Michael P. Price

Price was born on August 5, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois.{{cite news |first=Cindy |last=Mindell |title=Michael Price: Creating Community On-Stage & Beyond |url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2011/02/michael-price-creating-community-on-stage-beyond/ |work=Jewish Ledger |date=February 23, 2011 |accessdate=January 13, 2014}}{{cite news |first=Lynne |last=Baranski |title=Michael Price's Goodspeed Opera Doesn't Just Try Out Broadway Hits--It Creates Them |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20075098,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110234026/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20075098,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 10, 2014 |work=People Magazine |date=November 19, 1979 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}{{cite news |first=Mervyn |last=Rothstein |title=A Life in the Theatre: Michael P. Price, Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals |url=http://m.playbill.com/news/article/186381-A-LIFE-IN-THE-THEATRE-Michael-P-Price-Executive-Director-of-Goodspeed-Musicals |work=Playbill |date=January 12, 2014 |accessdate=January 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114012454/http://m.playbill.com/news/article/186381-A-LIFE-IN-THE-THEATRE-Michael-P-Price-Executive-Director-of-Goodspeed-Musicals |archivedate=January 14, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} He is the son of William and Sylvia Price, both of whom were Jewish.{{cite news |title=Sylvia Price Obituary |url=http://articles.courant.com/2004-11-16/news/0411150614_1_william-price-shiva-michael-price |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110230226/http://articles.courant.com/2004-11-16/news/0411150614_1_william-price-shiva-michael-price |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 10, 2014 |work=The Hartford Courant |date=November 16, 2004 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}} He was raised in a Jewish home in Chicago. He continues to strongly identify as a Jew and is active with a wide range of Jewish organizations. Price's first introduction to the theatre came from visiting family members who worked as actors.{{cite news |author=BWW News Desk |title=Goodspeed Musicals' 45-Year Executive Director Michael Price to Retire in 2014 |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Goodspeed-Musicals-45-Year-Executive-Director-Michael-Price-to-Retire-in-2014-20140110 |work=Broadway World |date=January 10, 2014 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}} As a child, he acted in television commercials, including live commercials.{{cite news |author=Ann Nyberg |title=Goodspeed Musicals' Michael Price |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzCU0vXKTQE |work=WTNH Channel 8 |date=October 17, 2012 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}} He also learned from his uncle, a theatre manager in Chicago.

Price received a B.A. from Michigan State University. He also received an M.A. from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the Yale School of Drama.

Early in his career, Price was a stagehand and electrician at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. He also served as Executive Producer of the 3,500-seat Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, the original stage manager for Richard Rodgers' Music Theater of Lincoln Center, and the production stage manager for Andy Williams, Henry Mancini and the Osmonds.{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Rizzo |title=50 Years of Drama, Dance and Dedication at Goodspeed: East Haddam's American Theater, And Its Director Michael Price, Have Evolved With The Times |url=https://www.courant.com/2013/04/07/50-years-of-drama-dance-and-dedication-at-goodspeed/ |work=The Hartford Courant |date=April 7, 2013 |access-date=January 10, 2014}} As a lighting designer, he was responsible for the lighting at President Lyndon B. Johnson's Inaugural Gala, for Josephine Baker on Broadway and for the premiere American tour of the Hungarian National Ballet.{{ibdb title|23219|Michael P. Price}}

Price first joined Goodspeed Musicals for the company's first season in 1963, but left after a year.{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Rizzo |title=Exit, Mr. Goodspeed: Floods, Flops and Tonys, Michael Price Saw It All |url=http://www.ctnow.com/arts-theater/hc-rizzo-art-sblog-0112-20140112,0,2000490.column |work=The Hartford Courant |date=January 12, 2014 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Rizzo |title=Michael Price Retiring From Goodspeed Opera House |url=http://www.ctnow.com/arts-theater/hc-michael-price-leaving-goodspeed-0110-20140109,0,633320.story |work=The Hartford Courant |date=January 10, 2014 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}} In 1968, Price returned to Goodspeed as the theatre's Executive Director—a role he held until 2014—with the goal of saving the then-struggling organization.

Over his 45 years as Executive Director at Goodspeed, Price produced more than 235 musicals, including 75 world premieres, and 19 Broadway productions.{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Healy |title=Michael Price to Retire From Goodspeed Musicals |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/michael-price-to-retire-from-goodspeed-musicals/ |work=The New York Times |date=January 10, 2014 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}} Price grew Goodspeed from a fledgling organization with only three full-time employees, a two-month season and a budget of less than $500,000 in his first season to a "musical-theater empire" with 65 year-round employees, a $12.5 million budget and a season lasting from April to December.{{cite news |first=Laura |last=Collins-Hughes |title=Bowing Out? Bet Your Bottom Dollar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/theater/michael-price-prepares-to-leave-goodspeed-musicals.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 7, 2014 |accessdate=December 4, 2014}}

Under Price's leadership, Goodspeed became the only theatre to ever receive two special Tony Awards for outstanding achievement. Price accepted the first special award on Goodspeed's behalf in 1980.{{cite news |title=1980 Tony Award Listing |url=http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/Whos_Who/30077/13670/Michael-P-Price/The-34th-Annual-Tony-Awards---1980 |work=Playbill |accessdate=January 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111000748/http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/Whos_Who/30077/13670/Michael-P-Price/The-34th-Annual-Tony-Awards---1980 |archivedate=January 11, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} He accepted the second—the Regional Theatre Tony Award—in 1995. Goodspeed productions produced by Price have earned 13 Tony Awards and 33 Tony nominations.

