Neil Berg
Neil Berg is the composer/lyricist of the hit Off-Broadway musical “The Prince and the Pauper,” which ran for two years at the Lambs Theater in New York City. The New York Times raved “Prince and the Pauper” “[soars] on wings of theatrical fun.”
The original cast CD is released internationally on Jay Records, sheet music published by Hal Leonard, and licensing by Samuel French Inc. Songs from this show are also featured with many other classic songs in the official Off-Broadway Songbook, published by Hal Leonard.
Neil is currently the composer for the new Broadway-bound musical “Grumpy Old Men,” based on the Warner Brothers movie classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which had its out of town tryout at the Manitoba Theater in Winnipeg in October 2011 starring Conrad John Schuck (“McMillan & Wife”), John Rubenstein (“Pippin”), and Susan Anton (“The Will Rogers Follies”). For more information go to www.grumpyoldmenthemusical.com.
Neil is currently collaborating with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Robert Schenkkan on a new rock musical called “The 12”. Following a series of successful concert performances at the China Club and B.B. King’s in New York City, Riverspace in Nyack, and the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, “The 12” had its regional premiere at the Inserra Theater in Montvale, NJ starring Jason Wooten (“Hair”), Tad Wilson (“Rock of Ages”), Lawrence Clayton (“Dreamgirls”), Gerard Canonico (“Spring Awakening”) and VH1’s Best Undiscoverd Artist, Sophia Ramos.
Neil’s latest musical, “The Man Who Would Be King,” with book and lyrics by DJ Salisbury, had a developmental reading/workshop at The Village Theater in Issaquah, WA, directed by Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey (“Next To Normal”). This follows a staged reading at the Rubicon Theater in CA. This show has been developed with dramaturgical guidance by Moises Kaufman of the Tetonic Theater Project. The fully-orchestrated CD recording, featuring Brian d’Arcy James, Marc Kudisch and Mandy Gonzalez, has recently been released, and can be purchased at www.neilberg.com.
Neil’s musical “Tim and Scrooge,” with book and lyrics by Nick Meglin (former editor of Mad Magazine), had its first developmental production at the wonderful Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, NY. It was voted “one of the best musicals” of the inaugural NYMF festival in NYC, and garnered a rave review in the NY Times after it opened for an Equity run, starring TONY nominee Bobby Steggert at The Queens Theater in the Park, and was presented as a special reading at the Criterion Theater in the London’s West End.
Neil also composed the new musical “Heidi,” book by Julia Jordan and commissioned by Douglas Love and the Walden Family Theater. Heidi ran for over eighty performances in its regional premiere in Denver. His musical “Hexed in the City” played Off- Broadway at the Zipper Theater. Other new projects in development are musical versions of “Pollyanna” and “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Other commissioned works include “Percy Penguin” for the Penguin Repertory Theater (Joe Brancato, Artistic Director), “Threads” for the Helen Hayes Theater, and “Fiona: The Mother Goose Musical”.
Neil was also the recipient of the 1995 Bistro Award for Best Musical for his show “Asylum in the Night,” a revue of Neil’s theater music. Neil had an evening dedicated to his music at Joe’s Pub, and returned to Feinstein’s for a two week engagement in July 2011 after a sold out performance in 2010.
Neil was also the composer/music supervisor on the feature film “Searching For Bobby D.” featuring Carmen Electra, Sandra Bernhard, and Mario Cantone, and is composer/music supervisor of the upcoming film “Goat” starring Armand Assante, Ice-T, and Ja Rule.
Neil studied musical composition with Robert Printz, Sue Peters, and is a product of The BMI Musical Writer’s Workshop, mentored by Maury Yeston and Skip Kennon.
Neil is the creator and co-producer of Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway,” which is now the number one Broadway touring concert in the United States, playing in over 120 cities in 2010/2011. For a current schedule go to www.neilberg.com.
As owner of Leftfield Productions, Inc., Neil has produced over a thousand Broadway concerts worldwide with such stars as Michael Crawford, Bernadette Peters, Ben Vereen, Betty Buckley, Rita Moreno, Donna McKechnie, Liz Callaway, Mark Kudisch, Alice Ripley, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Stephanie Block, Sir Cliff Richard and many other greats.
Neil recently produced the concert version of the Broadway musical “The Secret Garden” in association with its composer, Lucy Simon. He has also produced concert versions of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Chess,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Neil was the Producing Artistic Director of The Broadway Series at the world famous China Club in NYC. Over the past 20 years, Neil has been the musical director/entertainment coordinator for such great organizations as Covenant House and The Leukemia Society of America. He has produced countless corporate events all across the world for UBS/Paine Webber, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte Touche, John Hancock, Marriott Corporation, IBM, The United Hospice Organization, The American Red Cross, and many others.
In May 2010, Neil was honored with the Distinguished Citizen’s Award, along with Academy Award Winning actress Ellen Burstyn, by The Rockland Family Shelter for his efforts on behalf of abused women. Neil was also honored in 2001 as Rockland County’s “The American Red Cross Man of the Year”, and was honored again in 2003 by The United Hospice Foundation. In 2008, Neil was awarded “Artist of the Year” by the Arts Council of Rockland County. In May 2012, Neil is being awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Neil can be heard on radio around the country with his jingle for Shock Coffee. Neil also toured the US with the rock band Joe D’Urso & Stone Caravan and played on their past seven CDs as well as performed with them on the recent 100 Year Anniversary Tour for Harley Davidson.
Neil is the proud co-owner, with John Asselta, of the Broadway Theater Workshops in residence at St. Joseph Regional High School, a theater camp for students in Montvale NJ, which instructs over 200 young actors/singers a year. This program is now run year round. For more information please go to www.sjrtheater.com.
Neil is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, and can be reached at www.neilberg.com.
Neil dedicates everything to his wife, Rita Harvey, and their son, Lucas David Berg.
.
