Will Aronson
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{{Infobox musical artist
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| name = William Landry Aronson
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| image = Will Aronson on the red carpet of The Musical Awards, 3 June 2013.jpg
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| caption = Will Aronson on the red carpet of The Musical Awards, 3 June 2013
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| birth_date = 1981
| birth_place = New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
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| genre = Musical theater
| occupation = {{hlist|Composer|Writer}}
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| years_active = 2010–present
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| website = {{URL|https://www.willaronson.com/}}
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William Landry Aronson (born 1981) is an American composer and writer for musical theater, whose work includes the scores for Pete the Cat, Mother, Me & the Monsters, and My Scary Girl. He also composed and co-wrote the book for the late 21st-century romance Maybe Happy Ending (2017), The Trouble with Doug, and Bungee Jump, cited by the NY Times in 2013 as Korea’s “most popular original musical,” and winner of Best Score at the Korean Musical Awards. Current projects include Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter and Wind-Up Girl.
Aronson is the recipient of the Richard Rodgers Award, a Fulbright grant, the ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award, an EST/Sloan grant, and three Korean Musical Awards. In addition to his theatrical work, Aronson has composed and produced over 200 tracks for the ESL children's book/DVD series, English Egg.
Education
Aronson holds a B.A. in music from Harvard University. As an undergraduate, Aronson was the composer of Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 154th production, Snow Place Like Home,{{cite web| url = https://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=254138| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021109004356/http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=254138| archive-date = 2002-11-09| title = The Harvard Crimson Online :: News}} and co-author/lyricist of its 155th production, It's a Wonderful Afterlife.{{cite web | url=http://castalbumcollector.com/recordings/14570 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118223937/http://castalbumcollector.com/recordings/14570 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=January 18, 2013 | title=河北省快3 }}
After graduation from Harvard, Aronson studied Music Theory as a Fulbright Scholar at Universität der Künste in Berlin.{{cite web |url=http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_student_us.html?id=363 |title=US.FULBRIGHTONLINE.ORG {{!}}{{!}} Program Resources - U.S. Student Grantees |website=us.fulbrightonline.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521102823/http://us.fulbrightonline.org/program_student_us.html?id=363 |archive-date=2011-05-21}}
Aronson holds an M.F.A. from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. While studying at NYU, he received the ASCAP Frederick Loewe Scholarship{{cite web |url=http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/foundation/scholarships/loewe.html |title=ASCAP Foundation Awards |website=www.ascap.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111064421/http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/awards/foundation/scholarships/loewe.html |archive-date=2008-01-11}} and a 2006 Baryshnikov Fellowship.{{cite web | url=http://www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/releases/detail/1077 | title=NYU News | date=September 13, 2023 }} In 2007 he was named by the Dramatists Guild of America as one of "50 to Watch".
Work
Aronson wrote the score for a musical version of the Korean movie My Scary Girl (book and lyrics by Kyoung-ae Kang), which ran in Seoul, South Korea. The show won Best Original Musical (small theater category) at the 2009 Korea Musical Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.koreamusicalawards.com/ |title=Home |website=koreamusicalawards.com}} An English-language version of the show, with book co-written by Mark St. Germain and additional lyrics by William Finn, ran at Barrington Stage Company's Stage II, July 10–26, 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116390.html |title=Playbill News: Barrington's Musical Theatre Lab Series to Feature Harris Burdick, Scary Girl and See Rock City |website=www.playbill.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404090255/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116390.html |archive-date=2008-04-04}} The New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF) presented the Korean version of My Scary Girl October 1–4, 2009. My Scary Girl was named the Outstanding New Musical at NYMF for 2009.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nymf.org/Story-461.html|title=nymf.org|website=www.nymf.org|accessdate=29 August 2023}}