A masthead editorial published in The Hartford Courant on January 13, 2014, credited Price's "inspired leadership" of Goodspeed for saving the institution and "making the Goodspeed a major center of musical theater."{{cite news |title=For Goodspeed Maestro Michael Price, A Standing Ovation |url=http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-goodspeed-director-michael-price-built-gem-20140110,0,7262051.story |work=The Hartford Courant |date=January 13, 2014 |accessdate=January 13, 2014}}

Price's Broadway credits include:{{cite news |title=Harvesting Musicals at Goodspeed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/28/magazine/harvesting-musicals-at-goodspeed.html?pagewanted=all/ |work=The New York Times Magazine |date=February 28, 1982 |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}

• Man of La Mancha (1965–1971)
• Shenandoah (1975–1977)
• Very Good Eddie (1975–1976)
• Something's Afoot (1976)
• Going Up (1976)
• Annie (1977–1983)
• Whoopee! (1979)
• The Five O'Clock Girl (1981)
• Little Johnny Jones (1982)
• Harrigan 'n Hart (1985)
• Take Me Along (1985)
• Oh, Kay! (1990–1991)
• The Most Happy Fella (1992)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1985)
• Swinging on a Star (1995–1996)
• By Jeeves (2001)
• All Shook Up (2005)
• 13 (2008)
• The Story of My Life (2009)

Price has served as Chairman of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and its successor, the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee since 1992 under both Democratic and Republican Governors.{{cite news |title=Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, Culture & Tourism Advisory Committee Members |url=http://www.ct.gov/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=3940&q=463592 |work=State of Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}

In addition to Tony Awards, Price has received:

• Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre
• Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts, honoris causa, Connecticut College {{cite news |title=Michigan State University College of Arts and Letters Distinguished Alumni |url=http://www.cal.msu.edu/50th/distinguished-alumni/ |work=Michigan State University |accessdate=January 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404193636/http://www.cal.msu.edu/50th/distinguished-alumni/ |archivedate=April 4, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}
• Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts, honoris causa, University of Hartford
• Honorary Doctorate, honoris causa, Wesleyan University
• Michigan State University College of Arts and Letters 50 Anniversary Distinguished Alumni Award
• State of Connecticut Arts Award for Service to the Arts{{cite news |title=Recipients of the Connecticut Arts Award |url=http://www.ct.gov/cct/lib/cct/History_of_Governor_Award_Winners2.pdf |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}
• Theater Hall of Fame{{cite web |url=http://www.theaterhalloffame.org/members.html |website=Theater Hall of Fame |publisher=Theater Hall of Fame|title=Theater Hall of Fame | the Official Website | Members | Preserve the Past • Honor the Present • Encourage the Future }}

• Founder, League of Historic American Theatres{{cite news |title=History of the League of Historic American Theatres |url=http://www.lhat.org/about/history.aspx |work=League of Historic American Theatres |accessdate=January 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110232549/http://www.lhat.org/about/history.aspx |archivedate=January 10, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}
• Founding Member and Past President – National Alliance for Musical Theatre{{cite news |title=About NAMT: History |url=http://namt.org/about-NAMT-beginnings.aspx |work=National Alliance for Musical Theatre |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}
• Treasurer, The American Theatre Wing{{cite news |title=The American Theatre Wing Board of Trustees |url=http://americantheatrewing.org/about/board_of_trustees.php |work=The American Theatre Wing |accessdate=January 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231011802/http://americantheatrewing.org/about/board_of_trustees.php |archivedate=December 31, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}
• Member, Tony Awards Management Committee{{cite news |title=The Tony Awards Management Committee |url=http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/about/mgt_comm.html |work=The Tony Awards |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}
• Board Member, The Johnny Mercer Foundation{{cite news |title=The Johnny Mercer Foundation Board of Directors |url=http://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/board-of-directors/ |work=The Johnny Mercer Foundation |accessdate=January 10, 2014}}
• Executive Committee, The Union for Reform Judaism
• Board Member Connecticut Public Television
• Board Member American Academy of Dramatic Art

Price is married to Jo-Ann Nevas Price. They have two children, Daniel and Rebecca.

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20250411171424/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/theater/michael-price-prepares-to-leave-goodspeed-musicals.html New York Times profile]
• [http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-goodspeed-director-michael-price-built-gem-20140110,0,7262051.story Hartford Courant Masthead Editorial: For Goodspeed Maestro Michael Price, A Standing Ovation]
• [http://www.goodspeed.org Goodspeed Musicals]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130512163255/http://americantheatrewing.org/biography/detail/michael_p_price American Theatre Wing Bio]
• {{YouTube|HzCU0vXKTQE|Ann Nyberg Interview with Michael Price}}
• {{Playbill person|michael-p-price-vault-0000030077}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140110230546/http://www.playbillvault.com/Person/Detail/30077/Michael-P-Price archive])
• {{IBDB name|90750|Michael P. Price}}
• {{IBDB name|23219|Michael Price}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Michael P}}

Category:1938 births

Category:American musical theatre producers

Category:Living people