Michael Friedman (composer) facts for kids

John Michael Friedman (born September 24, 1975 – died September 9, 2017) was a talented American composer and lyricist. He wrote music and words for many plays and musicals. He was also a founding member of a theater group called The Civilians.

Michael Friedman won an Obie Award in 2007 for his excellent work in theater. He also received several special fellowships and was a visiting professor at Princeton University. At the time of his passing, he was an Artist in Residence at The Public Theater in New York City. He died on September 9, 2017, at the age of 41, due to health complications. In 2018, he was honored with a star on the Playwrights’ Sidewalk at the Lucille Lortel Theater.

Michael Friedman's Early Life and Education

Michael Friedman was born in Boston but grew up in Philadelphia. He went to Germantown Friends School. Later, he studied history and literature at Harvard University. While at Harvard, he learned from famous composers and artists like Bernard Rands and Elizabeth Swados.

Michael Friedman's Amazing Career in Theater

Friedman was best known for creating the musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. This show first opened in New York and then moved to Broadway, which is the biggest stage for musicals.

He also worked on many other musicals and plays, including:

• Unknown Soldier
• Love’s Labour’s Lost (which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Musical)
• Saved
• In the Bubble
• The Brand New Kid
• God's Ear
• The Blue Demon
• This Beautiful City

Michael Friedman worked with Itamar Moses on The Fortress of Solitude. This musical was based on a popular Jonathan Lethem book. It opened in 2014 at The Public Theater.

Before the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, Michael traveled across the country. He wrote a series of songs based on interviews he did with people. These songs became his “State of the Union Songbook.”

Working with The Civilians Theater Company

Michael was a founding Associate Artist of The Civilians. This is a special theater company that creates plays based on research and real-life stories. His work with The Civilians included:

• Gone Missing
• In the Footprint
• The Great Immensity
• Paris Commune (which he co-wrote)
• (I Am) Nobody’s Lunch
• This Beautiful City

He also wrote the music for Anne Washburn’s play Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. His last project with The Civilians, called “The Abominables,” opened in Minneapolis in 2017.

Where Michael Friedman's Music Was Performed

Michael Friedman’s music was performed at many famous theaters in New York City, such as:

• New York Shakespeare Festival
• New York Theatre Workshop
• Roundabout Theatre Company
• Second Stage
• Soho Repertory Theater
• Signature Theatre

His work was also shown in other parts of the U.S. and even in London, England. He also helped with the 2004 Broadway show A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Kenny Leon.

Recordings of His Work

The Civilians theater company, working with Ghostlight Records, has released recordings of nine shows that Friedman wrote or helped write. The first three, The Great Immensity, This Beautiful City, and The Abominables, came out in 2019. More recordings, like Paris Commune and (I Am) Nobody’s Lunch, were released in 2020.

Michael Friedman's Notable Works

Here are some of the important plays and musicals Michael Friedman worked on:

• Canard, Canard, Goose? (2002)
• Paris Commune (2004)
• (I Am) Nobody's Lunch (2006)
• Gone Missing (2007)
• This Beautiful City (2008)
• Saved (2008)
• Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2008)
• In the Footprint (2010)
• Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (2012) (This was incidental music, meaning music used within the play)
• The Fortress of Solitude (2012)
• Love’s Labour’s Lost (2013)
• Pretty Filthy (2015)
• Rimbauld in New York (2016)
• The Abominables (2017)

Awards and Nominations for Michael Friedman

Michael Friedman's work was recognized with several awards and nominations: