Craig Zadan
{{short description|American film producer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Craig Zadan
|image =
|imagesize = 150px
| caption =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|4|15}}
| birth_place = Miami, Florida, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|8|20|1949|4|15}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Producer, director, writer
| years_active = 1972–2018
| alma_mater = Hofstra University
}}
Craig Zadan (April 15, 1949 – August 20, 2018) was an American producer and writer. Working alone and with Neil Meron, his partner in the production company Storyline Entertainment, he produced such films as Footloose, Chicago and Hairspray.
Life and career
=Early life=
Zadan was born in Miami, Florida. He grew up in New York City, and attended Hofstra University. He wrote for New York magazine and also contributed articles to publications such as After Dark. He co-produced a Broadway tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim: A Musical Tribute, featuring Angela Lansbury and Alexis Smith in 1973. He wrote a book relating the "behind-the-scenes" of the musicals of composer Stephen Sondheim titled "Sondheim & Co." published in 1974, which has been updated with a subsequent edition and revisions until 1990. Meron invited Zadan to speak at a lecture series at Brooklyn College, and they became professional partners upon Meron's 1976 graduation. They worked for Joseph Papp at the Public Theater before going to California in the early 1980s to work for Peter Guber.[http://www.glbtq.com/arts/zadan_c.html Zadan and Meron Career] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004183532/http://www.glbtq.com/arts/zadan_c.html |date=October 4, 2009 }} glbtq.com, accessed September 7, 2009[http://www.sondheim.com/works/a_musical_tribute/ "Sondheim: A Musical Tribute"] sondheim.com, accessed September 7, 2009 He was openly gay.{{cite magazine|title=Chicago{{`s}} gay mafia |first=Michael |last=Giltz |date=December 24, 2002 |magazine=The Advocate |access-date=December 21, 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGQEAAAAMBAJ&q=craig-zadan+neil-meron+gay&pg=PA59 }}
=Storyline Entertainment=
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2018}}
In 1995, the Storyline Entertainment group had signed a deal with The Walt Disney Studios to produce television projects, including musical adaptations of its original film properties.{{Cite web|author=|date=1995-11-27|title=Storyline Tunes Up TV, Pix With Musical Revivals|url=https://variety.com/1995/more/news/storyline-tunes-up-tv-pix-with-musical-revivals-99123711/|access-date=2022-01-06|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Storyline Entertainment has had success with film musicals, such as Chicago (2002)[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/439832/chicago " Chicago 2003"] tcm.com, accessed December 7, 2016 and Hairspray (2007).[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/650310/hairspray " Hairspray 2007"] tcm.com, accessed December 7, 2016 On September 6, 2005, Storyline Entertainment had signed a deal with New Line Cinema to a two-year, first look deal in order to develop many theatrical projects on the big screen.{{Cite web|last=Fritz|first=Ben|date=2005-09-07|title=Storyline, New Line align|url=https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/storyline-new-line-align-1117928617/|access-date=2022-01-06|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Andrea McArdle, who originated the title role in Annie on stage, featured prominently in Zadan's televised version. Chita Rivera appears in Chicago as "Nickie"; she played "Velma Kelly" in the original 1975 production.
The film adaptation of Hairspray featured John Waters (writer/director) as "the flasher who lives next door;" Jerry Stiller ("Wilbur Turnblad") as "Mr. Pinky;" and Ricki Lake ("Tracy") as a reporter. On the soundtrack, Lake joins Nikki Blonsky and Marissa Jaret Winokur ("Tracy" from the Broadway production) to sing "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" over the closing credits, and Harvey Fierstein (Broadway's "Edna") can be heard briefly soon after. Mink Stole ("Tammy" in the original film) appears as the smoking woman on the street whom Waters flashes, and is also seen in the musical number, "Welcome to the 60s". Corey Reynolds ("Seaweed" in the Broadway production) appears on the soundtrack as singer of "Trouble on the Line."
=Later career=
Zadan and Meron produced the Academy Awards telecast from 2013 to 2015.
=Death=
Zadan died on August 20, 2018, at his home in Los Angeles of complications from shoulder replacement surgery at the age of 69.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/craig-zadan-dead-69-producer-chicago-sondheim-1202913206/|title = Craig Zadan, Prolific Stage, TV, and Film Producer, Dies at 69|website = Variety|last = Littleton|first=Cynthia|date = August 21, 2018|access-date = August 21, 2018}}
Filmography
- Footloose (1984) (producer)
- Sing (1989) (producer)
- If Looks Could Kill (1991) (producer)
- My Fellow Americans (1996) (executive producer)
- Brian's Song (2001) (executive producer)
- Chicago (2002) (executive producer)
- The Music Man (2003) (executive producer)
- Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story (2006) (producer)
- The Banshee and Fin Magee (2007) (producer)
- Hairspray (2007) (producer)
- The Bucket List (2007) (producer)
- Living Proof (2008) (executive producer)
- The Mayor of Castro Street (2009) (producer; about life around Castro Street)
- Fahrenheit 451 (2009) (producer)
- Footloose (2011) (producer)
Theater
- Up in One (1979), Broadway, musical revue
- Promises, Promises (2010), Broadway, musical revival
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011), Broadway, musical revival
Television
=Series=
- Drop Dead Diva (2009) (executive producer)
- Smash (2012) (executive producer)
=Films=
- Gypsy (1993) (executive producer)
- Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story (1995) (executive producer)
- Twists of Terror (1997) (TV) (executive producer)
- Cinderella (1997) (executive producer)
- Annie (1999) (executive producer)
- Double Platinum (1999) (executive producer)
- Lucy (2003) (executive producer)
- The Reagans (2003) (producer)
- Wedding Wars (2006) (producer)
- A Raisin in the Sun (2008) (producer)
- Family Man (2008) (executive producer)
- Steel Magnolias (2012) (TV) (producer)
- Bonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive (2013) (producer)
- Flint (2017) (producer)
=Live productions=
- The Sound of Music Live! (2013) (TV)
- Peter Pan Live! (2014) (TV)
- The Wiz Live! (2015) (TV)
- Hairspray Live! (2016) (TV)
- Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018) (TV)
Awards ceremonies
- 16th GLAAD Media Awards (2005) (executive producer)
- 85th Academy Awards (2013) (producer)
- 86th Academy Awards (2014) (producer)
- 87th Academy Awards (2015) (producer)
Awards and nominations
In 2008, Zadan and Meron were awarded the Career Achievement Award by the Casting Society of America. He has been nominated for the Emmy Award eight times, along with his co-executive producer Meron (and the respective producers).
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{wikiquote}}
- {{IMDb name|0951722}}
- [http://www.storyline-entertainment.com Storyline Entertainment]
- [http://www.sondheimguide.com/publications1.html#Books Sondheim & Co] (2nd ed.) by Zadan, Craig New York: Harper & Row, 1986.
- {{IBDB name|4925}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121006183855/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Craig&middle=&last=Zadan Internet Off-Broadway Database listing]
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Film producers from New York (state)
Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners
Category:Golden Globe Award–winning producers
Category:LGBTQ people from Florida
Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)
Category:Hofstra University alumni
Category:Film producers from Florida