A reading of Aronson's musical The Trouble with Doug, co-written with Daniel Maté, was directed by Victoria Clark at the NAMT theater festival in 2010.https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021404?refcatid=15&printerfriendly=true {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/142223-Victoria-Clark-and-Christopher-Ashley-to-Direct-NAMT-Musicals |title=Victoria Clark and Christopher Ashley to Direct NAMT Musicals - Playbill.com |website=www.playbill.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822151748/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/142223-Victoria-Clark-and-Christopher-Ashley-to-Direct-NAMT-Musicals |archive-date=2010-08-22}}
With William Finn as lyricist, Aronson has composed songs for Sybille Pearson’s play Next, Mary Testa’s Sleepless Variations, and Finn’s own Songs of Innocence and Experience.{{Cite web|url=http://www.curtainup.com/barrington08.html|title=Barrington Stage--Summer 2008|website=www.curtainup.com|accessdate=29 August 2023}} Aronson was the musical arranger for the Finn-Lapine musical Little Miss Sunshine performed at La Jolla Playhouse in 2011.{{Cite news|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/theater/reviews/little-miss-sunshine-the-musical-review.html?pagewanted=all|title = Taking Dysfunction on a Road Trip, by van, to California|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 8 March 2011|last1 = Isherwood|first1 = Charles}}
In 2011 Aronson composed the score for Mormons, Mothers and Monsters (book and lyrics by Sam Salmond), which ran at Barrington Stage Company's Stage II.{{cite web |url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-22/ae/29571940_1_mormon-musical-theater-scene-north-shore-music-theatre |title=No, not that Mormon musical - Boston.com |website=The Boston Globe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529061045/http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-22/ae/29571940_1_mormon-musical-theater-scene-north-shore-music-theatre |archive-date=2011-05-29}}
In 2012, Aronson wrote the score for the Korean musical Bungee Jump (lyrics by Hue Park), based on the 2001 film Bungee Jumping of Their Own.Kwon Mee-Yoo, [https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2012/07/135_116179.html "'Bungee Jump' tells of complex love story"], Korea Times, July 29, 2012. The production was successfulPatrick Healy, [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/theater/k-pop-stars-selling-stage-musicals-in-korea.html?_r=0 "Heartthrobs Rule the Korean Stage: K-Pop Stars Selling Stage Musicals in Korea"], The New York Times, December 26, 2013. and won the award for best score at the 7th Musical Awards and the 18th Korea Musical Awards.[http://www.k-popculture.com/?p=2938&ckattempt=1 Winners of The 7th ‘Musical Awards’], K-popculture (accessed 2016-08-26); [http://www.k-popculture.com/?p=3445 "Musical ‘Bungee Jumping of Their Own’ to be Back"], K-popculture (accessed 2016-08-26).
Park and Aronson had a try-out production of their new musical, Maybe Happy Ending, at Wooran Foundation in September 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://ticket.interpark.com/Ticket/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=16013776|title = 싸니까 믿으니까 인터파크 티켓}} The musical was premiered by DaeMyoung Culture Factory in December 2016. Directed by Kim Dong-yeon, The show won six Korean Musical Awards, including Best Director, Best Music, Lyrics and Book.{{Cite web|url=https://awards.kmusical.kr/2nd-awards-winners/|title = 제2회 한국뮤지컬어워즈 수상작(자) – 한국뮤지컬어워즈}} The English-language version of Maybe Happy Ending was awarded the 2017 Richard Rodgers Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.{{Cite web|url=https://artsandletters.org/pressrelease/musical-wins-richard-rodgers-award/|title=Musical wins 2017 Richard Rodgers Award – American Academy of Arts and Letters|website=artsandletters.org|accessdate=29 August 2023}} A new Korean production opened in 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://ticket.interpark.com/Ticket/Goods/GoodsInfo.asp?GoodsCode=18013344&TabIndex=1#TabTop|title = 싸니까 믿으니까 인터파크 티켓}} In 2020, Maybe Happy Ending had its American premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.{{Cite news |last=Brock |first=Wendell |title='Maybe Happy Ending' is making its American premiere at the Alliance Theatre |url=https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/arts--theater/maybe-happy-ending-mediates-love-and-technology/a7FLjMc3LPry8oc2VyLgsO/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |language=English |issn=1539-7459}} The show will transfer to Broadway at the Belasco Theatre in the fall of 2024.{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=2024-07-18 |title='Maybe Happy Ending' Starring Darren Criss Delays Broadway Opening A Month Due To Scenic Design Supply Chain Issues |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/maybe-happy-ending-broadway-opening-date-1236014603/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}
References
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Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:American musical theatre composers
Category:American male musical theatre composers