Harold Prince facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harold Prince
Prince in 1988
Born	Harold Smith (1928-01-30)January 30, 1928 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 31, 2019(2019-07-31) (aged 91) Reykjavík, Iceland
Other names	Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince
Education	Timothy Dwight School
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
Occupation	Theatre director producer
Years active	1955–2019
Spouse(s)	Judith Chaplin ​ (m. 1962)​
Children	2

Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer. He was famous for his amazing work in musical theatre.

Hal Prince was one of the most important people in American theatre during the 1900s. He worked on many famous Broadway musicals. These include West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, and Phantom of the Opera. Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway history!

Many of his shows were new and exciting. They explored more serious topics for musicals. For example, Cabaret was about Nazism. Company looked at the challenges of marriage. Pacific Overtures told the story of Japan opening up to the world in the 1800s.

Throughout his career, he won 21 Tony Awards. These awards are like the Oscars for theatre. He won eight for directing, eight for producing the Best Musical, two as Best Producer, and three special awards.

Early Life

Harold Prince was born into a wealthy family in Manhattan, New York City. His birth name was Harold Smith. His mother was Blanche Stern, and his father was Harold Smith. Later, his stepfather, Milton A. Prince, adopted him. His family had German Jewish roots.

After finishing school at the Franklin School (now Dwight School) in New York, he went to the University of Pennsylvania. He studied many different subjects and finished college in just three years, when he was 19. After college, he spent two years serving in the United States Army in Germany after World War II.

Amazing Career in Theatre

Hal Prince started his theatre career as an assistant stage manager. He worked for a famous producer and director named George Abbott. Together with Abbott, he helped produce The Pajama Game. This musical won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1955.

He also won Tony Awards for producing Damn Yankees (1956), Fiorello! (1960), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963). He was nominated for Tony Awards for West Side Story (1958) and New Girl in Town.

In 1962, he started directing and producing his own shows. His first critically successful musical was She Loves Me (1963). He won a Tony Award for producing Fiddler on the Roof in 1965.

Working with Stephen Sondheim

In 1970, Hal Prince began his most important creative partnership. He started working with the brilliant composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. They had worked together before on West Side Story. Their partnership led to many famous musicals. These include Company (Tony Award, 1970), Follies (Tony Award, 1971), A Little Night Music (Tony Award, 1973), and Sweeney Todd (Tony Award, 1979). They stopped working together after Merrily We Roll Along in 1981, but reunited for Bounce in 2003.

Working with Andrew Lloyd Webber

Hal Prince also directed two huge musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He won Tony Awards for directing Evita (1980) and The Phantom of the Opera (1988). The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show on Broadway.

He was offered the chance to direct Cats but chose to direct A Doll's Life instead. This musical continued the story of a character named Nora from an old play. However, A Doll's Life did not run for very long.

Later Career and Awards

Prince eventually stopped producing shows because he preferred directing. In 1993, he directed Kiss of the Spider Woman, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1994, he was honored at the Kennedy Center. He won another Tony Award in 1995 for directing Showboat.

In 2000, he received the National Medal of Arts. In 2006, he was given a Special Tony Award for his amazing achievements in theatre throughout his life. His last original musical on Broadway was LoveMusik in 2007.

In 2015, a show called Prince of Broadway was created. It looked back at all of Hal Prince's incredible work. He co-directed this show with Susan Stroman.

Directing Operas

Besides musicals, Hal Prince also directed operas. Operas are like plays where most of the words are sung. He directed operas like Ashmedai, Willie Stark, Madama Butterfly, and a new version of Candide (Tony Award, 1974).

Legacy

The Harold Prince Theatre at the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania is named after him. This honors his contributions to the arts.

A documentary film called Harold Prince: The Director's Life was shown on TV in 2018. It told the story of his life and work. In 2019, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts had a big exhibit celebrating Harold Prince.

Personal Life

Hal Prince married Judy Chaplin on October 26, 1962. Judy was the daughter of a composer and musical director named Saul Chaplin. Hal and Judy had two children: Daisy Prince, who became a director, and Charles Prince, who became a conductor. Their son-in-law, Alexander Chaplin, is an actor. At the time of his death, Hal Prince lived in Manhattan and Switzerland.

Death

Hal Prince passed away in Reykjavík, Iceland, on July 31, 2019. He was 91 years old.

On the day he died, the lights of Broadway theatres were dimmed. This is a special way to honor someone important in the theatre world. A memorial service was held for him at the Majestic Theatre in New York City on December 16, 2019.

Awards and Nominations