magic Mike' Musical Postponed After Creative Team Shift"] Playbill, May 2, 2019
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Playbill person|brian-yorkey-vault-0000005828}}
- {{IBDB name|483138}}
- [http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=82&sid=176221 Interview with Brian Yorkey] on [http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=1 MyNorthwest.com]
- {{LCAuth|no2009091136|Brian Yorkey|2|}}
{{PulitzerPrize DramaAuthors 2001–2025}}
{{TonyAward MusicalScore 2001–2025}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yorkey, Brian}}
Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:American musical theatre librettists
Category:American musical theatre lyricists
Category:American theatre directors
Category:Broadway composers and lyricists
Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni
Category:Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners
Category:Writers from Omaha, Nebraska
Category:People from Issaquah, Washington
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American male dramatists and playwrights
Category:Songwriters from Washington (state)
Category:Songwriters from Nebraska